Reviews tagging 'Vomit'

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

59 reviews

sofiehas's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Vomit, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Homophobia, Violence, and Sexual violence

forestblue's review against another edition

Graphic animal abuse is not the vibe for a bedtime book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Excrement, War, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Vomit

laurenkimoto's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I don’t really read poetry but I have now put Vuong’s works on hold at the library. The writing of this is incredibly lyrical almost dreamlike (or nightmare?). 
I also don’t annotate books but I want a physical copy of this book to annotate because there are so many wonderful lines and quotes and more

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Colonisation, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Cancer, Drug abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Vomit, Abandonment, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, and Animal death

emilia_digi's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Death, Cancer, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Homophobia, Hate crime, Grief, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Abortion, Addiction, War, and Violence

Minor: Vomit

lenni_sc's review against another edition

challenging dark informative tense slow-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

3.0

Vielleicht geht in der Übersetzung zu viel verloren von dem was Ocean Vuong ausmacht. Anders kann ich mir die Begeisterung des Großteils der Lesenden nicht erklären. Das Thema ist so wichtig und interessant, aber die Hälfte der Worte hätten für mich gereicht. In seinen Gedichten mag die Schreibweise großartig sein, hier wirkte es (erstaunlicherweise) eher pretentious.

Das Grundkonzept des Romans ist meiner Meinung nach großartig: ein Brief, der von der Empfängerin nie gelesen werden wird, erzeugt eine emotionale Tiefe, die anders vielleicht nicht möglich wäre. Aber Umsetzung na ja. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, Racial slurs, Outing, Drug use, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Abandonment, Sexual content, Racism, Homophobia, Drug abuse, Death, Alcohol, and Addiction

Moderate: Terminal illness and Vomit

yolie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.25

This book needs you to take your time. Although the novel appears slim it is quite dense in terms of the content and Vuong’s prose. Some chapters read more like short stories and long form poetry than a linear account. The book has moments of absolute hopelessness, you’re shattered by Little Dog’s accounts of growing up an Asian immigrant in America, gay and poor. His one-sided and ill-fated relationship with Trevor makes me cautious (and sad) to say he is Little Dog's 'first love'. So much of their relationship is marred by Trevor's homophobia and recklessness. 

I wish less time was spent on that relationship and more weight was given to the other significant relationships in his life and the milestones he achieves in his adulthood. 

But there’s beauty in it too - a nod to the book’s title. Vuong/ Little Dog is able to hold so much compassion for people, he chooses to see them in their gorgeousness - irrespective of the brevity of that moment.  Long after the novel is over you’ll keep coming back to certain phrases, marvelling at how stunning and lyrical Vuong’s writing is.

One of my favourite passages from the book reads:
“Because the sunset, like survival, exists only on the verge of its own disappearing. To be gorgeous, you must first be seen, but to be seen allows you to be hunted.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, War, Colonisation, Death, Dementia, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Violence, Blood, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Drug use, Grief, Hate crime, and Homophobia

Moderate: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Car accident, Vomit, Abortion, Cursing, and Violence

Minor: Biphobia, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, and Outing

blueberry0531's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Cancer, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Abortion, Addiction, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, War, Drug use, Death, Grief, Physical abuse, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Vomit, Transphobia, Pregnancy, and Racism

claudiamacpherson's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Violence, Gore, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexual content, War, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Addiction, Blood, Cursing, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcoholism, Vomit, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Self harm, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Genocide, Cancer, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

rebekka_evie's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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

4.75

I liked the way the story is told. The letters to a mother that will never read them. Ocean Vuong's writing style is really enjoyable.
I liked uncovering the history of the family through the eyes of the youngest member. 
I did feel like certain points in the story were told quite confusing. I had to go back to previous paragraphs a couple of times, to make sure I got the context right.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Homophobia, Abortion, Drug use, Racism, Excrement, Death, Bullying, Cursing, and Child abuse

Minor: Cancer, Grief, Mental illness, Addiction, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Vomit, and Domestic abuse

radfordmanor's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Grief, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Infidelity, War, Vomit, Animal death, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, Violence, Alcoholism, Child death, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma