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merrilywereadalong777's review
3.0
Nice debut. I enjoyed the longer stories the most and really look forward to reading more work by Gonzalez. Very Bryan Washington-esque/adjacent. I loved the Half Heart story. I think some of the flash fiction stories, though well written, dilute the reading experience a bit.
pleasereadittome's review against another edition
4.0
The title and description of “I’m Not Hungry But I Could Eat” – also a personal life motto – is what prompted me to add this to my queue, and I’m glad I did. While food or alcohol is a thread between each story, it’s the themes of sacrifice, belonging and coping that drew me in.
Christopher Gonzalez applied sardonic humor to mundane situations - like happy hours, housewarmings and bachelor parties - but also gave each story an emotional center to make you care. He showed a measured restraint in his prose and keen sense for understanding when an idea had run its course. If only more writers were that self-aware.
Oftentimes with themed collections, each story is a variation of the next, but that wasn’t the case here. Some tried to do a little too much, but all were satisfying and unique. I honestly could not tell where most were heading.
The standouts: "Better Than All That," Enough For Two To Share," "I'm Not Hungry But I Could Eat," Here's The Situation" and "Juan, Actually." Of the 15 stories, only two completely missed the mark and three were interesting but full of mid-20s problems I can't relate to anymore.
Minor criticisms aside, the length of this collection makes it a must read for fans of the genre. Christopher Gonzalez showed a lot of promise with this debut, and I’m eager for him to write a full-length novel.
Christopher Gonzalez applied sardonic humor to mundane situations - like happy hours, housewarmings and bachelor parties - but also gave each story an emotional center to make you care. He showed a measured restraint in his prose and keen sense for understanding when an idea had run its course. If only more writers were that self-aware.
Oftentimes with themed collections, each story is a variation of the next, but that wasn’t the case here. Some tried to do a little too much, but all were satisfying and unique. I honestly could not tell where most were heading.
The standouts: "Better Than All That," Enough For Two To Share," "I'm Not Hungry But I Could Eat," Here's The Situation" and "Juan, Actually." Of the 15 stories, only two completely missed the mark and three were interesting but full of mid-20s problems I can't relate to anymore.
Minor criticisms aside, the length of this collection makes it a must read for fans of the genre. Christopher Gonzalez showed a lot of promise with this debut, and I’m eager for him to write a full-length novel.
ruthie_'s review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
3.5
lilcaracol17'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
3.25
The writing style is interesting and unique; I appreciated his musings. Some of the stories grabbed my attention. Still, overall was kind of meh for me, characters were hard to like, theme of unrequited love featured in a lot of the stories to the point of feeling repetitive, and the descriptions of food were sometimes kinda gross. All of which you could argue was the point, so even though it wasn’t my cup of tea, not a bad collection by any means.
lgbtrepinbooks's review
5.0
A book of stories about Bisexual and Gay Puerto Rican men. The stories explore death, break-ups, love, cancer, and the role of hunger in our lives.
reviewsbylola's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
cocoranzeoh11's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75