Book Review: Ministry of Moral Panic by Amanda Lee Koe

Background Information:

Ministry of Moral Panic is a collection of short stories which explores diverse themes while staying true to the genre of Singapore literature. Utilizing a variety of narrative styles, the book allows one to appreciate Singapore Literature from a wide angle.

Review:

"What most people need to learn in life is how to love people and use things instead of using people and loving things."

This was our only thought after reading Pawn (which left us with a deep impression) from Ministry of Moral Panic by local writer Amanda Lee Koe. Indeed, it really isn't difficult to see that in our modern and economically developed country, many people have subscribed to the idea of the omnipotence of money - to the extent that now, personal relationships have become tradable goods. It's really saddening to see that our society has turned out this way, yet the reality is such. Pawn realistically depicts the state of our society, and is exactly what we need to get people to rethink their values and attitudes in life.

“Lei knows that he’s won, and Delia doesn’t even know this is a game.” In Pawn, Delia – a typical office worker wishing to find love - takes centre stage. One day, Delia unexpectedly meets Lei, a Chinese immigrant at the office food stall and is instantly drawn to him. As they grow closer, Delia wonders if they are together for love or personal motives.

Pawn touches on the themes of love and materialism, and pits the two against each other. The themes are well conveyed through the interactions between characters as they slowly grow closer. This is because it uses a plausible local scenario with characters whom you can easily relate to. The story explores the character motivations behind their love for each other and challenges the concept of love. Readers will question what love really means and if everything in this world has a price tag.

We like how the characters are more complex than they look and the interesting chemistry between them. The character development is wholesome and the intimate portrayal of characters helps you to live in their shoes. We feel that the author has done well in showcasing how far one would go to fulfil one’s desires by inserting contrasting elements in the story, such as Delia’s love for Lei. Even if you are not able to fully relate to the characters, their underlying motivations will be easy to grasp for all. In this book, values will be tested as characters are pitted against each other.

Pawn certainly kept us on the edge with its highly intriguing plot and thought provoking themes. We recommend you to read Pawn and the other stories in Ministry of Moral Panic which are equally riveting in nature. However, Ministry of Moral Panic includes a certain degree of mature themes which you may not be fully comfortable with. Nevertheless, we would still encourage you to immerse yourself in this book and the contemporary issues in society which are elucidated by the book. Should you want a short satisfying story with a twist, coupled with impactful questions on the price of love, this book is definitely your best choice.