NEVERNESS By Fairoz Ahmad Fiction/Ethos Books/Paperback/ 226 pages/$24 ★★★★½
Propulsive mystery blends easily with fertile recreation of kampung life in this easy-on-the-eye bildungsroman by Singapore author Fairoz Ahmad.
Alia, a 15-year-old schoolgirl, has disappeared, and the Malay village of Engku Aman in Geylang Serai is scandalised.
A late-night search and passing time reveal increasingly disturbing facts. Before her disappearance, Alia had supposedly gone to an out-of-the-way grocer for bread, a 50-minute errand her father had inexplicably sent her on in the dead of night.
And when this is coupled with a grocer known for her tempestuous temper, plus the revelation that Alia was wearing an expensive bracelet, speculations abound but softly, insinuatingly, as some accusations are not meant to be spoken out loud.
Fairoz's protagonist is Miriam, who recounts the fateful episode, her fragmented knowledge the reader's source of partial information as she treads her way carefully through the puzzle.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 10, 2024-Ausgabe von The Straits Times.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 10, 2024-Ausgabe von The Straits Times.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Percival Everett wins US National Book Award for fiction
American author Percival Everett won the US National Book Award for fiction on Nov 20 for his novel James, a propulsive and slyly funny retelling of American writer Mark Twain's Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn (1884) from the perspective of Huck's companion, an enslaved man named James.
Actor Jussie Smollett's conviction for staged attack overturned
American actor Jussie Smollett's conviction for fabricating a racist and homophobic hate crime in Chicago in 2019 was overturned on Nov 21 on due process grounds.
K-pop CD output draws fire as plastic waste talks loom
SEOUL - K-pop music may be South Korea's buzziest export, but the industry needlessly creates mountains of plastic in its home market by churning out CDs that most fans do not even listen to, critics say.
Actress Yvonne Lim returning to Singapore after 10 years in Taiwan
Singaporean actress Yvonne Lim is ready for a new chapter in her life. The 48-year-old announced on social media on Nov 21 that she has opened a YouTube channel.
Striking scenes from abstract triptych in Puppet Origin Stories
A wilfully abstract triptych of stories that make up the third edition of Puppet Origin Stories will frustrate the theatregoer in search of meaning, but delight those who can surrender to the weird and affecting visual scenes crafted on stage.
Kim Soo-hyun samples local food and finds it 'very satisfying'
The K-drama star is here to promote his new series as part of Disney's showcase of upcoming Asian titles
Entrepreneur rediscovers her need for speed
Ms Janice Oo lives out the famous line from the 1986 Hollywood flick, Top Gun, when the lead character \"Maverick\", played by Tom Cruise, declared: \"I feel the need, the need for speed.\"
Timeless Velar refreshed with hybrid engine
The model by Range Rover is relaxing to drive, but the controls feel lighter and less direct than those of its rivals
Wish come true for BYD buyers with families
The M6 is the first mid-sized electric seven-seater to be available here
Subtle serenity
Newly-weds pick clean, functional Japandi aesthetic for their HDB flat
