Let Them Stare: A Novel

(Hardback)

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From Emmy Award winner Jonathan Van Ness of Queer Eye and #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy comes a bighearted story about friendship, loveand discovering the secrets and beauty of your own hometown.

Sully is ready to get out of Hearst, Pennsylvania. With a fashion internship secured, the gender-nonconforming eighteen-year-old is trading in their stifling small town for the big city. Sully even sells their beloved car, to Breader, Bradthe most boring (and maybe only other) gay kid in town.

When Sullys internship goes up in smoke, theyre trapped in Hearst with no cashand no car. Desperate, they go to the thrift store, their personal sanctuary. There, they discover a vintage baglike "put this baby in an airtight case at the MET" vintage. If Sully can authenticate it, the resale value would be enough for a new life in the city.

But when they begin to investigate, Sully finds themself haunted. Literally. With the ghost of Rufus, a drag performer from the fifties with no memory of how he died standingno, floatingin their bedroom, Sullys summer has a new purpose: 1) help this ghostly honey unlock his past and move on and 2) make bankafter all, the Real Real doesnt take poltergeist purses.

With Rufus in tow, and Bradwhos looking pretty scrumptious these daysplaying chauffeur, Sully delves into the history of the town theyre so desperate to escape. Only to discover that there might be more to Hearst than they ever knew.

Reviews

The collaborators seamlessly connect Rufuss and Sullys stories, showing through both the resilience of queer life and the bigotry they each face. Publishers Weekly

Author Bio

Jonathan Van Ness is an Emmy-winning television personality, 3x New York Times bestselling author, podcaster, comedian, celebrity hairstylist, and founder of JVN Hair. He stars on Netflixs Emmy Awardwinning reboot series Queer Eye, where he shines as the hair guru and self-care advocate; and he hosts the popular podcast Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness. Julie Murphysplits her time between North Texas and Kansas with her husband, who loves her, and her cats, who tolerate her. When Julie isnt writing, she can be found watching movies so bad they're good, hunting for the perfect slice of cheese pizza, or planning her next great travel adventure. She is the author of the middle grade novelsDear Sweet Pea and Camp Sylvania as well as the young adult novelsRamona Blue,Side Effects May Vary,the Faith series,Pumpkin,Puddin, andDumplin(now a Netflix original film).