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Just By Looking at Him

The ONLY book you need to read this LGBTQ+ Pride season, from a hilarious new voice

Ryan O'Connell

$22.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
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English
Sphere
01 June 2023
'A horny romp that makes you think, laugh, and feel. O'Connell is one of my favourite writers' MONICA HEISEY, author of Really Good, Actually

'A very funny novel about falling for a fantasy and finding love for one's own self' MELISSA BRODER, author of The Pisces

'Funny, horny, heartbreaking' CAROLINE O'DONOGHUE, author of Promising Young Women

Eliott is a TV writer with a perfect-penised boyfriend. He's living the dream.

But behind the glossy veneer he's been papering over cracks, and they're starting to show. He's creatively stifled, he's drinking a little too often and his cerebral palsy makes him feel like gay Shrek.

When River walks in, Elliott's life is turned upside down in the best way. River is funny, charming and makes him feel seen. But maybe that's part of the deal when you hire a sex worker.

Eliott is lost and he needs someone, anyone, to point him in the right direction. After all, it's a long limp towards redemption.

A hilarious, sexy, ground-breaking debut novel about the intersection of queerness and disability, and discovering who you really are.

What readers are saying about Just By Looking at Him

'Darkly funny and poignant'

'Such a fresh take . . . I was gripped from the first page'

'Brutally honest, funny and poignant look at modern life through the lens of disability'

'This book is honest, hilarious, and raw . . . I loved literally every character'

'The author has such a strong voice and has created in Eliot a character that I will not soon forget . . . I found myself laughing out loud'

'Reads like your favorite whip- smart sitcom everyone looks forward to at the end of the day'

'One of the funniest books I have ever read'
By:  
Imprint:   Sphere
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 196mm,  Width: 126mm,  Spine: 26mm
Weight:   240g
ISBN:   9780751585469
ISBN 10:   0751585467
Pages:   304
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Ryan O'Connell is the Emmy-nominated writer, producer and star of Netflix's critically acclaimed comedy series, Special. He's written for The New York Times, Vice and Vulture, as well as for television, including the reboot of Queer as Folk, in which he also stars, MTV's Awkward, Will & Grace, and Netflix's The Baby-Sitter's Club. He is the recipient of a GLAAD Award and an HRC Award. In 2020 he made the Time 100 Next list as one of the rising artists shaping the future of the entertainment industry.

Reviews for Just By Looking at Him: The ONLY book you need to read this LGBTQ+ Pride season, from a hilarious new voice

I've loved Ryan O'Connell's voice in every iteration, but his turn to fiction is my favorite Ryan yet: sharp, bawdy, yet still deeply touching. It's shockingly elegant, and elegantly shocking -- Lena Dunham, author of NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL A very funny novel about falling for a fantasy and finding love for one's own self . . . Ryan O'Connell explores the lessons that the vulnerable human body has to teach us, and he does so with humor, heart and heat -- Melissa Broder, author of THE PISCES Funny, horny, heatbreaking. If you liked Detransition Baby you might like this: all anarchic queerness and great jokes -- Caroline O'Donoghue, author of PROMISING YOUNG WOMEN The writing is dazzling, so funny and free, it's like making friends with someone new and exciting at a party and instantly becoming their best friend. Ceaselessly entertaining, no-filter comedy, scathing, sparkling and uplifting -- Justin Myers, author of THE LAST ROMEO With his singular voice and unforgettable wit, O'Connell movingly explores how our messiest moments can lead to radical self-acceptance. Elliott's journey may be his own, but what he discovers about the absurdity of the human condition is universal -- Steven Rowley, author of LILY AND THE OCTOPUS Filthy, funny and outrageous. This novel is full of painfully recognisable characters who are impossible not to fall for. I loved it -- Laura Kay, author of THE SPLIT A perfect summer beach read: very funny but also with important things to say about the intersections of disability and queer identity -- Andrew McMillan, author of PHYSICAL Just By Looking At Him is a revelation - Ryan manages to perfectly encapsulate the nuances of disability, while avoiding the air of self-pity that so often clouds disabled narratives crafted by able bodied people. The book is consistently hilarious and relatable. I'm obsessed! -- Ione Gamble, author of POOR LITTLE SICK GIRLS I'm breathless in admiration - it's super sharp, staggeringly funny, hot as hell and stealthily moving. It's going to be a mega-hit! -- Matt Cain, author of THE SECRET LIFE OF ALBERT ENTWISTLE


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