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A review by charmaineac
Sarong Party Girls by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan
3.0
This book really tosses you into the deep end of Singaporean party culture. The Singlish is strong, and you are forced to adapt quickly!
This book was fascinating. I could imagine people like this easily making for an interesting (and trashy) Netflix reality show à la Bling Empire crossed with Crazy Rich Asians. I know some big partiers, but I've never been able to live in their psyche like this before.
I also want to note that Jazzy does not make for the most... likeable protagonist. She says and does things that are wrong on so many levels. Her mindset is so skewed, yet I also understand how her society has jaded her the way it has. The social commentary is heavy-handed with this book, but the key messages did not feel out-of-left-field. It made me feel sorry for the young women forced to grow up in this kind of environment. Also important to note that this book is from 2016 — one can only hope things have improved since then? Then again, I've seen the best that Singapore has to offer in 2017 and 2018. It's hard to fathom that the glitz and glamour I witnessed could be so far removed from the lived reality of some of its communities.
I do appreciate the growth Jazzy achieved by the end of the book. It was a slow and meandering process. In a way, it felt very realistic: two steps forward, one step back. The change was so gradual that you might even miss it without some introspection. But look: Jazzy learned to be a more supportive and understanding friend. She learned to treat herself with respect. She learned the value of her own independence. And she learned to take control of her career. In those respects, I'm proud of her growth.
This book was fascinating. I could imagine people like this easily making for an interesting (and trashy) Netflix reality show à la Bling Empire crossed with Crazy Rich Asians. I know some big partiers, but I've never been able to live in their psyche like this before.
I also want to note that Jazzy does not make for the most... likeable protagonist. She says and does things that are wrong on so many levels. Her mindset is so skewed, yet I also understand how her society has jaded her the way it has. The social commentary is heavy-handed with this book, but the key messages did not feel out-of-left-field. It made me feel sorry for the young women forced to grow up in this kind of environment. Also important to note that this book is from 2016 — one can only hope things have improved since then? Then again, I've seen the best that Singapore has to offer in 2017 and 2018. It's hard to fathom that the glitz and glamour I witnessed could be so far removed from the lived reality of some of its communities.
I do appreciate the growth Jazzy achieved by the end of the book. It was a slow and meandering process. In a way, it felt very realistic: two steps forward, one step back. The change was so gradual that you might even miss it without some introspection. But look: Jazzy learned to be a more supportive and understanding friend. She learned to treat herself with respect. She learned the value of her own independence. And she learned to take control of her career. In those respects, I'm proud of her growth.