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mirandyli's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Racism, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War
lynxpardinus's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, and Antisemitism
akswhy's review
2.5
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, and Death of parent
issyd23's review
4.0
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Homophobia, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, War, and Classism
booksbeyondthebinary's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism
soswiin's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Violence, and War
ka_cam's review
3.75
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Suicide
winterisvague's review against another edition
3.0
"Because everyone knows yellow pain, pressed into American letters, turns to gold.
Our sorrow Midas touched. Napalm with a rainbow afterglow."
There's something special about Ocean Vuong's writing. I felt the emotional undercurrents behind every carefully chosen word. However, this book falls short when it comes to accessibility and clarity. The poems often veer into abstract territory that can be quite challenging to decipher. While ambiguity and open interpretation can enhance the poetic experience, I believe it is crucial to strike a balance. Poetry should possess a certain level of accessibility that allows readers to grasp the underlying essence of the verses. There were verses that left me bewildered, preventing me from fully appreciating their depth, but that isn't necessarily the author's fault.
That said, one cannot deny the raw power of the emotions that emanate from every page of this collection. My favorite poem was 'The Amazon History of a Former Nail Salon Worker'. Just by listing down his mother's Amazon purchases before and after she was diagnosed with cancer, he was able to paint such a vivid story that exuded so much emotion. Here's what I wrote after I finished the poem: "I didn't know where this was going at first, but my heart dropped as soon as realization struck me. This tugged at my heartstrings and moved me in a way I didn't expect it to. I just need a moment to pause, breathe, and let the emotions settle before I move on to the next poem."
In conclusion, I loved this book despite the challenges I faced while reading. Ocean Vuong never fails to move me with his beautiful words.
Graphic: Cancer, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism, Suicide, and War
hello_lovely13's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Suicide
that_reader's review against another edition
4.75
Moderate: Death, Racism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War