ellornaslibrary's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
And when I've had time to process this raw, emotional, beautiful read a little more I'll add to this review.
Graphic: Addiction, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Violence, Grief, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Abortion, Alcohol, Homophobia, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, War, Physical abuse, Dementia, Death, Animal death, and Blood
Moderate: Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Racial slurs, Bullying, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
roouija's review
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Graphic: Abortion, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Pregnancy, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Cancer, Car accident, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Sexual content, Death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, War, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, and Homophobia
anton13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War
Moderate: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Blood, Drug abuse, Animal death, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Pregnancy, Abortion, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Violence, Car accident, Medical content, and Vomit
nicnevin's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: War, Animal death, Blood, Cancer, Car accident, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Medical content, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, Vomit, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Xenophobia
raelong12's review
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Animal death, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Car accident, Classism, Addiction, Colonisation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Animal cruelty, Death, Drug use, Racism, Cursing, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, and War
wetdirtreads's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
It’s not (for me, at least) one of those books where you sob uncontrollably all the way through it. I cried a bit at one point. But it mostly just left me feeling completely hollow. Like a trauma response – a dissociated ‘freeze’ state. The book doesn’t offer a release from this emotional purgatory – which I assume is very intentional. To provide any relief would be disingenuous, because the pain this book articulates is still so raw, so real, so relevant.
Vuong doesn’t try to offer the reader insights into Little Dog’s experience – little morsels of wisdom – like you’re watching him through a window or on a TV screen. He brings you right into it. Right into Little Dog’s remembering; his pleasure & his pain. You don’t get to just consume his story as a fun lil trauma porn fix and then walk away from it unscathed. It sticks with you. Like Gorilla Glue, that super heavy-duty stuff that’s a real bitch to get off.
If discomfort and tension are not things you look for in a read, then this book probably isn’t for you. However, even if you do enjoy those things, I would still highly recommend emotionally preparing yourself before reading it. I’d also recommend following it with something light-hearted and fun. Otherwise, you will just feel pain. Indefinitely.
My personal storytelling practice usually seeks to destabilise comfort, not reinforce it. I often write in the hopes that people will walk away with questions, with a renewed awareness of the messy, unresolvable, undefinable nature of the world – not answers, conclusions or relief. This book does all of that. Times a thousand. And I feel honoured to have been hurt by it.
(Review originally posted on Instagram)
Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Grief, Racism, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Death, Animal death, Child abuse, Drug use, Terminal illness, Violence, and War
Moderate: Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Excrement, Bullying, Abandonment, and Homophobia
Minor: Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Adult/minor relationship, and Car accident
krystaltyong's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, War, Child abuse, Abortion, Drug abuse, Drug use, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Racism, Addiction, Alcohol, Cursing, Dementia, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Bullying, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic relationship
Minor: Blood, Vomit, Ableism, Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical content
eve_o's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
five stars.
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual content, Death, Alcohol, Animal death, Drug abuse, Racism, Homophobia, Addiction, Cancer, and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Confinement, Death of parent, Drug use, Miscarriage, Child abuse, and Terminal illness
Minor: Excrement and Car accident
lostboylio's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
truly heartbreaking and amazingly beautiful!
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Sexual content, and War
Moderate: Abortion, Drug use, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cursing, Abandonment, Homophobia, Mental illness, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Minor: Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Chronic illness, Bullying, Death, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Gun violence, and Hate crime
hannahlouise_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Car accident, Chronic illness, Blood, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Abortion, Gun violence, Violence, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Mental illness, and Gore