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julia_rose's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Homophobia, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Murder, Toxic friendship, and War
Minor: Abortion
sir_ren's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.5
This book also made me genuinely laugh aloud a couple of times, sometimes due to the line itself and sometimes due to all the tenseness and heaviness that you let go of, with the laugh, that Vuong had been building up.
The writing shifts from personal essay-type prose to formal serious report-type factual writing. Then it switches to lyrical fiction and Vuong writes all of these styles really well. Some sections are written like poetry- line breaks and all-and it builds and sounds good read aloud. So poetry then.
There are a lot of themes full of richness that was explored which feel really vulnerable and gripping - the kind people would say is important, even if it gets a little uncomfortable. The "real" feelings evoked and insight shared remind you of Hemingway- sit at a typewriter and bleed.
The details and content give the novel the kind of verisimilitude that reminded me of Murakami.
I advice going through some content warnings for this one as it contains a lot of dark/heavy topics.
I would recommend this for slightly experienced readers and not young teens, not just because of the content, but also the style of writing.
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol
__manu___'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Death, Racism, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Grief, and Abortion
Minor: Cancer, Sexual content, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War
discluvs's review against another edition
- 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? No
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Xenophobia, Grief, and War
koyuki5's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, and Grief
adelaidecooper's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Car accident, and Classism
marissasa's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
"You once told me that the human eye is god's loneliest creation. How so much of the world passes through the pupil and still it holds nothing. The eye, alone in its socket, doesn't even know there's another one, just like it, an inch away, just as hungry, as empty. Opening the front door to the first snowfall of my life, you whispered, 'Look.'"
"All this time I told myself we were born from war—but I was wrong, Ma. We were born from beauty. Let no one mistake us for the fruit of violence—but that violence, having passed through the fruit, failed to spoil it."
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, and War
yolie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I wish less time was spent on that relationship and more weight was given to the other significant relationships in his life and the milestones he achieves in his adulthood.
But there’s beauty in it too - a nod to the book’s title. Vuong/ Little Dog is able to hold so much compassion for people, he chooses to see them in their gorgeousness - irrespective of the brevity of that moment. Long after the novel is over you’ll keep coming back to certain phrases, marvelling at how stunning and lyrical Vuong’s writing is.
One of my favourite passages from the book reads:
“Because the sunset, like survival, exists only on the verge of its own disappearing. To be gorgeous, you must first be seen, but to be seen allows you to be hunted.”
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Cannibalism, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Violence, Vomit, Car accident, Abortion, and Abandonment
Minor: Biphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, and Classism
bookwormfr_t0's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Some of the portions of the book went a little over my head - possibly too lyrical for myself. It was still beautiful and I think someone who reads lyrical/poetic works often will be able to experience this to it's fullest extent!
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: War
adrians_library's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Abortion, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War