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chattycathy55's review against another edition
3.0
This book is tough to review. I struggled some with the characters who were not super likable. Except for the Japanese mom. I loved her. At the same time the themes discussed are fascinating- race, family issues and acceptance, forgiveness. The characters were flawed and very real. I wish there was a bit more depth to the character development. I am not sure I understand their motivations much of the time. But the theme of love in a family also came through strongly even within these very dysfunctional families. So I was torn as to a star rating because the book both annoyed me and made me think.
luziajakob's review against another edition
3.0
keine Standardcharaktere oder Geschichten, was es überraschenderweise schwer für mich gemacht hat mir die Personen vorzustellen, was an sich krass ist und zeigt wie sehr man das gewöhnt ist weiße Charaktere zu lesen. Auch ein interessanter Blick auf Beziehungen und hat bestimmte Themen/ Familiensituationen gut wiedergegeben.
kate_albers's review against another edition
5.0
There is a reason this book is on everyone’s best of 2020 list. It is a beautiful story of loss - loss of a parent, loss of love, loss of family. I absolutely devoured it. Please read this.
liddydoyle's review against another edition
4.0
This book was hard to get through, but I think that’s a testament to Washington’s writing. With every stunted conversation between characters, we witness the weight of Benson & Mike’s individual and collective histories. This story begins with these two gay men of color, their relationship, and their life in Houston, but slowly branches out to help give readers a glimpse into who they are and how they got there — their relationships with their parents taking center stage. Your interest may be piqued when Mitsuko, Mike’s Japanese mother, arrives the day before her son flys to Osaka, leaving Benson alone with a woman he’s never met.
I saw this story described as funny or a dramedy, which I guess is true. But I did find it profoundly sad with little lights of hope. Quips from testy family members provided most of the comedic relief, but still found a way to hit ya where it hurts.
What I loved: the nuances in the narration between characters like Benson’s tendency to say “didn’t say shit”; how Mike’s section didn’t have chapters like Bensons’; food as a way to communicate and make connections; Mitsuko ❤️; I loved that there weren’t any quotation marks used. It felt appropriate in a story where the characters struggle to express themselves.
I saw this story described as funny or a dramedy, which I guess is true. But I did find it profoundly sad with little lights of hope. Quips from testy family members provided most of the comedic relief, but still found a way to hit ya where it hurts.
What I loved: the nuances in the narration between characters like Benson’s tendency to say “didn’t say shit”; how Mike’s section didn’t have chapters like Bensons’; food as a way to communicate and make connections; Mitsuko ❤️; I loved that there weren’t any quotation marks used. It felt appropriate in a story where the characters struggle to express themselves.
marissax89's review against another edition
4.0
This book felt very raw and real to me. I’ve been a close witness to relationships that play out very similar to Benson and Mikes. And although they may seem sometimes unhealthy from the outside looking in, there is a lot of reasons that people stay together just to stay together. All the words and emotions portrayed felt very human. I also loved all the talk and cooking of food. It definitely made me hungry quite a few times!
kadyburns's review against another edition
3.0
I heard so many good things about this book and saw it on so many lists I was pumped to read it. While I appreciate the overall story and the main characters, I was constantly thrown by the dialog that felt very stilted (and no quotation marks). The last 50 or so pages felt like a chore.
lisanreads's review against another edition
5.0
Bryan Washington portrays Houston better than anyone else. His sense of place is incredible. Seeing a complicated relationship was a brilliant idea, and I loved the focus on food.
allisonmadrazo's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this one. A slow burn relationship with so much depth of culture and family. Pacing was incredible. Heart aches.
kingphilwith1l's review against another edition
2.0
not my cup of tea, but someone has to drink it. I really liked the story and the theme, but the style of basically no punctuation is not for me. Often times during conversations I was left confused as to if it was dialogue, and if it was dialogue then which character was speaking. Minus that it was a nice summer read.