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james1star's review against another edition
DNF @ 60% - I did only have 2.5 hrs left of the audiobook but I couldn’t put myself though it any longer
I didn’t want to hate this book. Like not at all. (obviously I go into all my reading with the intention of enjoying it but specifically queer lit for me I like to relish in and then enthusiastically recommend). But I did. My two star rating is being *very* generous of me - partly because I didn’t actually finish it and I just have a thing where that’s my lowest rating if I do dnf but also because I think the content and thought that went into ‘Lot’ deserves higher praise but the execution heavily lacked for me.
The general premise of this books is we follow a central storyline split into chapters (I’m going to call them ‘parts’) and within each contain approximately ten sub-chapters but they do vary. This follows the first person narrative from a character I forgot his name but I believe he’s of Latino decent living in Houston with his older brother (who for some reason is abusive - this isn’t explained, maybe later in the parts I chose not to read but something happens that makes this hard to yh I dunno it just left me with questions… this’ll be a theme), his mum and dad who’s having an affair. The only part I found interesting in this (and the whole book in all honesty) was his exploration and coming to terms with his sexuality. Back to the whole book now and interspersed between each ‘part’ of the above plot are mini stores about other residents and people that live in ‘The Lot’ which is a multicultural but impoverished part of Houston where social problems are rife. The mix of stories (that I read) are varied but I didn’t like any.
I think the thing I had the biggest problem with was the structure, it really didn’t work for me. It’s not that I forgot about what was happening in the central plot but I didn’t see a point, I think a proper short story collection would have been better and marketed as such because this in between doesn’t satisfy either a novel nor collection. Additionally, the pacing was totally off - it jumps quickly, misses important events out, glazes over others, just on the whole was kinda terrible. I hate to be rude but it was extremely frustrating to read and when things that you would’ve cared about being over in a sentence but lingering on other things just nope… not for me thank you. Again if it were to have been a fully realised novel the pacing would’ve been improved… would I have read it? No but that’s because I didn’t like the story arc or any of the characters. I get we’re supposed to sympathise with certain characters, namely the MC from the central plot but also others in the smaller ones, but he’s just alright and because of the pacing flaws he’s not realised in my head to actually generate much likeness. I also hated the fact certain characters used homophobic slurs that weren’t appropriate for them to use (i.e. a non-gay man saying the f slur) with no repercussions which is just something I absolutely despise to read in books. Make the baddies be accountable, it is so frustrating. I do have a lot more dislikes with this books, notably in first short story about an affair between a Caribbean woman and a white man the predominantly non-white community treat the relationship with extreme vitriol and seem to show racist tendencies too and with how the story ends up at first they seem happy and like it’s deserved but then the second part didn’t tie into how they acted before (SPOILER: the white guy gets killed by her husband and they’re all like I mean… he had it coming and are more supportive of the husband not caring about the DEAD man at all but then they throw a wake ‘because he was one of us after all’ (or like that) which just doesn’t add up) I don’t know it was just strange. This follows with some other stores and events/ways things occurred which were just unrealistic and weird and I couldn’t get on board. And finally I am just left with so many questions (yes… I could finish it but I really really REALLY don’t want to that) so yh take that as you will.
It can be argued some of my hatred of the book could be due to the context I consumed it in? Maybe? Also I listened via an audiobook which I thought was narrated well, I think the author Bryan Washington narrated the central plot and others do the short stories. It was fine, not amazing but not bad either.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence, and Infidelity
Minor: Racism, Grief, Homophobia, Murder, Animal death, and Domestic abuse
kieransilika's review against another edition
I found the stories confusing and changing each time it was abit weird for me
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
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