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A review by ieemee
The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl by Bart Yates
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is a quirky literary historical fiction with a gay MC leading the way.
The story touches on historical events each about 8 years apart starting with the avalanche in Utah in 1926.
The book is a compelling read I couldn’t put it down.
History of the time period cover is heavy , it covers Aids pandemic and Mississippi & the klan. The author takes real moments in history of USA and places our mc at the heart of them.
I personally feel the writing shines the most in the historical moments like stonewall riots or the aids pandemic where our gay mc is the most impacted. The chapter civil rights feels awkward to have it told from a white perspective. I also wish the book showed our MC more impacted by the death of the African American children. However the MC is largely unaffected by most of the deaths in the book even his own mothers. The MC has a coldness which is covered with humour.
The book is a good archive of queerness in a historical context. The book contains no homophobia from the Mc inner circle his sister and Bo. They simply say his sister was fine with it “once she got over the shock of a naked” man on mattress.
MC has many moments of love throughout the novel, even an a gap romance at one stage.
The love between Mc and his twin sister is beautiful they both live this long life together with challenges and beauty. I cried towards the end of the novel because of how beautiful the love is between them.
The death of his sister Aggie and the things she writes in the notebook to him feels so authentic it’s not soppy it’s banter. I love this quote”Up until the last few days —when she had enough morphine in her system to sedate an ox —her prose remained distinctive, cogent, opinionated, funny and infuriating “
The book looks at the year that make up a long life and all the historical events that happen along the way.
The ‘strange’ is not unusual but rather how werid life can be and how you end up in so many unexpected places through so much chance.
I do think a lot of criticisms about the book is due to the lack of appropriate content warnings on the arc. This book is funny in a dark sense of humour way.
The story touches on historical events each about 8 years apart starting with the avalanche in Utah in 1926.
The book is a compelling read I couldn’t put it down.
History of the time period cover is heavy , it covers Aids pandemic and Mississippi & the klan. The author takes real moments in history of USA and places our mc at the heart of them.
I personally feel the writing shines the most in the historical moments like stonewall riots or the aids pandemic where our gay mc is the most impacted. The chapter civil rights feels awkward to have it told from a white perspective. I also wish the book showed our MC more impacted by the death of the African American children. However the MC is largely unaffected by most of the deaths in the book even his own mothers. The MC has a coldness which is covered with humour.
The book is a good archive of queerness in a historical context. The book contains no homophobia from the Mc inner circle his sister and Bo. They simply say his sister was fine with it “once she got over the shock of a naked” man on mattress.
MC has many moments of love throughout the novel, even an a gap romance at one stage.
The love between Mc and his twin sister is beautiful they both live this long life together with challenges and beauty. I cried towards the end of the novel because of how beautiful the love is between them.
The book looks at the year that make up a long life and all the historical events that happen along the way.
The ‘strange’ is not unusual but rather how werid life can be and how you end up in so many unexpected places through so much chance.
I do think a lot of criticisms about the book is due to the lack of appropriate content warnings on the arc. This book is funny in a dark sense of humour way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and War
Moderate: Terminal illness