Publishers Weekly
03/28/2022
O’Connell navigates internalized homophobia and ableism in his hysterical debut novel (after the memoir I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves), a ripsnorter set in Los Angeles. Elliott, the protagonist, introduces readers to his “perfect” boyfriend, Gus, whom he increasingly resents. After almost six years together, the two are in a rut of ordering takeout, drinking natural wine, and having dissociative sex. Elliott is living with cerebral palsy, and despite having a flashy job writing for television, he can’t help but think “modern life is hell.” After an eyebrow-raising story from his boss involving hiring a sex worker, Elliott sets off on a trip of self-sabotage turned self-discovery, as he probes his relationships with sex and his body, alcohol, disability (“I work very hard to appear palatable, easy to digest, the crostini of disability”), and his father. (Some of this may sound familiar to fans of O’Connell’s Netflix series, Special.) Here, O’Connell’s revelatory and charming humor adds dimension to a character who is unapologetic about his spiraling behavior despite claiming to know better. O’Connell leaves nothing on the table, and the result reads like a zippy, traffic-dodging trip up the 101 on a blinding afternoon. Agent: Kent Wolf, Neon Literary. (May)
From the Publisher
With his singular voice and unforgettable wit, O’Connell movingly explores how our messiest moments can lead to radical self-acceptance. Elliott’s journey may be his own, but what he discovers about the absurdity of the human condition is universal.” —Steven Rowley, author of The Guncle and Lily and The Octopus
“I've loved Ryan O’Connell’s voice in every iteration, but his turn to fiction is my favorite Ryan yet: sharp, bawdy, yet still deeply touching. It's shockingly elegant, and elegantly shocking.” —Lena Dunham, creator of HBO’s Girls and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Not That Kind of Girl
“...a very funny novel about falling for a fantasy and finding love for one’s own self....Ryan O’Connell explores the lessons that the vulnerable human body has to teach us, and he does so with humor, heart, and heat.” —Melissa Broder, acclaimed author of Milk Fed and The Pisces
"Ryan O'Connell's new book is at once very funny, tender, and beautiful. I couldn't put it down. Really. By the end I felt like I'd made a new friend." —Gary Janetti, New York Times bestselling author of Do You Mind if I Cancel? and Start Without Me
“Just by Looking at Him is the kind of novel you don’t want to put down. It’s a page-turner, ridiculously funny, and has a tremendous amount of heart. Ryan O’Connell is a true talent. This book is a delight!”—Kristen Arnett, author of With Teeth and Mostly Dead Things
"In his breezy, effortless way, O'Connell has written a book of great wisdom and intimacy. A story that is frank, searching, and deliriously sexy. I didn't want it to end. Neither will you."—Sam Lansky, author of Broken People
"O’Connell leaves nothing on the table, and the result reads like a zippy, traffic-dodging trip up the 101 on a blinding afternoon." —Publishers Weekly
Library Journal
12/01/2021
Though he's a successful TV writer, Eliot has problems. He's been dangerously overdrinking and cheating on his loving boyfriend with a string of sex workers, and he struggles for acceptance in a world indifferent, even hostile, to his cerebral palsy. Finally, he decides that despite it all he will find a way to triumph. From Queer as Folk actor O'Connell, the Emmy-nominated creator, writer, and star of Netflix's Special, based on his memoir.
