mimosakettunen's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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? Yes
4.0
peyton_mae's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-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
3.5
bridrahms's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
gsroney's review against another edition
4.0
I wavered between three and four stars for this book. At times it felt like it pretended to be more profound than it actually was. However, it presented an authentic look at a modern gay relationship and a believable impression of the damaging effects that unhealthy family dynamics create when it comes to forming those relationships.
“It’s hard to head home without succumbing to nostalgia, standing where so many versions of yourself once stood, one of a suburb’s magical properties.”
“But I guess that's the thing: we take our memories wherever we go, and what’s left are the ones that stick around, and that’s how we make a life.”
“We watch [the ashes] dissolve in the air. They move through the sky, all at once. And bits of them sift, until they melt away so small that the eye can’t see, caught in the bridge’s wooden slats or in the river or into nothingness altogether, until we’re the only ones who’ll take the fact of their ever existing at all on with us, until we end up losing those memories, too, although even then they’ll still probably be around somewhere. It isn’t very beautiful.
Mitsuko takes off her shades. I turned to Mike, and he shuts his eyes. His mother grasps the bridges railing, standing on her toes, and then she says, with her entire body, FUCK.”
“It’s hard to head home without succumbing to nostalgia, standing where so many versions of yourself once stood, one of a suburb’s magical properties.”
“But I guess that's the thing: we take our memories wherever we go, and what’s left are the ones that stick around, and that’s how we make a life.”
“We watch [the ashes] dissolve in the air. They move through the sky, all at once. And bits of them sift, until they melt away so small that the eye can’t see, caught in the bridge’s wooden slats or in the river or into nothingness altogether, until we’re the only ones who’ll take the fact of their ever existing at all on with us, until we end up losing those memories, too, although even then they’ll still probably be around somewhere. It isn’t very beautiful.
Mitsuko takes off her shades. I turned to Mike, and he shuts his eyes. His mother grasps the bridges railing, standing on her toes, and then she says, with her entire body, FUCK.”
odpeppiatt's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
“It’s not a waste, is what I’m saying. There are no wastes. Either nothing is a waste, or everything is a waste.” (360)
in its defense, I think listening to the audiobook significantly diminished the reading experience of this book. benson spoke too cavalierly, making him appear to have a flippant attitude towards everything that happened to him, and I feel like I missed the context of their early relationship, so it didn't make sense to me why they were even considering maintaining their relationship. I think that Bryan Washington has an amazing voice with really poignant moments, but this story didn't do it for me.
in its defense, I think listening to the audiobook significantly diminished the reading experience of this book. benson spoke too cavalierly, making him appear to have a flippant attitude towards everything that happened to him, and I feel like I missed the context of their early relationship, so it didn't make sense to me why they were even considering maintaining their relationship. I think that Bryan Washington has an amazing voice with really poignant moments, but this story didn't do it for me.
lucasgarner's review against another edition
5.0
It is really hard to find good representation as a gay man. Most authors make out the homosexual experience as being either this absolutely fabulous, witty, sassy, remarkable thing that would want to make even the most notorious homophobe want to jump aboard, or they portray it as a constant onslaught of misery and abuse. So to see an author perfectly pen, what is to me, the most accurate portrayal of, not only homosexuality, but also a gay relationship is both refreshing and enlightening. It’s so exciting to see that representation, to see that I’m not alone. To see that I don’t have sashay down a runway or get beaten in a dark alleyway in order to have lived the true gay experience. That isn’t to say that people don’t have those experiences, they are certainly real, but not true of every gay person. Mike and Benson felt real because most of the novel they discussed topics and did things that I have done before and felt either incredibly stupid and naive, or wanted to shout to everyone but would have felt alone. Homosexuality is neither ugly or beautiful, it just exists.
But what pulled me into the novel even more is how complex it is, with seemingly no effort. The book breezes along with quick dialogue, as well as short, choppy, indifferent sentences that pack on more emotion than you are led to believe. There is so much to unpack here, and Washington handles it all expertly. Consider me a huge fan, and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us next.
But what pulled me into the novel even more is how complex it is, with seemingly no effort. The book breezes along with quick dialogue, as well as short, choppy, indifferent sentences that pack on more emotion than you are led to believe. There is so much to unpack here, and Washington handles it all expertly. Consider me a huge fan, and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us next.
dogearreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
fast-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
3.0
nunzia2210's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
megand96's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0