Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Punch Me Up to the Gods: A Memoir by Brian Broome

10 reviews

imchelsi's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective

4.0

I don't read very much nonfiction but this was a heartwrenching and critical look at what it means to be black and gay, the the concept of masculinity as a whole. I really enjoyed the format and the culmination was very effective. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent

agnesjlopez's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Moderate: Mental illness and Medical content

juliagongaware's review

dark inspiring sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

remimicha's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism

honeyvoiced's review

dark reflective sad

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Racism, and Alcohol

Moderate: Racial slurs and Sexual content

Minor: Fatphobia and Death of parent

orireading's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

This was so emotional and incredible.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Abortion

parasolcrafter's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

mitzybitzyspider's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Misogyny and Suicide

Minor: Suicide attempt

paigeisinabook's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

A memoir about Blackness, masculinity, sexuality, colorism, and addiction. A letter to Black men, young and old.

Following Brian Broome (with a special chapter from his mother’s POV), we see how he was raised to enact toxic masculinity and compulsory heteronormativity. Every other chapter is dedicated to the initiation of a young boy, Tuan, to the world of being a stereotypical man. The cycle continues.

This book is very good. Many lines stood out as strong and impactful and I wish that I had read it to highlight these beautiful words. Broome is a poet and it shows.

Nothing in this book lagged. Nothing was out of place.

5 out of 5 Would recommend

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use

Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, and Outing

Minor: Death of parent

sara_m_martins's review

dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

"we learn that white boys are people and Asian boys are exotic and Hispanic boys are luxurious and Black boys are for sex."

Punch Me Up to the Gods is a raw, powerful memoir that explores the ideals of Black masculinity, and that intersection with the queer identity, and what it is to be a queer Black man in the USA. It is brutal, powerful and superbly honest.
The memoir comes as a collection of essays about moments throughout Brian Broome's life, glavanized (and organized for us) through a shared bus trip between narrator and a small Black boy named Tuan. I found this really interesting, and this starting point made me reflect and approach the essays in such a different way.
This book talks of racism, homophobia, physical/emotional/sexual abuse, toxic masculinity, misogyny, family, addiction/alcoholism. With humour and a great writing style (felt almost poetic at points), one feels saddened but still wants to keep reading. 
I really appreciate the realness and unsanitized depictions. This is seen in other themes too, but Brian talks about being queer while not being a "good queer" - ashamed, denial, hidding, wishing it away; cowardice sometimes feels forbidden to queer stories.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Death of parent