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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
This isn’t the sort of book I normally go for but I loved the cover and was intrigued by the premise so I requested it on netgalley.
Well, I suspect I should be reading more of this type of book! I was absolutely hooked by Memorial from the beginning and read it in 2 days. The characters are honest and interesting, multi-faceted and flawed, but somehow also very likeable. I enjoyed watching the story play out, but the real star here is the writing, which is just beyond beautiful. Memorial made me think and at the end it made me cry.
I know it will stay with me for a long time. It’s an absolutely brilliant book and I would recommend it to anyone.
I’m so grateful for my free copy. Thank you.
Well, I suspect I should be reading more of this type of book! I was absolutely hooked by Memorial from the beginning and read it in 2 days. The characters are honest and interesting, multi-faceted and flawed, but somehow also very likeable. I enjoyed watching the story play out, but the real star here is the writing, which is just beyond beautiful. Memorial made me think and at the end it made me cry.
I know it will stay with me for a long time. It’s an absolutely brilliant book and I would recommend it to anyone.
I’m so grateful for my free copy. Thank you.
Representation matters and this book is a portal into a world I know little about—geographically, culturally. I like how much you learn about the characters and how little you realize you know in the end. The parallelism of the men and their families is well-done. In the end the book seems to make a cult of ambiguity and it kind of felt like the easy way out. Would recommend.
reflective
slow-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
A great novel with so many small one (or two) liners that really packed a punch. I liked how the dialogue was written, it felt realistic and I felt the same for all of the characters too. Benson and Mike were really interesting characters and I thought their relationship was complex and also interesting to read about.
I wish Mike's perspective had chapters tbh but I'm glad we get to learn about both of their stories and yeah I could see myself reading this again in the future and checking out his other works.
I wish Mike's perspective had chapters tbh but I'm glad we get to learn about both of their stories and yeah I could see myself reading this again in the future and checking out his other works.
I keep checking out this book at the library, and I keep having no desire to finish it. So saying
Bryan Washington's writing style was refreshingly different. I just truly disliked the characters and the way they mistreated one another. It was a slog through to the end.
Family is complicated and fun
I found this to be a love story when I thought it would be a comedy of errors. It's beautifully written in that it's simple and not overly anything. The characters' dynamics and interactions were honest and real. Great read.
I found this to be a love story when I thought it would be a comedy of errors. It's beautifully written in that it's simple and not overly anything. The characters' dynamics and interactions were honest and real. Great read.
I guess this wasn’t for me. I was so excited reading the blurb about the book, too! It was for a book club and I thought, “Finally! Something a bit different than our regular books!” Then I read it and was really bored.
And I want more books like this! More representation, please! But this, sadly , did nothing for me. I guess the writing style just wasn’t for me.
I kinda liked the beginning. Wacky situation where the Mike leaves his mother with his boyfriend after they’re clearly having issues. In my head, this is a goofy premise that was perfect for me. And nothing happened.
I don’t know if it was supposed to be silly? It didn’t read that way too me. Not like, “Ben! You’ll be fiiiine. My mom is great! See ya!” It was more like Mike was being totally inconsiderate to everyone but himself. It was super weird.
And I don’t know how old they were supposed to be. Maybe really young? Like 20? Because they were not mature at all. Not talking about any of their issues and just staying in a clearly toxic relationship. They didn’t support each other. They literally threw things at each other. This is not healthy.
The problem? They didn’t seem to even realize that. The wanted to maybe stay together. For what? I don’t know. They didn’t seem to love each other. They never seemed to be passionate for each other. They had sex to ignore the fights. Not like a sexy makeup session.
But they never came to any of these realizations.
I guess they both had some growth when it came to their families. But those plots never felt like the main focus. Their love lives felt like the plot. And they both totally merry new people they seemed to actually like.
I was definitely not rooting for this relationship to win. Or their other relationships. Because all of them were so mundane or toxic.
The new relationships has no passion. Just, “we should maybe hang out a few times. Maybe some sex.” “Ok. Cool. “
I was more interested in Mitsuko. Finding out that she kinda left Eiju by staying was interesting. But I really wanted to know more. She seemed to have an interesting backstory that we get very little about. But that little bit was deeper than anything from Mike or Ben.
Mike in Japan was all over the place for me. And what was up with Mike threatening Kinihiko? Was he jealous because his father treated him like a son? It was not clear. He just blows up out of nowhere. There was no build up or tension. Just there. And he actually takes the bar? What? Why? He has no connection to this? And no connection seemed to be made? I’d so, none of this stuff was clear to me. It was ridiculous.
The only thing I liked was some of the relationship with Mitsuko and Ben. The teaching him how to cook and their little bit of friendship was interesting. Maybe if the whole story was about them and Mike comes back to see a new Ben and they figure out their relationship after that? That might have been more for me.
But, yeah. Lots of nothing happened for me. Everyone felt so flat. There was no emotion for me. There was supposed to be flirting with Omar once, and I read it twice thinking, “are they flirting or just talking?” It read so bland.
I think someone else said it all read like someone telling a long story in one monotonous voice.
So, not for me. But I’m glad others like it.
And I want more books like this! More representation, please! But this, sadly , did nothing for me. I guess the writing style just wasn’t for me.
I kinda liked the beginning. Wacky situation where the Mike leaves his mother with his boyfriend after they’re clearly having issues. In my head, this is a goofy premise that was perfect for me. And nothing happened.
I don’t know if it was supposed to be silly? It didn’t read that way too me. Not like, “Ben! You’ll be fiiiine. My mom is great! See ya!” It was more like Mike was being totally inconsiderate to everyone but himself. It was super weird.
And I don’t know how old they were supposed to be. Maybe really young? Like 20? Because they were not mature at all. Not talking about any of their issues and just staying in a clearly toxic relationship. They didn’t support each other. They literally threw things at each other. This is not healthy.
The problem? They didn’t seem to even realize that. The wanted to maybe stay together. For what? I don’t know. They didn’t seem to love each other. They never seemed to be passionate for each other. They had sex to ignore the fights. Not like a sexy makeup session.
But they never came to any of these realizations.
I guess they both had some growth when it came to their families. But those plots never felt like the main focus. Their love lives felt like the plot. And they both totally merry new people they seemed to actually like.
I was definitely not rooting for this relationship to win. Or their other relationships. Because all of them were so mundane or toxic.
The new relationships has no passion. Just, “we should maybe hang out a few times. Maybe some sex.” “Ok. Cool. “
I was more interested in Mitsuko. Finding out that she kinda left Eiju by staying was interesting. But I really wanted to know more. She seemed to have an interesting backstory that we get very little about. But that little bit was deeper than anything from Mike or Ben.
Mike in Japan was all over the place for me. And what was up with Mike threatening Kinihiko? Was he jealous because his father treated him like a son? It was not clear. He just blows up out of nowhere. There was no build up or tension. Just there. And he actually takes the bar? What? Why? He has no connection to this? And no connection seemed to be made? I’d so, none of this stuff was clear to me. It was ridiculous.
The only thing I liked was some of the relationship with Mitsuko and Ben. The teaching him how to cook and their little bit of friendship was interesting. Maybe if the whole story was about them and Mike comes back to see a new Ben and they figure out their relationship after that? That might have been more for me.
But, yeah. Lots of nothing happened for me. Everyone felt so flat. There was no emotion for me. There was supposed to be flirting with Omar once, and I read it twice thinking, “are they flirting or just talking?” It read so bland.
I think someone else said it all read like someone telling a long story in one monotonous voice.
So, not for me. But I’m glad others like it.