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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
karenreader's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Short story collection about the children and grandchildren of Cambodian refugees living in the same area. Stories are well written and cover a lot of big topics.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide
Minor: Addiction and Suicide
readingthroughinfinity's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
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
4.0
This is a raw, honest, and moving collection of short stories about Cambodian-Americans finding meaning in their lives and interpersonal bonds in the US. Some of the stand out stories for me were Three women of Chuck's donuts, Maly, Maly, Maly, Human Development, and Generational differences, which were all about family ties and emotional connections with other people.
Anthony Veasna So has a really intimate way of describing human interactions that suggests he really understands the psyche of his characters. I could be wrong, but I got the sense that several of these stories were semi-autobiographical because some of the characters referred to the protagonist as Anthony (and the character's background matched what I know about the author).
This was a bittersweet read because the writing was excellent and really thought-provoking, but the author died before the collection was published, so I know I'll only get to read one more of his books (Songs on Endless Repeat, set to be published in 2023).
Anthony Veasna So has a really intimate way of describing human interactions that suggests he really understands the psyche of his characters. I could be wrong, but I got the sense that several of these stories were semi-autobiographical because some of the characters referred to the protagonist as Anthony (and the character's background matched what I know about the author).
This was a bittersweet read because the writing was excellent and really thought-provoking, but the author died before the collection was published, so I know I'll only get to read one more of his books (Songs on Endless Repeat, set to be published in 2023).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Mass/school shootings
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
afterparties is an interesting book that refreshingly features cambodians and cambodian americans - a rarely spotlighted group - and the byproduct is a semi-interconnecting set of original, unpredictable, sometimes startlingly provocative yet darkly humorous short stories, though i feel like some of them could've been more impactful.
every ethnic group always has a set of commonalities that binds them, yet as so adeptly illustrates here, they are multifaceted and far from being a monolith. i learn a lot abt cambodian culture and the u.s. cambodian community - despite them being a lil similar to my own - but i also enjoy this for its purely fictional aspect, w/ a particular favorite being "human development."
the different immigrant struggles, family conflicts, legacy of intergenerational trauma are examined through various characters and storylines. although they're effective in varying degrees, i often find myself smirking and snorting bc of the dark humor that only the marginalized and survivors know to espouse, while also startled by the off-handed mentions of trauma and violence, a firm reminder that the genocide that sent this group of ppl to where they reside happened not long ago, yet it's also not talked abt enough in the mainstream.
from this volume, it's clear that so was a literary force to be reckoned w/, someone whose future work i would've looked forward to. ig we'll all have to make do w/ afterparties, a nonetheless notable work.
every ethnic group always has a set of commonalities that binds them, yet as so adeptly illustrates here, they are multifaceted and far from being a monolith. i learn a lot abt cambodian culture and the u.s. cambodian community - despite them being a lil similar to my own - but i also enjoy this for its purely fictional aspect, w/ a particular favorite being "human development."
the different immigrant struggles, family conflicts, legacy of intergenerational trauma are examined through various characters and storylines. although they're effective in varying degrees, i often find myself smirking and snorting bc of the dark humor that only the marginalized and survivors know to espouse, while also startled by the off-handed mentions of trauma and violence, a firm reminder that the genocide that sent this group of ppl to where they reside happened not long ago, yet it's also not talked abt enough in the mainstream.
from this volume, it's clear that so was a literary force to be reckoned w/, someone whose future work i would've looked forward to. ig we'll all have to make do w/ afterparties, a nonetheless notable work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Dementia
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Infidelity, Racism, Violence, Excrement, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Addiction, Child death, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and War
elihegy's review against another edition
funny
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Genocide, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, and Dementia
theskyboi's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Posthumously published, Afterparties is a collection of nine short stories by Anthony Veasna So. Mixing the personal perspective with more omniscient and third-person points of view, these stories weave through the lives of So's Khmer relatives and friends with a certain irreverent yet poignant voice. Being that this was my first audiobook, I will note that the conversational delivery of the dialogue and prose alike framed this story collection in a way that I liken to a limited yet passionate oral history of the Cambodian diaspora.
By far, the best stories were "Superking Son Scores Again," "The Shop," and "Somaly Serey, Serey Somaly." In these narratives, So inhabits the lives of others, giving us a glimpse into how he interpreted the quotidian lives of his community and family members. In the shoes of different narrators, So left me enraptured by a candid yet blend of ethnic history and town gossip.
However, this edition's pitfalls lie in both the spoken delivery overall and the original written text of some of the weakest stories of the bunch. For all the insight and wit that So was able to weave into his image of others, the stories focused on the experience of being young, gay, and Cambodian felt lackluster in their heavy reliance on tropes. Additionally, the audiobook's quality improved at 1.5x speed, making up for the somewhat stilted reading that was recorded.
Perhaps saddest of all is that Anthony Veasna So can never surpass this initially published work with subsequent entries into his literary catalog. Haunted by the author's passing through some fault of my own, Afterparties was a memorable yet somewhat unpolished debut that frustratingly could have been so much more on its own or as a jumping-off point for even deeper works. It's hard to say whether I fully recommend this book; it comes down to preference at the end of the day. For me, a repeat read is only in order for a select few stories.
By far, the best stories were "Superking Son Scores Again," "The Shop," and "Somaly Serey, Serey Somaly." In these narratives, So inhabits the lives of others, giving us a glimpse into how he interpreted the quotidian lives of his community and family members. In the shoes of different narrators, So left me enraptured by a candid yet blend of ethnic history and town gossip.
However, this edition's pitfalls lie in both the spoken delivery overall and the original written text of some of the weakest stories of the bunch. For all the insight and wit that So was able to weave into his image of others, the stories focused on the experience of being young, gay, and Cambodian felt lackluster in their heavy reliance on tropes. Additionally, the audiobook's quality improved at 1.5x speed, making up for the somewhat stilted reading that was recorded.
Perhaps saddest of all is that Anthony Veasna So can never surpass this initially published work with subsequent entries into his literary catalog. Haunted by the author's passing through some fault of my own, Afterparties was a memorable yet somewhat unpolished debut that frustratingly could have been so much more on its own or as a jumping-off point for even deeper works. It's hard to say whether I fully recommend this book; it comes down to preference at the end of the day. For me, a repeat read is only in order for a select few stories.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Genocide, Sexual content, Dementia, Toxic friendship, and War
Minor: Religious bigotry
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
jessie_h's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I'm not sure yet what my final rating for this short story collection will be as I'm still processing my thoughts and feelings about it. I will say the minimum will be a 4 stars. I read this book for book club and its one of those books that I'm glad someone pushed me to read because I probably would have never heard of it otherwise.
This book is complex, humorous, haunting, saddening, and intriguing in equal measures. The author (may he rest in peace) wrote about what he knew and it was about being Cambodian American, being the child of refugees who survived the Khmer Rouge, and being gay in a tight-knit minority community. The amount of generational trauma intermingled in these stories is enough to make you weep. I enjoyed reading this collection and I expect that it will be one of those books that I will never stop thinking about.
This book is complex, humorous, haunting, saddening, and intriguing in equal measures. The author (may he rest in peace) wrote about what he knew and it was about being Cambodian American, being the child of refugees who survived the Khmer Rouge, and being gay in a tight-knit minority community. The amount of generational trauma intermingled in these stories is enough to make you weep. I enjoyed reading this collection and I expect that it will be one of those books that I will never stop thinking about.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Addiction and Genocide
annuich's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug use, Genocide, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Mass/school shootings, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War