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winterisvague's review against another edition
3.0
"Because everyone knows yellow pain, pressed into American letters, turns to gold.
Our sorrow Midas touched. Napalm with a rainbow afterglow."
There's something special about Ocean Vuong's writing. I felt the emotional undercurrents behind every carefully chosen word. However, this book falls short when it comes to accessibility and clarity. The poems often veer into abstract territory that can be quite challenging to decipher. While ambiguity and open interpretation can enhance the poetic experience, I believe it is crucial to strike a balance. Poetry should possess a certain level of accessibility that allows readers to grasp the underlying essence of the verses. There were verses that left me bewildered, preventing me from fully appreciating their depth, but that isn't necessarily the author's fault.
That said, one cannot deny the raw power of the emotions that emanate from every page of this collection. My favorite poem was 'The Amazon History of a Former Nail Salon Worker'. Just by listing down his mother's Amazon purchases before and after she was diagnosed with cancer, he was able to paint such a vivid story that exuded so much emotion. Here's what I wrote after I finished the poem: "I didn't know where this was going at first, but my heart dropped as soon as realization struck me. This tugged at my heartstrings and moved me in a way I didn't expect it to. I just need a moment to pause, breathe, and let the emotions settle before I move on to the next poem."
In conclusion, I loved this book despite the challenges I faced while reading. Ocean Vuong never fails to move me with his beautiful words.
Graphic: Car accident, Cancer, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Racism, War, and Suicide
hello_lovely13's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Racism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Suicide
an_library_stan's review against another edition
3.75
Moderate: Cancer, War, and Racism
harley_n66's review against another edition
5.0
Minor: Cancer
sadaudio's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Cancer and Death of parent
khakipantsofsex's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Cancer, Death, War, and Car accident
Minor: Racism, Suicide, Drug use, Animal death, and Homophobia
bashsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, Grief, and War
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Racism, Suicide, Xenophobia, and Violence
Minor: Car accident
fengxin's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Homophobia, Suicide, War, Death of parent, Drug use, Mental illness, Cancer, Xenophobia, Hate crime, Violence, Car accident, and Racism
Moderate: Animal death
m4rtt4's review against another edition
3.75
Nothing negative to say, but obviously not every poem can hit the same. My favourite ones were Dear Peter, The Punctum and Not Even — a million stars for those.
Moderate: Grief, Racism, Death, Death of parent, and Cancer
Minor: Violence, Medical content, and War
kers_tin's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: War, Cancer, Suicide, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Gun violence
Minor: Addiction