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Hsu is able to evoke the brilliance and warmth of Ken Ishida with astounding palpability. A lovely and aching ode to friendship and loss that acts as both “a celebration of how it began” as well as “a chronicle of free fall” and “all the spinning rooms that followed.” I could do without all the Berkeley-style intellectualizing that seemed to water down the emotional poignancy of the memoir. Nevertheless, a true manifesto of youth, loss, tragedy, and companionship.
emotional
The second half of this book really got to me. I actually teared up over Ken and Hua's struggle with his grief and guilt afterwards.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
i’m crying but this came together beautifully and i loved it
This deserves a place in the essential reading list for any of the 10+ themes it covers, that are all mentioned in the blurb. It does all of them so well and it’s very moving. It’s a grief book. A friendship book. A masculinity book. A coming of age and cringing at yourself book. A California book. Go check it
reflective
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
friendship is transformational!!!
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
This book in its purest form is a coming of age story with loss and what comes afterwards. Hsu shines light on what his experience was like growing up, as first generation of Taiwanese parents, in the US. Creating his space within the world of music and zines, we follow Hua throughout bits and pieces of childhood but mainly in his college years while in college in the 90’s. He meets an unlikely friend, and when he passes, we follow him to through and grow in his grief.
emotional
sad
fast-paced