The author is one of the most talented writers I have read in the last decade. He's also undisciplined and erratic. He's extremely gifted, in an erratic sort of way. He's reminiscent of the beat writers. He does it with gut instinct instead of discipline and technique. And that very thing is what makes this novel so off the charts great. Here is a raw and fresh talent in a world of stale pretenders.
This story captures the essence of being a bi-homeless-chick in the sprawling and at times unsavory realms of The five burroughs known as New York City. That is amazing as the author identifies himself in various venues as a cisgender heterosexual. That he has done extensive research on his subjects is evident.
This book should be in every High School classroom and read by Freshman psychology classes in universities. ( )

Everybody But Us by Ben Rose https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08QKY2YJD/ is a totally awesome Young Adult Novel. Set primarily in the Boroughs of New York City (where I reside) this is the story of a bisexual teen named Destiny. After being subjected to conversion therapy, she is abandoned by her abusive, fundamentalist family. She meets three college students who help her to have a more liberal view of The Bible and to begin normalizing her sexuality. Once she reaches NYC, she meets a runaway teen named Mackenzie with whom she falls in love. They survive by their wits, and build a found family with friends they meet including a teen hustler named Vinnie. Everything is coming together for the girls until Mackenzie’s alcoholism threatens to destroy it all.

I loved this novel! The characters are nuanced, the use of language sounds realistic, and the scene setting is very much the city I know. I will say that the description of Destiny’s conversion therapy is traumatic, but it is necessary.

This is a riveting portrait of bi-sexual teens trying to survive in today’s world. ( )