cyrkenstein's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
savannahtarlton's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
this is a beautifully written meditation on growing up and growing away. ultimately i did feel a little lukewarm about the ending and the pacing towards the end, but the prose throughout is so lyrical and moving that i can’t give it less than 4 stars.
sorenzs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Outing, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Incest, Rape, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, and Self harm
Minor: Infidelity and Addiction
kirag's review against another edition
4.0
A very quick easy read-I was hooked, Torres did a beautiful job telling the story of boyhood in poverty-every part of this book was intentional
giannanigroithink's review against another edition
4.0
really enjoyed this but i didn’t fully understand the ending, mainly the last chapter. very good though
palomapepper's review against another edition
2.0
A series of interconnected prose-poem-like chapters, each of which could well stand on its own. A boy (youngest of three brothers) grows up in upstate New York with his dysfunctional, working-class parents. Together - and, finally, separately - they deal with their mixed-race identity and sexualities.
I really liked the first 2-3 chapters. Then... I felt like it was all downhill. The writing was precise and evocative, and yet... overly so, slipping into excessive sentimentality. The other two brothers started to feel flat, like scenery or a Greek chorus. And I really didn't feel like the ending matched the beginning and middle - it felt like it came out of left field.
- Did his family have him institutionalized for having promiscuous gay sex? Is that... legally possible?
- His family is completely unrecognizable in the last few chapters. Am I to gather that the narrator's institutionalization has wiped away their personal characteristics and foibles?
- What on earth is the deal with the very last chapter (Zookeeping)? I hated it. It was suddenly and incongruously dream-like, in a way that might have been explained away earlier in the book by the fantasies of childhood, but that later in adulthood seemed to be... a signifier of insanity?
I really liked the first 2-3 chapters. Then... I felt like it was all downhill. The writing was precise and evocative, and yet... overly so, slipping into excessive sentimentality. The other two brothers started to feel flat, like scenery or a Greek chorus. And I really didn't feel like the ending matched the beginning and middle - it felt like it came out of left field.
Spoiler
- Did his family have him institutionalized for having promiscuous gay sex? Is that... legally possible?
- His family is completely unrecognizable in the last few chapters. Am I to gather that the narrator's institutionalization has wiped away their personal characteristics and foibles?
- What on earth is the deal with the very last chapter (Zookeeping)? I hated it. It was suddenly and incongruously dream-like, in a way that might have been explained away earlier in the book by the fantasies of childhood, but that later in adulthood seemed to be... a signifier of insanity?
ingridholmquist's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
uhhjeepers's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
3.75
Read for school.
This is a fast-paced, vignette styled narrative that tells the coming of age story of the youngest of three brothers. This book really came together for me at the end, and I strongly recommend it. It is emotional and honest and the writing is spectacular. The growth from the narrative feeling like it’s told from a child to a teenager really stuck with me, like I could read the changes on the page.
Check for TWs. They’re brief and don’t go into excruciating detail, but I still definitely felt them.
This is a fast-paced, vignette styled narrative that tells the coming of age story of the youngest of three brothers. This book really came together for me at the end, and I strongly recommend it. It is emotional and honest and the writing is spectacular. The growth from the narrative feeling like it’s told from a child to a teenager really stuck with me, like I could read the changes on the page.
Check for TWs. They’re brief and don’t go into excruciating detail, but I still definitely felt them.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Outing, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Forced institutionalization
takemetomilos's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
Somewhere between 4-5 stars but I don’t know because I can’t think about it without my heart falling through my stomach
aconcisehistory's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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