Confrontation follows Adi as he navigates his childhood to his youth days against the backdrop of post-colonial Singapore to the Malay community. Adi is accompanied and guided by Abang Dolah, a bomoh and a political activist, as he figures out his own political ideology and how he can emerge a successful Malay man against the stereotype created by white men. 

I find that the author writes women in a way that is rather violent and that the portrayal of the nonverbal baby to be full of ableism. Often, the writer repeats the description of a woman and only takes into consideration her physical appearance rather than anything else. Perhaps, we can say that this is a significant story-telling function to show how women were being viewed in the past. But, I find the repetition of the description "voluptuous" to describe women were off-putting. I get it that women are victims of patriarchy and therefore, the violence that comes with it. But is it soooo hard to write about women that are beyond "sexy" or "victims of rape/domestic violence"? 

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I think that this book is really well written. The pacing, the adventures, the social commentary - overall the dystopian world building based off African lore is astounding. However, I am marking it down because of the last few chapters. The ending felt super rushed and anti-climatic. I felt like all these while we were preparing for a huge battle scene between Onye and Daib but it took a little less than two pages before it was all over. I found Lunyu's death to be... idk a little convenient. I understand that it was meant to show her strong and brazen character. That she was someone who did not fear death and was unafraid to stand up for herself and her friends but idk, i just found her death to be brutal. 

Overall, reading this was difficult because of the really explicit triggering content for rape and FGM. 

I thought I wanted to pick up "Socialism is Great!" by Lijia Zhang as a way to challenge myself. I've always wanted to read an #ownvoices memoir of the developments that occurred throughout various countries like China. It is especially fascinating to view it through the lens of a woman as we get to see how sexism intersects within a central-planned state. This is my very first proper introduction to China-centered Anti-Communist Literature so I don't want to give an opinion that is really premature and ungrounded. 

 

There were some parts of the memoir that I firmly disbelief. For example, the author jokes about being raped by her lover as part of her desire. But, I think it's important to understand the context in which rape and sexual desire are viewed in a specific society. How conflation may occur because of the lack of sexual education and awareness; how women are taught that there is no difference since both bring pleasure to the perpetrator/men. 

This book is lots of fun to read. I breezed through it and am thinking of rereading it just to go through the adventures that the friend group went through. I adore his quick wit writing!