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sktxaryaw's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
lizsg's review
3.0
Well written prose but quite very self conscious. It captures a bit of the Singapore context but I sense a bit of disconnect there. The jump between Singlish dialogue and the rest of the narrative is really distracting and makes it seem somewhat schizophrenic in tone.
Bravely addresses LGBT issues in Singapore. We should have more books like this one.
Bravely addresses LGBT issues in Singapore. We should have more books like this one.
apollosmichioreads's review
4.0
This is Jolene Tan’s first novel, but her writing feels matured and competent, generously providing the reader peeks into the conservative Asian society that is Singapore, and how this conservatism affects her denizens. Featuring the coming of age of a pair of twins in 1980s Singapore, until the death of one of them, this is a story that can resonate well with those who feel marginalised in society. A thought-provoking local read that feels like a necessary addition to the canon of Singaporean literature.
iamondrea's review
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
💗: I deeply enjoyed how thorough her character conversations were. She successfully describes the societal issue so well through them as though she truly empathises with their situation. 🧐 It also impresses me how Jolene injects sarcasm and dark humour into her relatable characters which made this book not only devastatingly tragic but tied my emotions completely to it. With so many key issues, some may say it’s overly ambitious to mention this many in a short novel but I felt IT WAS JUST SMOOTH AND PLAIN 🔥AWESOME🔥!!
😫: I felt strong emotions for the characters: e.g. intense angst for Andrew’s shitty friends, found beauty in Hwee Leng’s strength to defend for herself and for Andrew. Not forgetting to mention, we can find tender relatability towards Brian as he shares good moral values but has fear of expressing them due to stigmas. This book opened my eyes to some of the unknowingly toxic habits we may have picked up from when we were younger.
💭: With an quote from the book said by the protagonist: “Difficult… But the right thing!”. It made me think…. if everyone in the book stand true to this, could this book have an alternate ending? 😌
📚ITS A REALLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READ~ my 🇸🇬 folks!
😫: I felt strong emotions for the characters: e.g. intense angst for Andrew’s shitty friends, found beauty in Hwee Leng’s strength to defend for herself and for Andrew. Not forgetting to mention, we can find tender relatability towards Brian as he shares good moral values but has fear of expressing them due to stigmas. This book opened my eyes to some of the unknowingly toxic habits we may have picked up from when we were younger.
💭: With an quote from the book said by the protagonist: “Difficult… But the right thing!”. It made me think…. if everyone in the book stand true to this, could this book have an alternate ending? 😌
📚ITS A REALLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READ~ my 🇸🇬 folks!
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