I’m writing this not long after I finished reading “Let Them Stare” by Jonathan Van Ness and Julie Murphy. As soon as I finished, I had to watch an episode of Queer Eye because I wanted to stay in a joyous world with those feelings. Needless to say, I loved this book.
Without going into a sketchy retelling of the book, sketchy because I hate to give spoilers and then somehow wind up handing over all kinds of spoilers… here are some of the reasons I loved this book and think everyone should read it.
- It’s not a coming out story. Sometimes people hear “coming of age” and think it’s a coming out story. It’s not. Sully is very clear right from the start about who they are, and everyone knows it. Love it.
- Supportive parents. May we all have them, may we all be them.
- It’s an adventure without traveling to the ends of the world.
- Clementine and Bread.
- The title. When you see the meaning of the title. Ooof. Amazing.
- An imperfect world that is trying to improve, with a long list of people paving the way with love, acceptance, and open minds.
In short, JVN and Julie Murphy created a world I would love to live in.
The book was a little bit bittersweet because it touched on some very sad and painful truths of the past, but the hope infused through the story is palpable. I put the book down ready to celebrate with Sully and their crew.
This is an excellent read, and if you’re in a book club, or do buddy reads, this story will give you a ton to talk about.
