This is the first book I finished in 2021! It is also the first time for me to read a contemporary LGBTQ+ novel that was written by someone from the community (#ownvoices!!) and I really love it!

There are three parts in the book and each part has three stories. The stories are more like six moments/scenes from the protagonist's life in Bulgaria that are loosely connected to each other. The three parts are well structured in an almost symmetrical way that I really appreciate.

This is the kind of book that you don’t read it for exciting plots (because there are none) but for the beautiful writing. The author likes to write in long paragraphs and even dialogues are embedded in the paragraphs without quotation marks. I have to admit that I was intimidated by this kind of style at first and it could be a bit exhausting to read. However, once I got used to this style, I became obsessed with his writing. I was especially touched by the tenderness and the authenticity of his writing! (Warning that there are violent sex scenes depicted with quite a lot of details).

Also, reading a novel that sets in Bulgaria feels fresh and familiar to me at the same time. I did some research on the country while reading and learnt that it was once ruled by the communists. I noticed some parallels between its history and the Chinese modern history which made the book more relatable to me.

I’d like to recommend this one to anyone who wants to try an ownvoice LGBTQ+ fiction or just have a love for novels with beautiful writing!