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melhhan's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.0
mildredlocke's review against another edition
3.0
Not what I expected, going in, but I love Bryan Washington's writing style. I expected a collection of unconnected short stories that I could dip in and out of (my bad for not reading the blurb more closely). Eventually I realised they're all connected, following the same characters, and would work better if read in quick succession. Unfortunately because I spent months and months dipping in and out, I didn't get the full experience, and found myself feeling lost a lot of the time.
3 stars for the gorgeous prose, the unflinching world building and storytelling, but also as a reflection of my reading experience. I plan to return and read it as one coherent narrative, and will hopefully enjoy it more.
3 stars for the gorgeous prose, the unflinching world building and storytelling, but also as a reflection of my reading experience. I plan to return and read it as one coherent narrative, and will hopefully enjoy it more.
brentmpage's review against another edition
3.0
3.5. Like most collections of short stories, some are more engrossing than others. Overall the author writes tenderly about characters living in poverty and the impact of race, disease, family, sexuality and gender.
sanjays1's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.25
Not a fan of short stories. This was just not engaging enough for me to want to follow and it felt like I was slugging through it.
bethweisberger's review against another edition
4.0
I’m a short story fan, and this verged on novel territory as many stories centered around one young man’s coming of age. All the stories were about men, which made me realize I read almost exclusively novels centered around women. Glad to branch out.
Raul’s story was my favorite.
The ending of the final story was satisfying. (Which I feel is not always the case with short stories).
Highly recommend, and would be interesting addition to add diversity to your book group.
Raul’s story was my favorite.
The ending of the final story was satisfying. (Which I feel is not always the case with short stories).
Highly recommend, and would be interesting addition to add diversity to your book group.
janey's review against another edition
5.0
Boy oh boy, Washington sure doesn't pull any punches here.
leonarkr's review against another edition
4.0
After reading a few mysteries, this book book was recommended to me by a fellow Gary Soto fan. I loved that Soto was cited in the beginning pages and read this book in one day. It's a collection of short stories loosely connected by one biracial young man who is drifting a bit, realizing what challenges he's only beginning to face, and realizing he's gay. Great characters and vivid depictions are something I'll take any day.
list_addict's review against another edition
3.0
Real score 3.78. It’s not a bad score. It’s the middle of the road score. And it’s likely me. I’m not the greatest fan of short stories. Seems even a little unfair to give an average score for a personal preference, but this is about my experience I suppose. Don’t use my experience as a guide unless you’re exactly like me.
asiporaspoonful's review against another edition
4.0
It was so nice to read this collection of stories that centered the immigrant experience and treated LGBT identity as just a fact of life. Nothing felt tokenized or performative in this collection, and that’s one of the things that made it so fresh.
elliebell's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this debut story collection. It takes place in the sprawling, multicultural city of Houston and many of the stories are connected by a young, mixed-race boy coming of age and into his sexuality. The struggles and alienation immigrants might feel—dealing drugs, dabbling in prostitution, encountering racism when applying for jobs, striving to leave the family or the neighborhood, adultery—permeate the stories, but they are also filled with powerful, clear observation, matter-of-fact emotion and empathy, and sometimes humor, and Washington captures the voice of his characters beautifully.