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

emotional hopeful 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

5.0

This was such a refreshing and beautiful read. I loved the way Ocean Vuong handled multiple narrative threads running at the same time - I never felt like it was jarring or confusing, but instead like it made them all connect together so clearly. The story zooms in to the granular details of a moment, and then in the next chapter zooms out to look at larger trends, especially related to the Vietnam War. I particularly liked the use of Tiger Woods's story as comparison to the main character's, it was somehow very touching? As someone who didn't care at all about Tiger Woods going into this. The main character's relationship with his mother and grandmother was also so heartbreaking and wonderful at the same time, and visceral too. Loved this. 
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