Reviews

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

ally2024's review

3.0

3.5 stars

volkiano's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.5

garvinka's review against another edition

emotional 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

3.75

notsonya's review

5.0

so heartbreaking, yet so gorgeous at the same time. the writing is so beautiful it genuinely made me feel emotional.

emath98's review

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

4.75

Heartbreaking, poignant, beautiful.

her's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.0

kerry2046's review

3.5

I wanted so much to love it. Vuong's poetry is absolutely wonderful and painful and elements of that carry over. Aspects of his childhood and the layered, traumtic family dynamics shimmer through but often times it feels like i'm wading through metaphor in devaststing ways however when i reached scenes with Trevor I found I dragged my feet. I'm unsure I could specify; wonder if it's my surprise at how much it dominates. It's fragmented beginning I feel I may have been more on board for. Oh well. I still adore the poetry, in those condesed forms he can say such vicious and monumental things in simple snapshots in one perfect word. 

book_spiral's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

susyq's review

emotional reflective sad tense 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

3.0

littlepepperguy's review against another edition

4.5

OKay okay okay, this was banging. I didn't expect it to live up to the hype surrounding it but it unequivocally did. 

An absurd way to narrate time, continuity, and  plot but drenched in intense feeling in every line. 

A queer Vietnamese first gen American writes a letter to his distant, mentally ill mother. And this book is that letter. Gorgeous, intense and deeply gay.