Reviews with content warning for Kidnapping - The Late Americans

Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor

11 reviews

bg_oseman_fan's review against another edition

reflective 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

4.25

I enjoyed that this book took on multiple characters that have certain things in common, but also had unique situations or points of view. the author did a good job of presenting his characters in their own stories and when viewed by others. some of the stories did t particularly make a strong impression on me, while others were really interesting and engaging. a worthwhile read if you enjoy short stories in a contemporary setting with lgbtq+ themes.

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mr_cain's review

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emotional reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

4.5

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marjoleinvanderspoel's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

4.5

Brandon Taylor is possibly the best writer of our generation. And yet, this is not his strongest work. These are some of my jumbled, incoherent thoughts upon finishing it. The writing is so so good, most of the characters are really interesting, but the chapters about women were such a disappointment and the connections between the chapters is tenuous at best. Caught somewhere between short stories and a novel, it felt like this book wanted to express many things but in the end it didn't really... go anywhere. I could identify an overarching theme of how your predetermined living conditions affect your life choices or lack thereof (there was a lot of focus on class but also for instance adoption, traumas and injuries which alter your perception of and course in life). I think Taylor does a great job of writing characters caught in between big decisions and that definitely shines here, and his characters also feel very real in that they make shitty choices sometimes, but I just wished there was something more to tie the stories together somehow. No wonder Seamus felt like the strongest character when he was the only one who got more than one chapter, and yet his story still felt unfinished. But so is life, a story as of yet unfinished. Excited to see what Taylor does next!

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aileron's review

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reflective sad 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

3.0

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kitaface's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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raphynette's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.25

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goldenaces00's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

3.5

It starts like a train, full steam ahead, and had me ferociously reading for about the first half. However, new (not as charismatic) characters are introduced, the plot is lost, and the ending left me deeply unsatisfied. It was a really strong, visual, and intimate story that read like poetry at some parts, but overall felt more like a collection of short stories with loose connections than a single novel with a plot. If you like stories about complicated artists that like to have sex, this is a great read. I just wish Taylor would have made his ensemble smaller, focused on character development, and given the readers a more powerful takeaway at the end. There are various subplots that go nowhere and are either tied up too early or never at all.

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