A review by amandalorianxo
Real Life by Brandon Taylor

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

So I think my feelings about this book are complex. While I appreciate the story of a black gay man who is navigating getting his master’s in STEM and trying to not fall prey to the angry black man stereotype, I think the white people in this book got away with too much. The microagressions, blatant racist comments and even the sexual assault made me feel pained for Wallace. He didn’t deserve that not ask for it. Why put him through this when his childhood was already troubling? Miller disgusted me. Sometimes the prose got to be a little too much and sometimes I didn’t want to sift through a sentence when something simple could be substituted. I do have hope about Brandon’s other novels and would definitely read more from him. 
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