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scherezade's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
In some ways, this book is greater than the sum of its parts. Parts of the book dragged or were simply so intensely lyrical and abstract, I got a bit lost, but so much of the prose is so stunning and moving, it takes your breath away. I think this is a book worth rereading at various stages of your life. I'm glad to have read of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, and Xenophobia
translove's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
wow. the first time I read this book, it wrecked me. the second time, it wrecked me even more.
it's so raw and beautiful in its realness. it makes me think and feel. I think about love and family; war and my whiteness; language and connections; life, in general. I feel devastated and seen. I feel like the only thing holding me together is a flimsy belief that I didn't lose too much, but it's such a frail thing, this belief, that it crumbles between my fingers like the sand castles I built and then tore down when I was little. this novel feels like a punch in the gut and at the same time the air moving back into my lungs afterwards. it hurts and heals and that is the kind of art I always crave. thank you, Ocean Vuong.
it's so raw and beautiful in its realness. it makes me think and feel. I think about love and family; war and my whiteness; language and connections; life, in general. I feel devastated and seen. I feel like the only thing holding me together is a flimsy belief that I didn't lose too much, but it's such a frail thing, this belief, that it crumbles between my fingers like the sand castles I built and then tore down when I was little. this novel feels like a punch in the gut and at the same time the air moving back into my lungs afterwards. it hurts and heals and that is the kind of art I always crave. thank you, Ocean Vuong.
"Days I feel like a human being, while other days I feel more like a sound. I touch the world not as myself but as an echo of who I was. Can you hear me yet? Can you read me?"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Racism, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Homophobia, and Hate crime
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, and Domestic abuse
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