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If I want to read about someone’s musical tastes I’ll stick to Steve Almond or Chuck Klosterman because they have depth and can place sociological relevance to it. I did skim through this book and found it painfully one dimensional and superficial with zero insight to himself. Yet the blurbs are all saying how revealing and brave this book is. Truly puzzled.
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
I finished this book a couple of days ago and I’m still not entirely sure how to put my feelings into words, so here’s my slightly messy list of thoughts.
- It’s an autobiography of the author’s first twenty-something years, with most of the focus on his college days. From the synopsis, we already know that his friend Ken is going to die, so every moment with him feels extra precious. Their everyday conversations and nights out feel both ordinary and heartbreaking.
- Hsu is an incredible writer - academically sharp, but also a natural storyteller. As an audiobook narrator, he’s just as engaging.
- I loved the friendships in this book. It really did feel like a true coming-of-age story. My favourite parts were when he wrote about his parents, especially his dad; there was something quietly beautiful about those moments.
- Post-Ken, I definitely choked up. It’s incredibly moving without ever feeling manipulative. You can feel the grief, but also the gratitude for having known him.
- I was a bit less interested in some of the more philosophical or academic tangents, but they never dragged on.
- Overall, a brilliant, deeply human memoir. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys autobiographies, especially if you like stories about friendship, identity, and loss.
4.25/5 ⭐
- It’s an autobiography of the author’s first twenty-something years, with most of the focus on his college days. From the synopsis, we already know that his friend Ken is going to die, so every moment with him feels extra precious. Their everyday conversations and nights out feel both ordinary and heartbreaking.
- Hsu is an incredible writer - academically sharp, but also a natural storyteller. As an audiobook narrator, he’s just as engaging.
- I loved the friendships in this book. It really did feel like a true coming-of-age story. My favourite parts were when he wrote about his parents, especially his dad; there was something quietly beautiful about those moments.
- Post-Ken, I definitely choked up. It’s incredibly moving without ever feeling manipulative. You can feel the grief, but also the gratitude for having known him.
- I was a bit less interested in some of the more philosophical or academic tangents, but they never dragged on.
- Overall, a brilliant, deeply human memoir. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys autobiographies, especially if you like stories about friendship, identity, and loss.
4.25/5 ⭐
Heartfelt memoir but ultimately felt like something was missing at the end.
It focuses more on how pretentious the author had been in his youth than the friendship that had so deeply affected him.
It focuses more on how pretentious the author had been in his youth than the friendship that had so deeply affected him.
This memoir was advertised as being about loss, but loss wasn't really discussed until past the halfway point, so I feel like the topic went underexcavated. Clear language but not particularly gripping story lines, despite themes that interested me (AsAm identity, friendship, social justice).
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Beautiful and reflective and a heartfelt chronicle of grief and friendship
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
fast-paced