yush's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
I’m unsure if my audiobook was out of order or the story was a little disjointed.
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
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
3.75
Inheritance is the story of a Sikh family living in Singapore. There are plenty of the normal family dramas like sibling rivalry, parental pressure, rebellious teenagers, and grief. The story really hones in on two issues - homophobia and mental illness. I liked the way this story unfolded over three time periods, each roughly seven years apart and how it was told from the perspective of multiple family members. I really enjoyed the way the family’s story played out against the background of Singapore’s history, something I was fairly ignorant of barring some events in World War II. We saw it’s begin as a relatively new independent nation, undergo a period of major modernisation and development, implement some demanding and punitive social practices and policies, and develop a national identity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Mental illness
terrik_'s review
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
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
sunflower_vol6's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
tortue_abroad's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. This is a sit around for a while and think about it after I finish sort of book. The themes of shame and mental health made it a pretty rough read, but it was dealt with well and ultimately some resolution was found. I appreciate that she didn’t tie things up neatly at the end but gave some hope for some people
rachyrexaphous's review
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
dinojah's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-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
Living was messy. These uniform flats, stacked on top of each other, were tidy solutions.
ritagonzagamoreira's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.25
mustardseed's review
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
4.0
woah. this is a story, alright. this has devastating emotional impact (my friend whom i borrowed this from can attest to that - she “couldn’t get through after halfway because [she] cldn’t cope” lol). within a reasonable-length book, it packs in so much: familial ties, individual struggles, within the framework of a subliminal, effective, reasonable critique of singapore. from issues of mental health to the criminalisation of homosexuality to the merciless education system to the unforgiveness of singaporean society (and the microcosm of the punjabi community in singapore), this book explores all the imperfects in a seemingly “perfect” society. the characterisation initially felt a little caricature-like, but it mellowed into a brutal, flawed characterisation that left me sucked into the story and very much emotionally invested. at points i wondered if it was too on-the-nose in its descriptions or critiques of sg (think - a letter to the social development unit), but at the same time it was almost a relief to see someone write about it; to put into words all the hidden discomforts and tensions manifested within this “beautiful” country. definitely a new favourite singlit novel.