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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Fascinating book. I think I'm still digesting it. I saw the phrase "erasure poetry" and, yes. It's something like that.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia
Minor: Hate crime, Rape, Torture
Hate Crime tag used in reference to the description of something that happened to Jan Gay's father in a newspaper clipping, SA'd and tortured by a 'mob' out in the desert.
The unique combination of deathbed confessionals and redacted studies on the physical and mental states of those self-identified as gay/lesbian felt like a dabbling in shameless voyeurism. I have the odd sensation of having had been outside but also in.
Blackouts is a collage of stories, references, and media woven together, and I pored through it as I once pored through entries I found to be of great interest within the hand-me-down encyclopedia (c. 1970s) I had in my youth—gleaning all I could by flipping back and forth between citation and picture, re-reading entire sections so as to absorb as much as possible. Based on the copyright page, excerpts appeared previously in a number of media, but I am so glad that they were brought together in this novel.
I had read Justin Torres’ We the Animals long ago and thoroughly enjoyed it; as such, when NPR Fresh Air ‘s Maureen Corrigan interviewed Torres in 2023 for Blackouts, the book immediately went onto the TBR list. (https://www.npr.org/2023/10/16/1205721246/justin-torres-blackouts-review) I wish I hadn’t waited so long to finally pick it up.
Blackouts is a collage of stories, references, and media woven together, and I pored through it as I once pored through entries I found to be of great interest within the hand-me-down encyclopedia (c. 1970s) I had in my youth—gleaning all I could by flipping back and forth between citation and picture, re-reading entire sections so as to absorb as much as possible. Based on the copyright page, excerpts appeared previously in a number of media, but I am so glad that they were brought together in this novel.
I had read Justin Torres’ We the Animals long ago and thoroughly enjoyed it; as such, when NPR Fresh Air ‘s Maureen Corrigan interviewed Torres in 2023 for Blackouts, the book immediately went onto the TBR list. (https://www.npr.org/2023/10/16/1205721246/justin-torres-blackouts-review) I wish I hadn’t waited so long to finally pick it up.
Superbly written and designed. The structure is of two individuals talking to each other, along with blacked out poetry. I'd absolutely recommend the audiobook--whether on its own or with the physical book. The narration is so fitting and I loved that the author read the poetry bits. Can't recommend this enough.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
A truly blistering read. I was more emotionally drained by this book than I could have possibly expected, but Torres’ writing is all the better for it. I loved the novel but I probably won’t be returning to it anytime soon for that reason. Devastating in every way, and without respite.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Outing, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail