Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

9 reviews

janineledet's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

A young man pens a letter to his mother explaining their complicated relationship, his sexuality, and how his past and dramatically impacted his current perception about life. Poetically written this unbearing of the soul is heart-wrenching to read, particularly since the actions of those at fault are simply a consequence of their own past. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Racism, Grief, Gore, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Drug use, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, War, Pregnancy, and Drug abuse

Minor: Abortion

camilleikalina's review against another edition

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Mental illness, and Abandonment

anton13's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Beautiful. Just beautiful. Seriously the way Ocean writes is so poetic, I love it! And just the way he’s able to intertwine everything he’s been through with well placed facts and anecdotes is amazing. I always love finding good writing and this truly is as good as it gets. I love everything about it. I’d truly recommend it to anyone and everyone!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War

Moderate: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Blood, Drug abuse, Animal death, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Pregnancy, Abortion, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Violence, Car accident, Medical content, and Vomit

jarif_hasan's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Hear me out....! it's a really good book, this write is god gifted. The only thing I didn't like that much is LGBTQIA. Yes I no it's his own life story and I really didn't have any problem with writer . The thing is I don't support LGBTQIA but that doesn't mean I hate them. But yeah don't hesitate after seeing my review and highly recommend to read this book it will be really good thing to consume 🙂✨

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

reemoony's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

i used to be so pretentious when it came to giving books five stars. i thought they had to check this huge list of boxes, but they dont. if you enjoy a book, give it five stars. with that being said, i dont know if i enjoyed this book. it doesnt feel like a book you’re supposed to like, but you love it anyway. its gut-wrenching and hurtful and powerful and loving. it’s everything in the universe at once. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Racism, Medical content, Terminal illness, Violence, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Animal cruelty, Genocide, Hate crime, Sexual content, Addiction, Animal death, Cancer, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Child abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, and War

Moderate: Car accident, Excrement, Rape, Medical content, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Police brutality, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Sexism

tobycohen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Addiction, Child abuse, Death, War, Sexual content, Racism, Drug abuse, and Domestic abuse

wetdirtreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book absolutely lives up to the hype it’s received. And then some. It is so so so beautiful. It is also, however, truly harrowing. From start to finish.
 
It’s not (for me, at least) one of those books where you sob uncontrollably all the way through it. I cried a bit at one point. But it mostly just left me feeling completely hollow. Like a trauma response – a dissociated ‘freeze’ state. The book doesn’t offer a release from this emotional purgatory – which I assume is very intentional. To provide any relief would be disingenuous, because the pain this book articulates is still so raw, so real, so relevant. 
 
Vuong doesn’t try to offer the reader insights into Little Dog’s experience – little morsels of wisdom – like you’re watching him through a window or on a TV screen. He brings you right into it. Right into Little Dog’s remembering; his pleasure & his pain. You don’t get to just consume his story as a fun lil trauma porn fix and then walk away from it unscathed. It sticks with you. Like Gorilla Glue, that super heavy-duty stuff that’s a real bitch to get off.
 
If discomfort and tension are not things you look for in a read, then this book probably isn’t for you. However, even if you do enjoy those things, I would still highly recommend emotionally preparing yourself before reading it. I’d also recommend following it with something light-hearted and fun. Otherwise, you will just feel pain. Indefinitely. 
 
My personal storytelling practice usually seeks to destabilise comfort, not reinforce it. I often write in the hopes that people will walk away with questions, with a renewed awareness of the messy, unresolvable, undefinable nature of the world – not answers, conclusions or relief. This book does all of that. Times a thousand. And I feel honoured to have been hurt by it.

(Review originally posted on Instagram)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Grief, Racism, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Death, Animal death, Child abuse, Drug use, Terminal illness, Violence, and War

Moderate: Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Excrement, Bullying, Abandonment, and Homophobia

Minor: Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Adult/minor relationship, and Car accident

kathrinellis's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Very touching and unique story about loss, first love, struggling with your family and sexuality, migration, addiction, the Vietnamese war and (emotional) abuse. Also, the title is immaculate.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Sexual content, and War

nilou's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Violence, War, Racism, Mental illness, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Bullying, and Adult/minor relationship