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

challenging dark emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is a very brutal novel, which describes what it means to grow up as a poor, queer immigrant of color whose father doesn’t exist and was therefore raised by war traumatized woman. 
The emotional themes of the book are impressive, the way the author wants to convey them... less so. The book begins with the protagonist writing letters to his mother, who cannot read (which we also learn in the book). The language is beautiful but sometimes loses itself in its beauty. I sometimes struggled to understand what the author was trying to say… I would have also appreciated if I could have gotten more time to process what the protagonist lived through, but the story kept going and giving and there was no break. Yes, I know, sometimes life just keeps giving and people don’t get the privilege of getting a break, but this is a book and the author wants to tell a story… so maybe one should adjust the narrative because otherwise, it gives the impression of simple trauma dumping. 
I also don’t really see the point of creating a fictional character and writing a fictional story if the character is just going to be exactly like him and goes through the same things the author as a person went through…
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