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wintermote's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
2.0
His life is such a tragedy. Such a tortured existence. Reading his struggle to find love, connection and acceptance is so hard. Life could be so much more! Like many memoirs it was hard to follow the meandering thread of thought. Didn’t need the graphic descriptions of sex. Just didn’t enjoy the book. Read for a challenge.
nestorandres92's review
4.0
¡Gracias Edgar! I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where the author's absent father is from. Similar to many countries in Latin America, the culture I have been immersed in most of my life still has deep-seated "machismo" and homophobia. This was especially my experience growing up in conservative-evangelical churches. I have spent much of my twenties deconstructing all of this. I am so grateful for this raw, vulnerable, honest story from someone that shares a similar cultural background. I was broken by the lack of safety he experienced as a young person, shamed and rejected by a family that inevitably pushed him to seek the embrace of others in spaces that were not ideal for a minor. For that reason, I hope this book falls in the hands of many parents grappling with this so-called "issue". But Edgar doesn't just narrate his personal experiences as a queer Latinx man. He also subtly, and at times not so subtly, exposes the evil of "machismo" and homophobia, which doesn't just deeply hurt the LGBTQ community and women, but also results in subpar men. I was especially grateful for chapter 7 where he interweaves his story with that of Omar Mateen while also facing the pain left by the Club Pulse shooting in 2016 in his hometown of Orlando, one of those moments that I still remember where I was when I found out about. This chapter alone was a masterpiece in writing! To be honest, this book was at times hard to read, but I'm so glad I did!
dasweinz's review
5.0
I gasped, I laughed, I cried, a little bit I sobbed. I loved this book. I am partial to memoirs, especially in audiobook read by the author, and this was a great listen.
One chapter that feels a bit like a microcosm of the book was Everything Is Sexy. I found myself pausing the book to laugh out loud. And then also just leveled with emotion (maybe that was when my dog came into the room to check on me?).
“Here’s what you don’t know, if you wanna feel sexy: you don’t know there are hit songs on the radio with lyrics about killing you; you don’t remember the teacher in high school who laughed along when your classmate asked how you and your boyfriend dealt with ‘the shit;’ you ignore that there are still laws barring sodomy; you never received electroshock therapy, so desperate parents willing to try anything might as well not be real; you don’t go back to the bedroom your uncle locked you in with a woman, back when you were 13 and still played with lizards; the statistics about LGBT homelessness are only numbers to you…”
A very engaging, moving read for me.
One chapter that feels a bit like a microcosm of the book was Everything Is Sexy. I found myself pausing the book to laugh out loud. And then also just leveled with emotion (maybe that was when my dog came into the room to check on me?).
“Here’s what you don’t know, if you wanna feel sexy: you don’t know there are hit songs on the radio with lyrics about killing you; you don’t remember the teacher in high school who laughed along when your classmate asked how you and your boyfriend dealt with ‘the shit;’ you ignore that there are still laws barring sodomy; you never received electroshock therapy, so desperate parents willing to try anything might as well not be real; you don’t go back to the bedroom your uncle locked you in with a woman, back when you were 13 and still played with lizards; the statistics about LGBT homelessness are only numbers to you…”
A very engaging, moving read for me.
sarahheartsbooks's review
5.0
*I give all memoirs 5⭐ because I don't feel right rating someone's lives experience when they had the courage to put it out into the world*
bibi003's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this memoir. I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author himself. I love hearing people read their own work because you get to hear the rhythm of the sentences and the inflections the way they intended. This book was often sad, sometimes uplifting, and a reminder of the many issues faced by the LGBTQIA+ community. A fitting read to kick off Pride month.
twinadam's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
graveyardpansy's review
5.0
4.5 stars! at times i longed for a little more reflection or intimacy, but as a whole i thought this has strong through lines and a very likeable voice. it occupies a weird, but not bad, space somewhere between a standard memoir and a memoir-in-essays. however, i read this because of gender reveal (the podcast) and because Gomez is nonbinary, and there was almost no gender discussion! but that’s picky. overall, really enjoyed this one.