Scan barcode
A review by deedireads
Blackouts by Justin Torres
emotional
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
Blackouts was vaguely on my radar before it got longlisted (now a finalist) for the National Book Award, but that solidified it on the TBR. It won’t be for everyone, but it’s impossible to not appreciate what a truly impressive work this book is.
Blackouts is a genre-defier, mixing media types, oral history, queer history, and fiction, with no care for formal plot. It’s composed almost entirely of dialogue between an unnamed young narrator and an older man named Juan who is dying. Mixed throughout are blackout poems made from a book of queer history that sits at the center of their conversations, which — together with the fact that the narrator also suffers from actual blackouts in memory — give this novel its name.
Thanks to the way it mixes media and wanders freely, this novel feels like a work of art in a much more tangible way than books usually do. Reading it, which can be accomplished in one sitting, is a bit like a fever dream, cerebral and emotional both. There’s a tenderness that weaves between the themes of identity, sexuality, the power of storytelling, and so much more. I’m still rooting for Chain-Gang All-Stars, but if this were to win the NBA instead, I would definitely understand why.
Finally, please take note that the physical book itself is also absolutely gorgeous, with the way the front cover reflects the light. Get your hands on a hardcover copy if you can!
Blackouts was vaguely on my radar before it got longlisted (now a finalist) for the National Book Award, but that solidified it on the TBR. It won’t be for everyone, but it’s impossible to not appreciate what a truly impressive work this book is.
Blackouts is a genre-defier, mixing media types, oral history, queer history, and fiction, with no care for formal plot. It’s composed almost entirely of dialogue between an unnamed young narrator and an older man named Juan who is dying. Mixed throughout are blackout poems made from a book of queer history that sits at the center of their conversations, which — together with the fact that the narrator also suffers from actual blackouts in memory — give this novel its name.
Thanks to the way it mixes media and wanders freely, this novel feels like a work of art in a much more tangible way than books usually do. Reading it, which can be accomplished in one sitting, is a bit like a fever dream, cerebral and emotional both. There’s a tenderness that weaves between the themes of identity, sexuality, the power of storytelling, and so much more. I’m still rooting for Chain-Gang All-Stars, but if this were to win the NBA instead, I would definitely understand why.
Finally, please take note that the physical book itself is also absolutely gorgeous, with the way the front cover reflects the light. Get your hands on a hardcover copy if you can!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Medical content