emml1604's review against another edition

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

3.25

It felt unfinished 

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hannahnadeshda's review against another edition

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

5.0


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chaosbumblebee's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Such a beautiful book it makes me want to go back and lower my rating of everything else so that this is the only 5 star read I have this year--or ever. Heartbreaking, poignant, perfect and imperfect, Vuong puts words to feelings I didn't know words could be put to. I need to call my mom.

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jenna0818's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring relaxing sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Just amazing, the most beautiful yet accessible prose and reflections on the human experience, woven through a hazy nonlinear sequence of vignettes. I cried and learned so much, felt true feelings that connect me to generations of humans across space and time. thank you, sorry I didn’t read this sooner!

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analia's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

The title alone is striking and hints at the weight of the book. Such a heavy, gorgeously written story. The author packs so much into each sentence, I found myself rereading things over and over, to fully digest each word and its implications. Sometimes this style of writing feels too over the top for me, but it was just the right amount. 
Trevor and Little Dog's relationship is written with such care, humor, sadness. Lan and Rose... their stories are haunting. I read this book as my grandmother's health began declining and it hit close to home. 
I listened to an interview with the author after reading the book and I think they do such a wonderful job of writing autobiographical fiction. It feels very real; I appreciate their sentiment of not wanting to write a memoir and profit off the trauma of their loved ones. Overall a quiet, beautiful, disturbing, memorable novel about the overwhelming sadness present in the poor queer Vietnamese American experience. 

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kalaser's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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emrosch's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Hauntingly beautiful & raw with emotion.

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bossley9's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Ocean Vuong is a phenomenal poet and writer with such a powerfully distinct voice. The words are beautifully written for his mother as a sort of memorial to remember her life and legacy. It starts out a bit slow but gains speed and focuses on generational trauma, racial and sexual discrimintation, and recovery. I recommend this book if you love poetry and love his poems. It crushes me to find out that his mother likely never got to read (or hear) his book before she passed away.

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tessa52's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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ienbdri's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • 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

4.5


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