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

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

In some ways, this book is greater than the sum of its parts. Parts of the book dragged or were simply so intensely lyrical and abstract, I got a bit lost, but so much of the prose is so stunning and moving, it takes your breath away. I think this is a book worth rereading at various stages of your life. I'm glad to have read of it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Dementia, and Grief