Reviews

Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So

katrin_loves_books's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

loveambreen's review against another edition

4.0

3.5 rated up because it would have been a 4 if I read it rather than audiobook'ing it

dauhns_booklist's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

erichorvath36's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Beautifully written, Afterparties and its short stories take the reader into the Khmer American community in California, through several protagonists that we eventually find out are in each others’ lives. What’s most remarkable about So’s storytelling is how the Khmer Rouge are present in every narrative, yet their weight is light, never grinding a vignette to a standstill with crippling grief, but instead, understood as an unavoidable part of all the character’s everyday existence. 

Their intergenerational trauma fills each story like the air we breathe, out of necessity, toxic or not, with a lightness that reminds you of ghosts that haunt but don’t halt us from living.

maggiegwen26's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

kymayhew's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

dinasamimi's review against another edition

4.0

Beautiful range of stories. I picked this up as a read on the immigrant experience, but this is so much more than that. Such a wonderfully evocative collection on generational trauma and its impact in this particular slice of the Cambodian diaspora in the Bay area.

reinedumonde's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.5

slowsho's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

thebearnest's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75