Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So is an intimate and acerbic collage of stories firmly situated in the Cambodian American immigrant experience. There's a dearth of actual parties here, "after" or otherwise, and some of the stories drag at time. But, overall, this is a worthwhile read from an author who was only ascending when he unexpectedly died.

This was such a brilliant book. Rarely do I love every single story in a short story collection, but each piece gathered here was phenomenal.

‘Afterparties’ is a collection of interconnected short stories about the Cambodian-American community in California - encompassing stories about immigrant experiences, generational trauma, and the inherited weight of the Khmer Rouge genocide on the Cambodian diaspora.

I really loved Anthony Veasna So’s writing - it was witty and humorous, the characters were sharp and funny, and the sense of community and belonging beautifully encapsulated. I was deeply saddened to discover that this debut book was published posthumously after the writer unexpectedly passed away at the age of 28. Garret Basch’s new production company, Dive, has won the rights to adapt ‘Afterparties’ into a television series.

Took me a long time to get through these stories because they were a bit long & melancholy. I had to take breaks in between and really immerse myself in the characters. Anthony Veasna So made all of his characters feel so real and the LA setting was gritty. It’s been weeks and I still think about the auto shop story, the sweet father/son relationship. I am sad that we can’t see more from this author, but glad he left the world this gift.

From my time reading short stories, I have concluded that the best short stories are those that bring a seemingly ordinary moment or person into the spotlight. That’s what you get with Veasna So’s stories. The collection starts off with the story, ‘Apple Fritter’ that is most definitely a nod to the noir genre in terms of mood, but soon turns into something more.

Throughout his stories he captures the lives of first-generation and second-generation Cambodian Americans, who survived the Cambodian genocide, and what it means to exist with that kind of trauma, while trying to acclimatize yourself in a new country.

The stories range from badminton coaches to queer love affairs to calling out family on all of the baggage they bring. But all of them carry the common themes of inter-generational trauma, and the struggle to navigate the ever-changing landscapes of friendship, relationships and existence.

There is a sense of restlessness that the author captures really well, the kind that often exists from late adolescence into early adulthood. It makes for an introspective read with you finding bits and pieces of yourself in the stories. Through telling all of these stories, it almost seems like Anthony is also telling his own.

I loved this collection. I think one of the most important things a short story can do is give a writer an opportunity to bring a character to live in for just a short period of time. And the real test of this is whether or not those characters feel like their lives existed before and will continue on after the brief moment in which you take a peek into their lives. Anthony Veasna So's characters are all so beautifully real and complex.

I could not get into this book at all. It seemed like it would be an exciting read, with some reality of Cambodian lifestyles present, but I found it boring and as if it was trying to hard to be provocative. Clearly it’s me because others seemed to really enjoy this, but it was not my cup of tea. 2 stars ⭐️. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this.

Absolutely brilliant. I will be using some of these stories in my creative writing class as well as my class on food and culture in Cambodia.

This writing was brilliant, smart, and witty. I really enjoyed these short stories and they will echo in my head for a long time from now.

I was nervous about this book because there was SO much hype around it. But for once I can say: THE HYPE IS REAL! This collection of short stories is somehow simultaneously hilarious and depressing as it centers intergenerational trauma in the Cambodian diaspora community in California. At times the stories felt like non-fiction, especially one character who had the same name and aspects of identity as the author. Each story can stand alone, but taken as a collection they are interconnect as the characters are all part of the same community and have family or community ties to one another. One of the joys of reading was the "ah-ha" moment in each story as you realize the main character was a minor character in a previous story. I liked that the author never gave a history lesson on the Khmer Rouge and the genocide in Cambodia and instead showed its lasting impact not only on the people who survived but their children and community.

Excellent collection of short stories about Cambodian Americans coming of age. They are all dealing with the reason why their families migrated to America, the Khmer Rouge. The parents are still haunted by what they witnessed, but the kids want to live their lives their way.

I love short stories that take place in a community so you can see characters referenced in more than one story. This book was about a specific community of people that I haven't seen many books about, and it explores a specific generation's relationship with its ancestry, its recent history, and its place in America. Very interesting.

I started a review and didn't finish it after the author passed away. Very sad, what else is there to say? I bet this author would have gone on to do amazing things.

A beautiful collection of interwoven, yet standalone stories. A vivid look into a specific community, yet easy to connect through via the overall themes of community, family, grief, religion, class, etc.

I first encountered Anthony Veasna So's work when I read his short story, "Three Women of Chuck's Donuts" in The New Yorker. I reread that story immediately after I finished it. His eye for detail and especially his knack for humor captivated me. He is able to lace playful prose with unexpected depth. It is an incredibly compelling exploration of Cambodian family and culture. I also appreciated how widely the ages of the protagonists ranged.

It is difficult not to place this book in the context of his unfortunate passing before the book's release, but I feel very fortunate to have read a book I imagine he was proud to send out into the world.

Did not read the net galley issued book. I immediately realized that this is going to be a very important book in the very long term, so I bought a copy from The Book of the Month Club instead.Haven't read it yet, but looking ionto finding Cambodian restaurants before I dig in.

This is a great collection of short stories. It was subtle, I didn't realize how drawn in I was until I found myself getting emotional with the characters. I loved them. The stories are perfectly timed reading for me - about identity, race, belonging, family. So many topics handled with care. I loved them.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Anthony Veasna So's Afterparties provides an interesting set of short stories. With a refreshing and humorous perspective, they provide an insight to Cambodian-Americans in California. The stories flow seamlessly and are injected with humor while still making you feel like these may have been your own lived experiences. The stories were a unique set of stories.

Everyone seems to love this short story collection by a recently deceased debut Cambodian-American writer, but it's just not for me. I trudged through to about 55% before giving up. Most of the stories have no plot but lots of bro-ness. I'm bored and the author hasn't made me care about any of these people.

I’ve found it hard to read lit fiction during this pandemic, but I was really excited for this short stories collection, so I had to grab it off NetGalley.

It’s so sad that we lost Anthony Veasna So. He’s such a talent. These stories have so much depth without the prose being overworked and overwrought. The world feels woven together and beautifully rendered, and the characters jump off the page.

I would have loved if the stories were a tad shorter, but that’s more of an issue with my current attention span than the writing.