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mugsandmanuscripts's review against another edition
medium-paced
2.0
There were some really beautiful aspects of this memoir, but it really bothers me when memoirs and books in general are unnecessarily sexually explicit. It's one thing to describe an assault or meaningful aspects of sexual experiences, but it's another to overshare explicit detail. Unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me.
melbsreads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
4.0
Content warnings: death of a parent, homophobia, religious bigotry, racism, racial slurs, toxic relationship, adult/minor relationship, car accident, poop
Oof. This book was an extremely challenging read, yet it was also utterly captivating and I was hooked from start to finish. I don't know exactly what I anticipated going into this book, but it wasn't what I got. I think part of me thought it would be more of a poetry-y memoir, given the author?? IDK. Anyway, the sections especially that dealt with Saeed's early explorations of his sexuality and his sexual encounters were heartbreaking.
So yeah. I am extremely glad that I read this. But it was definitely a far more challenging memoir to read than I anticipated it would be.
Oof. This book was an extremely challenging read, yet it was also utterly captivating and I was hooked from start to finish. I don't know exactly what I anticipated going into this book, but it wasn't what I got. I think part of me thought it would be more of a poetry-y memoir, given the author?? IDK. Anyway, the sections especially that dealt with Saeed's early explorations of his sexuality and his sexual encounters were heartbreaking.
So yeah. I am extremely glad that I read this. But it was definitely a far more challenging memoir to read than I anticipated it would be.
moonyreadsbystarlight's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
5.0
This was amazing and beautifully written. This begins looking at the author's childhood and his experience as a gay Black boy in the south. It focuses not just on his understanding of sexuality, but how that impacts many relationships in his life. The middle goes into his time in college, more fraught in understanding how he relates to himself. Throughout the whole book, he has mentioned his mother, but the last section hones in on this relationship at the end of her life.
I can't begin to really talk about how impactful various parts of this were for me. Suffice it to say, this was incredible and moving.
I can't begin to really talk about how impactful various parts of this were for me. Suffice it to say, this was incredible and moving.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Grief, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Body shaming
Minor: Cancer
da_bos's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully written. Gut-wrenching. And utterly unputdownable.
ramblingbeth's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0