This is a heartbreaking story in its own right. The story is enough to make you well up at the thought of struggle, strife, and being misunderstood. Yet —his writing, his style, the way he brings words under his grasp makes this an experience. Every word is like a suture. The needle stinging the skin as it punctures, the thread abrading the muscles as it pulls, and the wound coming together to finally heal. This book brings pain to the reader because it has brought pain to the author. In the end, however, it also brings peace and allows the wound to heal. This book is a triumph in self exploration, discovery, and story telling. Whatever you think you’re in for, I guarantee it will surprise you.

Was crying within minutes of reading.

It was one of the best books I’ve read ever. I loved the poetic narrative and the way the author made a book that in itself is a poem, a letter to a mom who cannot read. It is so beautiful and emotion filled. As I read I can see myself through the eyes of the little boy experiencing life as part of a family of vietnamese migrants. I loved this book! I might read it again.

I would give the first section a 5. I enjoyed the characterizations and the relationships and scenarios and the voice of the author. As the book went on it got more and more contemplative and cerebral and had less to tell us about anything other than the authors sad perspective, and written in an increasingly labored poetic style that I had a harder and harder time deciphering. Section 3 had the least amount of character development or plot, mostly waxing on pretentiously. So section three gets a 2/5 from me. Section two was a mix of section one and three, in content and quality. Very intelligent author, this book could’ve used some editing. I was disappointed when the book stopped being a story about characters and leaned harder into the incomprehensible poetry, which doubtless meant a lot to the author but made very little sense to me.

There are some beautifully written lines in this book and some folks will probably love it but it wasn't for me.

Beautifully written story. Sad but yet hopeful.

Amazing,

Didnt do it for me. I wasn’t invested, and the story was too scattered and unfocused.

Wow, just wow. Ocean Voung unleashed a tidal wave of poeticized story telling and imagery. He shows a mastery of language that both demonstrates its power to bring life to the singularity of the human experience, and at the same time how it is not enough to capture all that we are perfectly. His style with the pregnant pauses between scenes, allows him to fully put all the heaviness of his life on the reader but allow moments to breath. Recollecting yourself, only to plunge down deeper into beauty and tragedy. I heard the would be adapting this novel into a film, I can’t imagine how they will preserve the richness and density of the language that he packed into every sentence.

I have never read a book that made me feel like this one has. I have not lived this life, but I can feel it. Thank you Ocean.