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Let Them Stare

A Novel

ebook
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An instant New York Times and Indie bestseller!

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.

"A quirky, passionate, rebellious, and quick-witted novel." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

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    • Booklist

      May 1, 2025
      Grades 9-12 Mary, sis, hunny--it's just a haunted handbag. It might also be Sully's ticket out of Hearst, Pennsylvania, if they can get the ghost, Rufus, to vacate the bag. Like any upstanding ghost, Rufus has unfinished business; he also has a bad case of ghost amnesia, so Sully needs to dig into their small town's history to help Rufus find peace. Their research also makes them realize that, despite being the only nonbinary person in town, Sully might have a place in Hearst after all. Without overwhelming the narrative with exposition, there is a plentiful amount of queer history discussed, dually serving to educate the reader and to help Sully discover the context that has created a world where they can exist as an out, queer person. Despite a veneer of mystery, the plot is largely driven by Sully's growth rather than action or intrigue, making this a choice more suited to character-driven readers. A surprisingly light read, this is an excellent entry point for readers curious about history and open to the paranormal.

      COPYRIGHT(2025) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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  • English

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