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A review by book_me
Lot by Bryan Washington
3.0
The stories in "Lot" function, collectively, as a coming of age story of a young, poor, brown, queer boy growing up in southern America. The stories have all the weight and reverence of a memoir, and there is so much here to love.
My discomfort in reading this book came, mainly, from the author's depiction of women. While his depiction of the protagonist felt genuine, compassionate, and complicated, his depiction of the protagonist's sister, aunt, and the women he or his sibling Javi slept with felt flat and dismissive. While I appreciate that their flatness may reflect the way a young man might see the women who flow in and out of his life, I wanted more for them. My favorite stories were "Bayou" "Waugh" and "Lot," which seemed more grounded in the protagonist's point of view. It is a solid collection, but as a person who likes women and is a woman, I don't know if it is "for me."
My discomfort in reading this book came, mainly, from the author's depiction of women. While his depiction of the protagonist felt genuine, compassionate, and complicated, his depiction of the protagonist's sister, aunt, and the women he or his sibling Javi slept with felt flat and dismissive. While I appreciate that their flatness may reflect the way a young man might see the women who flow in and out of his life, I wanted more for them. My favorite stories were "Bayou" "Waugh" and "Lot," which seemed more grounded in the protagonist's point of view. It is a solid collection, but as a person who likes women and is a woman, I don't know if it is "for me."