Scan barcode
A review by yunsq
Edge Case by YZ Chin
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Ah!! What a read.
Edge Case (which I’ve now learnt means an anomaly that appears when testing a tech product..?) tells the story of a Malaysian woman trying to prolong her time in the US as a legal residence. All of this alongside the relentless search for her grieving husband who left without a word.
The story is as messy as Edwina, the main character, and the main character is as messy as the story (her life). But such is life, isn’t it? Of duality,
mess, confusion, relentless fruitless pursuit? YZ Chin did a great job interweaving and layering childhood trauma, issues of gender, sexism in the tech industry, racism & xenophobia, marriage, self-image all into one character. Though sometimes hard to read, Edwina wasn’t cold, unfeeling and impossible to understand. I found the ending refreshing, and surprisingly not lost on me for how open-ended it is.
I really enjoyed the writing, and must have obsessively highlighted huge chunks of texts every other page. Particularly the descriptions of Edwina’s new found eating habits and how they manifest in the body she’s taught to disassociate from and dislike. As readers, we watch her fall, literally, falter, waver, celebrate the smallest wins with caution and tiny doses of disbelief, navigate her relationship with her mum, grow completely honest with herself and more.
Edge Case was a literary treat. And I think a mirror for introspection and reflection.
Edge Case (which I’ve now learnt means an anomaly that appears when testing a tech product..?) tells the story of a Malaysian woman trying to prolong her time in the US as a legal residence. All of this alongside the relentless search for her grieving husband who left without a word.
The story is as messy as Edwina, the main character, and the main character is as messy as the story (her life). But such is life, isn’t it? Of duality,
mess, confusion, relentless fruitless pursuit? YZ Chin did a great job interweaving and layering childhood trauma, issues of gender, sexism in the tech industry, racism & xenophobia, marriage, self-image all into one character. Though sometimes hard to read, Edwina wasn’t cold, unfeeling and impossible to understand. I found the ending refreshing, and surprisingly not lost on me for how open-ended it is.
I really enjoyed the writing, and must have obsessively highlighted huge chunks of texts every other page. Particularly the descriptions of Edwina’s new found eating habits and how they manifest in the body she’s taught to disassociate from and dislike. As readers, we watch her fall, literally, falter, waver, celebrate the smallest wins with caution and tiny doses of disbelief, navigate her relationship with her mum, grow completely honest with herself and more.
Edge Case was a literary treat. And I think a mirror for introspection and reflection.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Sexual harassment