Reviewed by Nikolas Mavreas

A healing collection that remembers and projects the voices of a small community

“In the beginning there was the life of the enslaved man and the enslaved woman fully evolved, fully loved, fully remembered.”

Salaam Green, the inaugural poet laureate of Birmingham, Alabama, has produced The Other Revival out of her communication with the descendants of the Wallace House plantation, descendants of both the enslavers and the enslaved.

Many of the pieces were written during Homecoming days at the Wallace House, making for a spontaneity which is evident in the book. The name of the collaborator is given after the title of each poem, and short informational notes are provided for them in the back of the book, in addition to some of their direct thoughts in prose.

And so Green’s poetic voice, enriched by collaboration, acts as an interpreter for the complexities nesting in the descendants of the Wallace House. The book’s style shines in much of its forceful, passionate moments, like in the newly found readiness to “scream the part that once was whispered.”

In the poems from the perspective of the enslavers’ descendants, like “I Do Descend,” guilt is substituted with reflective accountability. In “Washing the White Out,” the versificatory playfulness contrasts with the gravity of the content. And “Prelude to a Sweeter Belonging,” this reader’s favorite in the collection, takes advantage of more traditional technique and imagery to moving effect. We are struck by the cruel jaggedness of the singular instead of plural “wing” in its penultimate line:

“Oh, how dignified and how far and free
the bird with clipped wing flies”

Green’s technique is generally reserved. The illuminated sensibility in these pieces is expressed through undecorated and unhazarding diction. The gears of the poetry’s mechanics don’t betray themselves by clunky noises, but it is also not always clear whether that is because they are so well oiled or missing altogether. So great a subject matter can, naturally, overwhelm its medium, its form and its craft. One thing is certain: The story is in the clarity of content not the lavishness of method.

The poems tell a captivating, intimate story of Black resilience in the smallest corners of American history. The spread-apart nature of the shifting perspectives tells a full story that shows intelligent forethought on the part of Salaam. This was and is a good idea. A collection that modifies the conscience and reclaims the holy awe of joy, The Other Revival is the kind of poetry that does not sing in simple tunes but that which renders dissonance bearable enough to be confronted.

Thank you for reading Nikolas Mavreas’s book review of The Other Revival by Salaam Green! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by John M. Murray

A comprehensive, patient-driven roadmap combining diet, supplements, and lifestyle changes to reclaim life from chronic prostatitis

The Chronic Prostatitis 360 Protocol offers an integrative alternative to treating chronic prostatitis, which is when a person has persistent inflammation of their prostrate gland.

A long-time sufferer himself, Potasiak frames the book’s goal as assembling the most rigorous, peer-reviewed evidence into a single, step-by-step program. He begins by differentiating prostatitis subtypes and pelvic floor dysfunction, then walking readers through a four-step diagnostic battery (symptom diaries, validated questionnaires) to confirm true chronic prostatitis before laying out potential treatment options.

The guide is broken down into three parts with the first being focused on the process of getting started. This covers the diagnosis process, navigating the healthcare system, and conventional treatments. The second part provides the most actionable elements of the guide—those that can be started on almost immediately. As Potasiak states, “Take action, control, and responsibility for your condition.” He covers diet, supplements, and lifestyle changes that anyone can begin to adjust to provide relief—not immediately but over time as the changes become a new routine. The final part covers advanced treatments and potential future changes to the protocol.

While Potasiak is not a medical professional, he backs up the material with an extensive evidence-driven framework. Footnotes to studies and other research supplement every recommendation—a staggering 200 citations over the entire book. Potasiak also provides a patient-centered voice throughout by returning to his own journey into remission. The steps he took, the mistakes he made, and the lessons he gleaned in the hopes of helping fellow sufferers.

A recurring aspect of the guide is practical and actionable advice. Checklists, pain scales, self-surveys and more provide a means to gauge if the protocol is helping or not—and how to adjust as time goes on. The holistic approach that combines diet, supplements, lifestyle changes, and medical supervision acknowledges that there is no one single treatment and sufferers will have to tailor the protocol to find relief.

The heavy analysis and emphasis on research make the guide feel overwhelming at times. Much of the information is presented in a concise action plan, but too much of the guide focuses on relentless scientific detail. It can also feel overwhelming simply from how long you may still have to wait—the guide suggests a year—before relief can be found.

This patient-empowering guide is a successful amalgamation of scientific study and personal experience. The condition is often overlooked, downplayed, or mismanaged and the book lays out a professional and authoritative guide for men suffering from the condition. The strategies provided offer genuine hope with Potasiak eagerly providing information and suggestions on how to limit and reduce pain. Those willing to invest time and diligence to the protocol—alongside medical treatment—can find a practical roadmap to managing chronic prostatitis to lead a more comfortable life.

Thank you for reading John M. Murray’s book review of The Chronic Prostatitis 360 Protocol by Philip Potasiak! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Peggy Kurkowski

Immersive & culturally rich—a novel about lifechanging choices—and temptations—over the course of the Phillies miraculous 1950 season

In 1950, Ben Green is twenty-five and married with a baby on the way. But life starts throwing curveballs that could make or break his new family—just as his beloved baseball team makes a glorious run for the World Series. Whiz Kid is an authentic, time capsule of a novel for the historical fiction fan.

One of Ben’s biggest passions in life is baseball, with warm memories of his father taking him to a Philadelphia Phillies game as a boy, before a car accident took him away too soon.

Ben and his pregnant wife Debby live in her father’s house—which is attached to his button and trimming business—on Seventh Street in Philly, known to Jewish shopkeepers and customers as the Zibbiter, or Jewish market.

Courtesy of the GI Bill, Ben—a veteran who fought on Okinawa in World War II—is finishing four years of college at the University of Pennsylvania. The big question looms: what to do with his life? His love of writing fuels dreams of writing and selling a novel, but his old Navy friend Stan wants him to come work with him at his father’s advertising firm as a copywriter.

Ben is entering his last summer of school with nostalgia, drinking, and baseball games at Shibe Park. That’s where the “Whiz Kids” play. The phrase was a nickname that journalists gave to the 1950 Phillies squad.

Ben’s primary drive is to write a new type of novel, as “he thought the country was ready for a new generation of writers who respected those who crafted their work before the Second World War, but who weren’t wedded to the fussy pre-war version of America.” His story is about an amateur tennis player who wins Wimbledon (entitled Match Point ), portions of which are reproduced in the narrative.

The arrival of this novel is touching in and of itself. Author Joel Burcat takes up where David S. Burcat, his father, left off in his manuscript; David passed away before the book could come out. David’s entries in the story might not play largely into Ben’s story arc, but they show us how he is writing and further develops the theme on writing. Writers will appreciate this one on both a personal, creative, and relatable level. Debby is concerned Ben’s naïve approach to getting published will put her and the baby in a precarious position, and it’s revealed in raw and realistic exchanges that writers will attach to.

While the story revolves around the events of the summer of 1950, the major plot line is a love (or lust) triangle between Ben, Ilene, and Debby. Ilene is overly handsy with Ben, and once Debby sees it with her own eyes, the tension goes through the roof. While Ben is extremely attracted to Ilene, he does not want to hurt Debby or jeopardize their future. Will Ilene get the hint or keep pushing the envelope with this very married man?

Meanwhile, Stan sets Ben up with a job interview with his anti-Semitic father for the copywriter job—steady income and security that Ben and Debby need for their family. But in this final summer of freedom, Ben wrestles with multiple dilemmas: make a go of the novel or settle down to a job he does not really want? He also cannot seem to stay away from the alluring Ilene. What is a Phillies fan to do?

An emotionally resonant tale of love, loyalty, and finding one’s path, Whiz Kid is a cerebral, personal reading experience. But it is also about the love of baseball. “I don’t like baseball. I love baseball.” Like so many of the best baseball novels, Ben compares baseball to life in affecting prose: “It’s different than any other sport. It’s like life. The only way you can appreciate it is slowly … The drama of baseball is in every moment of the game. It builds until the last out.”

As the dam of pent-up emotions between Ben and Ilene comes to a head, a medical emergency threatens everything that Ben holds dear. While the story might benefit from more showing and less telling, the character interactions are thoughtful, real, and emotionally grounded. Even the characters positioned as villains come across as flawed, realistic human beings.

Both historically and culturally rich, especially for the Philadelphia fan, Whiz Kid is a vivid evocation of a lost era in America, where baseball and love were enough to get people up in the morning.

Thank you for reading Peggy Kurkowski’s book review of Whiz Kid: South Philly vs. The Main Line by Joel Burcat and David S. Burcat! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Alexandria Ducksworth

A moving story that inspires courage and resilience

Shira Friedman encountered many trials growing up: her parents’ assault and divorce, her own first love, betrayal, disappointment, marriage, and the regrets to follow. One must prepare to read Friedman’s powerful memoir with a heavy heart.

“How do we find the courage to take these first steps through a breakthrough? By learning how to engage a powerful imagination and visualize what is powerful.”

In Midwife of the Soul, Friedman encourages readers to use their imagination in the toughest situations. The author started doing this as a child when her mother appointed her as the daily dishwasher. Instead of seeing it as a chore, Friedman saw herself as the nurse helping the dishes restore their cleanliness. The power of visualization helped Friedman endure many obstacles, including a decades-long marriage. Readers learn that imagination can get them far. Without it, they may feel stuck in messy, stressful circumstances.

Midwife of the Soul shares chakra tips too, which is incredibly helpful for those familiar and not so familiar with the chakra system. One of Friedman’s childhood issues was speaking up for herself. Speech corresponds with the throat chakra. Eventually, she managed to enhance her throat chakra over time. The appendix is a highly valuable resource filled with spiritual teachings and healing methods for those searching for it.

“By clinging to toxic habits, lifestyles, situations, and relationships, we may prolong being held captive by our own limiting beliefs as what we can overcome that tell us that we don’t deserve better.”

The author’s story encourages readers to conquer their own beliefs. Every single life segment, from her first job to her toxic marriage, is a great example of her kicking her old beliefs to the curb. These signals of hope are for readers who may encounter similar problems in their own lives. Friedman teaches well that changing one’s mindset can be a powerful, magical thing.

A spiritual awakening is a decisive moment in one’s life. Reading Friedman’s spiritual awakening sends readers a wave of relief after reading her former challenges, all heartbreaking in various degrees. Once she descended into her deep spiritual side, taking elements of her Jewish heritage and more, life finally turned to the bright side.

Midwife of the Soul is an emotional, uplifting memoir. This book is a great pick for those who loved Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist and Louisa Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life. Friedman’s book carries moments of joy, sadness, shock, and thorough inspiration. One will become heavily involved with the people Friedman meets in her early life: her parents, Jay, Tom, Catalina, and her beloved children.

This is a beautiful story that can help readers connect with their souls and uncover their best possible future.

Thank you for reading Alexandria Ducksworth’s book review of Midwife of the Soul by Shira Friedman! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Eric Mayrhofer

Chip Cater’s short stories shine with compassion, wisdom, wit, and warmth

Memories don’t play out like feature-length movies. They happen in flashes, fits, and starts. Sometimes a memory can bubble up to the surface of your mind with a very clear point, and sometimes they ramble or roll by for no other reason than to remind you of something pleasantly familiar.

Those are characteristics that Chip Cater’s collection Capers and Switcheroos embodies beautifully. Transforming his memories into short stories, he lets readers into his mind and gives them the joy of experiencing his admiration and love, his childhood mischief, and the quiet humility that comes with age.

And it truly does feel like each story is a little door into Cater’s mind. That’s partly due to flourishes like the quick, easy nicknames that pepper his writing. When recalling his wedding in “Blue Velvet,” the opening story, he says, “We were married in the Congregational Church, which stands on the hill over the tiny string of stores and restaurants in Wellfleet. The Congo’s tall steeple towers over the town and is what you aim for when sailing back in from the outer reaches of Wellfleet harbor.”

Those small but irreverent choices, nestled in an otherwise matter-of-fact tone, help readers see that Cater doesn’t take life too seriously, even as he regards it with a sharp eye respectfully studying everything it lands on.

That matter-of-fact voice could also be called openness—even earnestness. In the same story, Cater’s wife winds up having to change into a borrowed dress, a dazzling blue number with sparkling stones. The incident is briefly the talk of the restaurant, and when Cater and his wife leave, “twelve to fifteen ‘fans,’ who had watched the drama unfold, rushed up…They wanted Mary’s autograph. After the scenes in the bar and dining room and the changes of costume, they were positive she was a celebrity. She still is.” Then later, in the story “Something Noticed,” he and Mary find themselves in Vietnam and notice there are no birds; the Vietnamese ate them into scarcity due to food shortages that began in the Vietnam War. Upon returning home, Cater reflects, “We have hundreds of beautiful birds, many of whom sing…it is our palette and our symphony.”

In just a few words, Cater reveals so much: his bounding love for his wife Mary. The couple’s quiet awareness of all their blessings, humble in the knowledge that so many have far less.

There are one or two stories that err on the rambling, rolling side of memory. “Saved by the Belle,” for example, may luxuriate a little too long in the technological details of early digital publishing for some. Even then, however, readers glimpse our narrator’s open-hearted kindness as he remembers a workplace rival. “Dan left and went to our largest competitor,” Cater writes. “He did well and we stayed in touch over the years…we had a shared interest.” Even in adversity, obstacles never become permanent barriers to good relationships, politeness, or decency.

Capers and Switcheroos is a quietly moving piece, a comforting blanket of a short story collection.

Thank you for reading Eric Mayrhofer’s book review of Capers and Switcheroos by Chip Cater! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Addison Ciuchta

Medical disinformation meets a mysterious cult in this tense medical thriller

Mark Lin is a hospitalist, a doctor who works on patients admitted for further care from the emergency department. Dr. Lin’s workload is light when the novel opens, discharging a patient and monitoring a few others on a typical day.

That afternoon, however, the patient he discharges, Shannon Dixon, calls him from the waiting room of an OB/GYN clinic to ask Dr. Lin follow-up questions. While on the phone, though, Dr. Lin hears a commotion and then an explosion. The OB/GYN has been bombed by an unknown person.

Dr. Lin tells police what he heard and tries to resume business as usual, traumatized by the sounds he overheard. Then a new patient says something eerily similar to a phrase he heard the attacker say, and soon Dr. Lin finds himself investigating a mysterious cult that seems to be putting multiple members in the hospital.

The medical cult in this thriller is particularly intriguing due to its relevance to modern society. Called the Path to Purity, the cult puts its members through strange trials to prove their commitment and discipline, all in the hopes of catching the attention of the Sun Priest and achieving true purity. It’s notable and impactful that those drawn into it are vulnerable, frustrated people looking to feel better, to be healthier, or just to be happier. It’s easy to understand why they were drawn into the cult’s grand promises, why they end up doing horrible things to their bodies in the hopes of moving up the ranks to achieve “purity.”

At times, Dr. Lin’s actions are difficult to relate to, especially as he gets deeper into the cult and, without spoiling anything, in two fairly critical moments when he knows violence will put innocent lives at risk, he doesn’t attempt to warn anyone or tip off the authorities. Instead, he tries to fend off the threats himself. In fact, most of the book, he doesn’t let the police know what he knows, instead investigating the Path to Purity by himself even when he knows it could lead to a tragic end for him and, with him, an end to his knowledge of what was actually happening. However, his intentions are good and it is easy to root for him, even if his actions aren’t always entirely logical.

The pacing is good, especially for a long book, with the tension escalating as Dr. Lin is pulled deeper into the Path to Purity and as more and more patients turn up at the hospital needing care as a result of the cult’s practices. The author’s medical knowledge shines in this book, with creative and detailed explanations of the consequences of the cult’s bizarre trials.

Toxic Minds is a unique thriller with a modern take on the dangers of medical disinformation.

Thank you for reading Addison Ciuchta’s book review of Toxic Minds by Anthony Lee! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Timothy Thomas

A thoughtful narrative contemplating the impact of loss & abandonment on faith and the possibility of redemption in its death

Saint Catherine of Secaucus is a moving work of literary fiction from author Ann King that investigates the effects of naïve faith in one’s youth and the life-altering consequences of losing that faith.

King’s pragmatic prose reveals an intimate knowledge of the thoughts, emotions, and internal conflicts that come with the disillusionment of one’s beliefs and the abandonment of a parent, taking a novel that is ordinary in its concept to extraordinary in its execution.

As a child, Catherine Ricci was among the most faithful and idealistic students at her Catholic school, having been inspired by Sister Alberta’s example to such an extent that Catherine herself aspired to the sisterhood. The unfortunate and untimely death of her beloved Sister, however, triggers the end of that dream and, in addition to her parents’ separation, the slow demise of her faith.

By the time she enters high school, she considers herself agnostic, much to the chagrin of her mother and her Aunt Grace, who, though stuck in a passionless and abusive marriage, nevertheless cling to the hope of her Catholic beliefs. The collapse of Catherine’s religious convictions and the bitterness toward her father is accompanied by a growing apathy that strains the relationship with her mother in her teenage years and creates a void of meaning and direction in her life. But when an attempted rape turned manslaughter incident catches up with her in college, her life takes an unexpected turn that brings God back into focus, challenging her agnosticism and apathy as she uncovers new meaning.

Saint Catherine of Secaucus is perfectly paced, grounded, and moving. Catherine’s blunt, focused narration is honest, rarely exaggerating events or details for the sake of storytelling, but still managing to add color to the story with its realism. If a good story is not only in its concept, but in how it is told, then Saint Catherine undoubtedly bears the mark of a good story.

The book also excels in its portrayal of people. Its cast of characters, from Catherine’s Aunt Grace to her high school crush and protester extraordinaire, Gerald, are vividly multidimensional, as though written from memory. Catherine herself is revealed to have quite a bit of depth, as her introspective analyses of the circumstances of her life are both reasonable and measured. Though she may struggle at times with the conclusions she has drawn, her rationale for them is often very understandable.

Ann King’s novel invites us to think more deeply about our lives and how the easily explained and unexplainable converge to generate questions that may challenge our thinking. This book may not give us direct answers to our most-searched questions, but it does provide an engagingly accessible jumping off point for our discovery of truth. A truly worthwhile read.

Thank you for reading Timothy Thomas’s book review of Saint Catherine of Secaucus by Ann King! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

A clear and direct answer to the unpublished writer’s first question: “Where do I go from here?”

You can’t get your book seen and sold if you don’t get it out there first. And there are so many ways to get it wrong.

This book by publishing & marketing professionals Claudine Wolk and Julie Murkette guides writers through the process of choosing the correct publishing path and navigating it with strategy and effect. It’s easy to get lost in the sea of internet advice on how to publish and market a book, but with Wolk and Murkette by your side, you can know exactly where you’re headed—and even get further than you thought you could.

In addition to discussing both traditional book deals and the logistics of self-publishing, this co-writing team explains a number of important truths of book marketing with honesty. Among the most impactful of their advice is rooted in choosing the exact right audience for your book: Your Ideal Reader. Don’t cast too wide a net; don’t think anybody who reads is your audience. Instead, tell me what your book buyers do in their free time—where they shop, what hobbies they spend their time doing, what newsletters they subscribe to, and beyond. It’s this specificity that Wolk and Murkette help you define with worksheets and actionable tasks.

In addition to putting all of the confusing parts of publishing and marketing in layman’s terms, they also fill these pages with useful flowcharts, graphics, exercises, and easy to reference information. You’ll not only gain a better understanding of what you’re up against, but you’ll also get friendly mentors in your ear telling you which marketing paths actually work.

The book shares plenty of practical tips on structuring your media kit, finding which platforms to pitch for review, and timelines on when to get started. It even includes some of the platforms to pitch so you’ve got a shortcut in the research department.

Some of the advice on traditional publishing focuses primarily on major publishers, book deals, and advances, so the small press author may feel separated from some of this content. This is more of an introductory work on book marketing than it is a deep dive on marketing strategy, so first-time authors would likely be the best target audience for this book. 

Get Your Book Seen and Sold is clean and effective and does just what it sets out to do. I’d be surprised to hear any first time author finding this book and not leaving it more informed and more ready to navigate the big, intimidating world of book publishing than when they started.

Thank you for reading Toni Woodruff’s book review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold by Claudine Wolk and Julie Murkette! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Lauren Hayataka

From inner chaos to stillness, a believer’s life is reshaped by the quiet strength of surrender.

Matt Schmuker’s Formed in Silence is a book shaped by tension—between silence and striving, presence and performance, fear and trust. Written with care and clarity, it traces one man’s movement out of spiritual rigidity and into a posture of listening, where the voice of God is not thunderous or formulaic but overwhelmingly quiet, patient, and deeply personal.

Part memoir, part meditation, Schmuker’s writing is rooted in experience rather than abstraction. He recounts the slow unraveling of his inner life, beginning in his teenage years and continuing into adulthood: long hours of prayer that only amplified his anxiety, intrusive thoughts mistaken for spiritual failure, and the exhaustion of doing everything “right” only to feel further away from God. What emerges from these stories isn’t bitterness but a persistent desire to know God differently—and to be known in return.

The phrase “obsessive-compulsive Christianity,” which Schmuker uses to describe his past approach to faith, is not a glib metaphor. It’s a painful and accurate depiction of how fear, when left unexamined, can quietly take the lead in one’s spiritual life—turning sincere devotion into a cycle of pressure, vigilance, and self-monitoring. Schmuker’s honesty in tracing this pattern—especially his recognition of how reflexively quoting Scripture became less about truth and more about warding off imagined danger—is one of the book’s greatest strengths. He doesn’t frame fear as a failure of faith but as a sign that something deeper needs tending.

But Formed in Silence is not just about what fell apart—it’s about what slowly formed in its place. A shift begins when Schmuker stops treating faith as a set of tasks and starts asking fundamental questions (regardless of how silly they may seem at first): “How do you see me?” “What lies am I believing?” “Is there anything you want to say to me about this moment?” These small prayers become an entry point into a new rhythm—one rooted not in instant answers but in attentiveness. He describes it as a trust fall with God, and the metaphor fits. There are no grand resolutions here, only gradual change.

The book’s theological posture is both thoughtful and open-handed. While clearly grounded in Scripture and the Christian tradition, Schmuker also reflects on the limits of certainty, the dangers of fear-driven doctrine, and the importance of remaining teachable. He writes with respect for the Bible but warns against treating it as a closed system: “Scripture became a framework for thinking,” he writes, a line that captures the core of his approach. He invites readers to hold truth and tension together—to listen without rushing to explain.

Schmuker also explores how spiritual formation is not just a matter of belief but of becoming. His reflections on identity—particularly the distinction between the false self formed through pain and the true self created by God—are some of the most affecting in the book. He weaves together stories of childhood wounds, pastoral exhaustion, mental health struggles, and parenting with tenderness and insight. There’s a deep sense that nothing in his life is offered as a blueprint—only as a testimony that restoration, while not easy, is possible.

Stylistically, the writing is warm and accessible, with a pace that reflects the contemplative rhythm it encourages. Schmuker leans into metaphor without relying on it, grounding abstract ideas in lived detail—like an unexpected image of a cow chewing grass or a license plate that nudges a major life decision. These moments resist being turned into parables; instead, they model what it looks like to pay attention.

Defining all of his ideas is “epiphinal living”—a way of seeing that isn’t reserved for rare mountaintop moments but can be cultivated through regular, sustained openness to God’s voice. It’s not a slogan, but a way of moving through the world with greater sensitivity, formed slowly through silence, repetition, and the ongoing work of letting go.

Formed in Silence is not prescriptive. It doesn’t offer steps or solutions. But for those shaped by performance-based faith or worn out by spiritual striving, this book will feel like someone turning down the volume in a loud room. What Matt Schmuker offers isn’t a system—it’s an invitation—not to do more, but to listen more closely.

Thank you for reading Lauren Hayataka’s book review of Formed In Silence by Matt Schmuker! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Samantha Hui

A poignant story about how true freedom lies not in escaping the past but in embracing the present journey

“You can waste your whole life thinking you see things clearly until you wake up one morning and realize you haven’t seen a goddamn thing.”

Rob Costello’s An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys delves into the complexities of identity, self-acceptance, and the scars left by a difficult past. With its powerful exploration of toxic masculinity, generational trauma, and the struggle to find joy in a harsh world, this novel challenges readers to reflect on how society shapes young men and the struggles they face in embracing their true selves. It speaks to the enduring need for love, understanding, and connection, especially when confronted with personal and societal obstacles.

“All he ever succeeded in doing was to remind me he believed we’d come from shame. If there was anything infecting our lives, it was that.”

Toby Ryerson lives in the shadow of his mother’s scandalous past and tragic death. Embracing his reputation as the son of the town’s most promiscuous woman and his identity as a beautiful, flamboyant young man, Toby refuses to shrink in the face of judgment from the conservative town of Shelter Valley. 

Yet, as he navigates the pressures of his senior year of high school, it seems he is on a path that mirrors his mother’s troubled life. His challenges multiply as he contends with the emotional turmoil of his childhood friend Dylan, who is struggling with his own sexuality, while also facing the mounting expectations of his older brother, Jimmy, who insists Toby attend college. With obstacles piling up, Toby’s senior year spirals into a chaotic series of events, forcing him to question whether any positive resolution is possible.  

“At least my body was always there to tell my story to me. It was the one thing I truly owned in life, and its infinite capacity for sensation, its responses to pleasure and pain were mine and mine alone.”

Told almost as an epistolary novel addressed to his late mother, this story offers an intimate glimpse into the heart and mind of a young man grappling with his fears, desires, and unresolved past. Through Toby’s eyes, we witness not only his internal struggles but also the broader issues of America’s relationship with the past and the unspoken consequences now arising in its present. 

Toby never received closure after his mother overdosed when he was just four years old, and now, as Dylan falls into a coma before they can resolve their relationship, Toby faces the painful reality of unfinished connections. His strained relationship with his brother Jimmy, who avoids talking about their mother and anything truly meaningful, only deepens the emotional rift between them. These unresolved issues shape Toby’s complex sense of self, making him both fiercely independent and fearful that his own selfishness may lead to destruction.

“But without my brother to dream better things for me, all I had left was this, the best I’d ever dreamed for myself.”

This novel shines in its exploration of the various ways masculinity manifests in the lives of young men, highlighting the damaging effects of toxic masculinity in every scenario. Costello has created multi-dimensional characters who are raw, imperfect, and utterly human. Readers will find themselves swept up in Toby’s joy, only to feel frustration when he makes mistakes. While Toby is proud of his beauty and queerness, his desire to maintain a strong sense of identity pushes him to dream of escaping Shelter Valley for the city. 

But his longing to leave blinds him to the important question: What awaits him in the city? Dylan, in contrast, serves as a foil to Toby; his more masculine, closeted identity forces him to navigate the complexities of being a gay man who desires to remain unnoticed and adhere to societal expectations. Through their contrasting journeys, this novel powerfully portrays the struggle of embracing one’s true self in a world that demands conformity.

“You can’t burn your bridges to home. Don’t you know that’s what makes it home?”

An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys is a deeply moving novel about finding self-acceptance and communal joy amidst life’s messiness. Content warning for readers who have experienced certain traumas, as the book touches on topics such as substance abuse, death, sexual abuse, harassment, homophobia, and child neglect. Given that Toby is only seventeen, the series of events he faces are even more devastating. This novel will leave readers reflecting on the men in their lives and recognizing that these men were once boys, and many of them were failed by an ugly world. But with a little more love and acceptance, perhaps these boys can still find their way back to beauty.

Thank you for reading Samantha Hui’s book review of An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys by Rob Costello! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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