A review by euryale
Let's No One Get Hurt by Jon Pineda
5.0
This novel is absolutely gorgeous. A friend read it in one sitting on a plane ride and then passed it on to me--I read it in 3-4 hours. I don't think I even put it down to go to the bathroom, it had that much of a hold on me. It was totally immersive & arresting: what I could relate to (Pearl's coming-of-age, budding sexuality) was painful but absolutely truly rendered, and what was new (how/where Pearl & her father live) felt lush, like I could see it & smell it & taste it.
Jon's prose, as always, is achingly beautiful, and pairs well with the short, snapshot-style chapters. So much is left unsaid but remains incredibly palpable... at some point I started crying and realized it wasn't triggered so much by a specific event, but just the accumulating weight of Pearl and her family's experiences. Pearl really came to life for me--her strength, her sass, the total honesty with which she lived and expected from others.
The move at the end left me gob-smacked with its strange, perfect, wonderfulness.
Jon's prose, as always, is achingly beautiful, and pairs well with the short, snapshot-style chapters. So much is left unsaid but remains incredibly palpable... at some point I started crying and realized it wasn't triggered so much by a specific event, but just the accumulating weight of Pearl and her family's experiences. Pearl really came to life for me--her strength, her sass, the total honesty with which she lived and expected from others.
The move at the end left me gob-smacked with its strange, perfect, wonderfulness.