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erinastin's review against another edition
5.0
Memorial reminded me how much I enjoy stories with swift, simplistic prose that cuts deep. Really fantastic.
bhnmt61's review against another edition
4.0
Memorable characters, absorbing story, and I loved the setup- Mike abruptly leaves to spend time with his dying father the day after his mother has come to visit for the first time in years. So you have Mike’s boyfriend Ben awkwardly cohabiting with Mike’s mom in Houston, and Mike in Japan trying to connect with his estranged father before he dies. There are flashbacks to fill in the early days of Mike and Ben’s romance. The writing is like watching Simone Biles on the balance beam—that good.
I was even OK with the open-ended ending. I should have loved and adored this book. But there were an increasing number of elliptical conversations toward the end that I couldn’t understand, which made me feel stupid, which I hate. I feel like I would understand it much better if I read it again, but there are so many things I want to read right now (including Washington’s new book) that I don’t think I will. Maybe I will come back to it.
I was even OK with the open-ended ending. I should have loved and adored this book. But there were an increasing number of elliptical conversations toward the end that I couldn’t understand, which made me feel stupid, which I hate. I feel like I would understand it much better if I read it again, but there are so many things I want to read right now (including Washington’s new book) that I don’t think I will. Maybe I will come back to it.
lesbiangrandpa's review
5.0
I finished this in about 3-4 sittings. And was on the verge of tears twice. This is a beautiful insight into so many things: where love that’s lasted a long time is going, who your family is, intergenerational relationships, and so much good food!!!
sandpiiper's review against another edition
3.0
benson and mike are extremely well-crafted morally grey characters and their complicated relationship is portrayed wonderfully by washington. at the same time though, i just felt underwhelmed by the development of that relationship throughout the course of the book. 4/5 not enough yearning and musings on love for me
kvmeehan's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rachelangle13's review against another edition
3.75
A tad slow moving for my taste, but beautifully written. Nothing is a waste.
holly1855's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-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 really enjoyed the writing of this book, the dialogue felt very natural and there was a lot to ponder in the things left unsaid. The absence of quotation marks reminded me of Sally Rooney, who I love, so i vibed with that. The perspective changing in each third of the book really changed my perception of the characters and who I was rooting for as we went (which ended up with me rooting for basically no one in the end except Lydia, Bensons sister). I wish it wrapped up more - the relationship between Benson and Mike is basically in the same exact place the entire book. It was so satisfying when Benson finally went off on his family towards the end, but I wish we got some moment like that between him and Mike. Just left me unsatisfied at the end, but overall I enjoyed the book a lot.
kallmekirby's review against another edition
3.0
I liked it a lot. Loved the ending, I teared up - not totally sure why. The 4 stars is mainly for the style and themes, I didn’t ~love it~
bookph1le's review against another edition
3.0
I feel pretty torn about this book. On the one hand, the writing is wonderful and compelling--so much so that this is the first time in longer than I can remember that I've read an entire book over the course of one day. Whenever I left it for a while, I was eager to get back to it. Some spoilers to follow.
But for as compelling as I found it, I also thought it was unsatisfactory. Really, when I think about it, the novel is pretty much circular. Benson and Mike's relationship is on the brink at the beginning of the book, and it's still on the brink by the end, and this is entirely due to the fact that neither of them change. I would have liked to see some growth, would have liked something to make me feel like I wanted to see these two overcome their differences, but ultimately I didn't feel that way. They both struck me as pretty lazy about their relationship, so it was hard for me to get behind it.
It was also hard for me to get behind it because it's a toxic relationship. It's bad enough that they mistreat one another and that they carry one behind one another's backs, but it's even worse that they've gotten physical with one another. Yes, relationships have their ups and downs, good times and bad, but I'm always bothered by portrayals of unhealthy relationships like this one.
So, yeah, it's a mixed bag. And I still hate the lack of quotation marks and will forevermore.
But for as compelling as I found it, I also thought it was unsatisfactory. Really, when I think about it, the novel is pretty much circular. Benson and Mike's relationship is on the brink at the beginning of the book, and it's still on the brink by the end, and this is entirely due to the fact that neither of them change. I would have liked to see some growth, would have liked something to make me feel like I wanted to see these two overcome their differences, but ultimately I didn't feel that way. They both struck me as pretty lazy about their relationship, so it was hard for me to get behind it.
It was also hard for me to get behind it because it's a toxic relationship. It's bad enough that they mistreat one another and that they carry one behind one another's backs, but it's even worse that they've gotten physical with one another. Yes, relationships have their ups and downs, good times and bad, but I'm always bothered by portrayals of unhealthy relationships like this one.
So, yeah, it's a mixed bag. And I still hate the lack of quotation marks and will forevermore.
emilymichelle76's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes