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notlikethebeer's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.75
There is so much I want to say about this book, and so little that does not sound trite. In thinking about Ken, I am reminded of the quote "to know him is to love him" - and to get to know him, through Hua Hsu's words, is to love him also. This is a coming-of-age memoir of two lines, where one line is cut off without warning, and the other is left to continue. Interspersed not just with photography, but also with reflections on history, memory, and friendship itself - what is a friend? what is history? can we ever know what we are or were to others? - this is a truly incredible novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
kristinallard's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Murder, Grief, and Gun violence
pickashelf's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
maythetree's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
boundtwobooks's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Grief
vklyle99's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Murder, Kidnapping, and Grief
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Drug use
annnakane's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.0
This book had some nice parts, but I found the narration somewhat insufferable. Hsu himself admits at the end that he’s “legendarily self-involved,” which I had felt for most of the book. I think the memoir would be much stronger if it was more self-critical and introspective throughout the book, rather than mostly at the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Grief
Moderate: Racism
paigicus's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Murder