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ekp10's review against another edition
4.0
Short stories offering pieces-of-life from Cambodian American community in Stockton. Beautifully written, the characters feel like real people. The story feels genuine as the community comes alive. I rarely read stories about Cambodian American, and this is the first book I read about the first generation of the survivors from the genocide. It shows the multitude face of trauma that they and their families have to face.
heidilreads's review against another edition
4.0
I regularly am at a loss for what a book I start is addressing... I had no idea where this one was going when I started it. I appreciated that this book tells a story I've never heard before. However... The range of topics covered felt a little overwhelming...
kateolivia's review against another edition
4.0
my third read of the holiday – another short story collection. picked this one up in a bookshop and fell in love with the first story, three women of chuck's donuts. wowowow.
similarly to the deborah levy, some of the stories really hit and others didn't. but the characters, settings, and voice really stuck with me. finding out after finishing that veasna so died young packed a punch. i was so looking forward to reading more of his work.
i hope many people, like me, see this on shelves and pick it up when they might not have otherwise (guilty as charged for judging books by their beautiful covers). it was a much-needed cultural and educational introduction to the lives of cambodian-americans, and to veasna so's writing.
* caveat: don't read this if you're not in the mood for graphic sex scenes! *
similarly to the deborah levy, some of the stories really hit and others didn't. but the characters, settings, and voice really stuck with me. finding out after finishing that veasna so died young packed a punch. i was so looking forward to reading more of his work.
i hope many people, like me, see this on shelves and pick it up when they might not have otherwise (guilty as charged for judging books by their beautiful covers). it was a much-needed cultural and educational introduction to the lives of cambodian-americans, and to veasna so's writing.
* caveat: don't read this if you're not in the mood for graphic sex scenes! *
alreadyemily's review against another edition
4.0
An engaging collection - and informative. Everything I know about Cambodia, Cambodians, and Cambodian experiences I learned from this book. So, I'm grateful, and also clearly have some more self-education to do...
patnpending's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
sugaliakbar's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
erinlcrane's review against another edition
I got about halfway, but didn’t read the whole thing, so I won’t rate it.
Short stories are a hard sell with me. In this case, I got kind of bored with these stories. There was a lot of nothing happening in the ones I read, which is fine if there’s a lot of internal stuff happening. I *love* that kind of story. But there wasn’t a lot internal going on either. I like real deep dives into someone’s mind, but I wasn’t that far into anyone’s perspective here.
This could easily be a collection other people love! Just wasn’t my style.
Short stories are a hard sell with me. In this case, I got kind of bored with these stories. There was a lot of nothing happening in the ones I read, which is fine if there’s a lot of internal stuff happening. I *love* that kind of story. But there wasn’t a lot internal going on either. I like real deep dives into someone’s mind, but I wasn’t that far into anyone’s perspective here.
This could easily be a collection other people love! Just wasn’t my style.
zackattack24'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
tostitos's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
beautiful collection of short stories illuminating cambodian american intergenerational trauma. some stories stood out more to me than others - (huge soft spot for human development) & i also particularly appreciated its exploration of queerness
heysunbee's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
3.75