Reviews tagging 'Racism'

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

642 reviews

elissa_t's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Ocean Vuong has a beautiful way with words, connecting life, family, nature and feeling, he seamlessly weaves together all of this in such a brilliant way. I cannot compare his writing to anything I’ve read before. Reading his struggles as a first generation kid, a gay man and dealing with death and family illness, I feel for him, but this book is written in a way that is reflective and empowering through learning and moving through these experiences. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who feels called to lean into stories of adolescence, understanding and growth.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Medical content, and War

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Vomit, Abortion, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy

vaaaleriechen's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.25

woah, beautiful, i could benefit from a reread

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical trauma, Abortion, Abandonment, and Alcohol

happinessity's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, Violence, and War

sapphicsquirrel's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, War, and Classism

xmoondustx's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Absolutely magnificent, breath- and heartbreaking but oh so very gorgeous. Everyone should read this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War

elainetodd's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

Exquisitely written ,intimate,raw,violent yet relatable and emotional 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, and Racism

fixesofia's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse and Drug use

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual content, Dementia, Grief, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Excrement, Vomit, Car accident, and Abortion

pastrieman's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Drug use

__zxnl's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Homophobia, and Racism

radiating_jackalope's review

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

3.5

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is a very brutal novel, which describes what it means to grow up as a poor, queer immigrant of color whose father doesn’t exist and was therefore raised by war traumatized woman. 

The emotional themes of the book are impressive, the way the author wants to convey them... less so. The book begins with the protagonist writing letters to his mother, who cannot read (which we also learn in the book). The language is beautiful but sometimes loses itself in its beauty. I sometimes struggled to understand what the author was trying to say… I would have also appreciated if I could have gotten more time to process what the protagonist lived through, but the story kept going and giving and there was no break. Yes, I know, sometimes life just keeps giving and people don’t get the privilege of getting a break, but this is a book and the author wants to tell a story… so maybe one should adjust the narrative because otherwise, it gives the impression of simple trauma dumping. 

I also don’t really see the point of creating a fictional character and writing a fictional story if the character is just going to be exactly like him and goes through the same things the author as a person went through…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Outing, War, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual violence