Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

847 reviews

laurenwerlinger's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is so carefully and beautifully written. Vuog writes with sometimes painful honesty. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, and Sexual content

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Xenophobia, Excrement, and Grief

tasleemreads's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

#OnEarthWereBrieflyGorgeous is a top tier read. Ocean Vuong and the women in his life; mother and grandmother who escaped the Vietnamese war, settle in America. This book is a letter Vuong writes directly to his mother, who understands very little English, giving Vuong the courage to share all of his thoughts, feelings and not hold anything back. This gave readers an even deeper insight into his life, troubles and hardships. It was surprisingly intimate, like I had Vuong's personal journal and had access to his private thoughts and sacred experiences, which I basically did ~ I loved it! ~

I haven't come across writing like this and was taken aback by how poetic and beautiful it is. I often re-read passages and had to take a moment to really process what was being shared and the depth of his thoughts. As an immigrant, gay man and only child, Vuong struggled with acceptance, belonging and the familial pressures placed on him. Themes like sexuality, family, relationships, love and trauma were explored with such raw honesty, it was breathtaking.

I would recommend this book to everyone!! An amazing book that will leave you thinking about it ages after you've put it down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Violence

allegrahistory's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, and Homophobia

Minor: Blood

alisazhup's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Blood, and Grief

dytiscusfriend's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

This book broke my heart open. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is a gift. This book is abundant and generous and personal and painful and achingly relevant. Ocean Vuong contextualizes so much and offers a poem composed of agony, delight, clarity, and connection.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Dementia, and Grief

Moderate: Vomit

inkdrinkermal's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

 I think my 3-star rating is a product of timing rather than content, but it's difficult for me to separate the two right now.

The novel is beautifully written with vivid imagery and symbolism. The surrealness created by the time-skips is masterful.

It was also devastating - war, abuse, loneliness, rejection, death, animal cruelty, internalized homophobia. And there was very little happiness - and the happiness did pretty much nothing to counteract the constant tragedy. Little Dog seemed friendless, even when he was with friends.

It was probably not wise to read this book 9 months into the pandemic lock-down when I'm tired and sad all the time. I'd say maybe I'll give it another chance, but I don't want to. It made me too sad, and I'm tired of being sad right now. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Internalized Homophobia within a queer relationship:

Little Dog's relationship was Trevor was upsetting because Trevor had so much internalized homophobia. He said "I'm not really gay, not like you, I'll be okay soon." and wouldn't allow Little Dog to top him because he "didn't want to feel like a bitch."

Abortion/pregnancy loss:

Rose had a late-term abortion because some pills she was given didn't work to terminate the pregnancy. The description of the abortion was graphic and upsetting

Animal Death: There are no pets that die, but animal death is described in graphic, gory detail throughout the book.

beccasbookcase's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, and Terminal illness

rynicolereads's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I always know I’m going to love a book when @the.storygraph describes it as emotional and reflective. I wanted to dog-ear every page because Vuong’s writing is stunning (don’t worry, I didn’t ruin my signed copy).

The story is told by Little Dog (the main character’s nickname) in the form of poetic letters to his mother that are full of profound metaphors and intimate memories. This is one of those books that writers will love because every single word feels intentional.

“I am thinking of beauty again, how some things are hunted because we have deemed them beautiful. If, relative to the history of our planet, an individual life is so short, a blink of an eye, as they say, then to be gorgeous, even from the day you were born to the day you die, is to be gorgeous only briefly.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Racism

sofiaxaguilar's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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: Sexual content

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Racism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, and Excrement

isadorawonder's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, and Grief

Minor: Cancer