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Swimming Lessons
Growing up was never meant to be easy for Michelle Tan. Her older sister Meredith lies in a hospital ward, unconscious and barely breathing. Sorrow-stricken, the younger girl dives headfirst into her memories - the first time Meredith taught her how to swim, their first mid-autumn festival together and her father’s untimely departure. But that only accounts for Michelle’s worldly worries. She also thinks she’s being followed. By what - she can’t exactly put a finger on. Clumsily, she navigates the arduous process of growing up and coming to terms with who she truly is while a supernatural enigma looms.
Young Constable Michael Chakrabarti experiences strange happenings during his night shifts. Mysterious recurring phone calls from an exasperated girl, a ferocious, shadowy lion of mythological origin; there doesn’t seem to be an end to the peculiarity that haunts him. Demystifying the unknown has consequences.
Captain Ishaan heads the newly-inaugurated Department of Supernatural Oddities. Shouldering the burden of being at the forefront of a revolution in science that could potentially decipher the supernatural, Ishaan soon realises that he might be too close to the puzzle for his own good. Can he truly exorcise the demons of his past?
Reality is a luxury. The Truth is never linear.
Young Constable Michael Chakrabarti experiences strange happenings during his night shifts. Mysterious recurring phone calls from an exasperated girl, a ferocious, shadowy lion of mythological origin; there doesn’t seem to be an end to the peculiarity that haunts him. Demystifying the unknown has consequences.
Captain Ishaan heads the newly-inaugurated Department of Supernatural Oddities. Shouldering the burden of being at the forefront of a revolution in science that could potentially decipher the supernatural, Ishaan soon realises that he might be too close to the puzzle for his own good. Can he truly exorcise the demons of his past?
Reality is a luxury. The Truth is never linear.
- GenresFantasy
288 pages, Paperback
Published April 29, 2025
7 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
Malcom Seah
1 book11 followersMalcom Seah is a Singapore-based writer who is currently pursuing a Bsc. in Economics at Singapore Management University.
In the 2023 Epigram Books Fiction Prize, he attained a long-list finish. Swimming Lessons is his debut novel. He has since embarked on a book tour across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia (UWRF'25) and India.
Malcom and his work have been featured in Elle Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, The Straits Times, The Peak, Prestige Magazine and FEMALE.
He splits his time between Copenhagen and Poland. You can grow up with him on Instagram @malcomseah.
In the 2023 Epigram Books Fiction Prize, he attained a long-list finish. Swimming Lessons is his debut novel. He has since embarked on a book tour across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia (UWRF'25) and India.
Malcom and his work have been featured in Elle Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, The Straits Times, The Peak, Prestige Magazine and FEMALE.
He splits his time between Copenhagen and Poland. You can grow up with him on Instagram @malcomseah.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 9, 2025
Couple of weeks ago I had the chance to read Malcom Seah’s debut novel, Swimming Lessons. This moving, coming of age story carried an undercurrent of grief that was all too familiar. Malcom’s writing style is elegant and fluidic, emotions thrumming against the letters. Set in contemporary Singapore, this slow moving tale covers the lives of two sisters Michelle and Meredith, separated by a tragic accident. While the timelines flit between the past and present, we see how closely entwined the two sisters are. On the other hand, Seah introduces a new character, a Constable named Michael Chakrabarti who works in the supernatural oddities department. Swimming Lessons follows the lives of these three characters and how it overlaps with each other in an effortless manner.
This novel reads slow, taking its time to set the tone and reaches several high points during its course. One thing that thoroughly impressed me was the ease with which Seah managed to portray the complexities of human emotions. This novel feels heavy in the sense that it carries themes that are quite difficult to address. Throw in a supernatural angle and the story takes a new turn when one can least expect it. As much as I did like reading about the siblings and the bond that they shared, it was the addition of conspiracy theories that derailed my interest. Parts of it felt choppy, making it feel like I’m reading a completely different novel but I kept coming back to hear more about Michelle’s story.
Albeit this wasn’t a perfect novel, I however enjoyed reading Malcom Seah’s beautiful writing. I have no doubt that I’ll find myself reaching out for all the books he’ll be writing in the future.
Thank you for sending this book across to me @penguinbookssea x @chai_n_books 🫶🏻
This novel reads slow, taking its time to set the tone and reaches several high points during its course. One thing that thoroughly impressed me was the ease with which Seah managed to portray the complexities of human emotions. This novel feels heavy in the sense that it carries themes that are quite difficult to address. Throw in a supernatural angle and the story takes a new turn when one can least expect it. As much as I did like reading about the siblings and the bond that they shared, it was the addition of conspiracy theories that derailed my interest. Parts of it felt choppy, making it feel like I’m reading a completely different novel but I kept coming back to hear more about Michelle’s story.
Albeit this wasn’t a perfect novel, I however enjoyed reading Malcom Seah’s beautiful writing. I have no doubt that I’ll find myself reaching out for all the books he’ll be writing in the future.
Thank you for sending this book across to me @penguinbookssea x @chai_n_books 🫶🏻
April 25, 2025
Malcom Seah’s debut novel, Swimming Lessons, is a coming-of-age story centred on a girl’s story, exploring grief, identity, queerness in a society that barely tolerates it, and the supernatural. The juxtaposition of the paranormal with the coming-of-age story was interesting, and it created a mysterious atmosphere that kept me engaged. The atmosphere is eerie, somewhat oppressive, creating that feeling you get when you sense something at the corner of your eye, but when you look, you can’t see anything.
The novel is set in contemporary Singapore and it’s deeply personal, as it was written during a period of turmoil for Malcom: his mother had suffered a sudden brain haemorrhage shortly after he had started the novel, which influenced his writing and the direction of the story. Hence, the tone is melancholic and sometimes sad, but the ending somewhat brings hope.
The story is told from three points of view: Michelle Tan, a girl dealing with the coma of her older sister, Meredith; Constable Michael Chakrabarti, who works in the secret Department of Supernatural Oddities who encounters supernatural phenomena during his night shifts; and Captain Ishaan, head of the department, who confronts his own haunted past.
The coming-of-age story centred on Michelle was perfectly executed. I was impressed with Seah’s capacity to tackle highly complex topics with a deep compassion. We get to know her as a child when her father gave both her and her sister swimming lessons to a troubled adolescent, dealing with deep self-image issues, eating disorders, isolation, and the pain of her parents’ divorce. Then, when she was older and started dating men, despite being attracted to women. Later on, her sister’s coma put Michelle’s life in limbo, as she reviewed and questioned all her life and choices, berating herself for not being closer to her sister and being there for her more. Add to this the unexplained, ominous presence that followed her throughout it all, and the story has both intrigue and lovable characters, albeit flawed.
The addition of the Department of Supernatural Oddities, which investigated some unexplained occurrences, initially felt confusing and distracting to me. The novel’s structure is nonlinear, seamlessly transitioning between past and present. It took me a while to arrive at my current understanding and to make the connections between the characters and the stories. Perhaps the nonlinearity is meant to create confusion for the reader, so that you get to the “aha” moment later on. There were also some Singaporean cultural elements incorporated throughout the story, such as the lion figure. Singapore translates to “Lion City” in Sanskrit, and the lion symbolises Singapore’s national values: courage, excellence, and strength. Seah created space for the reader to put together the puzzle pieces of the story, somehow allowing you to feel the characters’ struggle. You try to figure out what is happening alongside them.
One thing I did not resonate with was the conspiracy theory explanations. I am not a fan of conspiracy theories, and a deep dive into explaining the existence of ghosts and the supernatural was something I could have done without. Moreover, I felt that Michael and Ishan needed more flashing out and a stronger connection between the character should have been created - to eliminate some of the confusion going into the books; more hints for the reader toward the middle of the book to start connecting the dots, rather than most of them towards the end.
Overall, an excellent debut! I think Malcolm Seah’s strength lies in the emotional depth he brings to his characters and the humanity they possess. I can’t wait to see his next work; he’s an author worth following.
The novel is set in contemporary Singapore and it’s deeply personal, as it was written during a period of turmoil for Malcom: his mother had suffered a sudden brain haemorrhage shortly after he had started the novel, which influenced his writing and the direction of the story. Hence, the tone is melancholic and sometimes sad, but the ending somewhat brings hope.
The story is told from three points of view: Michelle Tan, a girl dealing with the coma of her older sister, Meredith; Constable Michael Chakrabarti, who works in the secret Department of Supernatural Oddities who encounters supernatural phenomena during his night shifts; and Captain Ishaan, head of the department, who confronts his own haunted past.
The coming-of-age story centred on Michelle was perfectly executed. I was impressed with Seah’s capacity to tackle highly complex topics with a deep compassion. We get to know her as a child when her father gave both her and her sister swimming lessons to a troubled adolescent, dealing with deep self-image issues, eating disorders, isolation, and the pain of her parents’ divorce. Then, when she was older and started dating men, despite being attracted to women. Later on, her sister’s coma put Michelle’s life in limbo, as she reviewed and questioned all her life and choices, berating herself for not being closer to her sister and being there for her more. Add to this the unexplained, ominous presence that followed her throughout it all, and the story has both intrigue and lovable characters, albeit flawed.
The addition of the Department of Supernatural Oddities, which investigated some unexplained occurrences, initially felt confusing and distracting to me. The novel’s structure is nonlinear, seamlessly transitioning between past and present. It took me a while to arrive at my current understanding and to make the connections between the characters and the stories. Perhaps the nonlinearity is meant to create confusion for the reader, so that you get to the “aha” moment later on. There were also some Singaporean cultural elements incorporated throughout the story, such as the lion figure. Singapore translates to “Lion City” in Sanskrit, and the lion symbolises Singapore’s national values: courage, excellence, and strength. Seah created space for the reader to put together the puzzle pieces of the story, somehow allowing you to feel the characters’ struggle. You try to figure out what is happening alongside them.
One thing I did not resonate with was the conspiracy theory explanations. I am not a fan of conspiracy theories, and a deep dive into explaining the existence of ghosts and the supernatural was something I could have done without. Moreover, I felt that Michael and Ishan needed more flashing out and a stronger connection between the character should have been created - to eliminate some of the confusion going into the books; more hints for the reader toward the middle of the book to start connecting the dots, rather than most of them towards the end.
Overall, an excellent debut! I think Malcolm Seah’s strength lies in the emotional depth he brings to his characters and the humanity they possess. I can’t wait to see his next work; he’s an author worth following.
May 11, 2025
sometimes, sisterhood isn’t a bond, it’s a haunting. michelle’s sister is leaving without a farewell, slipping quietly into the unknown. it isn’t a goodbye, but a quiet folding, into silence, into memory, into her very bones. this is the story of that ghost, and the girl she didn’t leave behind.
swimming lessons by malcolm seah moves like a hand through a pool of clear blue water- gentle, searching, and uncertain. like memory, it is non-linear and elliptical, never quite arriving, always lingering behind the present like ripples behind a moving palm. it’s a debut, but you wouldn’t know it. there’s no clumsiness, no self-indulgence. seah wrote this with the equanimity of someone who trusts the tide of his story to carry you where you need to go. the prose doesn't trip over its feet, instead, it moves with the grace of a gazelle, beautifully expressive with remarkable restraint. emotion arrives not with spectacle, but with a gentle hello.
at its heart, this is a novel about grief, yes. but it also gently touches on the fear that throbs in the heart of almost every asian household. it’s a fear not of violence, but of what can only be wept. of the unsaid that looms large like a pink elephant in the corner of the bedroom, always present but never acknowledged. it’s the fear of sending shock waves through the still waters of familial expectations. the fear of knowing you’re loved, but only within the lines they’ve drawn for you. the fear of queerness. in the steadfast performance of normalcy, even as everything breaks, the silence isn’t protection, it’s an unsaid threat.
michelle, caught in the liminal space between presence and absence, returns to a childhood that towers over her, larger than life. the memories she thought were fixed in place turn into shape-shifters, offering up new grief, new truth, and newer wounds. her sister lies in a coma, a promise to take care of michelle still on her lips. and in the strange logic of this novel, she does. time doesn't move forward for michelle; it circles, it pools, and it submerges her like the kiddie pool of their swimming lessons from the past. the ghost here is not a shadowy figure donning white robes and lurking in the dark; it’s a string of love stretched taut beyond death. it’s protection that defies the laws of physics.
there’s metaphor everywhere- most powerfully in water. michelle’s journey begins with being taught to swim and ends in her floating alone, unafraid, at ease and content.
the book also explores heavy subjects in the gentlest ways. there is a character who’s trying to repent an unforgivable act and another whose grief is spilling into the light of reality. seah doesn’t simplify them. he lets the discomfort stand. and i loved that.
several themes ripple through the story like memory, loss, sisterhood, identity, silence, culture and nonlinear time. and though the book plays hopscotch between the surreal and the symbolic, it never loses its emotional center.
this isn’t a loud book. it’s not here to impress you. it’s here to sit beside you - while you grieve, while you remember, while you learn to float again.
i feel like this book was written just for me and i give it 4.5 glittering stars 🌟
--------------------------------------------------------------------
4.5 ⭐️ review to come
initial thoughts - i didn't expect some turns and predicted one twist or atleast i think i predicted it. the prose flows like water. usually i expect debut novels to be clunky. this wasn't which was an unexpected surprise. the non linear multi perspective style took some time getting used but towards to the end i realised that i have come to adore it. i loved michelle and saw myself in meredith. i can't wait for everyone else to experience the beauty of this book.
swimming lessons by malcolm seah moves like a hand through a pool of clear blue water- gentle, searching, and uncertain. like memory, it is non-linear and elliptical, never quite arriving, always lingering behind the present like ripples behind a moving palm. it’s a debut, but you wouldn’t know it. there’s no clumsiness, no self-indulgence. seah wrote this with the equanimity of someone who trusts the tide of his story to carry you where you need to go. the prose doesn't trip over its feet, instead, it moves with the grace of a gazelle, beautifully expressive with remarkable restraint. emotion arrives not with spectacle, but with a gentle hello.
at its heart, this is a novel about grief, yes. but it also gently touches on the fear that throbs in the heart of almost every asian household. it’s a fear not of violence, but of what can only be wept. of the unsaid that looms large like a pink elephant in the corner of the bedroom, always present but never acknowledged. it’s the fear of sending shock waves through the still waters of familial expectations. the fear of knowing you’re loved, but only within the lines they’ve drawn for you. the fear of queerness. in the steadfast performance of normalcy, even as everything breaks, the silence isn’t protection, it’s an unsaid threat.
michelle, caught in the liminal space between presence and absence, returns to a childhood that towers over her, larger than life. the memories she thought were fixed in place turn into shape-shifters, offering up new grief, new truth, and newer wounds. her sister lies in a coma, a promise to take care of michelle still on her lips. and in the strange logic of this novel, she does. time doesn't move forward for michelle; it circles, it pools, and it submerges her like the kiddie pool of their swimming lessons from the past. the ghost here is not a shadowy figure donning white robes and lurking in the dark; it’s a string of love stretched taut beyond death. it’s protection that defies the laws of physics.
there’s metaphor everywhere- most powerfully in water. michelle’s journey begins with being taught to swim and ends in her floating alone, unafraid, at ease and content.
the book also explores heavy subjects in the gentlest ways. there is a character who’s trying to repent an unforgivable act and another whose grief is spilling into the light of reality. seah doesn’t simplify them. he lets the discomfort stand. and i loved that.
several themes ripple through the story like memory, loss, sisterhood, identity, silence, culture and nonlinear time. and though the book plays hopscotch between the surreal and the symbolic, it never loses its emotional center.
this isn’t a loud book. it’s not here to impress you. it’s here to sit beside you - while you grieve, while you remember, while you learn to float again.
i feel like this book was written just for me and i give it 4.5 glittering stars 🌟
--------------------------------------------------------------------
4.5 ⭐️ review to come
initial thoughts - i didn't expect some turns and predicted one twist or atleast i think i predicted it. the prose flows like water. usually i expect debut novels to be clunky. this wasn't which was an unexpected surprise. the non linear multi perspective style took some time getting used but towards to the end i realised that i have come to adore it. i loved michelle and saw myself in meredith. i can't wait for everyone else to experience the beauty of this book.
June 30, 2025
This book was such a pleasant surprise and I had a great time reading it!
June 5, 2025
I really liked the writing and the way grief and growing up was portrayed in the book. What I didn't get was the supernatural plotline, which was very parallel and made very little sense to me. Otherwise, I think it's a great debut.
July 6, 2025
At its core, Swimming Lessons is a hauntingly painful, lyrical tale of sisterhood, Past trauma, queerness , Supernaturally and troubled life, As life this story is also not liner it's packed with emotions.
Meredith’s life is in danger spurs Michelle to think about their shared past, and her memories of her older sister , of their troubled parents’ divorce; of her difficult relationship with her mother; of her experience of an eating disorder; of a rape; of first love and her questioning of her own sexuality.
Grief is a constant, humming undercurrent throughout the novel. Michelle 's memories—sometimes conflicting, often fragmented—form a layered narrative that jumps between past and present, creating a fog of nostalgia and unresolved trauma. Seah masterfully uses this time-jumping to mimic how memory works, especially when shaped by grief and guilt. It was so painful to go through their life.
The bond between Meredith and Michelle is raw, real, and beautifully complicated. They’re not the perfect sisters.They float, They drift. They return. Their dynamic reflects the deep emotional push and pull that often exists in sibling relationships, especially those shaped by trauma. The book allows you to feel their growing pains, their resentment, their moments of tenderness, and their attempts to protect each other in the face of a world that has hurt them both. The way Meredith was even thinking of her sister in her literal death bed , was really beautiful to read. (Sniff sniff It made me cry)
The novel doesn’t shy away from the darkest shadows of growing up, including sexual abuse. One of the sisters (Michelle) experiences rape—a painful, horrifying moment that Seah handles with sensitivity, without voyeurism. It is not just an event but a rupture in the timeline of her life, and the novel explores how she tries to cope & repress.
The exploration of queerness is subtle but deeply felt. In asian family it is often a topic of shame in asian family like something is horrifying is happening to that person even the way it is discussed in the book is apt. her sexual identity is entangled with shame, secrecy, and longing. This adds another layer to this emotional exploration. The queer elements in the novel don’t seek to make a statement as much as they aim to be felt—quietly woven into the character’s coming-of-age rather than made into spectacle.
Seah’s writing is fragmented, poetic, and fluid—much like memory itself. The narrative shifts between past and present, sometimes mid-scene, forcing the reader to pay attention, to float in the emotional current rather than search for plot alone. It’s this style that makes the book both challenging and deeply immersive.
The story of Michelle’s childhood and early adulthood non-chronologically, through fragmentary memories. These are intercut with two more straightforward narratives: that of Michael, who is Michelle’s contemporary, and that of Ishaan, who is a man in middle age. Michael’s chapters are written in the first person. Ishaan, whose chapters are written in the third person, is Michael’s boss. Both are policemen assigned to the Department for Supernatural Oddities. I feel like wanted to know more about Ishaan it felt missing, also Ishaan and Michelle felt like two sides of coin.
During his first night on duty, Michael receives a strange phone call from a woman apparently lost in a forest. Who is she? Why is she calling Michael? Is she a living woman, or a ghost? These questions drive a significant plot strand, and I won’t give away its resolution. .
Ishaan’s older sister’s links to life are as problematic as Meredith’s. Isa is no longer living: she appears in the novel—but as what? A presence shaped by Ishaan’s memories, and now conjured by his imagination? Or as a literal ghost? When we think of the dead, we often feel we are communing with them. But are we? Seah develops a theory about how we each experience the reaction between matter and antimatter in our own unique way, thus preserving the idea that ghosts are really out there, beyond our own psyches, but explaining them in natural, not supernatural terms.
Swimming Lessons is not an easy read emotionally, but it is rewarding. It leaves you feeling like you’ve walked through people full of whispers, shadows, and waterlogged memories. Story of troubled past, grief, trauma, and the things we bury deep.
✨ If you love layered, emotional sibling stories ( like We Were Liars) If you’re drawn to ghostly metaphors , If you want to explore queerness, trauma, Troubled past and healing without melodrama this should be your next pick, please watch out triggers.
for a debut novel It didn't feel clumsy, although it took some time for me to get adjusted with the non linear form but I eventually loved it. you should definitely pick this book up if you're looking for a book to sit with you in silence whisper this is your sign to read this one. no fluff
literal rate I would say for me sparkling star 4.2 Out of 5
Meredith’s life is in danger spurs Michelle to think about their shared past, and her memories of her older sister , of their troubled parents’ divorce; of her difficult relationship with her mother; of her experience of an eating disorder; of a rape; of first love and her questioning of her own sexuality.
Grief is a constant, humming undercurrent throughout the novel. Michelle 's memories—sometimes conflicting, often fragmented—form a layered narrative that jumps between past and present, creating a fog of nostalgia and unresolved trauma. Seah masterfully uses this time-jumping to mimic how memory works, especially when shaped by grief and guilt. It was so painful to go through their life.
The bond between Meredith and Michelle is raw, real, and beautifully complicated. They’re not the perfect sisters.They float, They drift. They return. Their dynamic reflects the deep emotional push and pull that often exists in sibling relationships, especially those shaped by trauma. The book allows you to feel their growing pains, their resentment, their moments of tenderness, and their attempts to protect each other in the face of a world that has hurt them both. The way Meredith was even thinking of her sister in her literal death bed , was really beautiful to read. (Sniff sniff It made me cry)
The novel doesn’t shy away from the darkest shadows of growing up, including sexual abuse. One of the sisters (Michelle) experiences rape—a painful, horrifying moment that Seah handles with sensitivity, without voyeurism. It is not just an event but a rupture in the timeline of her life, and the novel explores how she tries to cope & repress.
The exploration of queerness is subtle but deeply felt. In asian family it is often a topic of shame in asian family like something is horrifying is happening to that person even the way it is discussed in the book is apt. her sexual identity is entangled with shame, secrecy, and longing. This adds another layer to this emotional exploration. The queer elements in the novel don’t seek to make a statement as much as they aim to be felt—quietly woven into the character’s coming-of-age rather than made into spectacle.
Seah’s writing is fragmented, poetic, and fluid—much like memory itself. The narrative shifts between past and present, sometimes mid-scene, forcing the reader to pay attention, to float in the emotional current rather than search for plot alone. It’s this style that makes the book both challenging and deeply immersive.
The story of Michelle’s childhood and early adulthood non-chronologically, through fragmentary memories. These are intercut with two more straightforward narratives: that of Michael, who is Michelle’s contemporary, and that of Ishaan, who is a man in middle age. Michael’s chapters are written in the first person. Ishaan, whose chapters are written in the third person, is Michael’s boss. Both are policemen assigned to the Department for Supernatural Oddities. I feel like wanted to know more about Ishaan it felt missing, also Ishaan and Michelle felt like two sides of coin.
During his first night on duty, Michael receives a strange phone call from a woman apparently lost in a forest. Who is she? Why is she calling Michael? Is she a living woman, or a ghost? These questions drive a significant plot strand, and I won’t give away its resolution. .
Ishaan’s older sister’s links to life are as problematic as Meredith’s. Isa is no longer living: she appears in the novel—but as what? A presence shaped by Ishaan’s memories, and now conjured by his imagination? Or as a literal ghost? When we think of the dead, we often feel we are communing with them. But are we? Seah develops a theory about how we each experience the reaction between matter and antimatter in our own unique way, thus preserving the idea that ghosts are really out there, beyond our own psyches, but explaining them in natural, not supernatural terms.
Swimming Lessons is not an easy read emotionally, but it is rewarding. It leaves you feeling like you’ve walked through people full of whispers, shadows, and waterlogged memories. Story of troubled past, grief, trauma, and the things we bury deep.
✨ If you love layered, emotional sibling stories ( like We Were Liars) If you’re drawn to ghostly metaphors , If you want to explore queerness, trauma, Troubled past and healing without melodrama this should be your next pick, please watch out triggers.
for a debut novel It didn't feel clumsy, although it took some time for me to get adjusted with the non linear form but I eventually loved it. you should definitely pick this book up if you're looking for a book to sit with you in silence whisper this is your sign to read this one. no fluff
literal rate I would say for me sparkling star 4.2 Out of 5
May 9, 2025
A dreamy supernatural with multiple POVs and parallel timeline; on coming-of-age, queer identity, of grief, self-discovery and familial. Slow-moving with poignant writing tone and and phrasing that engrossed me to Michelle’s narrative as I followed her adolescence journey through fragments of her past and sadness she encountered due to her sister’s condition; Meredith, who went into a coma.
From a family outing to swimming lesson incident and that vignette of when her father left— too emotionally driven for Michelle as she delved into the loss and memories that still drowning her. It gets bit bizarre later when the premise shifted alternatingly to Constabel Michael; a nightshift police officer who started to encounter an eerie inexplicable events while on patrol and Captain Ishaan; the head of a secret government branch known as the Department of Supernatural Oddities. A tangled supernatural stuff, bit underwhelming cause I did not fancy their expositions that much and the mystery too left me perplexed. I was waiting for the connection that came so much later and the revelation, frankly did not enthrall me at all.
Bit of love story, on estrangement, some distressing monologues and personal conflicts— expected for Meredith and although I loved the overall exploration for Michelle as well of her ending, both Michael and Ishaan’s narratives really bored me making the whole dynamics became less engaging.
An average read all and all. I would recommend if you love surreal, magical realism with mysterious phenomenon scenes and a coming-of-age theme tied together— maybe you might appreciate the combination and the premise more than I do 🙌🏻
Thank you Penguin Books SEA for the gifted review copy!
From a family outing to swimming lesson incident and that vignette of when her father left— too emotionally driven for Michelle as she delved into the loss and memories that still drowning her. It gets bit bizarre later when the premise shifted alternatingly to Constabel Michael; a nightshift police officer who started to encounter an eerie inexplicable events while on patrol and Captain Ishaan; the head of a secret government branch known as the Department of Supernatural Oddities. A tangled supernatural stuff, bit underwhelming cause I did not fancy their expositions that much and the mystery too left me perplexed. I was waiting for the connection that came so much later and the revelation, frankly did not enthrall me at all.
Bit of love story, on estrangement, some distressing monologues and personal conflicts— expected for Meredith and although I loved the overall exploration for Michelle as well of her ending, both Michael and Ishaan’s narratives really bored me making the whole dynamics became less engaging.
An average read all and all. I would recommend if you love surreal, magical realism with mysterious phenomenon scenes and a coming-of-age theme tied together— maybe you might appreciate the combination and the premise more than I do 🙌🏻
Thank you Penguin Books SEA for the gifted review copy!
July 28, 2025
When I picked up the book, I wasn't sure what to expect from it. The themes mentioned weren't something I usually read about. Set in modern day Singapore, Swimming Lessons is Malcom Seah's debut novel that explores themes of coming-of-age, supernatural, queerness and sibling relationships.
The book covers a timeline from 2011 to 2022 with 3 characters Michelle, Michael and Ishaan. While the latter come to be a part of this tale a little later, it is majorly Michelle's story that you see unfold through flashbacks as she narrates incidents to her sister who is in coma due to a brain hemorrhage. Being the younger sibling Michelle has always been protected by her elder sister Meredith. Now that she is all grown up, Michelle wants to become independent yet feels scared of stepping out into the world on her own.
Michael and Ishaan work together in a top secret government department. As you get introduced to them, the story takes a turn into sci-fi, supernatural which feels odd at first, but blends in as it progresses. Both the men also have unresolved things from the past that keep coming to them in different ways. As whole you look at all three characters struggling to find closure about something or the other. This is where the relatability of the story comes in because what their issues are as real as anyone else's.
I loved how Malcom has described various places across Singapore painting a beautiful picture as well as building suspense wherever required. There were of course areas which I felt the story could have done without and couple of things that felt like loose ends. But this is still a very nice attempt for a debut novel and leaves you with a lot to think about.
As mentioned earlier, the author has tried to put together themes which are poles apart into one story which is commendable. Read this book for the way each character's story unfolds. It's a great way to understand how multiple POVs work in storytelling.
The book covers a timeline from 2011 to 2022 with 3 characters Michelle, Michael and Ishaan. While the latter come to be a part of this tale a little later, it is majorly Michelle's story that you see unfold through flashbacks as she narrates incidents to her sister who is in coma due to a brain hemorrhage. Being the younger sibling Michelle has always been protected by her elder sister Meredith. Now that she is all grown up, Michelle wants to become independent yet feels scared of stepping out into the world on her own.
Michael and Ishaan work together in a top secret government department. As you get introduced to them, the story takes a turn into sci-fi, supernatural which feels odd at first, but blends in as it progresses. Both the men also have unresolved things from the past that keep coming to them in different ways. As whole you look at all three characters struggling to find closure about something or the other. This is where the relatability of the story comes in because what their issues are as real as anyone else's.
I loved how Malcom has described various places across Singapore painting a beautiful picture as well as building suspense wherever required. There were of course areas which I felt the story could have done without and couple of things that felt like loose ends. But this is still a very nice attempt for a debut novel and leaves you with a lot to think about.
As mentioned earlier, the author has tried to put together themes which are poles apart into one story which is commendable. Read this book for the way each character's story unfolds. It's a great way to understand how multiple POVs work in storytelling.
July 14, 2025
It's one of those books that felt like it was speaking directly to me. As I read, it felt like holding up a quiet mirror-reflecting things I hadn't yet named, challenging some, and affirming others. It made me pause more than once to sit with my own thoughts up in the midde of the night.
The characte felt real, like an old friend opening up their life over a late-night conversation, intimate and unfiltered. At the center is Michelle, a young girl navigating life in metropolitan Singapore. Her story weaves through family, guilt, identity, and the emotional ghosts (both living and gone) who shaped and broke her world.
Structurally, the non-linear storytelling pulled me in almost immediately and kept my mind engaged the entire time. The metaphors, the quiet supernatural elements, and the constant back-and-forth shifting from narrative to dialogue added a texture that made the story feel alive and dynamic, though sometimes a bit abrupt.
This book is about all the swimming lessons in Michelle's life, surviving in haunting, unrelenting waves. Lessons not taught by one, but by many: the living, the lost, and the ghosts who never really left. It's about learning not to sink but to tread water - head above the surface, breathe steady, and somehow, still find a way to laugh through it.
The characte felt real, like an old friend opening up their life over a late-night conversation, intimate and unfiltered. At the center is Michelle, a young girl navigating life in metropolitan Singapore. Her story weaves through family, guilt, identity, and the emotional ghosts (both living and gone) who shaped and broke her world.
Structurally, the non-linear storytelling pulled me in almost immediately and kept my mind engaged the entire time. The metaphors, the quiet supernatural elements, and the constant back-and-forth shifting from narrative to dialogue added a texture that made the story feel alive and dynamic, though sometimes a bit abrupt.
This book is about all the swimming lessons in Michelle's life, surviving in haunting, unrelenting waves. Lessons not taught by one, but by many: the living, the lost, and the ghosts who never really left. It's about learning not to sink but to tread water - head above the surface, breathe steady, and somehow, still find a way to laugh through it.
April 26, 2025
swimming lessons by malcom seah
genre : literary fiction
My 💭:
[20/4/25 10.55 PM] 🏅
This gem of a book is coming out on 29th April. Do NOT miss it under any circumstance, trust me.
I have procrastinated penning my review and giving voice to my thoughts, as much as possible, after finishing this book some 3 hours back. But still, all my coherent thoughts are currently scrambled in my mind.
Oh god guys, this book was NOT what I was expecting. When I had read the blurb of the book, it had felt like an emotional coming of age book with supernatural stuff and LGBTQ exposure. But what I had not expected was grief. Pages and pages of grief pouring out. Author, how did you express exactly what grieving feels like in such a realistic way? And the ending! Such a poignant hopeful ending! I'm never ever getting over this book. Never.
The story is about Michelle who is growing through a crisis situation, mentally and in reality, as her only sister is in ICU. Her parents are there, but the only person she NEEDS to help her through this situation is her sister herself, the only person who has been with her through thick and thin, right from her parents' separation to her self identity issues regarding her sexuality. Not able to mold herself to her rigid emotionally distant parents' version of herself, Michelle only had her sister to turn to. Her sister is like one of those people whom we take for granted in our lives for their constant presence and strength. If there was one person Michelle loved the most and was seen completely, it was her sister.
Parallely, on a different timeline, we get to know about Michael and through him we discover a secret science society for super-natural entities in our reality. Being a physics nerd, I had a sharp intake of breath over the explanation of matter and anti-mater in relation to this story. The author brilliantly creates a correlation between matter/anti-matter and soul that will totally blow your mind when it all comes together in the end. And yes, Michelle and Michael are interrelated in a heartbreaking way.
Ah my thoughts! I have so many right now that it all feels slippery. I try to grasp at one only to end up with another. This book brought forth so many childhood memories and hidden insecurities! At one point I suddenly regressed to that self of mine that had felt terrified to cross the main road for the first time on my own, without my mum's help. We internalise so much from our elders around us, don't we? Good and bad memories conjoin and give us our idea of life. But somehow, in times of crisis, we only remember the best ones in a rosy tint. Maybe no part of our lives are ever perfectly perfect. I keep thinking about the chain reactions that have brought me to this point of life and suddenly, I am not so sure. Is this really the best that could have been given all the circumstances? Michelle and Ishaan's grief and acceptance of it resonated with something deep inside me. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong way. Maybe brokej things are an illusion. The key is love. Love makes everything bend their rules, down to the rules of reality itself. We are so terrified of letting go of our loved ones, but what if, it is our love that forms a binding tether and keeps them with us forever? Is it love itself that transforms into ghosts? Then ghosts are as real as it gets! I don't know about it all making sense in the end, but I know I will never be alone through eternity. Michelle's 'Swimming Lessons' were not completed, yet they were, she's treading water now.
Brilliant read. I never thought that I could introspect in this way or that such a profound new realisation will come and create this new reality for me unexpectedly. I'm grateful as ever for this experience and the unbelievable lesson that was imparted upon me today. From today onwards, I'll keep the key close to my heart.
genre : literary fiction
My 💭:
[20/4/25 10.55 PM] 🏅
This gem of a book is coming out on 29th April. Do NOT miss it under any circumstance, trust me.
I have procrastinated penning my review and giving voice to my thoughts, as much as possible, after finishing this book some 3 hours back. But still, all my coherent thoughts are currently scrambled in my mind.
Oh god guys, this book was NOT what I was expecting. When I had read the blurb of the book, it had felt like an emotional coming of age book with supernatural stuff and LGBTQ exposure. But what I had not expected was grief. Pages and pages of grief pouring out. Author, how did you express exactly what grieving feels like in such a realistic way? And the ending! Such a poignant hopeful ending! I'm never ever getting over this book. Never.
The story is about Michelle who is growing through a crisis situation, mentally and in reality, as her only sister is in ICU. Her parents are there, but the only person she NEEDS to help her through this situation is her sister herself, the only person who has been with her through thick and thin, right from her parents' separation to her self identity issues regarding her sexuality. Not able to mold herself to her rigid emotionally distant parents' version of herself, Michelle only had her sister to turn to. Her sister is like one of those people whom we take for granted in our lives for their constant presence and strength. If there was one person Michelle loved the most and was seen completely, it was her sister.
Parallely, on a different timeline, we get to know about Michael and through him we discover a secret science society for super-natural entities in our reality. Being a physics nerd, I had a sharp intake of breath over the explanation of matter and anti-mater in relation to this story. The author brilliantly creates a correlation between matter/anti-matter and soul that will totally blow your mind when it all comes together in the end. And yes, Michelle and Michael are interrelated in a heartbreaking way.
Ah my thoughts! I have so many right now that it all feels slippery. I try to grasp at one only to end up with another. This book brought forth so many childhood memories and hidden insecurities! At one point I suddenly regressed to that self of mine that had felt terrified to cross the main road for the first time on my own, without my mum's help. We internalise so much from our elders around us, don't we? Good and bad memories conjoin and give us our idea of life. But somehow, in times of crisis, we only remember the best ones in a rosy tint. Maybe no part of our lives are ever perfectly perfect. I keep thinking about the chain reactions that have brought me to this point of life and suddenly, I am not so sure. Is this really the best that could have been given all the circumstances? Michelle and Ishaan's grief and acceptance of it resonated with something deep inside me. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong way. Maybe brokej things are an illusion. The key is love. Love makes everything bend their rules, down to the rules of reality itself. We are so terrified of letting go of our loved ones, but what if, it is our love that forms a binding tether and keeps them with us forever? Is it love itself that transforms into ghosts? Then ghosts are as real as it gets! I don't know about it all making sense in the end, but I know I will never be alone through eternity. Michelle's 'Swimming Lessons' were not completed, yet they were, she's treading water now.
Brilliant read. I never thought that I could introspect in this way or that such a profound new realisation will come and create this new reality for me unexpectedly. I'm grateful as ever for this experience and the unbelievable lesson that was imparted upon me today. From today onwards, I'll keep the key close to my heart.
June 10, 2025
In my purest honesty, what I'm about to introduce here is one of the books that I am hesitant to review for it feels precious, personal, and fragile, my tears are its testimony in every ungodly hour of reading it. Some are of my reflections and some are of others’ mirrors. An only child in the family, never I wished to have a sister until I read 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐡. My slumbering heart for siblings made me crave for something I hadn’t felt. Sisterly love? Oh, I wish to have someone like Michelle’s sister Meredith yet doubt also creeps in if I’d be as selfless and considerate as Meredith to a younger one. I know I wouldn’t because there’s only one Meredith to Michelle and there’s also only one Michelle to Meredith.
To open this book is to welcome the monsters that hide in most families’ closets. Love, heartbreak, grief, grudges, hatred, rebellion, dependence, familial affairs, sisterhood, longing, and metaphysical explanations — if I could cradle and comfort a book as if it has life, I would with this novel. Going through the scenes and chapters of years inside these pages would be diabolical for those who haven’t read this except that I will only unchain glimpses of it. The first few pages begin with a typical family enjoying their blissful moments in Palawan Beach, Singapore. There named Michelle who led the chapters as the years went by, and her sister Meredith whose nameplate doesn't only deserve as 'sister', but also a mother, a father, and a friend to Michelle. From the childhood memories to the childhood traumas that shape their lives, this opened-like diary birthed a number of ruminations that will question your belief system, remind your privilege, and heal the broken parts you are unaware of. For Michelle, swimming lessons are not just from the pool but her practice of life from overcoming her fear and grudge from a father disguised as the sea and its waves to embracing it like a mother rocking a newborn. It’s never about perfecting the strokes but about staying afloat, as her sister’s mentorship. Irony paved the way for their family but sometimes, the irony is the hard pill one most needs to swallow for a life’s intervention.
To open this book is to welcome the monsters that hide in most families’ closets. Love, heartbreak, grief, grudges, hatred, rebellion, dependence, familial affairs, sisterhood, longing, and metaphysical explanations — if I could cradle and comfort a book as if it has life, I would with this novel. Going through the scenes and chapters of years inside these pages would be diabolical for those who haven’t read this except that I will only unchain glimpses of it. The first few pages begin with a typical family enjoying their blissful moments in Palawan Beach, Singapore. There named Michelle who led the chapters as the years went by, and her sister Meredith whose nameplate doesn't only deserve as 'sister', but also a mother, a father, and a friend to Michelle. From the childhood memories to the childhood traumas that shape their lives, this opened-like diary birthed a number of ruminations that will question your belief system, remind your privilege, and heal the broken parts you are unaware of. For Michelle, swimming lessons are not just from the pool but her practice of life from overcoming her fear and grudge from a father disguised as the sea and its waves to embracing it like a mother rocking a newborn. It’s never about perfecting the strokes but about staying afloat, as her sister’s mentorship. Irony paved the way for their family but sometimes, the irony is the hard pill one most needs to swallow for a life’s intervention.
January 10, 2026
Swimming Lessons reads like a wound learning how to speak. The author does not tell a story so much as he unearths one layer by layer, memory by memory until what remains is grief in its most intimate form. The novel moves the way consciousness does after loss: circling, stalling, returning to moments we thought we had already survived. Time fractures here, and in those fractures, pain breathes.
At its heart is sisterhood fierce, imperfect, and unrelenting. Michelle and Meredith are bound not by sentimentality, but by shared history and unspeakable damage. Their relationship is rendered with devastating honesty, love that bruises, loyalty that suffocates, tenderness that survives despite everything. Seah understands that family can be both shelter and storm, often at once.
The prose is restrained yet luminous. Every sentence feels deliberate, weighted with what it refuses to say. Trauma is never exploited; it is approached with quiet reverence, allowing the reader to feel its presence without being pushed into spectacle. The novel trusts silence as much as language, and in doing so, achieves a rare emotional precision.
Set within the unyielding structures of a conservative society, the book explores queerness, bodily autonomy, and shame as lived experiences rather than themes. Identity here is not declared, it is endured, negotiated, submerged. Much like swimming, survival depends on breath, timing, and the painful knowledge that sinking is always a possibility.
Swimming Lessons is not interested in neat resolutions or catharsis. Instead, it offers something truer, the understanding that healing is nonlinear, that memory resists order, and that love especially between siblings can persist even when it is fractured beyond recognition.This is a novel that lingers in the body long after it leaves the hands. A quiet masterpiece. One that does not demand attention, but earns it.
At its heart is sisterhood fierce, imperfect, and unrelenting. Michelle and Meredith are bound not by sentimentality, but by shared history and unspeakable damage. Their relationship is rendered with devastating honesty, love that bruises, loyalty that suffocates, tenderness that survives despite everything. Seah understands that family can be both shelter and storm, often at once.
The prose is restrained yet luminous. Every sentence feels deliberate, weighted with what it refuses to say. Trauma is never exploited; it is approached with quiet reverence, allowing the reader to feel its presence without being pushed into spectacle. The novel trusts silence as much as language, and in doing so, achieves a rare emotional precision.
Set within the unyielding structures of a conservative society, the book explores queerness, bodily autonomy, and shame as lived experiences rather than themes. Identity here is not declared, it is endured, negotiated, submerged. Much like swimming, survival depends on breath, timing, and the painful knowledge that sinking is always a possibility.
Swimming Lessons is not interested in neat resolutions or catharsis. Instead, it offers something truer, the understanding that healing is nonlinear, that memory resists order, and that love especially between siblings can persist even when it is fractured beyond recognition.This is a novel that lingers in the body long after it leaves the hands. A quiet masterpiece. One that does not demand attention, but earns it.
June 28, 2025
Swimming Lessons is a haunting, multi-layered exploration of grief, identity, and the supernatural, woven together with remarkable nuance. At its heart is Michelle Tan, a young girl grappling with the tragedy of her sister Meredith’s comatose state. Through vivid recollections of shared childhood moments — swimming lessons, mid-autumn festivals, and painful family ruptures — Michelle’s emotional landscape unfolds with both tenderness and raw vulnerability. Yet beneath the surface of her grief, something otherworldly stirs, blurring the lines between memory and haunting.
Intertwined with Michelle’s story are the equally compelling narratives of Constable Michael Chakrabarti and Captain Ishaan of the Department of Supernatural Oddities. Michael’s eerie night shifts, plagued by strange phone calls and mythological apparitions, pull the reader deeper into a world where myth bleeds into reality. Ishaan’s scientific investigation into the supernatural adds yet another layer of intrigue, raising unsettling questions about the cost of confronting forces beyond human comprehension.
What makes Swimming Lessons particularly captivating is its refusal to offer simple answers. The novel deftly balances psychological depth with supernatural suspense, drawing the reader into a world where truth is elusive and reality itself feels slippery. The characters are richly drawn, each carrying personal demons that mirror the literal ones they face, and the prose maintains an atmospheric tension that lingers long after the final page.
In the end, Swimming Lessons isn’t just a story about ghosts and mysteries — it’s a poignant meditation on loss, healing, and the complexities of growing up when life refuses to make sense.
Intertwined with Michelle’s story are the equally compelling narratives of Constable Michael Chakrabarti and Captain Ishaan of the Department of Supernatural Oddities. Michael’s eerie night shifts, plagued by strange phone calls and mythological apparitions, pull the reader deeper into a world where myth bleeds into reality. Ishaan’s scientific investigation into the supernatural adds yet another layer of intrigue, raising unsettling questions about the cost of confronting forces beyond human comprehension.
What makes Swimming Lessons particularly captivating is its refusal to offer simple answers. The novel deftly balances psychological depth with supernatural suspense, drawing the reader into a world where truth is elusive and reality itself feels slippery. The characters are richly drawn, each carrying personal demons that mirror the literal ones they face, and the prose maintains an atmospheric tension that lingers long after the final page.
In the end, Swimming Lessons isn’t just a story about ghosts and mysteries — it’s a poignant meditation on loss, healing, and the complexities of growing up when life refuses to make sense.
April 4, 2025
🩵🏊 Swimming Lessons by Malcom Seah:-
🩵🏊 BOOK REVIEW:-
Swimming Lessons is a non-linear, coming of age novel that absolutely nailed the pacing game.The steady pacing is perfect for the building of the complex characters and the shift between timelines and POVs is done smoothly which is something not all can pull off effortlessly. It explores identity, sibling relations (something very close to my heart), and grief. I have never read a supernatural thriller and this was just amazing! I'm extremely eager to read more by Malcom.
🩵🏊 BOOK DESCRIPTION:-
Growing up was never meant to be easy for Michelle Tan. Her older sister Meredith lies in a hospital ward, unconscious and barely breathing. Sorrow-stricken, the younger girl dives headfirst into her memories - the first time Meredith taught her how to swim, their first mid-autumn festival together and her father’s untimely departure. But that only accounts for Michelle’s worldly worries. She also thinks she’s being followed. By what - she can’t exactly put a finger on.
Young Constable Michael Chakrabarti experiences strange happenings during his night shifts. Mysterious recurring phone calls from an exasperated girl, a ferocious, shadowy lion of mythological origin; there doesn’t seem to be an end to the peculiarity that haunts him.
Captain Ishaan heads the newly-inaugurated Department of Supernatural Oddities. Shouldering the burden of being at the forefront of a revolution in science that could potentially decipher the supernatural, Ishaan soon realises that he might be too close to the puzzle for his own good. Can he truly exorcise the demons of his past?
Reality is a luxury. The Truth is never linear.
🩵🏊 BOOK REVIEW:-
Swimming Lessons is a non-linear, coming of age novel that absolutely nailed the pacing game.The steady pacing is perfect for the building of the complex characters and the shift between timelines and POVs is done smoothly which is something not all can pull off effortlessly. It explores identity, sibling relations (something very close to my heart), and grief. I have never read a supernatural thriller and this was just amazing! I'm extremely eager to read more by Malcom.
🩵🏊 BOOK DESCRIPTION:-
Growing up was never meant to be easy for Michelle Tan. Her older sister Meredith lies in a hospital ward, unconscious and barely breathing. Sorrow-stricken, the younger girl dives headfirst into her memories - the first time Meredith taught her how to swim, their first mid-autumn festival together and her father’s untimely departure. But that only accounts for Michelle’s worldly worries. She also thinks she’s being followed. By what - she can’t exactly put a finger on.
Young Constable Michael Chakrabarti experiences strange happenings during his night shifts. Mysterious recurring phone calls from an exasperated girl, a ferocious, shadowy lion of mythological origin; there doesn’t seem to be an end to the peculiarity that haunts him.
Captain Ishaan heads the newly-inaugurated Department of Supernatural Oddities. Shouldering the burden of being at the forefront of a revolution in science that could potentially decipher the supernatural, Ishaan soon realises that he might be too close to the puzzle for his own good. Can he truly exorcise the demons of his past?
Reality is a luxury. The Truth is never linear.
May 31, 2025
Swimming Lessons is a coming-of-age non-linear novel that follows two story - one about two sisters separated by life and death, and another about a young Constable who just started working at the Department of Supernatural Oddities. Two stories that follow different themes but is connected by their homeland and an inexplicable force.
Michelle and Meredith Tan’s story is a compelling narrative about sisterly love and kinship. Michelle is navigating the messy avenue of growing up while also taking care of bedridden Meredith. Through Michelle’s perspective, I was transported to the world of evolving Singapore while also dealing with the debris of her broken family. Reading about Michelle’s story is like reading a diary of a close friend - it felt like I was invading her personal space but also balanced by curiosity because I was rooting for her right off the bat.
The story of the Tan sisters is also a reminder on how sisterly connection is an unbreakable thing. Their tale is an antithesis as Michelle explores the path of growing up while her sister is on the verge of permanently saying goodbye. There are many parts of the Tan sisters’ life that is relatable to readers of all ages, so yes, I enjoyed reading their story.
On another page, the story of young officer Michael Chakrabarthi and his kick off at the Department of Supernatural Oddities added an intriguing flavor that made the book unputdownable. Imagine this, you are a rookie constable and were hired by the country’s secret department that focuses on anything extramundane. So this part of the story highlights our continuous quest on unveiling the truth about some of the most mysterious happenings in Singapore.
Michelle and Meredith Tan’s story is a compelling narrative about sisterly love and kinship. Michelle is navigating the messy avenue of growing up while also taking care of bedridden Meredith. Through Michelle’s perspective, I was transported to the world of evolving Singapore while also dealing with the debris of her broken family. Reading about Michelle’s story is like reading a diary of a close friend - it felt like I was invading her personal space but also balanced by curiosity because I was rooting for her right off the bat.
The story of the Tan sisters is also a reminder on how sisterly connection is an unbreakable thing. Their tale is an antithesis as Michelle explores the path of growing up while her sister is on the verge of permanently saying goodbye. There are many parts of the Tan sisters’ life that is relatable to readers of all ages, so yes, I enjoyed reading their story.
On another page, the story of young officer Michael Chakrabarthi and his kick off at the Department of Supernatural Oddities added an intriguing flavor that made the book unputdownable. Imagine this, you are a rookie constable and were hired by the country’s secret department that focuses on anything extramundane. So this part of the story highlights our continuous quest on unveiling the truth about some of the most mysterious happenings in Singapore.
May 15, 2025
I finished reading 'Swimming Lessons' by Malcom Seah a few days back, and oh my God, I was in love with the characters. The book navigates love, loss and life. Michelle's love for her elder sister, Meredith brought so much warmth to the overall story. The way she adored her sister, who was lying in a coma in the hospital bed made me fall in love with the book. I've always craved sisterly love my whole life, and this book somehow made me feel so good. Meredith taught Mimi how to swim. Michelle's life is just as messed up like anybody else's. Her life as an adult, her true identity, her life without Meredith by her side was challenging, yet very realistic.
On the other hand, Constable Michael Chakrabarti starts getting a mysterious phone call at night during his shift. While Captain Ishaan, head of the Department of Supernatural Oddities tries to solve the mystery of the supernatural. Are these circumstance real? Or would Ishaan be able to solve the matter anti-matter puzzle?
Nothing about this is debut-coded book except the author's bio. This book made me relate to the characters very much. This book is one such piece of work which will make you ponder over life deeply. I smiled, wept and felt oddly comfortable while reading the book. However, I'd have loved it if I got to know more about Ishaan and Michael's stories. The supernatural bit was crafted beautifully by the author, which blended perfectly with the story. And I just can't explain how peaceful and ecstatic the ending was. I wasn't expecting such an ending after pages of gloominess that felt so real.
On the other hand, Constable Michael Chakrabarti starts getting a mysterious phone call at night during his shift. While Captain Ishaan, head of the Department of Supernatural Oddities tries to solve the mystery of the supernatural. Are these circumstance real? Or would Ishaan be able to solve the matter anti-matter puzzle?
Nothing about this is debut-coded book except the author's bio. This book made me relate to the characters very much. This book is one such piece of work which will make you ponder over life deeply. I smiled, wept and felt oddly comfortable while reading the book. However, I'd have loved it if I got to know more about Ishaan and Michael's stories. The supernatural bit was crafted beautifully by the author, which blended perfectly with the story. And I just can't explain how peaceful and ecstatic the ending was. I wasn't expecting such an ending after pages of gloominess that felt so real.
April 28, 2025
Malcom Seah’s debut, “Swimming Lessons,” is a step beyond a simple story about sisterhood. It is about the impact of sisterhood on girlhood and the lasting impression that elder siblings leave in the nurturing of younger ones, especially in homes where both felt alienated. This story is like an ode to the eldest daughters in households, where she takes on the burden of the world on her shoulders and believes it is truly up to her to ‘fix’ everything that she has not broken. She is what keeps the family afloat; she hopes to maintain cordiality in the straining relationship of the parents and protect her younger one from being a collateral, just like her.
Michelle, the central character of Swimming Lessons, is merely holding and trying to process the sudden illness of her sister Meredith, who is in a state of coma, a state far away from any physical space that Meredith has ever been from Michelle. Through recollections from Michelle’s mind, Seah brings before us a slow and healing narrative of the temporality of grief. “It does get better” is what Seah asserts beautifully through his beautiful prose that weaves you magically inside the very heart of the novel. His perspective as someone from Singapore is refreshing, as narratives of grief in English literature are mostly from the West, and the most fascinating part of it is he does not try to fit his grief in the context of its universality but rather chooses to explore it along with life in contemporary Singapore and the mythical lores of the land.
The title “Swimming Lessons” is perhaps synonymous thematically to an extent with what Dory says, and that is to “just keep swimming.” The nonlinear plot doesn’t provide much insight into what happens to Michelle and her family eventually but comes with the beacon of hope that they will be okay, and even if they aren’t, that will be okay too. The novel is, in that sense, a reminder to never give up, no matter how overwhelming the currents of life might be. Perhaps this is the reason why the metaphor of water is laden in the story.
Seah is so gentle with his words and his characters that despite the themes of not feeling accepted due to queerness, not meeting familial expectations, and the fear of existing in an unfamiliar world, this book feels like a hug for the ones who feel like they don’t belong. The outlaws, the discarded, the lonely souls—this one is for them. Swimming Lessons is their home.
A magnificent addition to the growing literary voices in Southeast Asia, Swimming Lessons is an absolute must-read recommendation from me.
Michelle, the central character of Swimming Lessons, is merely holding and trying to process the sudden illness of her sister Meredith, who is in a state of coma, a state far away from any physical space that Meredith has ever been from Michelle. Through recollections from Michelle’s mind, Seah brings before us a slow and healing narrative of the temporality of grief. “It does get better” is what Seah asserts beautifully through his beautiful prose that weaves you magically inside the very heart of the novel. His perspective as someone from Singapore is refreshing, as narratives of grief in English literature are mostly from the West, and the most fascinating part of it is he does not try to fit his grief in the context of its universality but rather chooses to explore it along with life in contemporary Singapore and the mythical lores of the land.
The title “Swimming Lessons” is perhaps synonymous thematically to an extent with what Dory says, and that is to “just keep swimming.” The nonlinear plot doesn’t provide much insight into what happens to Michelle and her family eventually but comes with the beacon of hope that they will be okay, and even if they aren’t, that will be okay too. The novel is, in that sense, a reminder to never give up, no matter how overwhelming the currents of life might be. Perhaps this is the reason why the metaphor of water is laden in the story.
Seah is so gentle with his words and his characters that despite the themes of not feeling accepted due to queerness, not meeting familial expectations, and the fear of existing in an unfamiliar world, this book feels like a hug for the ones who feel like they don’t belong. The outlaws, the discarded, the lonely souls—this one is for them. Swimming Lessons is their home.
A magnificent addition to the growing literary voices in Southeast Asia, Swimming Lessons is an absolute must-read recommendation from me.
April 1, 2026
DNF page 136.
Prose was clunky, way overwritten (please put down that thesaurus) with unnatural dialogue. Too many Michelle chapters compared to Michael ones, such that the two (or more?) storylines weren’t sufficiently connected at the start for me to care. While I appreciate erratic timelines and non-linear narratives, the writer’s craft isn’t polished enough to pull it off. The book jumped from scene to scene without a clear line of progression. The story itself didn’t seem interesting beyond the standard broken-family-things-fall-apart fare. The supernatural element seemed random and tacked-on (see earlier comment about the two storylines).
And why was the father’s occupation not even revealed? Was there a reason for the mystery? Don’t know, don’t care.
I was also put off by the seemingly random switching between the narrator referring to her sister as Sister and ‘you’ IN THE SAME SECTION. It might’ve been forgivable if the writer had switched between section breaks, but this just came across as poor editing.
There was also too much pseudo-philosophising about…stuff. The writer comes across as trying too hard to be poetic. I wanted to give it a chance, and so I read 50 more pages from the point I’d wanted to throw in the towel, but there was just nothing in the book - neither the writing (especially not the writing) nor the actual plot that kept me interested.
Prose was clunky, way overwritten (please put down that thesaurus) with unnatural dialogue. Too many Michelle chapters compared to Michael ones, such that the two (or more?) storylines weren’t sufficiently connected at the start for me to care. While I appreciate erratic timelines and non-linear narratives, the writer’s craft isn’t polished enough to pull it off. The book jumped from scene to scene without a clear line of progression. The story itself didn’t seem interesting beyond the standard broken-family-things-fall-apart fare. The supernatural element seemed random and tacked-on (see earlier comment about the two storylines).
And why was the father’s occupation not even revealed? Was there a reason for the mystery? Don’t know, don’t care.
I was also put off by the seemingly random switching between the narrator referring to her sister as Sister and ‘you’ IN THE SAME SECTION. It might’ve been forgivable if the writer had switched between section breaks, but this just came across as poor editing.
There was also too much pseudo-philosophising about…stuff. The writer comes across as trying too hard to be poetic. I wanted to give it a chance, and so I read 50 more pages from the point I’d wanted to throw in the towel, but there was just nothing in the book - neither the writing (especially not the writing) nor the actual plot that kept me interested.
November 14, 2025
𝓢𝔀𝓲𝓹𝓮 --->>>
The story follows Michelle Tan as she grapples with her sister Meredith collapses and slips into memories that are tender, complicated, and sometimes painful. We also meet Michael, whose mysterious night shifts and strange calls pull him into a hidden supernatural layer of Singapore. These threads eventually converge in a way that feels both eerie and deeply human.
What completely swept me away was the writing. The prose moves like memory non-linear, soft, lingering and it’s astonishing that this is a debut. The pacing never falters; every timeline shift feels purposeful, like the story nudging you toward something you’re not ready to face but need to.
Michelle is written with such honesty. Her fears, her queerness, her guilt, her search for identity within rigid expectations it all felt painfully resonant. Her bond with Meredith is the emotional core of the book: sisters who love each other fiercely but imperfectly.
The supernatural thread adds a quiet intensity to the grief. This novel is saturated with grief but in a way that feels strangely hopeful.
Overall this book felt like being gently undone and put back together. If you love emotional, character-driven stories with lyrical writing and a touch of the uncanny, Swimming Lessons will stay with you long after the last page. 💙
Thank you so much to @malcomseah
And @penguinbookssea for this emotional read! 🫶🏻
The story follows Michelle Tan as she grapples with her sister Meredith collapses and slips into memories that are tender, complicated, and sometimes painful. We also meet Michael, whose mysterious night shifts and strange calls pull him into a hidden supernatural layer of Singapore. These threads eventually converge in a way that feels both eerie and deeply human.
What completely swept me away was the writing. The prose moves like memory non-linear, soft, lingering and it’s astonishing that this is a debut. The pacing never falters; every timeline shift feels purposeful, like the story nudging you toward something you’re not ready to face but need to.
Michelle is written with such honesty. Her fears, her queerness, her guilt, her search for identity within rigid expectations it all felt painfully resonant. Her bond with Meredith is the emotional core of the book: sisters who love each other fiercely but imperfectly.
The supernatural thread adds a quiet intensity to the grief. This novel is saturated with grief but in a way that feels strangely hopeful.
Overall this book felt like being gently undone and put back together. If you love emotional, character-driven stories with lyrical writing and a touch of the uncanny, Swimming Lessons will stay with you long after the last page. 💙
Thank you so much to @malcomseah
And @penguinbookssea for this emotional read! 🫶🏻
April 22, 2025
Swimming Lessons is a story that flows in a non-linear manner, where the characters and their feelings seem omnipresent throughout the book, a story where the mysterious ways of the world helps you deal with grief.
This book follows the story of Michelle and her sister, her family and how Michelle who is afraid of swimming, who has entrusted her swimming lessons on her sister, struggles with her identity and sexuality. Michelle has made many a mistakes in her life, but it's her sister who grounds her. Meanwhile the other characters who work for the Department of Supernatural Oddities, have their own generational secrets, bearing the weight of carrying these conflicts and how it finally transpires and threatens to spill out and wreck havoc.
This is a story of family, sisterhood, love, queerness, grief and most importantly self-identity. The cultural background of modern day Singapore and beautiful laid out and I loved how the narration seemed so lyrical, magical, like I was reading poetry. This book is much recommended!
This book follows the story of Michelle and her sister, her family and how Michelle who is afraid of swimming, who has entrusted her swimming lessons on her sister, struggles with her identity and sexuality. Michelle has made many a mistakes in her life, but it's her sister who grounds her. Meanwhile the other characters who work for the Department of Supernatural Oddities, have their own generational secrets, bearing the weight of carrying these conflicts and how it finally transpires and threatens to spill out and wreck havoc.
This is a story of family, sisterhood, love, queerness, grief and most importantly self-identity. The cultural background of modern day Singapore and beautiful laid out and I loved how the narration seemed so lyrical, magical, like I was reading poetry. This book is much recommended!
October 5, 2025
I just wrapped up Swimming Lessons by Malcolm Seah, and wow, this one really made me sit with my feelings. The story mainly follows Michelle, who is coping with her sister Meredith being in a coma. Their bond is written so deeply that you can feel how much of Michelle’s life has always revolved around her sister. Reading her memories and the way she talks to Meredith felt raw and personal – almost like peeking into someone’s diary.
Then there’s another side to the story with Michael and Ishaan who work in a secret department that deals with supernatural events. At first, I wasn’t sure how it connected to Michelle’s story but as I read on, everything started to come together in a way that genuinely surprised me. Reading about Michael’s challenges and the things he was dealing with made his part of the story really emotional too.
What really stood out, though, was the emotional depth. It’s not a fast paced book, it takes its time but it leaves a mark. For a debut, it felt powerful, heartfelt, and absolutely worth the read.
Then there’s another side to the story with Michael and Ishaan who work in a secret department that deals with supernatural events. At first, I wasn’t sure how it connected to Michelle’s story but as I read on, everything started to come together in a way that genuinely surprised me. Reading about Michael’s challenges and the things he was dealing with made his part of the story really emotional too.
What really stood out, though, was the emotional depth. It’s not a fast paced book, it takes its time but it leaves a mark. For a debut, it felt powerful, heartfelt, and absolutely worth the read.
October 13, 2025
It started off strong with an emotional premise - Michelle’s sister Meredith lies in a coma after a sudden collapse, and through memories of their childhood and the swimming lessons that once bonded them, Michelle tries to make sense of everything falling apart. Alongside this, there are other storylines of a police officer haunted by mysterious calls and a captain investigating strange supernatural events.
The setup had promise, but somewhere along the way, it lost me. The jumps between past and present were confusing, and the supernatural twist felt unnecessary. I really wanted to connect with the emotion and grief in the story, but it dragged too much for me. Overall, an average read that I finished more out of curiosity than excitement.
The setup had promise, but somewhere along the way, it lost me. The jumps between past and present were confusing, and the supernatural twist felt unnecessary. I really wanted to connect with the emotion and grief in the story, but it dragged too much for me. Overall, an average read that I finished more out of curiosity than excitement.
October 30, 2025
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Swimming Lessons by Malcolm Seah is a quiet, haunting debut that reads more like a memory than a story. Through the bond of two sisters, Michelle and Meredith. Seah explores love, silence, grief, and queerness with tender, lyrical prose. When Meredith disappears, Michelle is left to sift through fragments of their shared past, where loss and unspoken truths ripple beneath every memory.
The novel moves like waves i.e. sometimes soft, sometimes heavy. Inviting readers to sit in the discomfort of what isn’t said. Though the pacing can feel slow, that stillness mirrors grief itself. Swimming Lessons is melancholic, strange, and sincere. A debut novel beautifully written on family, identity, and the love that lingers long after it’s gone.
Swimming Lessons by Malcolm Seah is a quiet, haunting debut that reads more like a memory than a story. Through the bond of two sisters, Michelle and Meredith. Seah explores love, silence, grief, and queerness with tender, lyrical prose. When Meredith disappears, Michelle is left to sift through fragments of their shared past, where loss and unspoken truths ripple beneath every memory.
The novel moves like waves i.e. sometimes soft, sometimes heavy. Inviting readers to sit in the discomfort of what isn’t said. Though the pacing can feel slow, that stillness mirrors grief itself. Swimming Lessons is melancholic, strange, and sincere. A debut novel beautifully written on family, identity, and the love that lingers long after it’s gone.
Want to Read
April 21, 2025Prestige exclusive: Singaporean author Malcom Seah on his debut novel Swimming Lessons
https://www.prestigeonline.com/sg/lif...
https://www.prestigeonline.com/sg/lif...
May 19, 2025
This is a touching and emotional story about a rebellious daughter and her strained relationship with her family. Both character carry a deep sense of hurt and loss, which makes the story feel very real and heartfelt. Overall, it was not a bad read, relatable in many ways.
March 7, 2026
This book was such a great read - the paranormal elements was the most engaging part. I love how experimental this book felt with so many engaging factor together, done so so well. This book made me sad, made me cry and i loved every second of it !!!
November 3, 2025
In the beginning it was too good but I really think that the supernatural elements were unnecessary
June 23, 2025
More like 2.5/5. Still framing my thoughts around this book. Will write more later.
January 4, 2026
slow. all his paragraphs seem to end with a punchline this is neither impactful not funny. tries a bit too hard and yet doesnt weave in the timelines at all. almost enjoyable to read about the coming of age of the protagonist but ultimately ruined every time you realise a straight chinese guy is writing in the voice of a queer raped woman. and 2 indian men one of which rapes the chinese woman. ?! overall not good unfortunately. like actually bad in fact :/
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