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trevoryan's review against another edition
5.0
Not your average biography. This book is as much about the author herself as it is about Karen. And that's a good thing. Brilliant and insightful. Deeply engrossing. Highly Recommended.
evilbag's review against another edition
4.0
"she is the anchor to a now, a then, a never was, and a never will be. she is the one who taught me that optimism is cruel, and yet she is the one i remain attached to, despite the inevitable harm such attachments sometimes carry with them. she has always been my gateway to belonging, yet also the harbinger of its foreclosure"
littletaiko's review against another edition
4.0
Charming memoir about the influence of Karen Carpenter and her music on the author. The similarities between their families and the fact that the author was named after her all led for Tongson to feel a special connection to Carpenter. Best read while listening to Carpenters music.
ivanssister's review against another edition
5.0
I like the Carpenters, but it is so clear that Karen LOVES them. I don't know much more than the punchline level of information about Karen Carpenter, but after reading Karen Tongson's thoughts on her, I want to know more!
k80uva's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent! A surprising and compelling mix of memoir, biography, and musical criticism.
chichi27's review against another edition
4.0
Great mix of biography of Karen Carpenter, Autobiography of author Karen Tongson, and academic analysis of music and culture. I've never had a personal connection to the music of Karen Carpenter, but this was a compelling read anyways, as Tongson does an excellent job of explaining why Karen Carpenter is special to Long Beach, The Philippines, and the queer community. I certainly learned a lot.
in_libris_speramus's review against another edition
3.0
I guess I'll start by admitting that I have no connection to the Carpenters. I didn't grow up listening to them, in my house prog rock, jazz, and punk were on heavy rotation thanks to my parents, and I'm a good ten years younger than the author, so the mini "revival" of their music in the 90s completely passed me by. I don't know that I could have even named a single song from them until reading this, or even after listening to quite a bit of their music because of this book. I mean, there was one song that I liked so much the night I "discovered" it that I played it on repeat for an entire hour, but it's been a few weeks and now I can't remember which song it was, soooo...
However, Tongson is an engaging writer. Her experiences with the Carpenters as a child, a Filipino immigrant, and young adult coming into her queerness are interspersed throughout this mini biography of Karen Carpenter, making this a deeply personal piece. While I still don't understand her fandom for the Carpenters, I do remember the music that defined my experiences growing up and how deep those connections go even into my adulthood.
However, Tongson is an engaging writer. Her experiences with the Carpenters as a child, a Filipino immigrant, and young adult coming into her queerness are interspersed throughout this mini biography of Karen Carpenter, making this a deeply personal piece. While I still don't understand her fandom for the Carpenters, I do remember the music that defined my experiences growing up and how deep those connections go even into my adulthood.