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menomica's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-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? No
Ok, I will say, the writing of this book was very good. It’s what kept me coming back. It was very simplistic, which I liked. It got the point across.
I feel like the book wanted to do things, but never really delivered. The book itself suffers from not having a proper ending, like much of the storylines in it. I think the most obvious example is with Tam. He’s introduced, as if he’s going to a huge player and very influential, but then he fucks off for 20 pages, and only comes back for three lines before Mike ditches him.
Other things/themes I felt like this book pointed at but never actually took the time to elaborate on:
I feel like the book wanted to do things, but never really delivered. The book itself suffers from not having a proper ending, like much of the storylines in it. I think the most obvious example is with Tam. He’s introduced, as if he’s going to a huge player and very influential, but then he fucks off for 20 pages, and only comes back for three lines before Mike ditches him.
Other things/themes I felt like this book pointed at but never actually took the time to elaborate on:
- Racism: Besides the “racist jokes” and that instance with the racist waiter, the biggest moment of this for me was with the Workers at the play center and how they interacted with Ahmad/Benson was giving very much let’s antagonize the black kid cause it’s easiest to do. Also, even though it was a joke, them referring to Ahmad as Ben’s because they’re the only black people in the center felt… racially motivated. But it was never really elaborated beyond that. The theme of race itself was prominent throughout the book, and I think that was done well because it was obviously from an observational lense, and not with the intent of making commentary, but sometimes it felt like they’d touch on racism and then drop it like a hot potato
- Tam. Wtf. What was the reason for him being there. For Mike to have a potential love interest?? Nothing developed between them, and yet he was introduced as someone who was going to be super big and important for Mike.
THEY DIDN’T EVEN HAVE SEXThey exchange very minimal conversion and it just felt like there was supposed to be development there but it just never happened. And then Mike just left (like his dad did with him)!
Speaking of Mike. Ew. This is very much a Mike hate account. He’s very immature and inconsiderate. He can’t figure out his shit and leaves others to deal with the fall out for that. The biggest example of this, besides the failure that is his relationship with Ben, is that he invited his mother over to the states just to leave to go to Japan. He’s a bit selfish. And also, he literally said a fucking slur??? There was no way he was going to be good with that joke he said at the end of the first chapter. He also invalidates Ben a lot, if not with the fact that they grew up differently economically, then just his emotions in general. He never respects the boundaries that Ben places (the monogamy, letting his mother stay at their place while he was in Japan). So yeah, throughout this book I was very much rooting for Ben to pack his shit and leave him.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, Physical abuse, Medical content, and Infidelity
Minor: Bullying, Fatphobia, Infidelity, and Racial slurs
debookgeek's review against another edition
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, Death, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Sexual content and Racism
Minor: Fatphobia and Homophobia
peachani's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia and Infidelity
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
mxfahrenheit's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-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? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Body shaming and Vomit
wai's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is so tender and beautiful and there are not enough words to explain or describe it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Alcoholism, Cancer, Infidelity, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Sexual content, Cursing, Homophobia, Racism, and Racial slurs
Minor: Police brutality, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Vomit
nordstina's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Bryan Washington continues his stellar work with his debut novel Memorial. I had thoroughly enjoyed his short story collection Lot, and had been eagerly anticipating his next work and he did not disappoint.
Memorial charts the relationship between Benson, a black daycare worker and Mike, an Asian-American chef. The book begins with their relationship the precipice of dissolution (of course they are not communicating that to one another though), when Mike finds out his estranged father is dying in Japan, and he leaves to spend time with him. Complicating factors further, Mike's mother Mitsuko, is en route to visit Mike, and is is decided that she will stay in Mike and Benson's one-bedroom apartment while Mike is in Japan.
The book is split into sections where each of the men are the narrator. While I enjoy this style, it always is a bit of a transition for the reader. I was throughly invested in Benson's life at work and at home with Mitsuko as they circled around one another, to only be transported to Japan to investigate Mike's relationship with his father. In the end, both narrations are rewarding. Themes of family, love, and devotion run throughout. The changing relationships we have as adults to our parents was well-reflected. We witness gesture of love without the word being spoken. Washington leaves the reader with a lot to chew on, and tears to wipe away. He is a very special writer.
Memorial charts the relationship between Benson, a black daycare worker and Mike, an Asian-American chef. The book begins with their relationship the precipice of dissolution (of course they are not communicating that to one another though), when Mike finds out his estranged father is dying in Japan, and he leaves to spend time with him. Complicating factors further, Mike's mother Mitsuko, is en route to visit Mike, and is is decided that she will stay in Mike and Benson's one-bedroom apartment while Mike is in Japan.
The book is split into sections where each of the men are the narrator. While I enjoy this style, it always is a bit of a transition for the reader. I was throughly invested in Benson's life at work and at home with Mitsuko as they circled around one another, to only be transported to Japan to investigate Mike's relationship with his father. In the end, both narrations are rewarding. Themes of family, love, and devotion run throughout. The changing relationships we have as adults to our parents was well-reflected. We witness gesture of love without the word being spoken. Washington leaves the reader with a lot to chew on, and tears to wipe away. He is a very special writer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse
gracew's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- 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
3.0
It's hard for me to really rate this book because while I didn't hate it, I didn't like it. I don't know if it is that I don't necessarily understand or enjoy stories about forgiving shitty family members or if it is because I don't understand what I'm supposed to get out of this, but it just didn't work for me. Well, this is not entirely true, the 1/3 of the book worked for me and after that I just didn't. I liked the writing style and I liked most of the plot it is just that overall the story doesn't hit for me. I feels like the author had two semi related stories and some extra bits and snitched them all together with various levels of success. Not a winner from my POV.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Homophobia, Racism, Racial slurs, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
caseythereader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thanks to Riverhead Books for the free advance copy of this book.
✨MINI REVIEW✨
What I liked:
📚 The prose is clear and delicate
📚 A close look at the complicated relationships we have with our parents as adults
📚 I've never been to Houston, but I could feel the city in this book
📚 Not all queer relationships are happy and safe, and as painful as Mike and Benson's relationship sometimes was, I'm glad the queer canon is broadening
•
What I didn't like:
📚 Speaking of painful relationship, I do wish the characters had acknowledged the mutual abuse a little more directly. It would have been a very different book, then, though
•
Content warnings: domestic abuse, cancer, death, racism, homophobia. 📚
✨MINI REVIEW✨
What I liked:
📚 The prose is clear and delicate
📚 A close look at the complicated relationships we have with our parents as adults
📚 I've never been to Houston, but I could feel the city in this book
📚 Not all queer relationships are happy and safe, and as painful as Mike and Benson's relationship sometimes was, I'm glad the queer canon is broadening
•
What I didn't like:
📚 Speaking of painful relationship, I do wish the characters had acknowledged the mutual abuse a little more directly. It would have been a very different book, then, though
•
Content warnings: domestic abuse, cancer, death, racism, homophobia. 📚
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Cancer, Death, Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Racism
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