Scan barcode
hmbk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Sexual content
Moderate: Physical abuse, Racism, and Racial slurs
Minor: Torture, Body shaming, Grief, and Violence
armontheroad's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
CWs that I can't link below: death from cancer, gentrification, being HIV+.
Graphic: Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Racism, Racial slurs, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Cancer, Grief, Fatphobia, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
Minor: Car accident and Transphobia
hollieadaw's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Moderate: Racism, Death of parent, Homophobia, and Cancer
Minor: Abandonment
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
the characters are deeply - some surprisingly - flawed and layered; there's no 'good' ppl here bc everyone's fcked up in one way or another. im a lil amazed at how washington handles the characterization and adeptly shows how everyone's been on both sides of being hurt and doing the hurting.
in addition to being quite funny - mike's and ben's parents are bemusingly acerbic and surprising - this book's also got a lot of heart, esp in regards to its theme of family, w/ mike and eiju's complex relationship being a particularly heartrending one. a sense of melancholy and bittersweetness permeates throughout the aforementioned second section, evoking the slice-of-life quality often found in jpn lit. i view this as a great accomplishment as it's sth so rarely achieved in western lit, let alone by a man from texas. the importance and prevalent presence of food in the story is also sth i rly like, calming while acting as a bridge between the characters, while also displaying washington's deep knowledge of jpn culinary culture.
i enjoy this book for its acerbic humor, messy characters, melancholic tone, and the exploration of its themes, particularly that in this life, everyone - even ur seemingly perfect parents - is just winging it.
Graphic: Cancer, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Moderate: Racism, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Body shaming
nicolepaul_ine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, Cancer, Homophobia, and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism
mxbenjaminrose's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Washington handles parent-child relationships, romantic/sexual partnerships, and even professional relationships with insight and gentleness. I don't think there's a single relationship with completely healthy communication, but how many of us can say the same about our own families? Mitsuki and Ahmad are the sweetest and my favorites of the ensemble.
The main characters, Benson and Mike, have a deeply unhealthy relationship dynamic, which is enthralling but hard to read. It's a weird feeling to read a not-quite-romance novel with two POVs and be deeply rooting for each of them, but not rooting for them to be together.
All in all, this is a unique, emotional story with vibrant backdrops, beautiful prose, and angsty inner dialogue, so if that's your thing you will likely love this!
Graphic: Homophobia and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death, and Racism
Minor: Racial slurs and Alcohol
hazelgirl21's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Homophobia, and Racial slurs
mmaack24's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Grief, Racial slurs, and Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia and Racism
krystalgaia's review against another edition
- 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
Everything about this book is quietly tender, quietly palming my cheeks like a bruise. It makes you think of what it means to love, to let go, and to change, and loving the fact that you have the option to let go and therefore change. Whether that’s for the better or worse, no one knows: what matters is there is always an option, a choice, and what’s more important is you choose and act on it.
Washington’s sentences were very clean and clear. He said a lot by not saying a lot. The dialogue was topnotch but this novel’s power lies in the quiet moments, the scenes where it seems like nothing is happening when, in fact, everything is happening. He doesn’t adorn his words and simply tells the story as it is.
As Ocean Vuong said it, “this book made me happy.”
Graphic: Dysphoria, Sexual content, Racism, Death of parent, Cancer, Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Alcoholism
ambero's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Homophobia, Alcoholism, and Racism