Just by Looking at Him

March 28, 2022
O’Connell navigates internalized homophobia and ableism in his hysterical debut novel (after the memoir I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves), a ripsnorter set in Los Angeles. Elliott, the protagonist, introduces readers to his “perfect” boyfriend, Gus, whom he increasingly resents. After almost six years together, the two are in a rut of ordering takeout, drinking natural wine, and having dissociative sex. Elliott is living with cerebral palsy, and despite having a flashy job writing for television, he can’t help but think “modern life is hell.” After an eyebrow-raising story from his boss involving hiring a sex worker, Elliott sets off on a trip of self-sabotage turned self-discovery, as he probes his relationships with sex and his body, alcohol, disability (“I work very hard to appear palatable, easy to digest, the crostini of disability”), and his father. (Some of this may sound familiar to fans of O’Connell’s Netflix series, Special.) Here, O’Connell’s revelatory and charming humor adds dimension to a character who is unapologetic about his spiraling behavior despite claiming to know better. O’Connell leaves nothing on the table, and the result reads like a zippy, traffic-dodging trip up the 101 on a blinding afternoon. Agent: Kent Wolf, Neon Literary.

Starred review from June 10, 2024

O'Connell's (I'm Special) debut novel has been turned into a firecracker of an audiobook, thanks to O'Connell's lively, energetic, and sardonic reading. He is a superb reader. Whether he's laughing, yelling, or sighing, his adroit vocal acrobatics have been well honed by his acting roles on Special and the updated reboot of Queer as Folk. Elliott, a gay TV writer with cerebral palsy, seems to be having a quarter-life crisis. He hates his job writing for a mindless sitcom, and says that he and his overly accommodating boyfriend, Gus, are "baseline happy together." He's beginning to realize "You could love someone and want to lose them at the same time." His drinking has accelerated and he's begun hiring sex workers (including one named River, whose online profile handle is "A River runs through you."). Elliott is furious at people prejudging him by the physical evidence of his cerebral palsy (what he calls his "booby trap-filled body"), but he prejudges overly attractive men. Although there's a lot of sex (a lot of sex), this comedic novel is not frivolous--it tackles alcoholism, self-love, chronic diseases, and complicated relationships. VERDICT O'Connell's high-spirited reading makes this one of the most entertaining audiobooks of the year.--Kevin Howell

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.