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A review by bookph1le
Memorial by Bryan Washington
3.0
I feel pretty torn about this book. On the one hand, the writing is wonderful and compelling--so much so that this is the first time in longer than I can remember that I've read an entire book over the course of one day. Whenever I left it for a while, I was eager to get back to it. Some spoilers to follow.
But for as compelling as I found it, I also thought it was unsatisfactory. Really, when I think about it, the novel is pretty much circular. Benson and Mike's relationship is on the brink at the beginning of the book, and it's still on the brink by the end, and this is entirely due to the fact that neither of them change. I would have liked to see some growth, would have liked something to make me feel like I wanted to see these two overcome their differences, but ultimately I didn't feel that way. They both struck me as pretty lazy about their relationship, so it was hard for me to get behind it.
It was also hard for me to get behind it because it's a toxic relationship. It's bad enough that they mistreat one another and that they carry one behind one another's backs, but it's even worse that they've gotten physical with one another. Yes, relationships have their ups and downs, good times and bad, but I'm always bothered by portrayals of unhealthy relationships like this one.
So, yeah, it's a mixed bag. And I still hate the lack of quotation marks and will forevermore.
But for as compelling as I found it, I also thought it was unsatisfactory. Really, when I think about it, the novel is pretty much circular. Benson and Mike's relationship is on the brink at the beginning of the book, and it's still on the brink by the end, and this is entirely due to the fact that neither of them change. I would have liked to see some growth, would have liked something to make me feel like I wanted to see these two overcome their differences, but ultimately I didn't feel that way. They both struck me as pretty lazy about their relationship, so it was hard for me to get behind it.
It was also hard for me to get behind it because it's a toxic relationship. It's bad enough that they mistreat one another and that they carry one behind one another's backs, but it's even worse that they've gotten physical with one another. Yes, relationships have their ups and downs, good times and bad, but I'm always bothered by portrayals of unhealthy relationships like this one.
So, yeah, it's a mixed bag. And I still hate the lack of quotation marks and will forevermore.