A Hope in Hell: A Review of Mouths to Speak, Voices to Sing by Kenneth Yu

 

Book image from: https://www.penguin.sg/book/mouths-to-speak-voices-to-sing/

I enjoyed this collection of short stories very much. I love reading science fiction and horror. There was something in every story to delight in, from a heartwarming AI house program to a Lovecraftian tale of an unspeakable musician-monster to an epic short fantasy with sweeping, universal themes.

One of my favorites is Sampaguita Breeze, not just because it realistically portrays the impact of climate change in a third-world country like the Philippines, but also because it poignantly captures what hope looks like in the bleakest of situations.

In the end, that is what I take away from this collection of stories, an irrepressible hope that "one more good person" in this chaotic and cruel world can lend their support and be "a pillar of the world." (quote from another favorite, the titular Mouths to Speak, Voices to Sing). You don't have to be a sci-fi or horror reader to enjoy Yu's stories.

A Loving Portrait and a Love Story: A Review of Assembling Alice by Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta

 

Book image from: https://www.penguin.sg/book/assembling-alice/

It's a beautiful retelling of a courageous woman's life, full of little details that capture the era and the staunch nationalism and feminism of the main character.

I relate to it very much because I lost my mother at a very young age and I have been playing the game of "Assembling Ditas" all my life. I understand the curiosity and the frustrations of the author. Left with little physical documentation, one has no recourse but to turn to imagination. The author does so with grace and also unflinching scrutiny when it comes to the pain, tragedy, and humanity of Alice. It is tempting to put the main character on a pedestal, but the author avoids this and doesn't spare us from Alice's self-loathing and deep depression.

When my daughter read the blurb, she asked, "Well, who does she end up with?" I replied, "It's not as simple as that." It isn't, but I can tell you that it *is* a love story. It's a loving reconstruction of a life and it's a woman's love for her country and a just and equal world. It's about the people who loved Alice (including the author) and it's about the people she loved. Go read it.