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Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous - Di Semesta Ini Kita Pernah Gemilang by Ocean Vuong
618 reviews
theverycraftyvegan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Little Dog’s narration jumps around through the years and generations of his family, sharing the hardships of their survival. Parts of the story are upsetting. Even though I am an emotional person I did not shed a single tear while listening to this book. Probably because I didn’t get into the story or characters.
Graphic: Abortion, Excrement, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Toxic relationship, Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Grief, Racism, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death of parent, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Physical abuse, and War
bookbunny00's review against another edition
3.5
Minor: Mental illness, Terminal illness, Addiction, Violence, Drug abuse, Animal death, and Domestic abuse
jaquirose729's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Classism, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Death, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
lia_mills's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
To be honest, I found Part I of this book to be difficult to get through, in a "this feels like homework" kind of way (and this is coming from someone who usually enjoyed doing English homework).
I suspected choosing the audiobook may have been a mistake - this book uses a lot of poetic language in a way that often works on the page but can be a little exhausting to listen to, and the way the story moves back and forth across memories over years or decades, although effective in helping us understand the narrator, can be a little confusing in audiobook form.
But from Part II onwards it picked up for me - maybe I just got used to it. It's certainly an evocative story, with a lot of insights into the life of a shy, thoughtful, working-class, queer, Vietnamese-American young man, and a level of emotional depth that makes me understand why it's been so highly regarded.
Some quotes I found particularly interesting:
• "The thing is, I don't want my sadness to be othered from me, just as I don't want my happiness to be othered. They're both mine. I made them, damn it."
• "Too much joy, I swear, is lost in the desperation to keep it."
• "You asked me what it's like to be a writer, and I'm giving you a mess, I know. But it's a mess, Ma. I'm not making this up. I made it down."
Works (2) this made me think of:
• My Sister's Keeper (2004 family/medical/legal drama novel by Jodie Picoult): has a similar aspect of moving through time (although from a variety of different narrators rather than the one here), and a similar reliance on (and, to my mind, borderline overuse of) explanatory metaphor and symbolism.
• Call Me By Your Name (2007 coming-of-age novel by Andre Aciman): has a similar exploration of a secret MM relationship, from the first-person perspective of the more (comparatively) introverted partner.
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Violence, Mental illness, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Cursing, Medical content, Abortion, Addiction, Child abuse, Death, and Grief
oneiricgarden's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Gore, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Child abuse, Car accident, Racism, War, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Abandonment, Colonisation, and Alcohol
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis
kiah04's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Violence, War, and Racism
Minor: Domestic abuse
swifterel22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book moves you, shows you a horrible but very real in this world reality. The sentences were written so gorgeously that I couldn't help but highlight many of them and I felt like in some parts this novel read more like poetry.
I am so glad I finally got to reading it.
Graphic: Death, Grief, Drug abuse, Drug use, and War
Moderate: War, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Drug use, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Homophobia, Ableism, Physical abuse, Outing, Grief, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Racial slurs, Bullying, Racism, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Dementia, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Transphobia, Cancer, and Abortion
voidfavors's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Animal death, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, and Death
Moderate: Homophobia, Physical abuse, War, Violence, Addiction, Racial slurs, and Terminal illness
purple_converse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Abortion, Racism, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Violence, Excrement, Drug abuse, Grief, Addiction, Car accident, Cursing, Homophobia, Mental illness, Blood, and Dementia
shaleen64's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, and War
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Addiction, and Racism
Minor: Cancer, Pregnancy, and Abortion