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pottersauce's review against another edition
I didn't finish because I was simply expecting something different. I was expecting lighthearted romance. But what I got was a kind of tragic story of a gay kid growing up with homophobic parents. And based on reviews, it seems to turn around? But the mom was blaming her son for her husband's death, because he's gay. That's just not okay.
Also the language was flowery, more like something I would expect from literature? Not bad, but just not what I was expecting or in the mood for.
The audiobook narrator was good, but my understanding of Louisiana is that the accent there can be a bit different than a more 'generic' southern accent. And maybe this story was nowhere near the bayou so the accent was right? I don't know.
Also the language was flowery, more like something I would expect from literature? Not bad, but just not what I was expecting or in the mood for.
The audiobook narrator was good, but my understanding of Louisiana is that the accent there can be a bit different than a more 'generic' southern accent. And maybe this story was nowhere near the bayou so the accent was right? I don't know.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Death of parent
rayofhope's review against another edition
challenging
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I read this for a local queer bookclub. I'll admit that I had some trouble with it at the beginning, some of the topics approached in the book hit a little too close to home (like having a homophobic parent and grappling with being raised in a religion that doesn't support queer identities) -- but in that awkward way where it's a little to the left of my own experience, and so instead of feeling seen I just felt misunderstood.
I didn't really connect with any of the characters, none of them seemed like people I would be friends with in real life. However, I feel like part of the issue was the audiobook reader. Once I mentally replaced Ezra and his family with version of the Rose family from Schitt's creek, (in terms of line delivery at least) I ended up liking them a lot better lol.
The narrative poses a lot of interesting questions about the nature of life, and afterlife, and meaning. But most importantly it's about families. About navigating the misunderstandings and heartbreak that caring about other people inevitably brings. I'm glad I read it, even if it was challenging for me.
I didn't really connect with any of the characters, none of them seemed like people I would be friends with in real life. However, I feel like part of the issue was the audiobook reader. Once I mentally replaced Ezra and his family with version of the Rose family from Schitt's creek, (in terms of line delivery at least) I ended up liking them a lot better lol.
The narrative poses a lot of interesting questions about the nature of life, and afterlife, and meaning. But most importantly it's about families. About navigating the misunderstandings and heartbreak that caring about other people inevitably brings. I'm glad I read it, even if it was challenging for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Drug use, and Alcoholism
lisasilv's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-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
5.0
I laughed and cried. This book really did give all of the feels - joy, hope, fear, love, sadness, grief and loss. One of my favorites for this year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Homophobia, and Death of parent
Moderate: Hate crime, Alcoholism, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Terminal illness
lottiebrooks's review
emotional
funny
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
Beautifully written and so creative. I sobbed my way through this one
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
faythd's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, and Homophobia
Moderate: Classism, Animal death, Body shaming, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content
fkshg8465's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
2.5
I really wanted to like this book more, but I kept falling asleep. So it took a lot longer to finish than it should’ve, and I read and reread so many parts that I’m now a little confused about the timeline. It’s a nice story, if a bit boring. I can say that much, and it’s got a bunch of well defined characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
tlholmes's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Death of parent, Death, Animal death, Grief, Homophobia, Hate crime, and Religious bigotry
bakingbookworm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.5
Big Gay Wedding is a story that was so much more than I expected with its humour, heart, issues and memorable characters. Based solely on its title you'd expect it to be about ... well, a big gay wedding. But the wedding is simply the backdrop for this story about Chrissy, a woman who owns a small farm in Louisiana and adores her only child but doesn't want to admit that her son is gay and that he won't be leaving the big city to take over the farm.
Chrissy's love for Barnett is clear but comes with conditions making her journey to accepting her gay son a bumpy ride. I appreciated that Lane doesn't shy away from describing the religious-fueled homophobia in the small, rural Louisiana town and the authenticity that was given to Chrissy's journey to learn to unconditionally love her son. Caution: this story could be triggering for some readers.
There is a gaggle of secondary characters - human and beast - who add to the story in many ways. Some characters (Ezra's family) are kind of annoying and cliched, but I adored Barnett's hilarious and sassy Paw-Paw! Fans of 1980's/90's sitcoms will enjoy the names of the farm animals and may become emotionally attached to Elaine, the elderly sheep.
With its quirky feel (like Lane's husband Steven Rowley's book Guncle) and an obvious nod to Canada's Schitt's Creek with their 'fish out of water' characters, this is a heartwarming, humorous and heartbreaking story. Lane balances the struggles LGBTQ+ people experience when coming out within a story that has comedic bits and centres around the love of a cute couple, a tight mother-son bond and a mother's journey to accepting, advocating to unconditionally loving her son.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
lilbroccoli's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a weird mix of comedy and homophobia. Parts were really funny and over the top! Other parts read like the speech you want to give everyone in your homophobic small town that will make them see the errors of their ways, which definitely is not how that works in real life.
Chrissy really struggled to accept her son at the beginning, making it difficult to be in her head. Neither mom felt like a real person with how suddenly their issues were resolved.
Chrissy really struggled to accept her son at the beginning, making it difficult to be in her head. Neither mom felt like a real person with how suddenly their issues were resolved.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Animal death, and Alcoholism
bmills1210's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Hate crime