Eh, it was ok... my mom picked this up at the dollar store but couldn't get into it (about 20 pages, and she had DNF'd other books in the past for language and bad behavior, so it's probably just as well due stopped) and gave it to me to read.

Sarong Party Girls feels like Crazy Rich Asians' classy betch cousin from another part of town. Told in first person, Jazzy (Jazeline, because as many Jasmines and Celines are out there, there's only one Jazeline) feels pretty ripe at the age of 26, making it a goal for her and her girlfriends to get white husbands or at least boyfriends within the month. The bar/club scene probably isn't the best marriage market, but it's the hunting ground she knows. As I read, it didn't feel like she was getting anywhere, though? There's some self realization at the end in the literal last pages but ehhhhh.

The thing SPG has going for it is that it is entirely I'm first person Singlish, the hodgepodge dialect of English, Hokkien, Cantonese, Mandarin, Tamil, and Malay. I had my phone at the ready to look up slang every other paragraph or so, but the narrator's voice is consistent and unmistakably Jazzy. I liked Ms. Tan's nonfiction work, A Tiger In the Kitchen much better, so I dunno. ( )

fiction--sort of a "sex in the city" for Singapore, except that the women don't really have any opportunities for high-powered careers--none of the characters, male or female, are portrayed all that favorably, though the narrator does progress a little at the end. It's also written in kind of a pidgin-like "Singlish" vernacular which is kind of annoying until you get used to it. ( )

I went into this book not expecting a super developed plot but a fun beachy read. Unfortunately this book is just not my cup of tea. Nothing grabbed my attention, I didn't love the main character, and the whole book felt a little aimless. I did like the setting of Singapore, and there were elements that I usually enjoy (20-somethings who party all the time and deal with drama), but overall it just lacked oomph. ( )

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest



A quick Chick-Lit, written in Singlish, an English-based patois that Singaporeans speak to each other. It was interesting and unique, and given the fact that I haven’t read anything like this before, I genuinely enjoyed the writing. This is my first book from Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan.
Our main heroine in this book is Jazzy, a 27-year-old, born and living in Singapore. In her mind, she is getting old and her time to get married is running out.

But Jazzy doesn’t want to just marry anyone, especially not the Asian boys she keeps seeing in the clubs, or the ones that are so traditional and bring her mum soup in the mornings. She wants to marry an English Man, become rich, move abroad and have his babies.

To achieve this, Jazzy and her friends make a deal to start going into clubs and places and meet their perfect English men. They become Sarong Party Girls, and from chapter to chapter we read about new adventures and troubles that Jazzy gets herself into.

This book is unique in many ways, there are a lot of immoral scenes that teach us moral lessons. There is so much culture in this book and it’s nice to see how people tolerate moral levels differently in another part of the world.

I didn’t like Jazzy, and I didn’t agree with almost anything she was doing. From chapter to chapter she kept making stupid decisions, and even though she learnt a little bit in the end, she was still clueless at so many things, which I find annoying.

As much as I loved the refreshing taste of culture this book gave me, I also didn’t enjoy the main character at all, and am struggling to give it anything more than three stars.

It is an amazing book, with quality writing that I am sure represents Singaporeans well, culture a plenty and many scenes that trigger discussions. But if you are looking for your perfect character, you won’t find this is Jazzy. You won’t find it in Sarong Party Girls.

Thank you to ReadersFirst and Allen & Unwin for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest ( )

Sarong Party Girls is the first fiction novel by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, a New York City-based food and fashion writer who was born and raised in Singapore.

The term ‘Sarong Party Girl’ is a largely derogatory reference in Singapore to women who exclusively pursue Caucasian men as romantic partners, spurning ah bengs (Chinese/Singaporean men), whom they generally hold in low regard. Tan’s protagonist is 26 year old Jazelin (aka Lin Boon Huag) who is on the hunt for the ultimate Singaporean status symbol, an ang moh husband, but competition is fierce, and Jazzy isn’t getting any younger. She, along with her closest friends Imo and Fann, spend almost every night in Singapore’s exclusive clubs and bars hoping to meet the man of their dreams. Provocatively dressed, they dance, flirt, drink, and sometimes sleep, with any western man who looks sideways at them. But as Jazzy steps up her campaign to win the affection of a suitable ang mah, she is slowly forced to reconsider the lifestyle she has chosen.

Not being familiar with the Singaporean culture I appreciated reading a book set in the country. I have heard a few stories from people who have spent time in Singapore that seems to confirm at least some elements of Tan’s portrayal of the city’s nightlife, including the behaviour of Sarong Party Girls, and the exploitation of women in both personal and professional arena’s. I was surprised to learn of the apparent social acceptance of girlfriends, mistresses, and even second families, for married Chinese/Singaporean men.

I really don’t see any similarities between Jane Austen’s Emma, and Sarong Party Girls as suggested by the publisher, other than the general desire of the women for an advantageous match in marriage. If there is an Austen character whom Jazzy resembles at all, it’s probably Lydia in Pride and Prejudice who is so focused on the idea of gaining status and wealth via marriage, she ignores the reality of the choices she makes in pursuit of her goal.

The element I probably most enjoyed about Sarong Party Girls was the Singlish patios used, which I found easy to decipher with context. The rhythm seemed natural and helped to illustrate both character and setting.

A glimpse into a culture quite different from my experience, I liked Sarong Party Girls well enough, it’s well written, and entertaining. ( )