Reviews tagging 'Grief'

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

358 reviews

gentlethem's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War

Minor: Terminal illness

lalu's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad

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

4.0

This was very different from what I usually read. It was beautiful, confusing, challenging, desperate, touching, and intimate. Easy to read despite the extraordinary prose. 
But I have to say I don't envy students who have to analyse and interpret the hell out of this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Violence, and War

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racism, Terminal illness, Grief, Car accident, and Abortion

notapollosdaphne's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Racism, Dementia, Grief, and War

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Homophobia, and Racism

shayh's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War

Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Car accident, and Abortion

greenan26's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Biphobia, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Grief, and Classism

Moderate: Xenophobia and War

cepbreed's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

3.5

I honestly expected so much more from this book. I was told it would be earth-shattering and remarkable but upon reading the last page I didn't have any strong feelings. That isn't to say I didn't like it at all or feel strong emotions during certain parts, but the novelty wore off. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous was obviously written by a poet. The prose has a poetic quality and so does the organization. Paragraphs and chapters are arranged in such a way that sometimes appears random and is in need of clarification, which in poetry you can get away with but in a novel it became tiresome as I was getting to the end. Vagueness in poetry is almost necessary, but a novel is a much less flexible medium. I think a part of the reason this quality was so glaring to me is because I just read Maud Martha by Gwendolyn Brooks, another novel by a poet, but one that is much more successful. I enjoyed reading about Little Dog from his perspective and the concept of writing to his mother was intriguing. My heart strings were continually tugged and the intimacy of Vuong's writing made Little Dog feel like a friend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Grief, and War

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, and Blood

Minor: Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

whimpix's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Excrement, and War

elliotlea's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, War, and Classism

sadiaa's review against another edition

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, and Classism

baddgerose's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.0

Vuong’s story is as deep and captivating as his writing style. This was a beautiful and heartbreaking story that keeps you down allowing you to come up for only brief and humorous pockets of air. This story was real and vivid. The writing was very poetic and the imagery provided, drops the reader right into the scene in the best and worst ways. I personally disliked the amount of the gruesome and gory details (animal abuse and body horror) which of course added emotional value but also distracted from the rest of the page. I found my mind stuck on horrible images long after turning the page. This book is beautiful and fearlessly describes the gorgeous, and the terrible. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and War