Review: Crazy Rich Asians

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It'd been a fun ride reading this book. Always been a pleasure reading Asian fiction. I like to constantly check on whether the facts written were truth or not and knowing more about my roots. There isn't a huge difference in both Singapore's and Malaysia's culture. Reading about it just made me feel so much "at home".

First off, I would like to congratulate Kevin Kwan for bringing such accurate informations about the culture side of Singapore (or even Malaysia). As I have mentioned there isn't a big difference on both countries' culture, either on food or language. I find myself laughing out loud when stumbled upon those swear words. They are basically what we always use. But I would not dare comment on the accuracy of the rich level of Asians.

I love how ridiculously fun to read about Asians, how insanely rich they are. It's almost impossible to imagine how crazy some Asians can be. It's also incredibly annoying to agree with the fact that some adult Asians are prone to be that stubborn and single-minded about their traditions.

I definitely want to give a shoutout to Charlie for he is the sweetest in the book. The plot was well thought off and some parts did surprised me.

Overall, the story is so much of a fun and easy read regarding Asian facts and fiction. Recommend to readers who like to know more about Singapore or ready to commit to a crazy mind-blowing roller coaster ride to the insane rich world.


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[REVIEW] The Ghost Bride by YangSze Choo

Funfact: This is my first book written by a Malaysian author. *round of applauses*

The Ghost Bride is a paranormal (& romance) asian fiction which sets place in one of the states of Malaysia, namely Malacca. This book contains many hearsay customs and traditions of Chinese (of Malaysia) and supernatural believes. Personally, being a Malaysian chinese, I do still heard or lectured on various superstitions make known on this book.

Goodreads synopsis: "One evening, my father asked me if I would like to become a ghost bride..." 

Though ruled by British overlords, the Chinese of colonial Malaya still cling to ancient customs. And in the sleepy port town of Malacca, ghosts and superstitions abound. 

Li Lan, the daughter of a genteel but bankrupt family, has few prospects. But fate intervenes when she receives an unusual proposal from the wealthy and powerful Lim family. They want her to become a ghost bride for the family's only son, who recently died under mysterious circumstances. Rarely practiced, a traditional ghost marriage is used to placate a restless spirit. Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a home for the rest of her days, but at a terrible price. 

After an ominous visit to the opulent Lim mansion, Li Lan finds herself haunted not only by her ghostly would-be suitor, but also by her desire for the Lim's handsome new heir, Tian Bai. Night after night, she is drawn into the shadowy parallel world of the Chinese afterlife, with its ghost cities, paper funeral offerings, vengeful spirits and monstrous bureaucracy—including the mysterious Er Lang, a charming but unpredictable guardian spirit. Li Lan must uncover the Lim family's darkest secrets—and the truth about her own family—before she is trapped in this ghostly world forever.

First of all, I want to congratulate Ms Choo for writing such an epic story about the Malaysian customs (mainly focusing on the Chinese community), especially the afterworld of the dead. It was unbelievably mind-blowing and certainly convincing, as those are the beliefs that I have learnt of and practised since childhood. Believe it or not, acts of superstitious can sound really absurd but some may hold a few hands of truth. Enough scaring, what I'm trying to say it's that whatever written in this book is certainly what the older generations truly believe in and some were still practiced in the later generation.

Everything written in this book was so relatable that I couldn't help but to be convinced by the story. Many things which were written in this book seem to be the answers to those customs I've been asked to follow. Of course, there's no proof to what will actually happen after death but through our customs and beliefs, we believe in having an afterworld for the dead to wander around before their reincarnations.

I love every aspects of this book, from the story to the characters. However, I find the ending was quite abrupt. Another thing about this book which slightly annoys me is the usage of vocabularies. This was pointed out by my friend and I do agree with her. Some words are unsuitable. It's not that I'm afraid of bombastic words, but some actions need not be described with such "hard" words.

Apart from that mild problem of words usage, I'm quite satisfied with this book. I like that Li Lan has picked the right guy in the end. :D

Summer

I recommend this book to everyone - The Ghost Bride (other editions available)