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everesto's review
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. It was written so so beautifully and made me feel so many emotions. Vuong uses such descriptive language you can really see what is going on and understand well what is happening and what he was feeling. I don't think I'll ever stop thinking about this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Racism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief, Homophobia, and War
grace_madeleine's review
5.0
I feel like my heart has been viscerally scooped out of my body and replaced except it wasn’t replaced correctly like there’s a deep ache there after reading this like it’s touched parts of grief I never expected would be touched by a book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, War, Grief, Drug use, Homophobia, Violence, Death, Drug abuse, Child abuse, and Racism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, and Bullying
alexandra296's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Written in first person with a vaguely epistolary framing but it’s not a distinct letter structure, rather a series of vignettes. The writing is simply gorgeous, very evocative.
There’s very little plot, largely a reflection on self and family, relationships, trauma etc. The lack of a strong plot through-line didn’t affect my enjoyment, especially because the writing is such expertly crafted poetry.
We follow Little Dog and his mother and grandmother who are immigrants to the US, which were compelling characters and also explore his relationship with Trevor. The characters are all complicated people and the dynamics between them and the narrator were definitely interesting.
Gorgeous imagery and structure, great use of motifs & juxtaposing 2 ideas that seem unrelated but are making a statement. The way people in Little Dog’s life are portrayed is at once tender & with deep pain. The language is beautiful though, so captivating. A very sad, melancholy type story but it’s so beautiful. Very reflective but brutal in parts. Definitely worth reading though, as long as you’re not looking for a distinct plot.
Only negative is I feel the tone got kinda almost TOO sad towards the third part and it felt a little tonally separate from the rest of the work to me in some areas. I guess with any body of work some parts work better than others though.
There’s very little plot, largely a reflection on self and family, relationships, trauma etc. The lack of a strong plot through-line didn’t affect my enjoyment, especially because the writing is such expertly crafted poetry.
We follow Little Dog and his mother and grandmother who are immigrants to the US, which were compelling characters and also explore his relationship with Trevor. The characters are all complicated people and the dynamics between them and the narrator were definitely interesting.
Gorgeous imagery and structure, great use of motifs & juxtaposing 2 ideas that seem unrelated but are making a statement. The way people in Little Dog’s life are portrayed is at once tender & with deep pain. The language is beautiful though, so captivating. A very sad, melancholy type story but it’s so beautiful. Very reflective but brutal in parts. Definitely worth reading though, as long as you’re not looking for a distinct plot.
Only negative is I feel the tone got kinda almost TOO sad towards the third part and it felt a little tonally separate from the rest of the work to me in some areas. I guess with any body of work some parts work better than others though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Grief, and Drug use
Moderate: Bullying and Homophobia
emptzuu's review
The author's background in poetry is evident in the prose, but the narrative is marred by layers of seemingly profound yet ultimately nonsensical ramblings and literary flourishes. What begins as a promising plot devolves into a collection of disjointed stories, sacrificing coherence for poetic indulgence. The coming-of-age theme, while present, feels more like a backdrop for the author's poetic musings on suffering, both personal and observed. These reflections often feel hollow, despite the author's persistent attempts at profundity through elevated language.
The fragmented structure occasionally captures the erratic nature of memory and thought, but fails to coalesce into a cohesive whole. Though there are gripping moments, the absence of sustained narrative threads results in a loss of momentum. The inclusion of graphic content in a letter to the protagonist's mother feels jarring and inconsistent with the theme of trauma.
Sometimes, silence speaks louder than words.
The fragmented structure occasionally captures the erratic nature of memory and thought, but fails to coalesce into a cohesive whole. Though there are gripping moments, the absence of sustained narrative threads results in a loss of momentum. The inclusion of graphic content in a letter to the protagonist's mother feels jarring and inconsistent with the theme of trauma.
Sometimes, silence speaks louder than words.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty
pinkblingd's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I cried a lot over the last few chapters. A part in the beginning traumatized me. The addiction part was triggering. My review is going to be short and brief:
a truly beautiful book, painful.
a truly beautiful book, painful.
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, and War
Trigger warnings ⚠️ animal abuse, domestic violence, war/PTSD, addiction, family trauma, queer traumaastrofeldy's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
4.25
A poem? A novel? A memoir? Who’s to say. I’m not sure what just happened, but it was achingly beautiful. I think I liked it. I also couldn’t stand to finish it. A wholly unique experience. An Art.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion and Animal cruelty
skibug's review
So sad. I keep thinking about the monkey and i cry.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
zorazadiezahrah's review
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lots of really good poetry, but struggling to find the overall message
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty
Moderate: Addiction and War
Minor: Grief and Colonisation
cecropiansea's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Animal death, and War