Breaking away from his previous "When I Was a Kid" series which are stories about his childhood, Boey's latest book, "How Was Your Day" takes on the subject of being a young adult. I think this is clever transition as the first book of "When I Was a Kid" first published way back in 2011. The kid who first bought the book when it was published would have now going through experience similar to Cheryl, the young adult that "How Was Your Day" will be telling us.
Cheryl, a young adult at the age of 28 is facing what most young adult face in the working life. It starts with her job interview and what she faces during her changed of working environment. I won't want to spoil too much here.
I faced a similar experience as her in my first two full time jobs. Managers that shout and scold that also sometime likes to micromanage. I find it happens when the manager is way older than me, I was in my 20s and my manager then was in their 40s. As I changed jobs, I found that manager that was near my age has a much friendlier management style. I of course able to survive (maybe I am a male) the scolding and even became friend with my older managers as I will stand at their point of view on why they will be like that. As time goes by their attitude towards me changed.
Apart from stories about her at work. We also follow her relationship with her parents. Like most young adult who wants to make their own decision yet still get the nagging from parents. Because no matter how old we are, in our parents still view us as a kid. I found it a bit weird is why she mentioned "Jusco" instead of "Aeon" even in the year 2020. Jusco changed its name to Aeon in 2004. So, Cheryl would be around 12. Oh well sometimes name will get stuck from young. Maybe it is Boey that is still stuck with the name.
To summarized it, I found myself more excited to read "When I Was a Kid" series as it serves as a nostalgia to me. Boey and I both grew up in the same era after all. As for "How Was Your Day", it is a been there done that kind of reading. As Boey said in his interview, Cheryl is all of us. I think most young adult or even late teens will get more out of it than I whom is already 45 this year.
P.S. R.I.P. 小强&百脚.
