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A review by saraharon
Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So
4.0
[hella] good if you’re a certain breed of Asian-California. The writing might be cringey at times if you don’t fit that demographic
I’d still highly recommend this short story collection for a look into the Cambodian diaspora in the US. Underlying stories of competitive high school badminton and Hennessy fueled house parties, Anthony Veasna So sheds light on the collective trauma caused by the Cambodian genocide, and how this continues to shape Cambodian communities in California. He also frequently raises the question of “what does it mean to be Khmer” for 2nd or 3rd generation Americans. In California, many of us struggle to come to terms with similar identity crises. But few of us are able to put those feelings into as engaging stories as in “Afterparties.” Nearly every journey in this book is funny and dark and yes, often cringey in the way California culture can often be. His characters are deeply flawed but also brilliant and lovable and I often wished I had just a few more pages to spend with each one. This is definitely a book I would return to when missing a bit of the Bay.
If you don’t buy the book, definitely check out the first story “Three Women of Chucks Donuts” which was first published in the New Yorker
I’d still highly recommend this short story collection for a look into the Cambodian diaspora in the US. Underlying stories of competitive high school badminton and Hennessy fueled house parties, Anthony Veasna So sheds light on the collective trauma caused by the Cambodian genocide, and how this continues to shape Cambodian communities in California. He also frequently raises the question of “what does it mean to be Khmer” for 2nd or 3rd generation Americans. In California, many of us struggle to come to terms with similar identity crises. But few of us are able to put those feelings into as engaging stories as in “Afterparties.” Nearly every journey in this book is funny and dark and yes, often cringey in the way California culture can often be. His characters are deeply flawed but also brilliant and lovable and I often wished I had just a few more pages to spend with each one. This is definitely a book I would return to when missing a bit of the Bay.
If you don’t buy the book, definitely check out the first story “Three Women of Chucks Donuts” which was first published in the New Yorker