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

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book is written as a very lengthy letter from Little Dog to his mum in a language she doesn’t understand. It’s every mother’s dream to receive a letter detailing their son’s drug taking and underage sex… 

I loved the sections about his home life with his mum and grandma. I was less interested in his relationship with Trevor, because it was a bit too ‘coming of age’ for my taste.  The book jumps backwards and forwards in time, which was sometimes confusing, but I do think that this worked well.

It’s very poetic and beautiful in places, but overall it didn’t really resonate with me. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings