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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.
thesundaywriter's review
4.0
A captivating family story that tackles issues still happening today despite being set some decades back, and to my delight, did not suffer from the common mistake of over explaning localisms.
sciyuri's review
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rima_s's review
1.0
One thing for sure after reading this book I don't want to visit Singapore. I didn't understand the whole point of the book. Constantly telling us how bad Singapore is ?
It was a meaningless story where the kids abandon their dad in the end
It was a meaningless story where the kids abandon their dad in the end
em_beddedinbooks's review
4.0
3.75 stars...( not quite like many of my 4 star books, but better than my 3.5 starrers too.)
Story of a dysfunctional Sikh family in Singapore in the 1970s...a father and 3 children, 2 boys and a girl, who all have their own troubles- inherent and acquired.
I was immersed in their neat to ordinary life , the Singapore I was shown through this book and how the story unfolded.
The main theme is mental illness and it is dealt with in a very realistic way .
Story of a dysfunctional Sikh family in Singapore in the 1970s...a father and 3 children, 2 boys and a girl, who all have their own troubles- inherent and acquired.
I was immersed in their neat to ordinary life , the Singapore I was shown through this book and how the story unfolded.
The main theme is mental illness and it is dealt with in a very realistic way .