Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Brevemente risplendiamo sulla terra by Ocean Vuong, Claudia Durastanti

38 reviews

sydapel's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

There's a blurb on the back of this book that calls it "raw" and that's really all I've got to say about this story, these people, this writing. Its a book that requires revisiting, despite the heartache and suffering that almost leaks through the page, and it reminded me of the strength in remembering, of drawing beauty out of suffering, and oddly of the complex community of Hartford. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Addiction, Animal death, Grief, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Homophobia, Blood, and Colonisation

tessareads_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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? No

3.0

The story was interesting and I feel I learned a lot about Vietnam and Vietnamese Americans but I didn't like how it was written. It jumped all over the place, changed tenses (time and personal) and structure, making it hard to follow. It often started off telling one story and then went on a tangent about something unrelated and I found myself rushing through those parts to get back to the original point. Sometimes it focused way too much on particular imagery which just got a bit boring and repetitive. For me, a lot of it just felt pretentious. It felt like a lot of things were just thrown in, like the mention of friends who he hadn't mentioned previously.  Also, are we not over the bury your gays trope by now? This book was published in 2019, there was no need.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Child death, and Death

archaicrobin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

This is without a doubt one of the most beautiful books I have ever read (or technically listened to). Ocean Vuoung writes beautifully and completely destroyed me at the same time. 

Written as a letter to his illiterate mother who fled Vietnam during the war, Little Dog shares his struggles growing up as a gay Vietnamese man in America at a time where tolerance was almost non-existent. You hear about his mother’s story of survival, along with that of his grandmother’s. You hear about the horrific things his family has endured and that he has endured at the hands of his family. So much emotion is in this book, it completely destroyed me. 

I highly recommend this novel and if you can, get the audiobook so you can hear Ocean’s narration of it! This is one I’ll be thinking about for awhile….

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, War, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Racial slurs, and Physical abuse

radfordmanor's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Grief, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Infidelity, War, Vomit, Animal death, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, Violence, Alcoholism, Child death, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma

ru_th'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

They say if you want something bad enough you’ll end up making a god out of it. But what if all I ever wanted was my life, Ma? 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use and Racism

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Drug abuse, and Death

Minor: Child death and Addiction

josie9's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

4.75

Absolutely speechless, Vuong’s writing is truely ingenious, authentic and so freaking devastating 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Cancer, Classism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, War, and Bullying

vanessa_reads_a_lot's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, War, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Gun violence, Drug abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Death, Child death, Addiction, and Abortion

unsaturated_phat's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

I have no words. One of the best book I’ve ever listened. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Xenophobia, War, Terminal illness, Racism, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Homophobia, Grief, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Death, Child abuse, Child death, Cancer, and Addiction

ashleyann's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, and Abortion

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Hate crime, Homophobia, War, and Racism

Minor: Abandonment, Car accident, Child death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, and Terminal illness

sadiefc's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, War, and Sexual content

Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Xenophobia, Vomit, and Transphobia