Afterparties: Stories
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- Create Date：2021-08-21 06:51:45
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Anthony Veasna So
- ISBN：0063049902
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Summary
A debut story collection about Cambodian-American life—immersive and comic， yet unsparing—that marks the arrival of an indisputable new talent in American fiction
Seamlessly transitioning between the absurd and the tenderhearted， balancing acerbic humor with sharp emotional depth， Afterparties offers an expansive portrait of the lives of Cambodian-Americans。 As the children of refugees carve out radical new paths for themselves in California， they shoulder the inherited weight of the Khmer Rouge genocide and grapple with the complexities of race， sexuality， friendship， and family。
A high school badminton coach and failing grocery store owner tries to relive his glory days by beating a rising star teenage player。 Two drunken brothers attend a wedding afterparty and hatch a plan to expose their shady uncle’s snubbing of the bride and groom。 A queer love affair sparks between an older tech entrepreneur trying to launch a “safe space” app and a disillusioned young teacher obsessed with Moby-Dick。 And in the sweeping final story， a nine-year-old child learns that his mother survived a racist school shooter。
With nuanced emotional precision， gritty humor， and compassionate insight into the intimacy of queer and immigrant communities， the stories in Afterparties deliver an explosive introduction to the work of Anthony Veasna So。
Seamlessly transitioning between the absurd and the tenderhearted， balancing acerbic humor with sharp emotional depth， Afterparties offers an expansive portrait of the lives of Cambodian-Americans。 As the children of refugees carve out radical new paths for themselves in California， they shoulder the inherited weight of the Khmer Rouge genocide and grapple with the complexities of race， sexuality， friendship， and family。
A high school badminton coach and failing grocery store owner tries to relive his glory days by beating a rising star teenage player。 Two drunken brothers attend a wedding afterparty and hatch a plan to expose their shady uncle’s snubbing of the bride and groom。 A queer love affair sparks between an older tech entrepreneur trying to launch a “safe space” app and a disillusioned young teacher obsessed with Moby-Dick。 And in the sweeping final story， a nine-year-old child learns that his mother survived a racist school shooter。
With nuanced emotional precision， gritty humor， and compassionate insight into the intimacy of queer and immigrant communities， the stories in Afterparties deliver an explosive introduction to the work of Anthony Veasna So。
Reviews
Beth Anne
，
I would highly recommend this collection of short stories。 This is the first short story collection I have read about Cambodian-Americans。 A few of the stories get stuck in the narrator’s voice and I found it challenging to move through the story。 However， overall I enjoyed the writing and the variety of experiences this writer discusses。
Elyse Walters
，
Audiobook …。narrated by Jason Sean6 hours and 56 minutesI think I would’ve digested these stories deeper in written form-（but I still felt the intense emotions）。“[So’s] voice is alive—smart， flip， rude， sexually explicit， and compassionate”…- 3。5 > rating up > 4 stars 🍩🍩🍩🍩But… [So]…。 isn’t alive。 He died in 2020！ Blessings to his family - a sad loss & talent。
Lauren Hakimi
，
Unfortunately， I think this book is overrated， probably because of the author's tragic early death。 There were times when I could tell the author meant for something to be funny， but I didn't laugh once。 It seemed like he was trying too hard to make his characters seem of-the-times， but it sounded unnatural to me， like they were speaking in an old person's caricature of how young people talk。 For example， "I don't mean to be a hater，" "My mom is getting on my case，" et cetera。 There were a few p Unfortunately， I think this book is overrated， probably because of the author's tragic early death。 There were times when I could tell the author meant for something to be funny， but I didn't laugh once。 It seemed like he was trying too hard to make his characters seem of-the-times， but it sounded unnatural to me， like they were speaking in an old person's caricature of how young people talk。 For example， "I don't mean to be a hater，" "My mom is getting on my case，" et cetera。 There were a few parts I found insightful， though， like his critique of identity politics and unique take on intergenerational trauma。 I do think it's worth reading。 。。。more
Amanda Peterson
，
When I heard of this book， I had to buy it。 I enjoy stories that show me different experiences and this book was no exception。 It is a shame the author died before the book was in stores， these stories are intriguing and I would like to hear more of Cambodian American experiences。
Victoria
，
These are poetic and darkly funny short stories on the lives of Cambodian refugees and their children in California， as well as on the intergenerational traumas that they carry。 As another reviewer said， I wish Anthony Veasna So didn't leave the party so early。"[。。。] because nothing's special about an adulthood spent in the asshole of California， which some government officials deemed worthy of a bunch of PTSD'd-out refugees， farting out dreams like it's success intolerant。" - Maly， Maly， Maly These are poetic and darkly funny short stories on the lives of Cambodian refugees and their children in California， as well as on the intergenerational traumas that they carry。 As another reviewer said， I wish Anthony Veasna So didn't leave the party so early。"[。。。] because nothing's special about an adulthood spent in the asshole of California， which some government officials deemed worthy of a bunch of PTSD'd-out refugees， farting out dreams like it's success intolerant。" - Maly， Maly， Maly 。。。more
Thomas
，
Rest In Peace ❤️
Helene
，
I have never been to Cambodia， so I was curious about this collection of short stories called Afterparties， written by Anthony Veasna So， an American writer with Cambodian parents。 This book was such a pleasant surprise。 I really enjoyed reading the short stories！ I haven't rated each story separately。 I especially loved: - The internal dialogues of the main characters which often made me chuckle or even laugh out loud - The casual mentions of Cambodian history: the onus is on the reader to find I have never been to Cambodia， so I was curious about this collection of short stories called Afterparties， written by Anthony Veasna So， an American writer with Cambodian parents。 This book was such a pleasant surprise。 I really enjoyed reading the short stories！ I haven't rated each story separately。 I especially loved: - The internal dialogues of the main characters which often made me chuckle or even laugh out loud - The casual mentions of Cambodian history: the onus is on the reader to find out more if they are unaware of the genocide and the Khmer rouge - Cambodian culture as a background: food， monks， terms to describe family members （Mas， Bas， Gongs， Mings， Pous， oun。。。） - The queer rep and the not shying away from the "messy" parts。 It's worth noting that there are some pretty sexually explicit passages - The reflexions on generational trauma， poverty， parenting， drugs。。。 - How character-driven each story was。 Which makes sense， for short stories！ What could have been even better:- A couple of the stories were weaker - I didn't particularly like the one with the wedding for example - I wasn't a fan of some of the scatological content - Some of the content was a bit repetitive so I read it over several days， dipping in and out。 It was not the reading-in-one-sitting， page-turner kind of read。 I'm really sad that the author Anthony Veasna So has now passed away， as I'm sure I would have loved reading a novel by him。 I recommend this book！ Thank you @NetGalley and @atlanticbooks for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Scott Flanary
，
There’s a lot of buzz around this collection and I’m concerned why it didn’t connect with me。 A compilation of short stories focusing on Cambodian immigrants， So’s writing is breezy at times， clunky in others。 There seemed to be a tonal shift in each story so I can admire the talent there。 Only 3 of the 9 stories felt complete and connected me to the characters。
Matthew
，
Highlights: “Three Women of Chuck’s Donuts” and “Human Development”。
Mallory Melton
，
I really liked this。 Each story is a glimpse into the narrator's life， a moment in time that you spend with them。 You get to see how being Cambodian American and knowing your ancestors survived the Khmer Rouge genocide affects all of them， through their different stages in life。 Veasna So writes really well and makes it easy to get lost in the world of each story。 Some of the stories are loosely connected， but it didn't seem vital to the book to try to keep up with which characters reappear whic I really liked this。 Each story is a glimpse into the narrator's life， a moment in time that you spend with them。 You get to see how being Cambodian American and knowing your ancestors survived the Khmer Rouge genocide affects all of them， through their different stages in life。 Veasna So writes really well and makes it easy to get lost in the world of each story。 Some of the stories are loosely connected， but it didn't seem vital to the book to try to keep up with which characters reappear which I really appreciated。 My favorite stories were Maly， Maly， Maly， The Shop， We Would've Been Princes！， and Human Development。 。。。more
Isabelle Leventhal
，
4。5 rounded upThere is something v poignant reading this book now， from the POV of a generation removed of refugees fleeing violent， authoritarian regime。 The stories themselves are strong and stand up their own， but also help to create a landscape of this community， that sometimes explicitly intersects with crossover characters but always feels relevant to one another， revealing more about this community， each story a layer peeled back。
Kayla Burke
，
I’m definitely in the minority here but I struggled with this one。 I was bored more often then not。 Maybe it was just my mood， it’s not the type of book I would normally read。
Jen Fox
，
Sorry， not for me， so I'm not going to rate it。 A collection of short stories， some funny; others are tragic stories/memories。 Sorry， not for me， so I'm not going to rate it。 A collection of short stories， some funny; others are tragic stories/memories。 。。。more
Suzanne
，
This isn't a sad book， but it's a mournful experience to read because it's haunted。 Losing an author who is already so talented and could have a long lifetime of talent unspooling is a blow。 This book is no exception。I wish Mr。 So could be here to see his success and enjoy the fruits of his labors。 I selfishly wish there were more books coming from this talented author。This is an invitation into a slice of someone else's life。 We are taken places that are reserved for family， for close friends。 This isn't a sad book， but it's a mournful experience to read because it's haunted。 Losing an author who is already so talented and could have a long lifetime of talent unspooling is a blow。 This book is no exception。I wish Mr。 So could be here to see his success and enjoy the fruits of his labors。 I selfishly wish there were more books coming from this talented author。This is an invitation into a slice of someone else's life。 We are taken places that are reserved for family， for close friends。 This is how we learn to love our neighbors。 Every story is quality， accurate， tender。。。but We Could Be Princes！ stands out for me as the consummate elevation of the mundane。 And isn't that what we want literature to do for us？ Make our mundane lives into something extraordinary？ 。。。more
Connor O’Brien
，
Wow I really enjoyed this collection of short stories！ So’s prose is unpretentious， evocative， and “real。” I felt like I was standing alongside the narrator， actively participating in each story。 Many of these stories feel more poignant in light of So’s death; he is a talented millennial voice whose collection of short stories will stick with me for a long time。 I particularly enjoyed The Shop and Human Development。 So’s insight into queer culture， self-discovery， and sexuality comes through mos Wow I really enjoyed this collection of short stories！ So’s prose is unpretentious， evocative， and “real。” I felt like I was standing alongside the narrator， actively participating in each story。 Many of these stories feel more poignant in light of So’s death; he is a talented millennial voice whose collection of short stories will stick with me for a long time。 I particularly enjoyed The Shop and Human Development。 So’s insight into queer culture， self-discovery， and sexuality comes through most clearly in these two stories — I didn’t want them to end and I will probably think about them often。 I highly recommend Afterparties to everyone， but especially to anyone interested in Cambodian American culture， the “immigrant experience”， sexuality and self-discovery， generational trauma， and interrogations of “success。” 。。。more
Jennifer
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Although a collection of stories， it reads like a novel about a family and community and has an emotional climax。 Really great。 Such a sadness that this is his only book。
Emma Ito
，
I started reading this book with the intention of taking it slow。 I knew it was a collection of short stories and in my head， I imagined reading a story a day。 Yet once I began， I couldn't put this collection down。Anthony Veasna So has created and woven a beautiful and powerful literary work， amplifying interconnected lives of Cambodians and Cambodian Americans in this collection。 I grieve that the world has lost such a talented writer。 Many of these stories will stay with me long after I have r I started reading this book with the intention of taking it slow。 I knew it was a collection of short stories and in my head， I imagined reading a story a day。 Yet once I began， I couldn't put this collection down。Anthony Veasna So has created and woven a beautiful and powerful literary work， amplifying interconnected lives of Cambodians and Cambodian Americans in this collection。 I grieve that the world has lost such a talented writer。 Many of these stories will stay with me long after I have read them。 。。。more
Shirley
，
Short stories that’ll stay with you for a long time。 Vivid and intimate， these stories pack a punch。 I find myself needing to take a break in between each story to digest the wave of emotions brought about by traveling in the world of each story。 I’m so glad this collection exists and so sad there’ll be no more stories from Anthony Veasna So。
S
，
There are so many ways to start my reflection about AFTERPARTIES， a collection of short stories by Anthony Veasna So， I don't know where to start。 I've held off on posting - do I talk about the stories？ My connection （or lack of） to the community？When I first read Three Women of Chuck's Donuts when it was published in The New Yorker， I felt seen。 I'm not sure why。 I think it was because of the behind the scenes part of the donut shop。 Having worked at my parents store most years from the time I There are so many ways to start my reflection about AFTERPARTIES， a collection of short stories by Anthony Veasna So， I don't know where to start。 I've held off on posting - do I talk about the stories？ My connection （or lack of） to the community？When I first read Three Women of Chuck's Donuts when it was published in The New Yorker， I felt seen。 I'm not sure why。 I think it was because of the behind the scenes part of the donut shop。 Having worked at my parents store most years from the time I was about 12 until they sold it a few years ago （exception being when I went a way to college and when my first job kept me too busy）。 However the one scene that connected with me in that story is when Tevy and Kayley are interviewing the man。 They ask the man if he's Khmer， and he responds that he is from Cambodia， but he is not Cambodian or Khmer。 I felt this so much - I'm the child of former Cambodian refugees， but I'm ethnically Chinese。 My parents speak Khmer， my parents celebrate the Khmer New Year， but I do not。 I'm illiterate in both Khmer and Chinese。 Seriously， I can maybe recognize 30 characters at most， and 10 of those are numbers， maybe。 I can understand just enough Khmer to know when it's time to eat， and when a person is talking smack about me。 I can speak a bit of Cantonese， but my skill once again lies in the understanding of the language spoken to me。 This question of identity， how a person identifies and why， it's more complicated than one would think。 It's just another reminder that Asians are not a monolith。 Our experiences are not the same。Then you have the stories of the older adults。 They aren't necessarily the main characters in any of the stories， but they are not background or secondary characters either。 Refugees didn't necessarily want to leave their country， but because of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge， they escaped。 The former refugees have gone through so much trauma， that even if there weren't language barriers between my parents generation and me， it's not something we would speak of because of the trauma。 My dad doesn't talk much， and when you ask my mom questions， she always says to watch the movie THE KILLING FIELDS。 Everything you need to know about how their life was before， the struggle to get to the refugee camp in Thailand， all can be found by watching THE KILLING FIELDS。 My younger aunts and uncles don't talk much about that time either， they were in their early to mid-teens when they finally reached the United States。 What I liked about many of So's other stories is that they showed us the trauma caused by the genocide， how it effected raising a generation of kids， without it delving into trauma porn。 While each story in the collection is a standalone， there are a few that are richer because they are interconnected by the characters that they share。This collection of stories was published posthumously; So passed away in December 2020。 Short review is that I like that it gives people the glimpse of how war， and genocide effect generations， without it delving into trauma porn。Yes， it's glossy and doesn't deep dive， but it's a collection of short stories。 。。。more
Kristina
，
Afterparties is a standout collection by Anthony Veasna So that highlights the Cambodian-American population in multiple short stories。 This is a group that I do not believe has been featured much in literature， so it was so nice to read。 Some standouts for me was a story about a former badminton champion who now struggles to keep a grocery store open。 He is the coach of the high school badminton league and clashes with a new player。 Also， there was a story about a young gay man who meets an old Afterparties is a standout collection by Anthony Veasna So that highlights the Cambodian-American population in multiple short stories。 This is a group that I do not believe has been featured much in literature， so it was so nice to read。 Some standouts for me was a story about a former badminton champion who now struggles to keep a grocery store open。 He is the coach of the high school badminton league and clashes with a new player。 Also， there was a story about a young gay man who meets an older Cambodian-American man on a dating app who works in tech that questions importance of background and feeling "safe" in society。 The stories are emotional， difficult to read， and at times quite humorous。 So was quite the talent and I wish we would have been able to experience what he wrote moving forward。 Such a loss。 。。。more
Logan
，
Really fucking good
Weiling
，
Gentrification sweeps across the Southeast Asian immigrant areas in California， taking down the economic prospect with it。 Mom-and-pop shops that have enjoyed a humble thrive now struggle to survive， burdened still with the responsibility of preventing their own communities from a free fall to total unemployment。 Underlying are the indelible traumas from surviving the Khmer Rouge genocide that haunt like ghosts。If the short-lived prosperity in business and being born without direct memory of the Gentrification sweeps across the Southeast Asian immigrant areas in California， taking down the economic prospect with it。 Mom-and-pop shops that have enjoyed a humble thrive now struggle to survive， burdened still with the responsibility of preventing their own communities from a free fall to total unemployment。 Underlying are the indelible traumas from surviving the Khmer Rouge genocide that haunt like ghosts。If the short-lived prosperity in business and being born without direct memory of the genocide allowed for a burst of excitement for the American dream akin to throwing oneself in parties， then all parties will come to an end。 The lingering and dwindling adrenaline， as if unsure where to go， pump afterthoughts that raise more questions than giving answers。In nine intimate and reflective vignettes of multigenerational Cambodian American lives that are stuck with many in-betweens， Anthony Veasna So curates the fragments of the post-traumatic disorientation without overwriting them into a dramatic whole。 And yet， the short stories echo each other in the same coolness with the expected mundanity of everyday life。 Echoing in the chamber of war-driven immigration history are mental illness， old age， death， displacement， and mythologies about reincarnation。 None can be analyzed singularly。 Nor would a linear， scientific account help。Words attempted at articulating what it is like to be Cambodian always slip from the tongue。 Efforts to rehabilitate from drug addiction refuse a linear progress。 Education cracks a slim window for a few to reach an elite institute， but outside the illusory hi-tech spectacle， jobs are numbered。 However precarious， this in-betweenness creates more than it oppresses。 It mocks the attempts to understand it as an oppressed experience to be solved once and for all。 Its presence is the evidence of the presence of the past。 And to deny this， one is submitted to naïveté， a category that the passion for neoliberal education， pink economy， and celebrities’ condolence publicity so fatefully falls into。 Liberal politics of representation is failing precisely because it can only speak of the spoken and capture the tangible—that is， the party scene。 It is helplessly incapable of sensing and understanding the haunting echoes between fragments of sadness that sound the truth of “afterparties。" 。。。more
Derek Bosshard
，
So is at his best when he layers the dimensions of identity into a story that refuses to be just one thing。 A handful of these stories are super。 The last story， Generational Differences， is perfect。 Other standouts include We Would’ve Been Princes！， The Shop， and Human Development。 Not a perfect collection， but I definitely recommend picking it up。
Sharon Stolly
，
I’m so pleased with my stress free experience with METRONET CREDIT SOLUTION， they really did a mind blowing job on my report， I had derogatory marks and foreclosure。 My ex let our house be foreclosed after I moved; I had a credit score of 580， income of $70k and less than $2，000 in debt。 I needed to get approved for a home loan in Austin Texas。 But was turned down by the lender due to poor credit， then I got referred to METRONET by Mr William。 I saved his contact him （+1 205 518 3032） and emaile I’m so pleased with my stress free experience with METRONET CREDIT SOLUTION， they really did a mind blowing job on my report， I had derogatory marks and foreclosure。 My ex let our house be foreclosed after I moved; I had a credit score of 580， income of $70k and less than $2，000 in debt。 I needed to get approved for a home loan in Austin Texas。 But was turned down by the lender due to poor credit， then I got referred to METRONET by Mr William。 I saved his contact him （+1 205 518 3032） and emailed him via; metronetcreditsolution@gmail。com for help 。After making my first payments for the job my credit was totally restored and my FICO score rose from 580 to 786 excellent shoot in just 3 weeks。 This made my heart filled with joy。 I wish I contacted him earlier I wouldn’t have suffered that long to restore my credit。 Quickly contact him on the above email should you require a score boost。 Good luck。 。。。more
Damien
，
This collection does so much to illuminate a culture， assign heart to even the least present character， and tell a fantastic tale， some 12 times。 It was very rare that I remembered I was a reading a book， where the prose was a bit too literary or the pains， plot points， and motivations felt inauthentic。What left me perplexed is why a bulk of the middle tales were saturated with prolonged scenes of graphic sex – shock value， a substitution for intimacy， interview fodder for the book tour？ I’m all This collection does so much to illuminate a culture， assign heart to even the least present character， and tell a fantastic tale， some 12 times。 It was very rare that I remembered I was a reading a book， where the prose was a bit too literary or the pains， plot points， and motivations felt inauthentic。What left me perplexed is why a bulk of the middle tales were saturated with prolonged scenes of graphic sex – shock value， a substitution for intimacy， interview fodder for the book tour？ I’m all for salacious pulp， but it was definitely out of place in an environment filled with razor-sharp subtleties and felt like a crutch more than an element to move the story along。 Unlike a Michael Bay film， the pacing was perfect and there were no voids to fill with random explosions。 Of the penis。 Yet， here we are。 A minor complaint， as I drank this collection in and have no doubt a number of the stories will stick with me for a while。 Anthony Veasna So had such a future ahead of him， and I am honored to have discovered his work。 Addiction is a horrible disease。 。。。more
Andrew
，
What an absolute gift。 In a cruel twist of fate， Anthony Veasna So's debut collection will be a part of an all-too-small oeuvre from this brilliant writer， who passed away in 2020。 In "Afterparties，" Veasna So brings the experiences of Cambodian Americans in California's Central Valley to life with wit and intelligence。 These stories are all so perfectly executed， a writer working with such a strong point of view and specificity of the experiences of children of immigrants。 My personal favorite， What an absolute gift。 In a cruel twist of fate， Anthony Veasna So's debut collection will be a part of an all-too-small oeuvre from this brilliant writer， who passed away in 2020。 In "Afterparties，" Veasna So brings the experiences of Cambodian Americans in California's Central Valley to life with wit and intelligence。 These stories are all so perfectly executed， a writer working with such a strong point of view and specificity of the experiences of children of immigrants。 My personal favorite， "Developmental Studies，" should be added to the canon of Millennial literature， evoking the exact feelings of being a queer， underemployed young person in a city you can barely afford to exist in。I was so impressed， and it is bittersweet to know that Veasna So's writing is finite。 Check this one out， it is worth the hype！Thank you to Ecco and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC。 。。。more
Joachim Stoop
，
This collection is fine but not excellent。 Most stories will be pushed out of my memory when a next story collection comes along。I find it less versatile and funny than most other readers。 Boyish is a term that comes more to mind。Thank Edelweiss for the advance copy
Liz
，
Afterparties is a collection of short stories about Cambodian American’s aspiring to live the American Dream in California。 At the same time， it’s about generational trauma from surviving the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia or being the child of a survivor and refugee。 This is an impossible book to “rate，” both because I felt a different draw to each story， but also because the collection is so intimate。 Each of So’s stories depicts a different Cambodian American individual’s story and experience Afterparties is a collection of short stories about Cambodian American’s aspiring to live the American Dream in California。 At the same time， it’s about generational trauma from surviving the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia or being the child of a survivor and refugee。 This is an impossible book to “rate，” both because I felt a different draw to each story， but also because the collection is so intimate。 Each of So’s stories depicts a different Cambodian American individual’s story and experience with family， love， queerness， trauma， religion， and culture。 So’s writing is soulful， fun， dark and twisty， and brilliant。 Unfortunately， Anthony Veasna So passed away before he saw the release of his book。 As reported， Anthony died from a drug overdose in December 2020， at the tender age of 28。 You can tell he put so much into this book， and I think to celebrate his life， his work needs to be consumed。 💙💗🏳️🌈 。。。more
Rebecca
，
Really a 4。5
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Afterparties: Stories
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Afterparties: Stories&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Afterparties: Stories&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0