extemporalli's review against another edition
4.0
Suchen Christine Lim has a wonderful ear for Singlish vernacular, and it's this she puts to good use as she writes these sensitive, hilarious 'stories of the unsung, unsaid, and uncelebrated in Singapore'. Of these, my favourites were the first four in the collection, which felt the most authentic, imagined, and well-wrought. The collection did lag a bit towards the end, with stories like 'The Tragedy of My Third Eye' feeling weirdly incomplete, or just plain unsatisfying (e.g. 'Retired Rebel'). Still, definitely worth a read, especially for the first couple of stories which manage to weave the compelling fantasy of loving families who accept and welcome queerness with the comfort of that vernacular, and the weight of family history. Her short stories feel as comforting as being told stories about one's family by a favourite aunt. Highly recommend.
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