Readers' Area

We know the best way to keep our readers engaged is via interaction… and we also know readers often create things like videos, pictures and fan stories of Low Kay Hwa’ novels without telling us.

Send us a video, a picture, a article, a book review, a song... basically, ANYTHING that is related to our books. We’ll showcase it here and you’ll get 7 free books + $50 Goody Books Gift Voucher!

So what are you waiting for? Send your entries to zhong.stephanie@goodybooks.com now. We await to see your entry for the next issue!

Below is last issue's winner: A book review of Low Kay Hwa's latest book, Lilith. Enjoy!

Book Review: Lilith

Shevon, 22, Unemployed (Awaiting school to start later this year)

Getting Low Kay Hwa's seventh novel, Lilith, isn't really what I expected it to be.

I've been a fan of several of his previous works in the past, among which included Destiny's Cries and I Believe You, both of which are his first and second novels respectively. And his first six novels are always something to do with romance or the family ties between a mother and daughter like in A Photogenic Life and Journey.

I must admit, when I've first gotten wind about his seventh novel, Lilith, it caught my interest as you rarely, or almost never see a book about HIV being published or sold in Singapore. In fact, the only novels that I know of that touches on HIV and AIDS are Fatal Seductions by Douglas Lee. And the book title, Lilith, plays a part in catching my attention as well.

I must admit that the book is a good read if you are tired of reading romance, adventure, mystery stories, etc. It has dark themes to it as it mostly comprises about a girl who grew up with the stigmata of having a mother who is HIV positive, and everyone around her had jumped to the conclusion that she is HIV Positive too. And it also speaks about a guy who grew up with unfairness nearly all his life as he can never be better than his twin brother, and spent nearly his entire life being compared to him.

Tell me then, how many of us have actually gone through that 'unfairness' stage at least once in our lives? I know that I did for one, always being compared with my intelligent University older brother, my always getting straight A's older brother, my always getting praised high and low older brother. At a time when I was going through a particularly stressful period, this really got to my nerves, and I know that I've actually lost my temper more than once and actually wished that he was dead. Thus, I can connect with Derrick.

But while the storyline is good in itself, I can't help feeling like the story is a bit too short, and Kay Hwa kind of...rushed into things a little. Don't get me wrong, I admit that it is a great story, but there are several loopholes in the story itself. Like in the last part of the story when Derrick is trying to track Lilith down. But at least the scenes that Kay Hwa had added in his book isn't so...descriptive, though I suppose it has more to do with the target audience of his book, most of whom are usually teenagers still in secondary school.

But other than that, the book is an excellent read, especially if you're looking for something different, and wanted to know the life perspective from a person who had contracted HIV, or is afflicted with HIV in some way, shape or form. I can also see that Kay Hwa had really done a really excellent job on this book, like always, and he had probably conducted some extensive research for it as well. I didn't even want to set the book down once when I've actually started reading until I've reached the end, and the story itself actually keeps the reader in suspense until you've came to the end.

And if I have to give a rating for this book, I'll give it a 9/10, especially since the only bad thing that I have to say about the book is the length of it. But still, if you're looking for an interesting read, pick up this book. I can guarantee that you won't regret it, and it's worth the price.

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