There's No Stopping This Skinny Bibik

by Sandra Chua

Nonya Charlie has found love, or so she thinks.

Rebel that she is, Charlie Neo has chosen love over her family when she decides to leave Singapore and move to Penang to be with her ex-spy boyfriend. Charlie struggles to build a new life, working various jobs, including the role as assistant for a TV news anchor, and reuniting with a grandaunt who is her own brand of hot-blooded bibik. She becomes embroiled in a kidnapping of two genius hackers and gets into trouble involving money laundering, sending her running back to her Peranakan roots.

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 21, 2024

About the author

Sandra Chua is a former magazine editor and meddlesome mother of three exasperated daughters. In addition, she's an avid bookworm, K-drama addict and Domestic Goddess wannabe. There Is No Such Thing as a Skinny Bibik is her first novel.

Reviews

[Leafartt · Rating 3 out of 5]

unfortunately suffers massively from 2nd book syndrome (i hope its the 2nd?). i was really enjoying it till the chapter about grandma pinky n captain fraser, just felt like it was really unnecessary and i still cant unds why that was included. the book could easily have been a 100 pages shorter, yet so many loose ends weren't tied up. what happened to the warehouses? i assume this book was meant to be a set up for the next book but the way it was done was pretty distasteful. i do love the characters and loved the first book so i will continue reading though 😔

the final conflict w sheng also came out of nowhere imo. the first 2/3 of the book was written really well, but the last third really just felt like lazy writing. was prepared to give 4/5, but was let down

[Mei · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not finish. I found the main character, Charlie, insufferable and unlikeable. She purports to be this unconventional, I-did-it-my-way kind of modern woman, but clings unnecessarily to her boyfriend and cries when she’s unable to make a nice meal for him. Maybe things turn out differently for them but I didn’t like Charlie enough to want to find out.

The dialogue between the characters is not how typical Singaporeans or Malaysians speak either. I just wasn’t able to resonate with the book, although the storyline sounds promising.

[Kes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlie drifts from situation to situation, including meeting more new eligible men. But she’s together with Sheng.

Plus: fun to read about hijinks.
Liked how Charlie keeps busy.
Set during Covid times so it’s nice to see that reflected.
Charlie is flawed and kind of juvenile.

Favourite line: “I want my family to support me despite the trouble I cause!” She stopped short and thought about what she said.

Negative: why are all these men falling for Charlie.
If you’re looking for a strong emotional arc, skip this book.

Neutral: relationship with Sheng.

[Char · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fairly easy read.

A bit disconcerted though, that Charlie has so many suitors, and that none match up to Sheng.

The way she went back to Sheng (he’s so manipulative?!?) after she said she’ll find her own happiness without guys 😔 I do not support her choices nor feel any happiness over this couple!

Also gag Randall’s behavior was terrible. I was rooting for him!!!

I don’t think I’ll continue the book after this, sadly.

[TS Tan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The storyline of this one is less of a lark, but it is just a backbone of the life of a well-to-do, don't-know-what-she-really-wants young lady, to hang a few life anecdotes of old nonyas. The ending is a bit of let-down, with the sub-plot on the possible discovery of a Malacca Strait wreck, hanging out with no satisfying conclusion.

[YC · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is easy to read, with straightforward sentence structure. The author has a wide vocabulary range which I appreciate. The plot is rather weak and the pace somewhat slow. I threw in the towel after reading 33% of book because I felt let down by the lack of genuine struggle for the main character to overcome.

[Kataklicik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would make a great tv series!