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alondere's review against another edition
5.0
The novel title of his second book can be found here
Graphic: Grief, Drug abuse, Racism, War, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Terminal illness, and Homophobia
Minor: Racial slurs and Violence
zackarinareads's review
4.25
Graphic: Xenophobia, Colonisation, Gun violence, Racism, Death, and War
lynxpardinus's review
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual content, Death of parent, Racism, and War
Moderate: Police brutality, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Minor: Ableism and Racial slurs
theinfinitebookcase's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Rape, Racism, Death of parent, War, Sexual assault, and Violence
emmaopaline's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Racism, War, and Suicidal thoughts
kia_y_k's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Racism, Child abuse, Death, Religious bigotry, and War
gabbygarcia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
On nearly every page I went back and forth between loving and deeply disliking this book. At times I think it takes itself too seriously, especially in the first half (the second half is stronger, in my opinion). I did enjoy how the whole book felt like one long poem--the themes and verses often spilled into one another, complementing each other in thoughtful ways. However, some of the poems discussed too many things and could have been edited for clarity. They overflowed with so many images that it was hard to keep track of the main subjects. I also found myself frustrated with the way he wrote about women. I can't quite pinpoint why it made me so uncomfortable, but it did.
In his defense, Vuong is a master at crafting perfect lines--though they did not necessarily make whole poems great. Despite that, there are a lot of lines I will be coming back to for a long time, like:
Dear god, if you are a season, let it be the one I passed through / to get here ("Notebook Fragments" was excellent, one of my favorites from the collection)
and:
Know that I never chose/ which way the seasons turned. That it was always October/ in my throat/ & you: every leaf/ refusing to rust
and:
My son, tell them/ the body is a blade that sharpens/ by cutting
and:
Ocean. Ocean--/ get up. The most beautiful part of your body/ is where it's headed. & remember,/ loneliness is still time spent/ with the world.
and:
Red is only black remembering.
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Sexual content
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Homophobia, Blood, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Racism
skudiklier's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Racism, Physical abuse, and Miscarriage
Minor: Sexual assault