Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous - Di Semesta Ini Kita Pernah Gemilang by Ocean Vuong

854 reviews

lia_mills's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

Method: audiobook

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Grief, and Abortion

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

CHANGED MY LIFE 😭

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Car accident, and War

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

uisceerika's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Grief, Car accident, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War

dani_reads123's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Sexual content

Moderate: Homophobia and Racism

johnny_harker's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racism, and Death of parent

swifterel22's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

It's written so beautifully and talks about many important topics. 
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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, and War

Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Outing, Cultural appropriation, and War

Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Transphobia, and Abortion

voidfavors's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, Violence, and War

melanija's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, and War

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gun violence, and Grief

Minor: Cancer and Sexual content

4ndrea_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• 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

this would be a 5 star book except it’s a poets novel. it talks too much for a book and yet idk if i would cut a single thing. please read it’s so easy to get into

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, and Alcohol

tinygoldfox's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, and Abortion

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racism, Grief, and Car accident