A review by misscbingley
Sarong Party Girls by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan

2.0

2.5 stars. It took me a few chapters to get used to the Singlish syntax, but after a while, I noticed I was starting to incorporate certain phrases in my internal monologue, wanting to add "lah" on to sentences. Now I'm disappointed that the next book I pick up won't be written the same way. I can see how the narrator is a bit like Emma; I grew to like her, despite her snobbishness and often catty comments (still not sure how the reader is supposed to view the character's... classism and internalized misogyny/racism?). At heart, she cared for her friends and parents. The actual storyline reminded me more of Sex and the City mixed with Mad Men, than Emma, though. I thought it would be pure fluff, but it's actually kind of seedy and grim by the end. It ended a bit abruptly, and I wished there were more--I still felt a bit... worried for Jazzy, and where she'll end up.