catskull

by Myle Yan Tay

Ram has been ignored and dismissed his entire life. His parents patronise him, his older brother belittles him, his class pretends he doesn’t exist, and he is certain he will fail his impending A-Levels. The only good part of his life is Kass, a fellow outsider he has known since childhood. But when the bruises on Kass from her abusive father get worse and worse, Ram decides to don a mask and frighten him into changing his ways. After his scare tactic goes fatally wrong, the mask he wore calls out to him again to clean the city's filth.

Neo-noir thriller meets coming-of-age mystery, catskull explores the violence inherent in an unforgiving city and what it does to the people who inhabit it. It complicates questions of what is right, what is lawful, and who pays the price in the quest for justice.

Genres: Fiction, Asian Literature

472 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2023

Reviews

[Margaerrie C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is really good, but — and this isn’t a criticism — it made me sad. I feel like this is the general sensation I get with most SingLit, though! SingLit makes me sad most of the time, probably because the stories hit too close to home and are so… real and depressing :(

[bobanbang · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY GOD THIS WAS SO GOOD!!!

Experimental in just the right ways, the precision of the language is nailed down to a tee, and just generally a really refreshing read that has wrecked me emotionally at least as much as an ishiguro novel…

[Apollos Michio · Rating 4 out of 5]

“When the people become the judge and jury, who is to say they shouldn’t also be the executioner?” 👨‍⚖️

Myle Yan Tay’s debut novel catskull tells the story of Ram, an A-Level student, who takes it upon himself to enact justice when society fails to protect those who need it the most. He does this through his violence-craving alter ego, Daitya, who soon becomes a country-wide sensation with his distinctive green-eyed mask and acts of vigilantism. 🐈💀

Notably, what permeates this novel is Ram’s strong desire to rise above social invisibility (largely due to his race) and seek social justice for marginalised groups: migrant workers, domestic helpers, animals, etc. Despite the disturbing portrayal of violence and dreadful nihilism that plagues Ram, this story begs these questions: Is Daitya’s violence justified? Who is to be blamed for it? ☠️🩸

Exposing the under-seen underbelly of Singapore, this is a gritty novel that picks unsettlingly at the garden city’s prosperous facade. 🇸🇬🪴

4/5

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant debut novel. Had me hooked from beginning to end. Particularly liked the micro-chapters format, made it easy to dive in after breaks.

[Claire Ion]

I helped proofread this book fun fact :))

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graphic, almost like reading a comic in words

[en le ⋆·˚ ༘ * · Rating 5 out of 5]

catskull is one of those books i’ll be thinking about my whole life

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

How structural violence manifests in physical violence that keeps cycling on.

[Khairun Atika · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I believe the lies and the ache starts to shrink. What felt like a grapefruit is now a baby's clenched fist, stuck in my ribcage. I realise that I am finally feeling something. I am not a monster. I am feeling guilt. And that soothes me." - catskull by Myle Yan Tay

It is not everyday that we are being treated to a story that not only encompasses the elitism of modern Singapore, but the violence and mystery that surrounds those who are suffering quietly and angrily. Before delving into this book, do take note of the numerous trigger warning that comes with the narrative.

In catskull, Ram is the personification of the repercussions of elitism and violence in a progressive and modern city. A social pariah who believes he would fail his A Levels, he only thrives in the presence of his childhood friend Kass, who is as intelligent as much as she is also an outsider. Ram truly treasures his friendship with Kass, so much so that he is willing to take action against Kass' father when more and more bruises appear on her.

Ram dons a mask and intends to scare Kass' father - only for everything to turn fatally wrong. Guilty, afraid and increasingly volatile over his actions, Ram soon finds himself the subject of discussion among many in the city as he is hailed a Daitya (which means devil in Bengali). Seen as a vigilante for justice while also on the run from the authorities, Ram runs wild as he straddles between his struggles in school and his quest to be judge, jury and executioner in the face of the silent crimes in Singapore.

Hailed as a neo-noir thriller, I appreciate the constant stream of consciousness and volatile narrative served by Ram. He is quiet and pensive as he is aggressive and pent up with the anger and grief over the loss of his beloved Uncle Arun. There are layers to the portrayal of a young man overcoming the pressures of society, who is trying to right the wrongs in his life by turning into a vigilante of sorts.

While some might argue that Ram is helping others, it is concerning that Ram is disturbed and violent, which makes the setting of the book primarily dark and ominous. The micro-chapters also lend a sense of mystery to the story. The fact that it was written in 2020, when COVID-19 was on the rise and most of us are going through the circuit breaker, is proven in the listlessness and isolation that Ram is constantly going through. This was a compelling debut, a story of twists and turns that might he intriguing to you.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teenage angst × 10 000 or Humbert Humbert (Lolita) meets 2019 Joker or maybe the Humbert Humbert of Clockwork Orange.

Boy with a cushy life gets a murderous itch and through a feat of teenager-ly cognitive dissonance, becomes 8-bit Batman.

It's quite an interesting look into the mind of a... Humbert Humbert of murder. I appreciate that the book is very trim and easy to read and also that school is such a huge part of Ram's worries.

[Phi (lurkingcrow on pagebound) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow this book straight up WRECKED me. It's been a very, very long time since I blazed through a story the way I did this one. It was gripping and gorgeous in all its vulnerability and tragedy.

[Cheery Ng · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

Breezed through it, pulled me out of a reading slump.

Reminiscent of Palahniuk’s nihilistic prose - honestly an impressive debut novel.

Would love to read more of Myle’s works in the future.

[Em ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

heavy but thought-provoking, it's exactly what you would expect

definitely made me sad

[Panda Pan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such brilliant work! The story is about a brown boy, Ram, who is invisible in Singaporean education system, took on a mask of Daitya, to revenge and correct the injustices he saw. Yan is such a talented storyteller who just grabs readers’ attention and sucks them into this downward spiral together with Ram. The story is not a happy one, but only as dark as the shadow of the Singaporean society itself… lovely the ingenuity, would absolutely recommend this

[kelli h · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5

I picked up catskull during a random library trip in August. read the first few pages and was HOOKED. got to the end and had to sit down because woaH. then I got back up and have consistently recommended this book to my friends ever since.

Myle Yan Tay's writing here comes across as truly Singaporean, in a sense that you can absolutely hear someone speak Ram's narration in the local twang. as the whole book is told from his perspective, you'll learn more about his morals, motives, and mentality, all of which driving you through feeling semi-supportive to concerned to relieved (?) to mortified...especially in the final pages.

it's not a hard read per say, and the book captures your attention with the sheer amount of setup's and pay-off's (written like a true mystery-thriller...or so I think bcuz I don't read much of this genre). but you really do have to sit down and process everything once you're done reading bcuz damn. DAMN.

[Sngsweelian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this a 4 stars even though I didn't manage to finish the book (I couldn't finish it in time for my book club discussion. After listening to my book club members discuss the book and its ending, I figured I could live with not finishing the book. :) ). That must say something about the book!

Interesting premise and a book that touches on some interesting topics that my book club had a great time discussing (thanks too for the wonderful discussion guide provided by Ethos). Myle Yan Tay shows promise and I'm glad he puts his talent in writing to good use!

[Wen-yi Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

catskull is the most striking, new singaporean novel i read this year, maybe in a few years. it's not perfect, but it packs a punch (literally), delivers a lot of raw, meaningful exploration of narratives imposed by masculinity, justice systems, education systems, race, and more. myle yan tay's voice is clear and urgent, a tad experimental and a little feverish, and i'm really glad this is in the world.

[Horatio · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly dark novel about a teenager going through puberty (teenage angst, amirite) and his struggles with love and finding his personal identity.

Overall a fun read with great pacing. Was surprised that something so dark could come out of Yan (though I hardly know him) but was a refreshing work nonetheless, and very bold, considering that this was coming out in sanitised lil Singapore.

[Lilian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gut punch writing. Taps into an energy or way of being that screams honesty and teems with anger. Loved the short chapters, and couldn't put it down. A lot of SingLit tries to comment on contemporary Singaporean issues, but none of them embody the visceral experience of existing in this society like this novel does.

[Weiqi · Rating 4 out of 5]

ending felt like someone made my chest a washcloth and wrung it out dry. ugh, a great read. yan’s way of writing has such an intimate yet real feeling about it. his words somehow manage to reach deep within me and tap on the very vulnerable, raw core of my chest. how does he do that? reading this made me ache, in such a good way.

[Dhevarajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved how the author weaves in real life events into the story. The darkness really seeps into the narrative and unsettles the reader. However, the ending seemed abrupt.

[wx · Rating 4 out of 5]

actually 3 stars for me personally cuz I scared of gore and violence but the second half of the book rly drew me in!

[sunnyhanyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

very well written but it was disturbing how the protagonist became slowly more deranged. still, the writing and story was good.

[aqilahreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

tw: physical violence, sexual assault, abuse, grief, bullying

cant count the amount of times my soul flew away while reading catskull 💀 full of mystery, suspense, violence, darkness - honestly theres just so many things going on omg its such a mess and i love mess lmao ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⁣⁣
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honestly this is the thickest book i have ever received from @ethosbooks ((hello 450+ pages!!!)) but never did i felt bored, it was such a real page-turner and i just felt that i didnt want things to end so quickly at times 😫 which was weird btw bc i tend to avoid thick books whenever i see them as i know that i would take a longggg time to finish......but this was interestingly not the case. 🤯⁣⁣
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we get to see an A-level student, ram, navigating his life and even making bold decisions to save his friend from her abusive father. what i really like about this story is that it doesnt ends there as it tackles a lot of other social injustice ((towards animals, migrant workers & domestic helpers etc)) and its also scary to think how perpetrators can also be good at hiding...and can be very close than u think...👀 ⁣⁣
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truly such a stunning and gripping debut novel :') can get a lil repetitive but i really like the way it was written overall - so refreshing, beautifully descriptive & structured which might not be for everyone though. and i could totally imagine this as an indie film or even a play which really says a lot about the author's expertise as a playwright as well. ⁣⁣highly recommend if youre into dark mystery & ok w/ violence or generally would like to try something out of your genre comfort zone. i personally rarely read this kind of dark genre but i found myself absolutely enjoying it.
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very thankful for @ethosbooks for a review copy in exchange of an honest review! ugh and thank u for all the adrenaline rush too...i guess???? 😭 ⁣⁣
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[JO · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know how to feel about this book - it both repulses and draws me in somehow. For some context, I picked it up out of curiosity at it winning a book award and my resolution to supporting local literature.

Objectively speaking, the author has a gift for writing. This book was a gripping read that left me on the edge - one that I couldn’t put down out of perverse curiosity as to what happens next - will Ram and Kass get caught on their crime spree, sent to mental health facilities etc? The author has also managed to carved out a narrator with a distinct voice - one that’s angry at life’s injustices and that’s out of control. Ram feels lost in life, excluded by his school mates and unsure about his life’s direction. Unprocessed grief from the loss of a parental figure manifests into indignance, resentment and a desperate twisted cry for help. Difficult truths about the darker side of Singapore like its education system and the treatment of foreigners are also highlighted here, but from a moralistic point of view rather than a well rounded one.

At the same time, Ram’s descent into a delusional state of mind, bloodlust and vengeance makes it difficult to relate to him. This was unexpected, as the synopsis gave away little of just how much immoral violence and bloodlust the book actually contained.

Truthfully, I was turned off by the amount of violence, gore and anger in this book, which feels unnecessarily dragged out and becomes a repetitive pain to get through, especially by the halfway mark when the protagonists confront Bernard. I did also find the ending somewhat abrupt and inconclusive, but perhaps that is an intentional choice that only serves to highlight how violence is a perpetual cycle that can never truly resolve difficult issues. I think this is just not my cup of tea, hence the rating.

[pjospoul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unabashedly "cinematic." Unreservedly "honest." An "unflinching" look at the "sordid underbelly" of our society...

But yeah, if the backhanded compliments didn't make it clear, my opinion on this book is mixed. On so many levels, it is exactly what I would expect of a book targeted at tickling the fancies of the current literary establishment, because it:

- is an oblique take on a familiar genre,
- discusses important social issues,
- situates itself in our local context,
- does not shy away from the consequences of its premise,
- etc. etc.

And it does all this with admirable aplomb. I could wax and gush about the skill with with which Tay weaves together his subplots and characters; the stark, naked quality of his prose, invoking within the span of one's attention flashes of Ram's actual and alternate pasts and futures; about how the novel meditates on the sites at and rituals through which violence in our society is channeled, sublimated and vented; and so on.

But I won't. All I find necessary to say is that I ultimately find Catskull to be a boring book, a book written by the madly scribbling pen of a contorted conscience, a book that is "liberal" in a most tedious way — and that is precisely why I feel ambivalent towards it. I expect that in the next few years we'll see a few more authors, perhaps in the generation that is now coming of age, attempting to do these same things, and I shudder.

[Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unnerving, unflinching but awesome book. Oh and yes I couldn’t find a better picture then a screenshot of the cover, because unlike some people on insta I don’t have the talent or motivation to do nice set ups for book pics, and anyway it’s not like I’ve got a blood-stained baseball bat/golf club lying around. Or anything that could reasonably pose as a vigilante outfit.

It really is a fantastic book, and it does try lots of innovative experimental stuff (like those pages in house of leaves with very little words and weird formatting, they turn up a couple times.) Not the most impactful, but decent effort. The book’s strengths lie in casting an unnerving spell, dragging out a car crash in slow motion that everyone saw coming while reminding us that we are powerless to do anything. We can only watch, and take notes. It even dangles false hope in front of your eyes, before living up to the realistic side of you that knew it was never going to end well and yanking it right out of reach, proceeding to slam the protagonist straight into a (metaphorical) brick wall.

(Before I forget!! If you haven’t read it yet spoilers lie ahead)

Anyway, the basic premise. Catskull is essentially singaporean death note, but way more messy, and nobody is Sherlock Holmes (ok fine!!! It’s nothing like death note, I just wanted to make a reference ok?).

How to properly describe………ok you know how every time got those news stories about really f-ed up stuff, like parents abusing their kids/domestic helper, SA that kind of stuff? And how people online like to talk about all the stuff that should happen to the perpetrator? (castrate is a popular suggestion on Reddit.)

Well, what if a lonely, outcast JC kid (think the walking embodiment of Radiohead’s Creep) saw all that, and made it his (quite literally) life’s mission to turn keyboard warriors NATO (never act, talk only) into real life.

As you can tell, horrifying things ensue.

Catskull asks a very interesting question—when taking the law into our own hands, do our motives ever remain pure, and does that even matter? Violence, even righteous violence, always begets more (Newton’s third law).

The protagonist may start out doing something none of us would ever be able to fully condemn, kill his friend’s abusive dad. On an impulse, trying to scare him into stoping the abuse, that day ends in blood.

But he gets a taste for it, and the “justice”goes on, and on and on and on. From daredevil-esque anti-hero, he descends into blackmail, intimidation and senseless violence. It’s unnerving how the story pulls us along for the ride, and slams us straight into a brick wall we all knew but didn’t want to believe was coming when the protagonist murders an old man in a toilet on some half-baked accusation he was a pedophile. The book doesn’t even show it, perhaps as a meta way of showing how abrupt and far he has fallen from the justice and righteous anger that started this.

The protagonist’s downward spiral shows us how you can start with the righteous indignation with the status quo that all of us with at least a shred of empathy hold in ourselves, and fall, and fall and fall and fall until you descend to senseless murder and petty revenge. Until you, in trying to punish the more unjust parts of the cycle of violence, get caught in the cycle yourself.

In a way, the bite of catskull comes for us all. It admits that “justice” as the authorities would define it is imperfect, and often unfair and fucked up. But for all we decry the driver who killed a child getting off with a (relative) slap on the wrist, or how those with money get away with more than anyone should be able to, catskull stares us down with the raised eyebrow of a cynic and asks us if you pursue justice yourself, at the end of the day will it still be you, and will you still be pursuing “justice”?

[Aquila M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t recall the last time I read such a memorable Singaporean novel.

Catskills, the debut novel by Myle Yan Tay, is a coming-of-age story about a vigilante in the making, set against the backdrop of a rigorous, grade-obsessed society.

This fast-paced and heart-thumping novel delves deep into questions of morality and ethics, challenging readers to consider what is right, what is lawful, and who holds the responsibility for justice.

I particularly enjoyed the author’s skilful prose, rich with metaphors and vivid imagery that linger in the mind and add depth to the characters. His realistic portrayal of the A-level exams was so evocative that it brought back some of my own unpleasant and stressful memories.

It’s no surprise that this book won Book of the Year and Best Literary Work at the Singapore Book Awards 2024.

My rating: 4.5/5

[zi ching · Rating 5 out of 5]

catskull has given me a fresh perspective on mortality in general, and the way in which the protagonist navigates through this abstract concept is beautifully described by myle yan tay.

At the beginning of the novel, the protagonist, Ram, is painfully relatable (for lack of a better description) to me. A struggling JC student that is simply trying to survive and cope with his studies.

The stark contrast in his behaviour as the story progresses is thus made more impactful. The process of his erratic spiralling is well written and the gory imagery adds to the haunting experience of consuming this novel.

This is definitely one of my favourite reads out of all the books I’ve read recently, and in fact, it brought me out of my reading slump, which I am immensely grateful for.

This book was certainly an emotional roller coaster, but in the end, I will never regret reading it.

[Sharon Bakar · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first picked up this novel with the ghoulish illustration on the front cover and trigger warnings inside, I didn't think I would enjoy it. I'm not into noir fiction, hate violence on the page as much as in life. But this is a completely compelling (if very dark) read which doesn't let you go right up to the last page. The characters are sympathetic and believable and the dialogue crisp. We root for Ram even as he commits murder and assault in the name of vigilante justice and descends into psychosis. The writing is pacy. Not a sentence is out of place and the author is not afraid to experiment with style.

Hope this book manages to travel outside Singapore to reach autdiences across the world. Hope too that it's young author continues to write novels.