Name: Have You Heard the One about Anamaria Marquez
Rating: 4.1 (10 reviews)
ISBN: 9781618731821

Isabel Yap

Spells and stories, urban legends and immigrant tales all gathered together in one fabulous bundle.

Stories

Have You Heard the One about Anamaria Marquez

“Am I dead?” Mebuyen sighs. She was hoping the girl would not ask. Spells and stories, urban legends and immigrant tales: the magic in Isabel Yap’s debut collection jumps right off the page, from the joy in her new novella, “A Spell for Foolish Hearts” to the terrifying tension of the urban legend “Have You Heard the One About Anamaria Marquez.”

Never Have I Ever

Gelaine Trinidad

Krys C.

My favorites were definitely  Have You Heard The One About Anamaria Marquez  and how it's reminiscient of your typical Catholic school ghost story that leaves you wondering at the end;  Asphalt, River, Mother, Child  for the concept of a goddess of the underworld taking care of EJK victims (that had me crying) as well as the portrayal of the war on drugs; and  How To Swallow The Moon  simply because of the sapphic yearning.

i finished this one quickly, but had to sit down and actually stew in my thoughts about it because i was so enamored by the stories present that i couldn’t immediately articulate what i loved about this collection so much. yap’s writing voice is a consistent delight, as she is able to deliver different shades of personality and emotions in all the stories included within the book. she has this exacting ability to capture the atmosphere of the stories so well that makes you feel properly pulled in and waiting at the edge of your seat as her writing takes you to new places. yet at the same time, her stories pull from all things familiar that further adds to the curiosity of investigating these things in new light.

the innovative and speculative charm of yap’s stories were amazing, but i also loved how most of them were an intimate nod to philippine culture and society, both in its myth and more pressing social issues such as duterte’s war on drugs. there were also stories that felt like inside jokes told between old friends, like the stories revolving around friendships in private all-girls catholic schools, which felt like revisiting my own complicated memories about spending my formative years in that kind of environment. all of these themes and ideas were tackled with meticulous, yet evocative grace that compliments the writing genre, showing yap’s masterful approach in striking that good balance of feeling satisfied by a short story, but not feeling opposed to a lengthier, more elaborate version of it.

on a personal level, i really quite enjoyed all the stories included that i can’t name favorites. i also loved that all of the stories were tied by different identities of wanting: romantic desire, satiating a pressing curiosity, an acknowledgement of sins, seeking change to a life you feel predisposition to fulfill, mending misunderstandings, and more. this made for a cohesive collection, but also a more humane probing using the speculative approach.

all in all, i am so, so terribly impressed by this short story collection and i cannot recommend it enough. isabel yap will remain on my radar of writers to watch out for, and i do hope you consider this for a read!

gabi

i finished this one quickly, but had to sit down and actually stew in my thoughts about it because i was so enamored by the stories present that i couldn’t immediately articulate what i loved about this collection so much. yap’s writing voice is a consistent delight, as she is able to deliver different shades of personality and emotions in all the stories included within the book. she has this exacting ability to capture the atmosphere of the stories so well that makes you feel properly pulled in and waiting at the edge of your seat as her writing takes you to new places. yet at the same time, her stories pull from all things familiar that further adds to the curiosity of investigating these things in new light.

the innovative and speculative charm of yap’s stories were amazing, but i also loved how most of them were an intimate nod to philippine culture and society, both in its myth and more pressing social issues such as duterte’s war on drugs. there were also stories that felt like inside jokes told between old friends, like the stories revolving around friendships in private all-girls catholic schools, which felt like revisiting my own complicated memories about spending my formative years in that kind of environment. all of these themes and ideas were tackled with meticulous, yet evocative grace that compliments the writing genre, showing yap’s masterful approach in striking that good balance of feeling satisfied by a short story, but not feeling opposed to a lengthier, more elaborate version of it.

on a personal level, i really quite enjoyed all the stories included that i can’t name favorites. i also loved that all of the stories were tied by different identities of wanting: romantic desire, satiating a pressing curiosity, an acknowledgement of sins, seeking change to a life you feel predisposition to fulfill, mending misunderstandings, and more. this made for a cohesive collection, but also a more humane probing using the speculative approach.

all in all, i am so, so terribly impressed by this short story collection and i cannot recommend it enough. isabel yap will remain on my radar of writers to watch out for, and i do hope you consider this for a read!

tina

i love how this book is very reminiscent of the ghost stories and legends we filipinos have been told about while growing up. i also really appreciate how the author was able to capture and portray the filipino experience and culture in an authentic way and reading the stories felt very heartwarming, in a way, because of it. besides that, every short story holds up on its own as well and they were all very well written. there were a lot of standouts such as A Spell for Foolish Hearts, A Cup of Salt Tears, and Asphalt, River, Mother, Child to name a few. but i think my absolute favorites were definitely How to Swallow the Moon and A Canticle for Lost Girls. i can't wait to see what Isabel Yap's next book will be and i will for sure read it!

Rina

A perfect read for spooky season! This was such an enjoyable anthology. I loved the writing and how much it set the tone and vibe of each story; a lot of the stories felt bittersweet to me and ambiguous endings sometimes gave me chills. 

I was aware the author was born and raised in Manila but I wasn't expecting the stories to be reminiscent of something that would really go around a community, a catholic school, and even a retreat house in the Philippines (that last story, truly, wtf). I am REELING. I also liked how the myths and fantasy were woven with the current events in the Philippines (view spoiler)[(the extra judicial killings) (hide spoiler)]

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

"Manila is a city that sleeps only fitfully, and you love it and hate it for that reason." 
 
"“Will you heal my husband?” she asks.
“Will you love me?” it asks."

“It’s okay, anak. You have a voice. You have hands. You have your life. You don’t have to fight anymore. You just have to open your eyes, and see.”

 “I’ve loved you for a long time, my salt and stone, my ivory bone. And I will keep on doing so, and hurting for it, won’t I?”

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