Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

218 reviews

baccoamon's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Ocean Vuong will be remembered as one of the masters of language and lyric. This is more of a portrait of a soul than it is a traditional novel. Vuong's beautiful and precise perspectives create a theater of the mind in a way that will leave the reader feeling every emotion as if it were their own. This book is not for readers who are not a fan of poetic prose. Vuong leans into his strengths but it can run a bit tedious for the readers who are not familiar or a fan of his poems. A masterful work that doesn't shy away from the complicated nature of culture, identity, immigration, self discovery, and queerness. 

This read is stark and moving but it could be too rattling for some readers. Read trigger warnings and know that the gruesome details do lead to a catharsis of sorts within the over arching ideas expressed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, War, Addiction, Xenophobia, and Mental illness

marena02's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicide, Alcohol, Blood, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Abortion, Deportation, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Colonisation, Drug use, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Vomit, Child abuse, Cursing, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Addiction, Medical content, Physical abuse, Animal death, Bullying, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Violence, Death of parent, and War

cwzw's review

emotional reflective slow-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

3.5

A meditative story about a sub who doesn't like aftercare.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and War

Moderate: Drug use, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, and Vomit

earthsigil's review

emotional reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Abortion, Drug abuse, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Mental illness, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Racism, War, and Homophobia

Minor: Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, and Transphobia

thesoftestcowboy's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Xenophobia, Death, Grief, Drug abuse, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Racism, Terminal illness, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Cancer, and Animal death

Minor: Abortion, Homophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Bullying, Misogyny, Mental illness, Sexism, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Excrement, Drug use, and Addiction

lostinafilmscene's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Gore

Moderate: Homophobia, Abortion, and Xenophobia

Minor: Racial slurs

shayh's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Xenophobia, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Homophobia, War, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Grief, Cancer, Bullying, Abortion, Addiction, Death, Drug use, Animal cruelty, and Car accident

blau_elmo's review

emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

Vuong's writing is extremely poetic; his prose is beautiful, filled with magical imagery that emphasises the crushing position of being a gay Asian-American in a community that is not so accepting. 

The style of writing is truly the star of this book, whilst the plot can be a bit slow at points. However, it does not feel too egregious in its slowness, as the slower pacing just feels like taking breaths between the various ideas being presented by Vuong throughout the book. Brilliant novella.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia and Xenophobia

Minor: Violence

blanxx_2102's review

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Hate crime, War, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Gun violence, Xenophobia, Death, Car accident, Addiction, Racism, and Alcohol

greenan26's review

emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Homophobia, Sexual content, Biphobia, Racism, Grief, Mental illness, Classism, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death

Moderate: War and Xenophobia