
by Troy Ford
Gay FictionAdded on April 26, 2026
A dark, intimate LGBTQ coming-of-age novel in the aftermath of the AIDS crisis—a Tales of the City for Generation X.D is shaken when his punk friend Lamb disappears just before they’re meant to move in together. When news of Lamb’s death finally arrives three years later, it shadows D like a ghost he can’t escape.Decades on, D discovers Lamb’s journals and begins to piece together a raw, unfiltered portrait of a sensitive misfit navigating queer awakening, addiction, friendship, and survival in a world that never quite made room for him.From their first meeting at an elite all-boys school to the chaos of 1990s San Francisco, Lamb’s story unfolds through journal entries, letters, poetry, and short fiction. What emerges is a fragmented yet deeply human coming-of-age—tender and defiant, haunted and electric—capturing the dazed spirit of young gay men searching for belonging in the long shadow of the AIDS epidemic.
It was good but not quite what I expected based on the blurb, I guess I just expected more of the "mixed media" (snapshot) aspect but in the end it was mostly about the coming of age part with a heavy focus on the before and the pain of being a bullied teen.Lamb was definitely a little autistic coded (maybe not entirely intentionally), his coming across as both quite intelligent but socially a little inept/unable to accurately read social cues from other people and unable to connect emotionally
ARC for review. Published June 3, 2025. 3 starsD.’s friend Lamb drops off his things at their new shared apartment…and then he disappears. Now as is looking through Lamb’s belongings some time later and has found his journals which remind him of his enigmatic friend. This is a debut novel and it shows, but there is real promise here. Your heart will break a little for Lamb, over and over again.
A really good book

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