theskyboi's reviews
81 reviews

I'm happy to say that The Gay Best Friend was my first five-star read of the year! It left such a great impression on me, and I can't help but recommend it to everyone. Each word feels carefully curated to elicit total delight. A major highlight for me was the dialogue; it just feels so lived-in and authentic in a way that rarely comes naturally in literature.

Domenic, the eponymous gay best friend, is torn between bride and groom when he is enlisted to host both the bachelor and bachelorette party for his best friends' wedding. Julia Roberts masterpieces aside—well, not totally 😉—Domenic is made to be the spy for both parties, expected to keep secrets and play both sides.

Amid all the chaos, Domenic finds himself questioning his allegiance to his lifelong best friend, Patrick. Is he really better friends with the bride, Kate? Is he losing Patrick's best-friend title to the burly, masculine golf superstar known affectionately as Bucky?

Processing his own called-off wedding, Domenic is faced with a litany of introspections that lead him to question whether he truly knows who he is at the end of his own rainbow. In quite a relatable novel, Nicolas DiDomizio packs an emotional, comedic, and suspenseful punch of luxurious quality.

If you find yourself even remotely curious about this book, or if you're a fan of queer books with secretive, suspenseful, and emotional elements, I would say this is a great fit for you! Even if not...you should still take a risk because I'm willing to bet big-time that this is a hole-in-one for all readers.

I would like to express unending gratitude to the author for providing me with a copy to review. This epistolary memoir utilizes the Kübler-Ross framework of grief to break the letters into sections from depression to acceptance as the writer embarks on the journey of growth toward processing the end of his serious relationship.

Recently, I have found myself gravitating toward own-voices queer stories, especially ones that reflect some of what I have experienced in terms of exploring my identity. Christmas Will Forever Be Your Season is definitely one of those books that finds its way into your heart in such an effortless manner. Every little letter that makes this book flow from thought to thought is filled with emotion, sincerity, and thoughtfulness.

At various moments, I found myself feeling so much for Mo as he tells his story. He has such a command of the English language that elicits every little emotion under the sun. Whether telling the details of a first date or the way someone liked their coffee, this author encapsulates such a human yearning that feels particularly personal.

In the same measure, Mo's writing sheds light on a particular brand of yearning that feels uniquely gay. The way in which we all find love is, more or less, the same, but this author's strength is being able to extrapolate the largely universal parts of love from the intricately intimate details of his own story.

For those who typically do not read nonfiction, I recommend a memoir like this one as your first step into a genre you may not have considered before. With rich, meaningful prose that reads in an incredibly accessible way, this book shines a bit of warmth on the heavy, expectation-filled season of Christmas as one man works his way toward accepting "the here and now" of life.