A review by knkoch
Blackouts by Justin Torres

challenging dark informative mysterious slow-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I had a tough time with this one. I liked the multimedia presentation (a combination of prose, poetry, and images), especially the 'found' poems created through blacking out medical/psychological profiles of the various interview subjects of the 'sexual variants' study reproduced throughout. I interpreted this book as a genre-bending mix of fiction/nonfiction. Confusion about how much came from real life/people and how much was fiction seemed intentional, a commentary on the literal marginalization of LGBT+ folks surviving and creating culture/community amidst forced institutionalization, legal persecution, and severe societal repression. Obfuscation of reality was (is) necessary to leave space for survival because mainstream forces would and have sought to annihilate LGBT+ narratives, people, and culture wherever they are uncovered.

The recounting of several characters' particular experiences as queer Puerto Rican men added interesting and specific layers to the story. I struggled at times to keep hold of the narrative thread; for example, I had a hard time keeping track of the personal history distinctions between Juan and the unnamed (?) younger man visiting him. Not the best fit for me, but justifiably this was not written for me, either, so I tried to take in as much as I could from it, considering my limited perspective. 
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