A review by glorifiedloveletters
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

When a poet writes a novel, the sentences are going to be outstanding. I really loved a lot of this book full of love (both for one's family and for one's first), lust, loneliness, and longing, but there are definitely some scenes that are hard to read. And if you are squeamish about animal cruelty, this is not the book for you. Whew. I had to make an effort to think about other things after reading one particular scene involving a monkey.

Still, there is a lot of beauty to be found, with true and heartfelt writing that looks you straight in the eye to say, "This is how it felt to survive."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug abuse, and Abortion

Moderate: Child abuse and Violence