Take a photo of a barcode or cover
1.05k reviews for:
Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons
John Paul Brammer
4.06 AVERAGE
1.05k reviews for:
Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons
John Paul Brammer
4.06 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Sometimes hard to rate memoirs. This will really resonate with the right person so I'm glad it exists, was just ok for me.
I zipped through this essay collection this week, enjoying every minute. ¡Hola Papi! took JP Brammer's advice column (of the same name) and turned it into a larger memoir-style project. I started following Brammer when I knew him as a funny Gay Twitter Person, but his content delves so much deeper. ¡Hola Papi! covers a wide variety of topics from finding love to battling depression, all while keeping excellent nuggets of Brammer's signature irreverent humor. Brammer's essays remain easy to read even when the subject matter gets difficult.
I'm not generally a fan of essay collections, but this one worked. Each essay had something to say, and they flowed in a cohesive manner. While the book kept many of the advice column's signature mechanics, it gelled as a unit and there were points when I forgot that was the conceit. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a thoughtful and witty memoir, and especially those looking for contemporary reflections on race, sexuality, and mental health in the US.
CW: homophobia, racism, sexual assault, suicidal ideation, mention of eating disorders
I'm not generally a fan of essay collections, but this one worked. Each essay had something to say, and they flowed in a cohesive manner. While the book kept many of the advice column's signature mechanics, it gelled as a unit and there were points when I forgot that was the conceit. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a thoughtful and witty memoir, and especially those looking for contemporary reflections on race, sexuality, and mental health in the US.
CW: homophobia, racism, sexual assault, suicidal ideation, mention of eating disorders
I love JP's writing so much.
"Remember this, I told myself, running my hand over the small of his back, clinging to his warmth to savor later, wishing that I could make this a checkpoint like in a video game and all I'd have to do to come back to it was die and die and die. Remember what this feels like."
"Remember this, I told myself, running my hand over the small of his back, clinging to his warmth to savor later, wishing that I could make this a checkpoint like in a video game and all I'd have to do to come back to it was die and die and die. Remember what this feels like."
reflective
fast-paced
I liked the format of this book. An extended advice column, really. In depth personal stories reflecting on identity and relationships. John Paul has a distinctive voice and a clear writing style. Im grateful to have stumbled across this book!!!
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
I read this not knowing anything about the author, but I loved his honesty through his advice column, I will definitely read more of his work!
3.5 stars, i would say. i enjoyed some of the stories, which read like extended advice columns with personal stories that explain the advice. my favorite chapters were “how to describe dick” and “how to chat your childhood bully over a gay dating app.”
CW: suicide ideation
.
.
.
I really enjoyed this book, and especially appreciated Brammer's narratives around his suicide ideation over the years. Even in the moments where his answers to questions from others are "I don't know," the journey there is very clear, well explained, and likely relatable for a lot of queer folks. He also includes great reflections on situationships, navigating queerness is rural areas, and more.
.
.
.
I really enjoyed this book, and especially appreciated Brammer's narratives around his suicide ideation over the years. Even in the moments where his answers to questions from others are "I don't know," the journey there is very clear, well explained, and likely relatable for a lot of queer folks. He also includes great reflections on situationships, navigating queerness is rural areas, and more.