Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Op aarde schitteren we even by Ocean Vuong

615 reviews

lia_mills's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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

Method: audiobook

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. 

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Content Warnings

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

CHANGED MY LIFE 😭

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Content Warnings

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

kiah04's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, War, and Racism

Minor: Domestic abuse

swifterel22's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

It's written so beautifully and talks about many important topics. 
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.

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Content Warnings

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

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

purple_converse's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

this would be a 5 star book except it’s a poets novel. it talks too much for a book and yet idk if i would cut a single thing. please read it’s so easy to get into

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Racism, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Violence, Excrement, Drug abuse, Grief, Addiction, Car accident, Cursing, Homophobia, Mental illness, Blood, and Dementia

shaleen64's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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

3.75

This book covers a variety of important topics, such as war, race, family dynamics and sexuality in a beautiful and poetic way. Heartbreakingly it is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. The narrative sections of the book kept me engaged, but the more poetic elements that followed little chronology left me lost at times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Death, and War

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Addiction, and Racism

Minor: Cancer, Pregnancy, and Abortion

kalaser's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Drug use, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Dementia, Drug abuse, and Abortion

Moderate: Cancer, Death, and Homophobia

Minor: Sexual violence, Racism, Terminal illness, and War

alenaecook's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

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

shlymiller's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, War, Kidnapping, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Sexual content