0.5
Afternoon Yuan Yang Club
ByPublisher Description
Four young women learn to navigate life, love and friendships in the modern world through their podcast.
In their final year at Polytechnic, Rina, Lora, Dia and Rylee are determined to make the most of their time together by launching an ambitious podcast project. It seems simple enough; just discuss the challenges young people face—family expectations, chasing dreams and navigating relationships. But as the women delve deeper, they are forced to confront the realities and truths of their own lives, putting their friendship to the test.
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0.5
totesintobooks
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“Jojo Chia’s Yuan Yang Club is a light coming-of-age novel that explores the lives of four young women attempting to balance friendship, aspirations, and self-discovery. The title cleverly references the concept of yuan yang, symbolizing harmonious duality and balance. Much like the mix of coffee and tea it signifies, the book blends themes of ambition and relationships, touching on the difficulties of navigating societal expectations in modern times.
At its heart, the story encourages readers to reflect on the complexities of youth—how individuals grapple with their identity, the pursuit of dreams, and the fragility of friendships during pivotal years. However, while the premise is promising, there are significant concerns regarding the representation of its characters, particularly its portrayal of race and religion.
One glaring issue is the stereotypical depiction of the Malay Muslim character, Dia. Her arc centers on vices such as premarital sex, clubbing, and being willing to compromise her faith for her non-Muslim boyfriend. This narrative not only feels overused but also reductive. It perpetuates harmful tropes of Muslim women as “rebels” against their religion, reducing her character to a shallow representation that lacks nuance. Additionally, the inclusion of premarital sex involving her sister further highlights the author’s apparent misunderstanding or ignorance of the faith. At the same time, the Chinese characters are depicted as dealing with more universally relatable challenges, such as academic pressures and self-confidence, creating an imbalance in character depth and agency.
Given the sensitive nature of writing from perspectives that differ from the author’s own, Yuan Yang Club would have benefited greatly from sensitivity readers. Their insights could have mitigated the sense of bias and prejudice that permeates the narrative. The author’s admission that the issues assigned to each character were not deliberate is particularly troubling, as it points to unconscious biases that remain unexamined. Representing characters from different races and religions should come with the responsibility of doing so with care and respect.
In some cases, it might be better to omit specific markers of race or religion entirely if the intention is not to explore them meaningfully. Allowing the characters to exist as individuals rather than representatives of particular groups could avoid reinforcing stereotypes or alienating readers from those communities.
Lastly, while the coming-of-age theme resonates, the portrayal of a 19-year-old Malay Muslim engaging in behaviors considered haram feels jarring and culturally insensitive. While youth across all backgrounds may explore sexuality, it’s unfair and problematic to assign these actions specifically to a Muslim character without delving deeper into the complexity of faith and its challenges. The result is a narrative that feels exploitative rather than insightful.
Yuan Yang Club has the potential to be an engaging story about friendship and personal growth. However, its mishandling of cultural and religious representation detracts significantly from the reading experience. More diverse and respectful portrayals of practicing Muslims are needed in literature, rather than relying on liberal stereotypes or outdated tropes. This book serves as a reminder of the importance of intentionality in storytelling and the need for sensitivity when representing marginalized communities.”Start a Book Club
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