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twiinklex's review
4.0
I've always enjoyed poetry and illustrated books, so I was delighted to receive a copy of this darkly charming collection by Singaporean author Felix Cheong and local artist Cheryl Charli Tan.
Written during a difficult time, Felix has inked his grief and mourning into these poems that are unique, dark and brilliant. Not only does he re-imagine the afterlife and examine mortality, he also explores heavy topics such as mental health, self-harm, societal pressures and more.
I adored the illustrations by Cheryl, who spent her childhood "happily raised on horror films" that taught her about darkness as well as monsters under our beds and within ourselves. Monsters with personal stories to tell. Stories worth listening to. This is evident in her work here as she brings life to Felix's poems with her very own myriad of creatures from the quirky to the lovable.
It's hard to pick a favourite poem but I realised that a common theme among the ones I love best is the constant pressure to conform to impossibly high standards, especially when it comes to how women are viewed. Examples are the very heartbreaking but relatable 'The See-Through Girl', the endearing 'Medusa's Selfie', the punny but veracious 'A Head Of The Curve', as well as 'Rapunzel Sizes Up Her Life', which highlights our obsession with social media and perfectionism.
The poems in this book have also been adapted by local singer-songwriter Rachel W.yen into pop music, which can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/rachelwyen/sets/oddballs Wow! It's a must-listen after you read the book.
Oddballs, screwballs and amazeballs! I really enjoyed this collaboration and hope there will be more in future.
Written during a difficult time, Felix has inked his grief and mourning into these poems that are unique, dark and brilliant. Not only does he re-imagine the afterlife and examine mortality, he also explores heavy topics such as mental health, self-harm, societal pressures and more.
I adored the illustrations by Cheryl, who spent her childhood "happily raised on horror films" that taught her about darkness as well as monsters under our beds and within ourselves. Monsters with personal stories to tell. Stories worth listening to. This is evident in her work here as she brings life to Felix's poems with her very own myriad of creatures from the quirky to the lovable.
It's hard to pick a favourite poem but I realised that a common theme among the ones I love best is the constant pressure to conform to impossibly high standards, especially when it comes to how women are viewed. Examples are the very heartbreaking but relatable 'The See-Through Girl', the endearing 'Medusa's Selfie', the punny but veracious 'A Head Of The Curve', as well as 'Rapunzel Sizes Up Her Life', which highlights our obsession with social media and perfectionism.
The poems in this book have also been adapted by local singer-songwriter Rachel W.yen into pop music, which can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/rachelwyen/sets/oddballs Wow! It's a must-listen after you read the book.
Oddballs, screwballs and amazeballs! I really enjoyed this collaboration and hope there will be more in future.
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