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LET THEM STARE BY JONATHAN VAN NESS, JULIE MURPHY PUBLICATION: MAY 20, 2025 | STORYTIDE GENRE: YA FICTION | RATING: ★★★★★ |
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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, love—and 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 Bread—er, Brad—the most boring (and maybe only other) gay kid in town.
When Sully's internship goes up in smoke, they're trapped in Hearst with no cash—and no car. Desperate, they go to the thrift store, their personal sanctuary. There, they discover a vintage bag—like "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 standing—no, floating—in their bedroom, Sully's summer has a new purpose: 1) help this ghostly honey unlock his past and move on and 2) make bank—after all, the Real Real doesn't take poltergeist purses.
With Rufus in tow, and Brad—who's looking pretty scrumptious these days—playing chauffeur, Sully delves into the history of the town they're so desperate to escape. Only to discover that there might be more to Hearst than they ever knew. -HarperCollins
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 Bread—er, Brad—the most boring (and maybe only other) gay kid in town.
When Sully's internship goes up in smoke, they're trapped in Hearst with no cash—and no car. Desperate, they go to the thrift store, their personal sanctuary. There, they discover a vintage bag—like "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 standing—no, floating—in their bedroom, Sully's summer has a new purpose: 1) help this ghostly honey unlock his past and move on and 2) make bank—after all, the Real Real doesn't take poltergeist purses.
With Rufus in tow, and Brad—who's looking pretty scrumptious these days—playing chauffeur, Sully delves into the history of the town they're so desperate to escape. Only to discover that there might be more to Hearst than they ever knew. -HarperCollins
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"MARY"
I absolutely loved LET THEM STARE! The collaboration between Jonathan Van Ness and Julie Murphy was such an unexpected delight, and I dove in without hesitation—best decision ever.
From the moment I met Sully, I was hooked. Their journey of self-discovery was inspiring, and Rufus added so much heart and wisdom to the story. Let Them Stare is light, fun, and brimming with the kind of YA romance that brings joy when the world needs it most.
Beyond its captivating story and lovable characters, the book delivers a crucial lesson for the world. Sully’s journey reminds us of the importance of self-acceptance, of boldly taking up space, and of refusing to conform to society’s limiting expectations. In an era where authenticity is often challenged, this book is a vibrant declaration that every person deserves to embrace their true self, unapologetically.
The most beautiful aspect of LET THEM STARE: Sully’s parents and friends didn’t try to shape them into someone else—they provided space, support, and encouragement for Sully to grow into who they truly are. That kind of love—the kind that doesn’t demand conformity but instead nurtures individuality—is so powerful.
This book is empowering in countless ways, and its message resonates deeply with the LGBTQ+ community. A salute to Rufus and everyone who paved the way for freedom and validation. I wholeheartedly support everything it stands for. If a book can make me sacrifice sleep and lunch breaks just to keep turning pages, you know it’s a winner!
Highly recommend—this one’s an absolute hit!
I absolutely loved LET THEM STARE! The collaboration between Jonathan Van Ness and Julie Murphy was such an unexpected delight, and I dove in without hesitation—best decision ever.
From the moment I met Sully, I was hooked. Their journey of self-discovery was inspiring, and Rufus added so much heart and wisdom to the story. Let Them Stare is light, fun, and brimming with the kind of YA romance that brings joy when the world needs it most.
Beyond its captivating story and lovable characters, the book delivers a crucial lesson for the world. Sully’s journey reminds us of the importance of self-acceptance, of boldly taking up space, and of refusing to conform to society’s limiting expectations. In an era where authenticity is often challenged, this book is a vibrant declaration that every person deserves to embrace their true self, unapologetically.
The most beautiful aspect of LET THEM STARE: Sully’s parents and friends didn’t try to shape them into someone else—they provided space, support, and encouragement for Sully to grow into who they truly are. That kind of love—the kind that doesn’t demand conformity but instead nurtures individuality—is so powerful.
This book is empowering in countless ways, and its message resonates deeply with the LGBTQ+ community. A salute to Rufus and everyone who paved the way for freedom and validation. I wholeheartedly support everything it stands for. If a book can make me sacrifice sleep and lunch breaks just to keep turning pages, you know it’s a winner!
Highly recommend—this one’s an absolute hit!
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About the Author:
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 Netflix’s Emmy Award–winning 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 Murphy splits her time between North Texas and Kansas with her husband, who loves her, and her cats, who tolerate her. When Julie isn’t 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 novels Dear Sweet Pea and Camp Sylvania as well as the young adult novels Ramona Blue, Side Effects May Vary, the Faith series, Pumpkin, Puddin’, and Dumplin’ (now a Netflix original film).
Photos from HarperCollins. No infringement intended.
Photos from HarperCollins. No infringement intended.
*HarperCollins CA provided the ARC
in exchange for this unbiased review.
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in exchange for this unbiased review.
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