For context, this is copied almost verbatim from a string of tweets I made right after finishing the book. I'm also not Malaysian - I'm from neighbouring Singapore. ;)

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of short stories, it was an entertaining read and provided genuinely moving experiences at many junctures. It's probably fair to say that only Malaysian/Singaporean readers will be able to get the most out of them because the stories are VERY indulgent, very unapologetic.

Where else can our multilingual, multicultural heritage come in handy? Who else could instinctively fall into the cadences of Manglish (close enough to Singlish), with the smattering of Malay, Chinese, Hokkien, Cantonese? Who else would be able to recognise all the different hantu by description and hints, even before they are named? The specific forms of stress (academic, intergenerational, cultural) that string the characters and their narratives together? The myths and legends, too.

It takes a specific geographical location, time period, upbringing, and openness to create the magical confluence of contexts required to bring these stories to life in your soul, in the pit of your heart, and feel them very non-judgmentally, and intimately.

Then again, it is possible that I'm biased. I simply don't have the outsider's perspective this time. And it's refreshing.

other things which I think deserve a special mention
- casual references to the presence of queer characters! YES PLEASE, THEY'RE JUST.. THERE
- the stories engaged with (and called out) toxic aspects of life in SG/MY, e.g. sexism in Chinese diaspora culture
- CONTENT NOTES/WARNINGS!!!! I was grateful for these, especially for the story 'The Fish Bowl'. Having the mental preparation was immensely helpful.