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robinks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This collection of short stories was so engaging and devastating. So seamlessly integrates fact and fiction, and I love how the characters jump off the page, some recurring in multiple stories to get another perspective on them. What a beautiful testament to Cambodian-American life and queerness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Alcohol, War, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Excrement, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Miscarriage, Vomit, and Pregnancy
bookishaddictions's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This one has been on my shelf forever it seems, so it was time to give it a read. I started this hyped to learn since I don’t normally hear much about Cambodian Americans, and I found I myself researching often and learned quite a bit. Overall, I thought the stories were interesting. Each of the short stories depicts one people living their daily (and often connected) lives; this includes the good, the bad, and the ugly. This book did make me uncomfortable in a bad way though, and that ultimately made it a three star read for me. I do not have an issue with smut or dirty scenes in themselves, however, I typically like my books to be upfront about there being sexual content. I was not prepared for the amount of detailed sexual content was included, so it caught me very off guard. If there had been some indicator that there was sexual content in this one, I think I would have been cool with it. On the bright side, there was a lot of talk of yummy sounding food; I’m now looking to see if I have Cambodian near me 🤣✌🏻
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Drug use, Violence, and Alcohol
Minor: Domestic abuse and Homophobia
kirstym25's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Genocide
Moderate: Death and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Addiction and Homophobia
jayisreading's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
This was such a good collection of short stories, and it’s unbelievably heartbreaking to know that So’s career was cut short. Something I really appreciated about each short story was this striking balance of wry humor and quiet grief. So explored the distinct experience of being Cambodian American, queer, a child of refugees, and more. His stories almost seemed to exist outside of time in the way they simultaneously touch on past, present, and future. It’s not to say these stories existed in their own bubbles but, rather, So poignantly took into consideration (generational) trauma and memory and their impact across time. These stories were twinged with care and love, weaving in the Khmer language and culture into the blanket of the United States to create a space for Cambodian Americans.
I honestly enjoyed all of these stories for very different reasons, which I think demonstrates So’s talent. (Though, like any book, it’s not going to be for everyone.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Addiction, Homophobia, and Suicide
mandkips's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Homophobia and War
ladymirtazapine's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Suicide, Excrement, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Death of parent
readingwithkt's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
AFTERPARTIES offers snapshots into the lives of Cambodian refugees, and their [American-born] children, living and working in America. In each story, we meet a new narrator and a new cast of characters, each of them fully realised. From women escaping violent relationships and men having threesomes, to your sister being reincarnated as your great-niece and an unlikely friendship with a Monk; each of the storylines in this collection was unique and complex.
Often exploring difficult or complex themes, AFTERPARTIES holds a special focus on the Cambodian genocide (1975-1979) and the lasting effects on those who survived it. The collection explores intergenerational trauma, and trauma in general; the marks it leaves upon us, and a possible new path forward for survivors.
At times entertaining, at other points unsettling or disturbing; Anthony Veasna So's writing is evocative and immersive. I'm grateful to have read an early copy of this title via Netgalley.
I was devastated to learn of Anthony Veasna So's passing - a writer that has been taken from us far too soon. My thoughts are with his partner, family, and loved ones. And thank you to Anthony Veasna So for writing these stories and choosing to put them out into the world.
Often exploring difficult or complex themes, AFTERPARTIES holds a special focus on the Cambodian genocide (1975-1979) and the lasting effects on those who survived it. The collection explores intergenerational trauma, and trauma in general; the marks it leaves upon us, and a possible new path forward for survivors.
At times entertaining, at other points unsettling or disturbing; Anthony Veasna So's writing is evocative and immersive. I'm grateful to have read an early copy of this title via Netgalley.
I was devastated to learn of Anthony Veasna So's passing - a writer that has been taken from us far too soon. My thoughts are with his partner, family, and loved ones. And thank you to Anthony Veasna So for writing these stories and choosing to put them out into the world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Death and Terminal illness
Minor: Genocide
librariangeorgia's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Genocide, and Gun violence
Minor: Homophobia and Mass/school shootings
melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Thank you to Netgalley and Ecco for an arc of this book.
This is a collection of stories about what it means to be Cambodian-American. It combines stories from the older generation that immigrated to America during the Cambodian Genocides, to the younger generation and what it is like to live in that shadow.
This is such a powerful collection of stories. The writing is really strong and intense. I loved the stories that included queer characters. I also really loved the way all the stories began to come together the farther you got into the book. I really enjoyed how they were connected to form this community. Great book.
Pub Date: August 3, 2021
This is a collection of stories about what it means to be Cambodian-American. It combines stories from the older generation that immigrated to America during the Cambodian Genocides, to the younger generation and what it is like to live in that shadow.
This is such a powerful collection of stories. The writing is really strong and intense. I loved the stories that included queer characters. I also really loved the way all the stories began to come together the farther you got into the book. I really enjoyed how they were connected to form this community. Great book.
Pub Date: August 3, 2021
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Racism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Gun violence and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Homophobia
notabookseller's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
slow-paced
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Afterparties is scheduled for release on August 3rd, 2021.
As I read this book I felt like by the time I finished a story I’d missed something. Most of the book read as slice of life stories, which I love, but after a while some of them began to feel like the same premise with slight variations on the same broad strokes (family, sexuality, and sense of belonging). I find that “Human Development” tackles these topics in the most engaging manner and in a way that feels most connected to present-day America.
Overall, my favorite stories were “Three Women of Chuck’s Donuts,” and “Somaly Serey, Serey Somaly.”
“Three Women...” is a great leading story as it immediately grabs the reader’s attention with the introduction of this mysterious man who comes into the shop every night to sit at a table with a donut he does not touch; however, it feels out of place with most, if not all, of the other stories as it has the most obvious plot driving it and it is heavily influenced by a specific and immediate familial trauma rather than a cultural one (the genocide that is referenced frequently throughout the book).
“Somaly Serey, Serey Somaly” calls back to an earlier story, “Maly, Maly, Maly,” 23 years later, after the birth of baby Serey who is believed to be the reincarnation of Somaly, who is Maly’s mother. This story is about Serey’s journey to relieve herself of trauma that she did not experience while also being the sole caregiver for her great-aunt who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. As a child of immigrants I find Serey to be a very relatable narrator who I was able to connect with on a personal level.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Suicide, and Stalking