reviews
previous reviews here
strong opinions ahead
just where i post all my little reviews on the books or stuff i've consumed lately.
someone who will love you in all your damaged glory by raphael bob-waksberg
i started reading this on sunday, june 4th and finished it last night after finding out i have covid. (lame.) i have to admit, i judged this by its cover, having that "i'm a millenial woman looking to deepen my understanding after going through a really bad breakup in which he took half of my harry potter merch" kind of feel to it, especially with that particular title and shade of pink. but, i was pleasantly surprised! bob-waksberg showed beautiful syntax, and ingenious stories. unlike most short story collections about love and heartbreak, this one constantly shifted and made me evaluate what i define as "love" and "heartbreak." really good stuff. i also am super appreciative for the numerous queer characters in these stories, none of whom had their identity used as cheap trick, all of their connections were tastefully developed. for a male writer, i feel secure saying raphael bob-waksberg did an accurate - if a litttttle overly emotional - representation of women in relationships. my favorite story in this collection would have to be "You Want To Know What Plays Are Like?" which chronicled an alcoholic sister visiting her brother's debut play that ends up being about the overdose of their kid sister. it was tasteful and striking.
"...the play version of you would hug him[...]but the real version of you just looks at him." (pg 169)
i would rate this a solid 6.5/10. i will likely forget about it in a few months, but it was a pleasant read, and i enjoyed the bojack horseman reference ("xerox of a xerox") that occasionally cropped up.