johndiconsiglio 's review for:

Memorial by Bryan Washington

3.0

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At 27, Washington has transitioned from short stories (the terrific collection Lot) to a less-successful novel. Oddly, he’s brought an even more truncated style to the longer form. A never-convincing plot takes a backseat to small-moment microcosms. Mike & Benson are a mixed-race gay couple—black & Japanese—on the rocks. Mike flies to Osaka to be with his dying dad. At the same time, his mom arrives in Houston & awkwardly rooms with Ben. Some chapters are just a page, others a sentence. That’s hard to pull off without feeling underwritten or trite. At least the cooking details sizzle.