A Singapore Love Story

by Low Kay Hwa

"Someone once told me this: Love is a rubber band. It can either be stretched to its limit so that it can hold the most number of things, or it can be stretched till it breaks. If you stretch till it breaks, it means that the relationship will not last. The one who stretches the rubber band is reality. No matter how much two lovers love each other, reality will stretch that love. Whether it holds or breaks doesn't just depend on how strong the love is. It depends on how aggressive reality is stretching as well. If the rubber band has broken, there is no way to fix it."

"Have you broken a rubber band before?"

"Who hasn't?"

Genres: Fiction, Romance

147 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Low Kay Hwa, born in 1985, is the youngest bestselling author in Singapore, having been on many Singapore bestsellers lists (major bookstores and national newspapers) together with international authors like Jodi Picoult and Nicholas Sparks. In his country, he is the only local writer to have entered the list for years.

In 2012, he has over 117,000 "Likes" in his Facebook Page and over 10,000 double opt-in subscribers. He is often invited to schools to give talks and is a mentor to many aspiring authors.

He has been writing since seven and published his first novel when he was seventeen. He is currently pursuing a B.A. (Honours) in English Language and Literature, and will be getting his M.A. in English by 2015.

Low Kay Hwa prefers to keep a low profile (in his words, "Let my books do the talking"), and therefore does not show his face online except for newspaper and magazine articles. His books are often sleeper hits; they usually stay in the normal bookstores shelves for one to two months before reaching the bestsellers lists through positive word-of-mouth marketing by his readers.

Reviews

[Rachel Loke · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I was first contacted via Goodreads by the author, I was pretty surprised. I've never seen my account on Goodreads as anything more than reviewing (sporadically) for the benefit of my friends. It never occurred to me that I would somehow end up reviewing a book by a locally published author.

Before I start my review proper, I will just say that this book was sent to me free of charge and this review will be as objective as I can be.

This book is built on a single premise- love. Girl meets boy in the most unusual circumstances when she was seven, and then many things happen along the way and yet they always find themselves back with each other. But they don't get together until some time later. They face obstacles in their relationship- societal pressures, parental disapproval and finally death. A huge plot to carry and I'm not sure if all these have been dealt with in sufficient depth. I, for one, would love to know more about Valerie's love for Michael. Maybe it is the length of the book, but I don't feel that I've understood the intensity of their love, and that is even when one of them crosses over to find the other.

I don't really read much local literature and this probably affected the way I read this book. It is very different from what I'm used to reading, with all the cliches, stereotypes, references to local culture. The writing style is perhaps one which is more unpolished and a little incoherent, because it feels like the character is talking to me, than I'm reading about him or her. That is not necessarily a bad thing. But I suppose being adverse to reading first person narrative was a major factor in not enjoying this book as much as I should. The pitfall of writing in first person is that a lot of the dialogue can sound unnatural. It is supposed to be written, but because it's first person, it might sound better if it was less formal and stiff.

Another issue I had with this narration was that there was more telling than showing. More could have been written in abstract than mere description. There were also some parts which I felt could have been explored further, and it has a lot to do with Michael's character. At the end of the book, I still don't really know who he is as a person. And Valerie, I'm not sure if I like her character at all. She is sheltered, selfish and insensitive most of the time, and it is pretty painful to see how Michael slogs his guts out just to make her happy and so that he can marry her.

I wasn't very sure of the switch of points of view for a couple of chapters after the twist was revealed. It might have been better if it had just been an epilogue in the other character's point of view to round everything up. This would probably be less disorienting for the readers.

Despite all these, I did appreciate the concept, and there were some parts of the book that surprised me, with the raw insight into love and Singapore society, I particularly liked the twist at the end of the book, because readers have been led into thinking version A happened, when it turned out to be version B of the pivotal event in this book. It was, literally, mind twisting.

Overall, an okay read. A 1.5 stars from me.

[Mirrani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazingly good. You need to understand the broken English of a translated writing, or the broken English of someone telling a story in a language not native to them, but in my opinion, that added to the atmosphere of the whole thing. There were twists all through and the characters and subsequent romance between them felt so very real that it was almost as if you could reach out and touch it.

Because of the nature of the first person telling of the book, there are times when the plot is slightly confusing, where you think you are reading one person's story and you are actually reading the other. But those are quickly sorted out within the pages as you turn them and are well worth dealing with. The idea that what happens after death isn't scientifically documented and so anything is possible was very refreshing and new. I would love to read more based on what was written here.

Note: Though this book was a free gift from the author, the content of my review was in no way influenced by the gifting. The book speaks for itself and my review would have been worded just this way even if I'd gone out and bought it. I also give bonus points for Text To Speech enabling on Kindle format.... but that also wasn't a factor in the above review.

[Louisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read and reviewed in time for Valentine's Day!

I've been sitting on this for a while now, waiting for the right mood to get into it. I don't read any local literature at all, but I've heard great things about Low Kay Hwa and jumped at the chance to try his work when he nicely offered a free copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. (Disclaimer: this will be as objective a review as I can write.)

The chapter titles were what caught my initial interest. Particularly inventive to have named them after train stations. The slang and language is also heartwarmingly Singaporean, although the constant explanations of terms and references to what things are like "in Singapore" got annoying after a while, because, well, you don't have to explain to me what ITE or a polytechnic is. I live five minutes away from one and attend one respectively, y'all, thanks very much. (Side-note: the author is an alumnus of my poly, yay!)

That said, the plot was pretty interesting, if cliched. It rightly places emphasis on Singaporean societal pressures, especially the strain attending differently ranked schools can have on a couple, not to mention parental approval. It added flavour and authenticity to the story. I'm sure every Singaporean judges each other off their education institution, no matter what we say.

(Side-eyeing you, MOE.)

While I also liked Michael's narrative, I wasn't a big fan of Valerie. Neither did I like the way the book ended. It felt extremely rushed--I did think the twist was a clever one, but the ending didn't treat death/the afterlife the way it should have, being a book about love testing the bounds of death after all. For that reason, I probably won't ever reread the book, but I certainly grew to appreciate local writing. I might even try more of Low Kay Hwa's novels. A Singapore Love Story could just do with more oomph and some tight editing/rewriting.

3-3.5 stars!

[Diana lullaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably one of the first few books that I've read written by a local author. I may have read some other local books when I was younger, but I wouldn't consider those books just cause I was too young to understand.

I'm just gonna keep this short and simple. First of all, I really liked how the entire concept of the book is relatable because everything is in the Singapore sort of system. Also the slangs and languages used are understandable thanks to my 10 years of studying in government schools. It may be harder for those whom are not local to be able to understand the Singaporean slang though. But I do appreciate that little touch.

This book is really different as compared to what I would usually pick up in the bookstores or libraries. The genres that I usually read are mainly fiction fantasy and also revolving around those teenage romances.

Overall, I say that this book is a must read for Singaporeans!

p.s. The ending really surprised me. It took me awhile to digest the information and put the pieces together. But well, you know what they say, Suspense is a reader's best friend! Actually no one said that, I just came up with it.

So yeah, Good book!

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly, I like to thank the author for giving me the opportunity to review this book! Also, I'll like to apologize for the very much delayed review.

Anyway, I've never read novels written by locals before, so this was a new experience for me. Even for a Singaporean, I admit, I had a hard time adjusting to the Singlish-English mix inside. However, after a while, it was really enjoyable to read this and I had to laugh at the jokes.

Call me dense, but I had to read this book twice, and then call my mother to read this, before I finally got it. I liked the turn in events, from a sweet typical teenager love story to something I wouldn't even think would happen.

In a nut shell, I liked it (Y)

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read recently penned by a Singaporean.

Unlike the first which I enjoyed tremendously, this one fell flat.

I didn't understand much of the local slang and the rather odd style of writing. That's a pity because I would have liked to learn more about Singapore authors and their history and style. I think this book tries too hard to imitate the usual modern day romance and the author throws in local references and odd English phases but like many readers, I got lost in the muddle.

Still I hope to read more singapore-inspired novels.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a typical love story between a good girl and a bad boy. I was a bit surprised when the male author used the female first-person narrative.

Not talk about how well he understands girls yet, just the first-person narrative does not offer me a clear image about the female protagonist. Yes, my observation on Singaporean girls offers the same impression and I have known stories of girls behaving like the female protagonist. But those are observations and it seems that the female protagonist was created from observations and impressions of the author, not from the true understanding and much less from the viewpoint of a Singaporean girl. Hence there are less explanations on the actions, decisions, thoughts of the female protagonist. I could not understand how she became materialistic and accepted the pursuit of other rich boys. She also made the wrong move which has been featured in numerous romance books and drama: love the bad boy and try to change him. Again, I expect more elaborations on her thoughts and her plans but none were put down explicitly.

The male protagonist was pictured clearer but I cannot have the full understanding of him either due to the shortcoming of the first-person narrative. He is cool, cold and possesses high self-esteem. Their relationship is quite weird to me: either they did not communicate or their communication became a fight of self-esteem. To my feeling, the girl did not understand the boy and the boy did not understand the girl and they simply told each other "I love you." Hence the girl does not know and understand his actions. And neither do I. So pity, I want to know.

When the story progressed, actually I expected to see how the couple resolved their conflicts but well, the ending is weird. Not to say the behavior of the male protagonist at the end is very inconsistent with his characteristics.I would say the ending is creative but also an easy option to end the story. The conflicts built up through out the book are typical in Singapore and are not easy to resolve when both of the parties are not willing to compromise. The girl always felt insecure due to financial issue and the boy made no concrete action to offer her security. She did not trust him and he did not offer her proof to trust but worse, constantly asked her to trust him.

My overall feeling is that the story lacks of introspection. Facts were simply put down to tell the story, which makes the story very stiff. But well, the book is nostalgic according to my Singaporean friend.

[YT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

OH. MY. GOODNESS.

So. A Singapore Love Story. What seemed like just a story about a couple in Singapore (as the title literally suggests) gets you to dig deeper and actually think about love in the real world. Can people from vastly different backgrounds actually last throughout the years? Is it wrong for Valerie to be materialistic?

I liked that about the book, constantly having to think whether Valerie's thoughts and actions were rational even though what you want is for her to accept Michael for who he is (but then they would not be as happy, would they?)

Oh, and the plot twist. That was a good one and I spent most of the book looking in the wrong perspective until it was revealed at the end. Mind-blowing and very interesting indeed.

However, there are some negative points that irked me about the book which I will go into quite a bit of detail here.

Footnotes. I think that the organisation and flow of the book would be much better with the inclusion of footnotes. Singaporean readers should know what the phrases 'siao eh' or 'sabo' means. Similarly, the distinction between junior colleges, polytechnics and ITEs do not need to be made known. I find it quite irritating to be reading the book and coming across the phrase "In Singapore..." every other page. If the author wants to market his books to an international audience, I think that having footnotes is better. Then again, it's just my opinion.

Secondly, characterisation. Specifically, Valerie. Her actions are questionable. Accepting rides from male friends even when you are attached and know that they are interested in you? Convincing Michael that he is the one she wants despite all that she does? Here is a choice section of her thoughts:

The image of me in my NJC uniform and him in his ITE uniform was disturbing - it was like the picture of a sixty-year-old woman having sex with a twenty-year-old man.

"I won't mind if the guy is a scholar and the girl is a farmer," I whispered. "You've got to do something."

UM, WHAT!?

Despite all that though, I must say that once I started the book, I was engrossed in it and could not put it down until it was finished. Good story overall but it could do with some more polish.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author. This is a fair review and based only on my own reading and opinion.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would not generally be my first choice of novel therefore I would like to thank Low Kay Hwa for giving me the opportunity to read and review Singapore Love Story. I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the story. It is light easy reading and the plot moves at a steady pace. The translation into English is fine and I enjoyed the accents used by the different family members. This did not detract from the storyline in fact it added to the overall atmosphere and the sense of culture and tradition. I gained an insight into two distinctly different class systems and also a taste of Singapore life. I would have liked more of this. There is humour in this novel. I love Noodles and Rice, the contrasting tastes of the main characters but I don't think the flavour lasted to the end of the meal. I could have done with a little more salt particularly after the main course and in the afterlife. The afterlife is where I thought the story came apart a little. It felt rushed and thrown together. As though the afterlife was an afterthought and not the central part of the story. I was left guessing who had died and this was a clever almost inspired idea. But this was let down by the lack of depth in the whole story. However the ending was a satisfying dessert and answered the questions that had bubbled in my mind. But as we all know with any good meal
it is all down to a matter taste. Thank you.

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes a bit of reader adjustment to become comfortable with the flow of the language: it is apparent that English is not the native language of the author, but once acclimated that little quirk adds to the flavour of this very unique story. Narrated from the first person point of view, Michael is quite generous with his telling of details, and defining the important aspects of the story for the reader.

What stands out in this story is the author’s willingness and ability to share cultural details and provide a background for the reader, while some may have thought it to be overly simple and unnecessary, I found it far more helpful in explaining the twists of the relationship and the obstacles placed in front of the couple.

With a surprising twist at the end, this quick and engaging read will have you reading it again to see if there were clues missed in the first read. I enjoyed this book, and recommend it for readers who are willing to be transported into a foreign land with the ability to let go of conventional grammatical rules and read for the love of it.

I received an eBook copy from the author for purpose of honest review for the Jeep Diva. I was not compensated for this review and all conclusions are my own responsibility.

[Isabel Mansfield · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not get into this very confusing

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tis book really. Lost me at the ending. Sent to m by the author I felt an obligation to read it, but would not ha picked it up on mY own.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't finish this yet, as the story did not grab me.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to get my hands on this book so badly and others shared my mindset as well. This story and it's setting resonates with many people. Young and old. For those of us who live in Singapore, we understand the social norms and stereotypes of the Express and Normal Technical stream. Even for me, imagining an Express stream student with an NT student is hard to believe. It is the ultimate situation which pique people's interest and challenges what they know. What is more intriguing is an A Level student with an ITE student. Now that is something even more unimaginable, why? This books explains it.

Michael and Valerie met in primary school, He was the loud, outspoken, bad boy. She was the rich girl who listened to her parents. Typical love story? It was until their fell in love and the challenges came. How people thought of them and looked at them mattered, at least to Valerie. To me Valerie seemed like the good girl who could do no wrong, at times she also seem weak and unable to stand up for herself fully. I appreciated the challenges they faced. Him going off to National Service and her in school, accepting things like presents and car rides from all the suitors but still choosing him. They wish to get married but reality intervenes: How can he support them as a family?

After three years, they plan to get married and bam! he dies the day before his wedding. I honestly got a little confused here as the prologue I assume was about him but from then on it was from Valerie's pov and it got messy until Michael explained. The author delved into the mystery of the afterlife and how our povs differ very much. A story from two point of views can be entirely different and yet have the same echos.

I felt that I wanted to give this book a 3.5 stars at most but changed my mind at the end of the story. It just surprised me, truly did. This love story is not for the die-hard romantics. It is for everyone to read and realize how difficult it is for relationships to work. What love really is ultimately.

I understand the use of broken english and Singlish is prevalent here. As I have gown up in SG, this is not uncommon for me, this is how we communicate but I can understand how those not used to the Singaporean way of speaking may be confused and irritated by the poor use of english. Rest assured, that is not how everyone speaks. I appreciated that the author took time to explain briefly some of the hokkien words. Hokkien is a Chinese dialect. I felt this deepened the authenticity of the novel's feel. I loved that every chapter was titled after an MRT station, this is our train system, of the East-West Line. It showed the progression of the journey in a very meaningful way. For the chapters that are from Michael's pov, the tiles are mostly roads and names of expressways in SG.

This was not a long story and I was engrossed with it even so. I get why some would not like this book but I enjoyed it and my emotions roller-coastered with the characters. I did not expect this type of book from the author and was happy to have read it. I encourage everyone to pick up this bittersweet love story with thought provoking meanings.

[Dayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

My heart. It is heaving heavily. It suddenly feels like a thousand pounds, a deadweight that suddenly appears tied to your feet out of nowhere and drags you deep into the beds of the darkest oceans to wither and drown. It is doing that awful squeezing thing it does when someone you love is leaving you for an awfully long time. It hurts. so. much.

Where on earth do i start?

I loved how fluffy and genuine the conversations were, including all the singlish talk and little events that were told. I was so used to reading American high school books, with lockers and blonde hair and leather jackets and jocks , all these familiar concepts that I only came to know so well through mere words and sentences, yet never having any genuine, real sentimental value for them as they are not a part of me. I never experienced it. I never grew up with it. And so it hit me so hard, this book, the first real book that had so many elements of the home, the culture, the place and language that surrounded me, woven into me, a true part of my very soul. It felt like home. A warm fluffy and tight embrace, the kind of tight hug your mom gives you after 5 years of working overseas and meeting you at the airport. I guess since this is my first singaporean romance book, it hit me particularly hard. I think now a these days teenage girls often keep dreaming of their blonde hair jock ang moh boyfriemd that they forget the value of the perhaps even more close contenders here in their common homeland, who share the same language, worries, problems etc as them, as compared to the ab-boosting dirty blonde hair dudes thousands of miles away, who while, undeniably hot, have practically nothing in common in terms of childhood and culture. Something about them doesn't quite hit as hard as compared to someone who can curse fluently in Hokkien and bitch about CPF, don't you think?

Which brings me to the first half of the book or so. Gosh, the typical asian parents, car pricings, NPCC clubs, Normal technical stream discrimination, money CPF issues, wow. You can't get any more Singaporean than that! I never realised how sick I was of Ang Moh moms grounding their children or having stalkers or being chosen to save the world and blah blah blah until i read this. I fond myself smiling and nodding vigourously to so many many things, because I could feel what they felt. I knew those kind of people that discriminate N(T) students. I knew and connected to so many things

[Kristen N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you do if the love you had tested the bounds of death? What if that death became an obsession to the one you love? Would you be able to do what was needed to set them free? The saying 'If you love something set it free' is tested by Low Kay Haw in Singapore A Love Story. Singapore A Love Story is a fantastic love story that tests the bounds of love in both life and death. Low Kay Hwa explains love and why it sometimes it fails using the analogy of stretching a rubber band. Singapore A Love Story begins with the end, the death of Michael. Readers get to see first the story of how the bitter first meeting between Michael and Valerie turns into a love that transcends death and Michael's own story of events in chapters 5-1 added throughout. You might think that sounds confusing, but with the brilliant writing of Low Kay Hwa it is easy to follow and understand. Singapore A Love Story is a fantastic work of art that tells the story of first meetings to death and beyond. Low Kay Hwa is a very talented author and I highly recommend Singapore A Love Story to readers both young and old alike.

[Sherry Tan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being around the same age as the lead characters in the book, I really enjoyed the references to some of the things found in 90s' singapore e.g. transitlink cards etc. I certainly felt nostalgic while reading the book. But I think explanations of what those things were (to non-Singaporean readers) could have been better handled outside the narrative of the book - perhaps a glossary or something?

I liked the dynamic between the 2 leads and enjoyed the dialogue. Unfortunately, because everything seemed to revolve around their love, there was not much character development so the leads were rather one-dimensional.

I liked the twist but the ending was very cliche. I think I would've preferred it if Michael really had found someone else.

All in all, a pretty good read, but I don't think I'll be re-reading it.

[Chow Chevelier · Rating 5 out of 5]

having an promotion price the author by low kay haw books was so touching
The cool way to defend yourself, and even find yourself to the correct toilet, when you entered the wrong toilet. Superb.

Would a female university grad marry an ITE grad or a SPM holder? or student get an relationship early readFree online story: www.goodybooks.com/asingaporelovestor...

remember to purchase his book for discount at while stock last
http://www.amazon.com/Singapore-Love-...

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this book A Singapore Love Story in one of the sites I visited (of which I can't remember anymore)... Out of curiosity I started to read the excerpt and found it very interesting. It ended in Chapter 10 and I knew then and there I had to get myself a copy. It's my first time to read a book by a local Singaporean Author. Having been in SG and having friends from there made it easy for me to understand how the book was written and narrated especially since it used a lot broken english / SINGLISH. I was able to connect well with it although I don't think some would do. But then again its the plot that sells it right?

[Karolina Ong · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book introduces me to Valerie and Michael, makes them my friend, show me how they grow as a person, makes me loves them as couple and proceed to tore my heart apart and stomp it a few time for good measure..... I hate you Low Kay Hwa!!!

My friend deserves better than that!! And yes, Valerie and Michael is my friend!

I love the couple not necessarily the story though the fact that the book feels very Singaporean does help to give me the sense of closeness I dont normally get from other writer.

Sorry, I cant say anything else or I'll cry...

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alright. I have mixed reviews for this. At first, I had the worst time trying to read it only because it is written differently from the books I read. It's different than English books. It's a great story, but about 2/3 of the way in, I was wary about everything happening and it was weir. But overall, a good book!

[Jim · Rating 1 out of 5]

A difficult book indeed to read. The plot was thin and the slang was so off-putting I had to struggle to make it past the first few chapters. Looking at the number of books written by the same author (none of which I have read to be honest), I would have assumed that this would have been a better read. Sadly it leaves much to be desired.

[Ernest Koh · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is good in the sense that it can reach out to many young kids because the English used was simple. In my shallow opinion, i believe that the flow or transition could have been better as it is confusing at certain parts. Offers you a different perspective but if you want to read better books by this author, I recommend 'I believe you'

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually don't rate stuff I haven't finished; and as a matter of fact, I've only completed the sample for this one. Rather standard, a bit too much Singlish for my liking. But it seems there's a pretty interesting plot twist afterwards.

I probably won't be reading the rest of it, but it was still surprisingly-engaging, haha. Kinda like junk food, cough.

[Tish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and nostalgic teenage (schoolchildren) romance for Singaporeans. The writing is surprisingly decent (not great), but the plot is relentless with an interesting twist, and Michael is a great character capable of shocking the reader as well as charming her.

[Venesa]

can i know how i can read this??

[Jonie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If only there's a better ending...whyyyyyy T.T

[Vanessa Chua · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a love story but with a twist of fantasy added in. Quite okay to read but it's not a very original or unique story.

[Sivamani Naidu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written. Good job.

[Jesslyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

May I ask how can I read the story?