A review by elliebell
Lot by Bryan Washington

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.