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readingwithcoffee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Despite multiple different characters of different genders and occupations, they all bleed together after a few and have nothing new to really saw and while some talent in prose it was also incredibly stiff awkward and self righteous while having very little to say especially that wasn’t repetitive from the previous and frankly pretentious. Many stories read like thinly veiled short essays that would probably have been better then what’s supposedly a fiction story that’s largely just a rant about how Buddhist temples fleece grieving people for money and are hypocrites to having an elderly refugee talk about being afraid of boys in red and blue that’s very clearly trying to dodge that the woman is referring to black boys she just assumes are gang members and reads so poorly you are not surprised that despite the Themes of poverty that the author literally grew up in a gated community upper middle class. I also thought the way the book talked about woman was flat and one dimensional at best after the first story. It just was very disappointing to have a boring book that insisted upon itself while having nothing to say, a book that had so many characters but came off to me as uninterested in people or their lives and as if it didn’t like them and increasing bitter not even over the actual tragedy or trauma in the book but anything. The book confuses pretension and pessimism with depth having teacher character talk about not knowing how to talk to their coworker who wears floral blouses or skirts and likes her job??? There’s literally jokes how common floral clothing is especially for spring before even the point about working a job and not knowing how to talk to your coworkers who don’t hate their job, it just made me out the book done and wonder if the author even talked to people ever.
So has enough spark of talent though I will be putting his actual essays and other posthumous work in my tbr.
Moderate: Infidelity, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, and War
kayladaila's review against another edition
- 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
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
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
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.
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
annuich's review against another edition
- 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
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
readingwithkt's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Death and Terminal illness
Minor: Genocide
mezzarella's review against another edition
- 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
So's strongest stories are those which focus intensely on a particular character. Each story displays how trauma has affected an entire community, even those who are an ocean away from memories of genocide, poverty, and war. Superking Son Scores Again is a great story as it blends the past generational traumas with the pressures and expectations of young students today, but using badminton as a driving force for the story. Human Development focuses on a teacher who is teaching Moby Dick to students, while surrounded by a sea of connections who are making plenty of money focusing on technological advancements and applications. This story was particularly memorable, as the main character is both envious and flawed, but still trying to find his own meaning after graduating from esteemed universities. There are plenty of stories which don't focus on students or education at all, such as Three Women of Chuck's Donuts and Generational Differences, which all bring something to think about and relish in their own right. While some of the middle stories blend together at times, this is mostly the result of certain stories shining more brightly than others than any story being particularly dim or boring.
Upon learning of Anthony Veasana So's untimely death, I found it saddening that there would be no second collection of stories. Still, So's debut feels like an instant classic--a must have for any bookshelf.
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Mass/school shootings