Summary
From the acclaimed author of the YA graphic novel Flamer, comes a gorgeous, heart-warming adult debut following four gay Asians as they navigate love, identity, and friendship in Seattle during the early aughts.
When AJ arrives in Seattle, naive and eager for a new, gay, life, he has no friends, no job, no money. His first apartment sits so far north of the gayborhood that “not even lesbians live there.” Leaning into his identity for the first time in his life, AJ he walks pa…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781643755120 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1643755129 |
| Author: | Michael Curato |
| Publisher: | Workman Publishing |
| Imprint: | Algonquin Books |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 384 |
| Release Date: | 12 August 2025 |
| Weight: | 1.14kg |
| Dimensions: | 232mm x 180mm x 34mm |
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Critics Review
”[Gaysians] is the book I can’t stop talking about … [Mike Curato] captures the experience of finding your queer group of friends better than any other depiction I have ever read. It’s so incredibly nuanced, but also so relatable to anybody who had that moment of moving to the city and finding your people. The visuals are also so extraordinary.“–David Levithan, B&N Reads”[Gaysians] is–more than anything, perhaps–a story about how the family we’re born into may compel us to create a chosen family, and how our own experiences might inspire us to expand our circle of care … A tender and compelling coming-of-age story.“–Kirkus (starred review)“Powerful … Gaysians, which is Flamer author Mike Curato’s first graphic novel for adults, doesn’t shy away from violence, racism and transphobia, outside the community or within it. The story, about a group of young Asian Americans living in Seattle in 2003, is [a] reassuring focus on friendship and found family.” –Washington Post“A brilliant and beautifully drawn celebration of family and belonging–the perfect book to peruse when you need a boost of pride.”–Bookpage“Curato’s wrenching and fascinating saga carries this quartet through affections, betrayals, careers, and simply staying alive amid threats of anti-gay and anti-immigrant violence.”–Library Journal (starred review)“Gorgeous art brings each character to life with their emotional struggles achingly conveyed through posture and expression.” –Booklist“This warmhearted tale of found family will charm and entertain readers, some of whom might want to keep a box of Kleenex handy.” –Publishers Weekly“Children’s author/illustrator Mike Curato’s adult debut is a gorgeously vulnerable graphic novel about the joys and challenges of finding family among Seattle’s gay Asians.”–Shelf AwarenessPraise for Gaysians:
“I’ve been hunting for books like this my whole life; this story broke my heart and healed it.”–Maia Kobabe, author of Gender Queer
“Gaysians is a beautiful prism of queer Asian/Asian American experience, grounding and groundbreaking. You’ll feel seen, called out, held, beloved. I laughed, I cried, I healed a little or a lot–but I’ll never forget what this book showed me.” –Alexander Chee, author of How to Write an Autobiographical Novel“A savory feast of heartbreak and joy that proves the old adage that the more specific something is, the more universal it can be. Life is in the details, and Mike Curato is a master at rendering them with life-affirming beauty.” –Steven Rowley, author of The Guncle“This graphic novel is a call for empathy and understanding, through the laughter and tears.”–Abraham Chang, author of 888 Love and the Divine Burden of NumbersPraise for Flamer:“This is a story that will be read and reread, and for some, it will be the defining book of their adolescence.”–Kirkus (starred review)
“An essential book that shows readers that they are never alone in their struggles.”–School Library Journal (starred review)“Masterfully nuanced and stunningly told, this is visual storytelling at its finest.”–Booklist (starred review)“Mike Curato knows [boys] like Judy Blume knows a teenaged girl, and that’s quite a bit.”–NPR“This book will save lives.”–Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author of National Book Award Finalist Hey, KiddoAbout The Author
Michael Curato
Mike Curato is the author and illustrator the children’s book series Little Elliot. He has also illustrated What If… by Samantha Berger, All the Way to Havana by Margarita Engle, Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian, The Power of One written by Trudy Ludwig, If I Were a Fish by Corook and Olivia Barton, and contributed to What’s Your Favorite Color? by Eric Carle and Friends, Sunny Day: A Celebration of the Sesame Street Theme Song, and Dear Heartbreak: YA Authors and Teens on the Dark Side of Love. Publishers Weekly named Mike a “Fall 2014 Flying Start.” In the same year he won the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show Founder’s Award. Mike’s debut young adult graphic novel, Flamer, was awarded the 2020 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Young Adult and the 2021 Massachusetts Book Award for Middle Grade/Young Adult. Gaysians is his adult debut.
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