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lia_mills's review against another edition
- 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
To be honest, I found Part I of this book to be difficult to get through, in a "this feels like homework" kind of way (and this is coming from someone who usually enjoyed doing English homework).
I suspected choosing the audiobook may have been a mistake - this book uses a lot of poetic language in a way that often works on the page but can be a little exhausting to listen to, and the way the story moves back and forth across memories over years or decades, although effective in helping us understand the narrator, can be a little confusing in audiobook form.
But from Part II onwards it picked up for me - maybe I just got used to it. It's certainly an evocative story, with a lot of insights into the life of a shy, thoughtful, working-class, queer, Vietnamese-American young man, and a level of emotional depth that makes me understand why it's been so highly regarded.
Some quotes I found particularly interesting:
• "The thing is, I don't want my sadness to be othered from me, just as I don't want my happiness to be othered. They're both mine. I made them, damn it."
• "Too much joy, I swear, is lost in the desperation to keep it."
• "You asked me what it's like to be a writer, and I'm giving you a mess, I know. But it's a mess, Ma. I'm not making this up. I made it down."
Works (2) this made me think of:
• My Sister's Keeper (2004 family/medical/legal drama novel by Jodie Picoult): has a similar aspect of moving through time (although from a variety of different narrators rather than the one here), and a similar reliance on (and, to my mind, borderline overuse of) explanatory metaphor and symbolism.
• Call Me By Your Name (2007 coming-of-age novel by Andre Aciman): has a similar exploration of a secret MM relationship, from the first-person perspective of the more (comparatively) introverted partner.
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Violence, Mental illness, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Cursing, Medical content, Abortion, Addiction, Child abuse, Death, and Grief
oneiricgarden's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Gore, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Child abuse, Car accident, Racism, War, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Abandonment, Colonisation, and Alcohol
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis
uisceerika's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Colonisation, Drug use, Gore, War, Car accident, Child abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Sexual content, Death, Drug abuse, Racism, Alcoholism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
johnny_harker'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
Graphic: Homophobia, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Racism
swifterel22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book moves you, shows you a horrible but very real in this world reality. The sentences were written so gorgeously that I couldn't help but highlight many of them and I felt like in some parts this novel read more like poetry.
I am so glad I finally got to reading it.
Graphic: Death, Grief, Drug abuse, Drug use, and War
Moderate: War, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Drug use, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Homophobia, Ableism, Physical abuse, Outing, Grief, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Racial slurs, Bullying, Racism, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Dementia, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Transphobia, Cancer, and Abortion
voidfavors's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Animal death, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, and Death
Moderate: Homophobia, Physical abuse, War, Violence, Addiction, Racial slurs, and Terminal illness
melanija's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, War, Violence, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Racism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Animal death, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content and Cancer
tinygoldfox's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, and Abortion
Moderate: Racism, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Cancer, Child abuse, Car accident, Grief, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia
caidyn's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia and Child abuse
alenaecook's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Colonisation, Drug use, War, Death, Dementia, Grief, and Mental illness