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lidia7's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
I would really recommend this book; I might write more here later
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming and Transphobia
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Xenophobia
Minor: Violence, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
cloud_cassle's review against another edition
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
melodys_library's review against another edition
4.0
Original and exceptional. As with any short story collection, some stories outshine others.
Standouts for me were:
-Felix Starro
-The View from Culion
-Save the I-Hotel
Standouts for me were:
-Felix Starro
-The View from Culion
-Save the I-Hotel
soupyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
kleonard's review against another edition
4.0
This collection of short stories focuses on Filipino life in the United States, families and communities in which old beliefs and traditions make life impossible, in authentic, and futile. A brother deals with his transphobia; a faith healer is forced to make decisions about his future; men grow old together, unable to acknowledge their emotions. The stories are revealing and beautifully written. I came away with more awareness, I think, of life in the Philippines and in American Filipino enclaves, instructed through these stories.
whatsmacksaid's review against another edition
3.0
Three and a half stars. The writing is excellent and most of the stories are intriguing, but many of them hit similar emotional notes.
mcf's review against another edition
5.0
I am entirely ill equipped to review this book. Goddamn amazing? Rip-your-heart-out brilliant? Sensitive and true and funny wise as fuck? Jesus. "The brothers" and "Save The I-Hotel" particularly demolished me, but the entire thing is so gorgeous it's more than a little intimidating to think about the mind that produced work that does so many things so well, all at once.
battykat08's review against another edition
5.0
I am in love with these stories. Several reviewers called them strange, which surprised me in a way. They’re not bubblegum crowd-pleasers for sure, but strange is not a word I’d use. Many characters and situations are eccentric, even verging on bizarre, but the stories about them are not (hopefully that's not too fine a distinction). These are intensely personal scenarios told from a quiet place, an inner place, that feel as if you are seeing directly into someone’s heart without them having said anything. There’s an intimacy throughout that feels almost uncomfortably close. Characters habitually reveal disquieting truths about themselves through their thoughts, and even more often through their actions.
Tenorio's writing style is sparing but full of warmth, and his stories are simple and beautiful. They're written with unadorned language that positively glows. I was moved by everything he wrote, and a few stories in particular made me want to just close my eyes and exist only in that world for a while. "The View From Culion," "Brothers," and "Save the I-Hotel" moved me almost to tears, but every one of them touched me on a deep level, whether they made me feel lonely or disturbed, joyful or content. None of the lives chronicled here are all that happy, but their beauty and richness is captivating.
Several stories have little to no resolution at the end; if that is something that bothers you I recommend giving this book a hard pass. Personally, I have always liked open-ended stories, novels, and movies that aren’t neatly tied up with every conflict resolved, every Chekov’s gun fired. The tales presented here without solid endings are delicious to me. I feel like it’s a gift from the author—the gift of allowing me to imagine multiple directions each story could take.
Tenorio's writing style is sparing but full of warmth, and his stories are simple and beautiful. They're written with unadorned language that positively glows. I was moved by everything he wrote, and a few stories in particular made me want to just close my eyes and exist only in that world for a while. "The View From Culion," "Brothers," and "Save the I-Hotel" moved me almost to tears, but every one of them touched me on a deep level, whether they made me feel lonely or disturbed, joyful or content. None of the lives chronicled here are all that happy, but their beauty and richness is captivating.
Several stories have little to no resolution at the end; if that is something that bothers you I recommend giving this book a hard pass. Personally, I have always liked open-ended stories, novels, and movies that aren’t neatly tied up with every conflict resolved, every Chekov’s gun fired. The tales presented here without solid endings are delicious to me. I feel like it’s a gift from the author—the gift of allowing me to imagine multiple directions each story could take.
peelspls's review against another edition
4.0
The plots of each story in this anthology are so delicately constructed. I love the layers of symbolic detail that went into describing the story. Almost all of the stories touch on the experience of immigration in a way, and there seems to be a sense of loss in almost all of them. The story about This was a wonderful read of the Filipino lifestyle. Some of my favorite stories were:
- Superassassin (the narrative of Green Lantern overlaid over the protagonist's difficult circumstances)
- The Brothers (a story of a family grappling with an estranged transgendered son).
- Help (a man grapples with his loyalty to the First Lady by launching an attack on The Beatles in retaliation for a flirtatious comment)
- Felix Starro (a man struggles to find a new life through the performative act of healing)
- Superassassin (the narrative of Green Lantern overlaid over the protagonist's difficult circumstances)
- The Brothers (a story of a family grappling with an estranged transgendered son).
- Help (a man grapples with his loyalty to the First Lady by launching an attack on The Beatles in retaliation for a flirtatious comment)
- Felix Starro (a man struggles to find a new life through the performative act of healing)
bellygames's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed Tenorio's collection of short stories, and am interested to read more about Filipino and Filipino-American experiences.
Two standouts for me were The View from Culion, set in the famous leper colony by the same name, and Save the I-Hotel which follows the stories of two eldery Filipino-American immigrant friends who are being evicted from the building they've called home for decades.
This collection tackles gender, race, identity, and what it means to belong. Do pick it up if you enjoy short stories.
Two standouts for me were The View from Culion, set in the famous leper colony by the same name, and Save the I-Hotel which follows the stories of two eldery Filipino-American immigrant friends who are being evicted from the building they've called home for decades.
This collection tackles gender, race, identity, and what it means to belong. Do pick it up if you enjoy short stories.