What a powerful read!

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"I spent too much time at a place that no longer exists. I spent too much time looking for something that I still haven't found." - Brian Broome

The story started with a story of a kid named Tuan and his dad on the bus. The author Brian Broome observed the interaction between the boy with his dad and also with the strangers. The author reflected on this interaction with his personal story, examining his own childhood by connecting it with Tuan's current situation. The author opened up about his experience growing up as a Black gay man –– his relationship with his dad, being abused and bullied because he wasn't "masculine" enough, and his drug addiction.

Reading PUNCH ME UP TO THE GODS gave me a better understanding of the internal struggles that the author dealt with as a gay black man in society. It was well-written and heartbreaking. I could feel the author's loneliness and pain. It showed me a perspective that I would not have known or thought of if I didn't read this memoir, so I am thankful that Brian Broome shared his story and his tabula rasa.