Memorial

This book was phenomenal in every way. The relationship between Ben and Mike was so real, i have never read a fictional relationship that has made me feel this way before. I loved Mike’s mum, i loved Omar, two small characters that really added to the book. I loved the ending, and Mike’s mother is a true gem as she encompasses the thoughts we need to remind ourselves. This book is about the small things that make up the big things: nothing is a waste, unless everything is a waste. As a lesbian too, reading lgbt characters means a lot to me, and i know i will be reading this author’s book for a long time. An outstanding writer.

I desperately wanted to read this after loving 'Lot' by the same author so much, so thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to do so. For me, this fell slightly short of the magic of 'Lot' - but the emphasis there really should be on slightly, as it's still fantastically well written!

If I had to choose one word to describe this book, I would go with 'bittersweet'. Washington has perfectly captured the highs and lows of a relationship here, showing in fine detail how small events can have bigger implications for the relationship as a whole. I found this quite an emotional read at times, but brilliantly honest and real.

I loved Memorial, a novel about complicated love - romantic, sexual, familial. Subtle, funny and intimate, Bryan Washington refuses to neaten the story into anything like a tidy and traditional love story or family story and it is all the better for that. The main characters Benson and Mike are frustrating at times, and they have difficult parents,  but as a reader I really cared about them. Washington writes well about place (Houston and Osaka) and food (Mike is a chef). The fact that this novel doesn’t answer every question, tie up every end, means that it lingers long in the mind after reading.

Brutal but brilliant. I found myself captivated by this book, as I expected to love it (judging by the short synopsis) and while I DID love it, it wasn’t in the way I expected. It’s a book that looks brutally and unflinchingly at relationships (both family and sexual), identity and the idea of belonging (or the lack thereof). I loved how skilfully the author reveals that the way we perceive each other and our relationships  can be completely at odds with how someone else perceives it.

I finished this book with tears in my eyes on a Thursday morning and then I’m expected to go to work? After dealing with this emotional rollercoaster?

I absolutely adored this. I didn’t want it to be over. Gut-wrenching, heart-breaking and wonderful.

Memorial is the story of Mike and Benson, who have been together for a few years and are both having doubts about their relationship. Then when Mike’s dad gets ill, he decides to go visit him in Japan, at the same time as his mother arrives to visit them in Houston.

This story takes place from both perspectives, a trope I absolutely adore. We start with Benson, who finds himself with a strange Japanese woman in his house who cooks delicious food but rarely speaks. I want to take a moment here to see how much I loved the descriptions of food in this book! Food and its connection to family and home is a real theme.

Then we switch to Mike, living in Japan with his estranged father who is dying and doesn’t particularly want him around.

I couldn’t put this book down but I also dreaded it ending. I felt so invested in the characters and it is such a beautiful story, I didn’t want to leave.

This is a heart-breaking story of love and love and most importantly of home and family and what that means. But it’s also realistic and at times funny and joyful.

This is going to be a huge book this year and I’m so grateful to have had a chance to read an advanced copy! I can’t wait to discuss this with people and spread the word.

Beautiful. Achingly gorgeous, filled with loved. How we as families are broken and try piece ourselves together how we hurt and heal together. Fabulous story. Amazing writer.