Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

7 reviews

aksmith92's review

dark 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? Yes

4.0

The setup: This novel is a letter from a son to a mother who likely will never be able to read it because she cannot read, especially in English. Little Dog, our narrator, discusses his family's life before he was even born in Vietnam, during the infamous war there, and his own life, unearthing some traumas and revelations throughout his teenage years.

Much of the novel is about Little Dog's relationship with his mother, Rose, and her mother, Lan. There is an intricate discussion about their familial affairs and what it took the women to survive for Little Dog to be writing this letter. Then it's also a pseudo-love story about Little Dog and Trevor, a boy he works with on a tobacco farm during the summers. There is a little bit of grief, love, and hardship throughout this novel, and you can feel Ocean Vuong's poetic side coming out as he describes Little Dog's complicated life. Honestly, it's a story about nothing, yet about everything for someone like Little Dog. It intertwines addiction, violence, and a plethora of trauma into a novel that shares the story of a son and his mother. 

What I loved: This book was a bit haunting AND lovely - somehow both, sometimes at the same time (but not always). Vuong was a storyteller here.


TBD

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Cancer, Homophobia, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abortion, Addiction, Toxic relationship, War, Child death, Drug abuse, Grief, Alcoholism, Death, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Drug use, Alcohol, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Classism and Car accident

Minor: Sexism, Misogyny, and Transphobia

Rape is not discussed as a rape, but it is assumed.

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

alisonkolonick's review

emotional inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Drug use, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Gaslighting, Death, and Addiction

ichthusangel's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-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: Gaslighting, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Abortion, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Violence, Racism, Transphobia, and Homophobia

sunsetcity's review

challenging emotional reflective 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? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Drug abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, War, Grief, Sexual violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Chronic illness, Cultural appropriation, Dementia, Drug use, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Trafficking, and Violence

josie9's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.75

Absolutely speechless, Vuong’s writing is truely ingenious, authentic and so freaking devastating 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Cancer, Classism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, War, and Bullying

cryptidcas's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Despite the heavy content in this book, the way Vuong communicates the trauma of his life experience has made me reread this book several times (an accomplishment for my short attention span).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, and War

generational trauma