The story, told with dark humor by an exciting new voice, navigates the intricacies and weirdness of human connections, and the impressions they leave behind * Huffington Post * On their own, Teo's sharp characterizations and setting-so alive that the book seems to create its own, humid microclimate-would set this book apart. Add to that her imaginative plot, prose that turns from humor to devastation on a dime, and original storytelling, and Ponti is a beyond-promising debut. * Booklist (starred review) * Ponti by Sharlene Teo is a sultry, hilarious dissection of mother-daughter relationships, and the effect of time and teenagehood on friendships, against the backdrop of Singapore B-movies. It oozes confidence. -- Nikesh Shukla * Guardian, Best summer books 2018 * Funny, achingly dark and drawn with scalpel-like precision, Ponti is one of the wittiest debut novels of 2018 * The Pool * Exquisite, lush and menacing . . . the Singapore in Sharlene Teo's Ponti is vivid and immediate, its people complex, beautifully sketched and captivating . . . colourful and bewitching * TLS * Ponti's cultural commentary and multi-generational chorus of voices do indeed recall White Teeth [by Zadie Smith], while its unflinching depiction of young female friendship echoes Smith's most recent, Swing Time . . . by the time the novel has finished, there is no denying Amisa's dream has been realised. These three women and their stories will live on; they have been made immortal. * Independent Ireland * You know those books you can read again? And again? And again? Well, prepare for Sharlene Teo's incredible Ponti . . . a densely layered story of a fading horror actress, Amisa; her unhappy teenage daughter, Szu and her acid-tongued best friend, Circe, which jumps from generations, decades and viewpoints, weaving in unsettling myths to boot . . . entrancing . . . A modern gem * Emerald Street * Teo's portrait of Singapore is so good it would not be a surprise if Ponti were a contender for the next Ondaatje Prize, awarded to a work that best evokes "spirit of a place". People talk about "the great American novel", or, in Britain, "the state of the nation novel". Ponti is a great Singaporean novel, and a marvelous investigation of the state of the tiny island nation * South China Morning Post * A sticky, atmospheric tale of resentment and loneliness * Tatler * Ponti is darkly hilarious. It offers up all the anxiety, snark, sadness, and wonder of being a teenager. Teo guides us through the grunge of growing up. She asks what it means to be a monster and what it means to be beautiful. Is it possible to be both? -- Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Harmless Like You The loneliness of adolescence is a monstrosity manifesting in equally ugly and poetic ways. Ponti is a weird and beautiful bildungsroman and Teo's writing shines as totally radical * The Skinny * Spanning 17 years and told from the perspectives of all three women, Ponti is a stunning first novel with a wry, rebellious heart * AnOther * Strange and compelling . . . a breath of fictional fresh air -- Shena Mackay, Kate Summerscale, and Owen Sheers, judges of the Deborah Rogers Writers Award Teo's debut stands out from the crowd . . . the offbeat charm of this lush tale proves a stealthy delivery mechanism for a quiet tragedy of intergenerational misunderstanding * Metro * Vivid, disquieting * Daily Mail * Haunting . . . Sharlene Teo is a daring and genuinely original novelist -- Garth Greenwell, author of What Belongs to You Witty, moving and richly evocative . . . Sharlene Teo has produced not just a singular debut, but a milestone in South East Asian literature -- Tash Aw, author of Five Star Billionaire A startlingly poetic and impressive debut * Independent * One of the most exciting books I have read in ages . . . as funny as it is strange, it is complex as it is light . . . it deserves prizes -- Nikesh Shukla A vivid coming-of-age debut . . . seamless . . . Teo is brilliant in her portrayal of teenage anxiety * Guardian * An unforgettable story of female friendship * Elle Magazine * Ponti is one of the more assured debuts I've read recently . . . it's the rare, real deal and Teo's a writer we'll be reading for many years to come * Financial Times * A triumph: a nuanced examination of betrayal and grief, memory and the corrupting effects of beauty * Sunday Times * A radiant, achingly beautiful novel about relationships between women -- Megan Hunter, author of The End We Start From Remarkable . . . her characters glow with life and humour and minutely observed desperation -- Ian McEwan

Set in Singapore, and spanning fifty years, Ponti is the story of three women: sixteen-year-old Szu; her monstrous and beautiful mother, Amisa; and Circe, Szu's unlikely friend.