A review by atsundarsingh
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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

I didn't know what to expect of a poet's first novel, but this is so lyrically written it hurts even when it's good. I love the epistolary format, and even more so because it's written to someone who may never read it. I was also really taken by the way Vuong writes about loving a parent who is violent but whose violence is understandable in a sense, since it comes from a series of overlapping traumas and still being angry or helpless with that parent. Really moving and bold novel, with some hard to read content. 
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