Houston’s working class minorities can certainly inspire countless stories, and in his debut, author Bryan Washington aspires to capture a few of them. This is not your typical short story collection however, as most of the tales here are connected, with most particularly focusing on the formative years of a young, mixed-race, gay man and his family. As a result this can feel more like a rather inventive take on the novel format. The stories themselves are often excellent, and never worse than very good, with each seeming to perfectly capture the essence of their people and places. By the end I felt like I had gotten to really know these characters and had a better understanding of their lives and motivations. This is a frank book that doesn’t shy away from its subject matter, but never wallows in its darker aspects either. This means that while much of the lives depicted in its pages could seem harsh and depressing, there is still love and hope scattered throughout. Lot isn’t quite perfect, but it’s a remarkable debut and a beautiful little book. ★★★★ – Sean Farrell
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★★★★★ = Excellent | ★★★★ = Very Good | ★★★ = Good | ★★ = Fair | ★ = Poor