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booksonadventures'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? Yes
3.5
I struggled with OEWBG in the beginning, I tend to be a fast reader and the lyrical sentences felt awkward and jumbled in my mind. I decided not to force it and ended up at the book club unfinished, where someone recommended I try the audiobook and WOW, WHAT A DIFFERENCE. If you also struggle to read slowly, I cannot recommend the audio enough. Vuong narrates his own work, with a cadence that mirrors spoken word poetry. It's exquisite.
What really stood out to me with OEWBG is the way that Vuong plays with language through definition, homonyms, and metaphor. The result is a unique performance, where you can feel the narrator searching, yearning for connection—with his mother, his lover, his Vietnamese roots, and his home in America. An example: "What I really wanted to say was that a monster is not such a terrible thing to be. From the Latin root monstrum, a divine messenger of catastrophe, then adapted by the Old French to mean an animal of myriad origins: centaur, griffin, satyr. To be a monster is to be a hybrid signal, a lighthouse: both shelter and warning at once."
Still, I never really connected with this one as much as I was hoping but I appreciate the artistic and creative narrative structure.
Final thoughts: 👍🏻 Recommended.
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual content, and Grief
josie9'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? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
aworldinpages's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
3.0
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, and Grief
fynnnnnn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Excrement, Alcohol, and War
mariafatima's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
this book explains the hardships of immigrants, the dynamic between many asian families, the way trauma haunts families for generations… this book presents a person who tries to navigate life when it throws them challenges after challenges. i felt seen through this book. this is a read i will never forget—it will forever occupy a special space in my thoughts & my heart.
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
naivewildflower's review against another edition
- 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
Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Grief, and War
bandysbooks'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? Yes
5.0
The poetic influence on this book could've been overdone, but I felt like it was just perfect. Vuong talks about a lot of dark and difficult things and it contrasts beautifully against his prose. The writing flows so smoothly and keeps you really engaged.
I also could vividly imagine Vuong as a young child and into adulthood. There are so many scenes that come alive...him as child translating for his mom and grandma, him dealing with bullies at school, him finding confidence in himself as he grows. Each scene is relatively quick, but the impression was lasting.
Usually, I end with a qualifying statement about who might enjoy reading this book....but I'm just going to end this with...I highly recommend this. PERIOD.
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War
Added trigger warning that I’m not sure what category it falls into…sex work to survive poverty and war.itworksforpiiigs's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Grief
smol_berry's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Grief, and Alcohol
lushily's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Grief, and War
One of the most emotionally nuanced, empathetic books I've ever read about parental trauma and cycles of abuse.