What an INCREDIBLE book.

It was tender, moving, poignant novel. While the plot is very much about the everyday and the mundane, it had an incredible emotional depth to it. It was beautifully written, and such a well-crafted story.

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We follow the main character, Harley, who is battling his mental health after leaving university. When he starts up a friendship with a young man called Muddy, he starts to see things from a new perspective, and eventually begins to take steps to change the direction of his life.

This book touched upon so many themes, but one that really stuck out to me is how it looked at intersectionality. Harley is Black, gay, and struggling with his mental health. These things were, at the same time, separate and also intertwined. I thought this book was an excellent study on how these different facets of someone’s life can interact, and it was portrayed with nuance, complexity, and honesty.

My favourite part of this book, though, was the friendship between Harley and Muddy. It’s the sort of friendship that is familiar to any queer person, with that intensity that blurs the lines of platonic and romantic. It felt like reading a will-they-won’t-they romance, except for a friendship! Both characters helped each other grow and get to know themselves better, and it was such a powerful central arc to the book.

This is a book that will stick with me for a long time, and deserves to become a modern classic. I can’t recommend it highly enough!

I received a free copy for an honest review.