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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
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
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It was truly unlike all other books. An absolutely delight to read—I learned so much, enjoyed the other mediums added into the story, and felt genuinely sad when it ended.
Strong character development:
No
read this for gay time. wrote a fun little essay about hyenas = gay ghosts & wrote testogel blackout poems as a result.
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
informative
reflective
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
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc of this book.
3.5- I’ve read few novels similar to this one, and I will say that the writing style was extremely interesting and perhaps the highlight of the novel for me, because at times I felt that the story was convoluted and a bit out of context. I felt I had to pay deep attention to multiple storylines, some of which didn’t mix. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the conversations between Juan and the narrator, and I am intrigued to see where this style of storytelling will go!
3.5- I’ve read few novels similar to this one, and I will say that the writing style was extremely interesting and perhaps the highlight of the novel for me, because at times I felt that the story was convoluted and a bit out of context. I felt I had to pay deep attention to multiple storylines, some of which didn’t mix. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the conversations between Juan and the narrator, and I am intrigued to see where this style of storytelling will go!
challenging
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another reviewer said of reading this book, "in a lot of ways, it challenged what I thought a novel was," and I had a similar experience. It was surprising to learn that the obscure historical figures discussed at length in the book were real people—but the main two characters having a conversation are fictional. Or at least as fictional as any work of fiction where the author intentionally blurs the line between narrator and self. It challenged my tidy mental boundary between "fiction" and "non-fiction." As the title indicates, the book is also calling attention to all the things we can't know—places of erasure. What's left out shapes a story, too. There's a lot of metanarrative, too, in that the characters choose how to tell and embellish their stories to each other and often make those choices explicit (there are several scenes narrated as movie shots, for example). "Tell me about your mother. Make it terrible."
I was also challenged—and delighted—by the many images included, particularly all the blackout poetry. (And if you get the second edition or later, there is also a collection of collages at the end!) Most of the challenge aspect came from trying to read text in images on an e-reader, tbh. I recommend the print version!
If you have a book club or professor friend to discuss this one with, all the better! There's a lot to unpack.
I was also challenged—and delighted—by the many images included, particularly all the blackout poetry. (And if you get the second edition or later, there is also a collection of collages at the end!) Most of the challenge aspect came from trying to read text in images on an e-reader, tbh. I recommend the print version!
If you have a book club or professor friend to discuss this one with, all the better! There's a lot to unpack.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia
Minor: Pregnancy, War