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

5.0

“Maybe we look into mirrors not merely to seek beauty, regardless how illusive, but to make sure, despite the facts, that we are still here”

This truly deserves all the praise it gets. Ocean Vuong’s writing style is so insanely gorgeous it hurts. It's lyrical without it being too flowery. What hit me even more so was probably the fact that this felt like such a raw but healing story at the same time. It never felt too fast or slow paced and the way Ocean Vuong describes the range of emotions and places makes it feel tattooed in my soul.

Contemporary literary fiction is usually a hit or miss for me with how heavy topics can get sometimes without it being balanced with hopefulness, which is my personal preferences with stories in general. This was that perfect balance and I am here for it.

I felt like i was there in the narrator’s memories while holding a mirror of my own life in certain parts. tears were shed.

p.s. if you are an audiobook listener, please listen to the audiobook because ocean vuong narrates it and it is enchanting

i want every audiobook ever to be narrated by ocean vuong

“Let no one mistake us for the fruit of violence—but that violence, having passed through the fruit, failed to spoil it.”

— 4.5 —
⇢ content warnings// bullying, abuse, drug addiction, homophobia, mental illness, and animal violence