Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So

18 reviews

fkshg8465's review against another edition

emotional informative fast-paced

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

2.5

This is my first read of a Cambodian author. I should’ve waited to read a novel. The short story format didn’t work for me. A few stories were good. The rest felt underdeveloped. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Suicide, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Abandonment, and Alcohol

amberinpieces's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Medical content, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, Dementia, and Grief

Minor: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Suicide, Blood, Excrement, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and Classism

iszys's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide

Minor: Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, and Death of parent

taylorsevalia's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Minor: Gun violence

maddie7217's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Excrement, Medical content, Dementia, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Genocide, Gun violence, and Mass/school shootings

martinatan's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.25

Enjoyable and incredibly reflective. At the center of all of these stories is the protagonists’ emotional development, set against a vibrant exploration of many corners of the Cambodian American experience. It is obvious that the author found a lot of catharsis in writing about friends, relatives, and other figures of his personal community. He treats all of these people with empathy and nuance. I was a little lost at times when beginning a new story as it would introduce a new point of view, and it took me a little effort to come to terms with the fine line that So treads between autobiography and autofiction. However, it didn’t take me long to grow fond of each character’s personality and care about their challenges and victories. I felt some kinship as a fellow Asian American, but learned much more about the specific histories that Cambodian immigrants in California have to reckon with. Hard for me to pick a favorite story, but Generational Differences was an extremely interesting and uniquely written story to end the collection on. I wish Anthony Veasna So were still here to see his work move through the world, but regardless he leaves behind a body of work that I and many others will cherish.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Medical content, Dementia, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer, Cursing, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Excrement, Grief, Colonisation, War, and Classism

caroliiineb's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide and Racism

Minor: Death, Gun violence, and Suicide

kayladaila's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Dementia, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Infidelity, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War

alyon's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide

Moderate: Gun violence and Mass/school shootings

Minor: Addiction and Suicide

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.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Sexual content

Moderate: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, and Mass/school shootings

Minor: Addiction, Homophobia, and Suicide