A review by lucasgarner
Memorial by Bryan Washington

5.0

It is really hard to find good representation as a gay man. Most authors make out the homosexual experience as being either this absolutely fabulous, witty, sassy, remarkable thing that would want to make even the most notorious homophobe want to jump aboard, or they portray it as a constant onslaught of misery and abuse. So to see an author perfectly pen, what is to me, the most accurate portrayal of, not only homosexuality, but also a gay relationship is both refreshing and enlightening. It’s so exciting to see that representation, to see that I’m not alone. To see that I don’t have sashay down a runway or get beaten in a dark alleyway in order to have lived the true gay experience. That isn’t to say that people don’t have those experiences, they are certainly real, but not true of every gay person. Mike and Benson felt real because most of the novel they discussed topics and did things that I have done before and felt either incredibly stupid and naive, or wanted to shout to everyone but would have felt alone. Homosexuality is neither ugly or beautiful, it just exists.

But what pulled me into the novel even more is how complex it is, with seemingly no effort. The book breezes along with quick dialogue, as well as short, choppy, indifferent sentences that pack on more emotion than you are led to believe. There is so much to unpack here, and Washington handles it all expertly. Consider me a huge fan, and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us next.