Reviews

This book is not good. I read the whole thing but was basically skimming through the end. The book has inconsistencies throughout it which makes it feel sloppy. The author also has an intense arrogance that really impacted my view of everything. It's very "my life is hard feel bad for me" when they objectively didn't have a particularly bad time. Mostly they made fancy friends and/or had sex with much older people who could help them in life and didn't do much work. The real kicker for me was the author saying they wasted so much time not accepting their gayness. But came out and had their first gay sexual experience at 17. Which is pretty damn young so seems like they accepted it pretty quick. I can understand the struggle of coming to terms with yourself, especially if you grow up in a homophobic environment, but the tonedeaf lack of appreciation for how anyone else who's gay may have experienced this is ugly.

The writing is also really sappy and trying too hard

youritenhoeve's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

bookwormjimmy's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad fast-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

4.0

This is Édouard Louis' autobiographical book about his life growing up poor in Amiens, France and the transformation he underwent as he came of age and eventually discovered his identity. The book is raw and personable and unflinching. He recalls various moments from his life that most people would rather hide away, and it's these very vulnerable moments that make him such a transformative writer. His metamorphosis in life was not only intellectual and emotional, but even physical as well as he struggled to become the person he wanted to be, the people who can nonchalantly stroll down the avenue in the bustling city of Paris and appear to not have a care in the world.

But this inner turmoil is also his vice, the thing that breaks him over and over again throughout his life. He constantly reflects on these decisions, these moments in time and relationships with people that he's had with all throughout. It's heart-wrenching just to experience these moments with him as he takes the reader on the journey.

The book is told in first person, but almost like a letter with Louis addressing the reader as 'you.' Most often he's talking to his father, but almost anyone in his life can take the place of the 'you' he refers to throughout. This is what makes the book tick and gives it life to the reader. It's almost as if he's talking to you and you have to quietly remind yourself that you don't need to defend yourself against all these allegations.

If you're looking for a touching memoir about life and identity, check this one out.

mattgroot1980's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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