Publishers Weekly
10/14/2024
YA author Aleman (Brighter Than the Sun) makes a memorable move to adult fiction with this zany black comedy that lampoons the publishing industry and New York City’s gay dating scene. Writer David Alvarez suffers a crisis of faith (and budget) when his second novel falls short of expectations. Feeling estranged from his family and the ex-boyfriend he drove away with his workaholism, David loses himself in a cathartic night of partying that culminates in an anonymous Grindr hookup. When he wakes up the next morning, he finds his one-night stand dead. Panicked, he calls his agent and de facto best friend, Stacey, to get him out of trouble—and possibly help him spin the story into his next novel. Aleman’s acid-tongued tale is at its best when it’s going for laughs, whether via Weekend at Bernie’s–style hijinks or slapstick sex scenes. Elsewhere, David’s attempts to connect with his family and reconcile with his ex strive for emotional depth, but serve mostly to dampen the fun. Still, this laugh out loud suspense tale promises good things from Aleman to come. Agent: Peter Knapp, Park & Fine Literary and Media. (Dec.)
From the Publisher
"Hilarious, suspense-filled."—Entertainment Weekly
"Aleman’s adult debut is both riotously funny and deeply touching. While David struggles to extricate himself from his impossible situation, his quest to combat loneliness and imposter syndrome is always hiding in the background. Readers will root for David throughout the book."—Booklist, Starred Review
"[Daniel Aleman] makes a memorable move to adult fiction with this zany black comedy. . . [T]his laugh out loud suspense tale promises good things from Aleman to come."
—Publishers Weekly
"Things get crazier and campier by the minute... Aleman could be a writer to watch."—Kirkus Reviews
“I Might Be in Trouble is a biting satire about the publishing world and an undeniable adventure from start to finish.”—Chicago Review of Books
"A killer premise coupled with mordant humor and a corpse that has more outfit changes in a day than I do. Aleman delivers everything you could look for in a book, and more. I'm still smiling."—Steven Rowley, New York Times bestselling author of The Celebrants
"Aleman's premise hooked me and oh my goodness, did he deliver! Prepare to gasp out loud, cringe, cackle, and cry alongside David as he and his unflappable agent carry a corpse around Manhattan. But, hilarious hijinks aside, at its heart, this is a book that isn't afraid to dive deep into heart wrenching isolation and the anxiety that comes with trying to figure out how to get your shit together." —Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
"Exciting. Humorous. Heartbreaking. Unputdownable!"—Helene Tursten, bestselling author of An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good
"Funny, relatable, and utterly bonkers, I Might Be in Trouble is an anxiety-ridden thrill ride that I couldn’t put down. David Alvarez is one of those heartbreakingly vulnerable characters that you want to shake one moment, and wrap in a blanket to keep safe from harm the next. Come for the deadly hijinks, stay for the 'if I don’t laugh, I’ll cry' look at what it’s like to work in publishing."—Mia P. Manansala, author of the Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Award-winning Arsenic and Adobo
“If possible, get a friend to help you turn the pages of this book, because you’ll be gripping it with white knuckles. I devoured this wickedly funny, pulse-quickening, enthralling dark comedy. Aleman has a master storyteller’s hand.”—Jeff Zentner, award-winning author of Colton Gentry’s Third Act
“I gulped this book down in a single sitting. I Might Be In Trouble has everything I’m looking for in fiction: crackling dialogue, hilarious antics, and dead bodies at the Plaza. In the midst of it all, Daniel Aleman weaves together a compelling and wise story about what happens when our dreams elude us, and the power of art to help us find ourselves again.”—Grant Ginder, author of The People We Hate at the Wedding and Let's Not Do That Again
"A genre-busting rollercoaster ride . . . Darkly comic and painfully relatable, the novel also offers thoughtful reflections on the emotional cost of sudden success, and the anxiety of losing sight of who you once were outside of your accomplishments."—Caitlin Barasch, author of A Novel Obsession
“I Might Be Trouble is as much a page-turning thriller as it is a comedic, big-hearted exploration of love, loneliness, and the way writing can save us. Daniel Aleman’s meta winks at gay life in New York City are fresh and poignant, but the novel’s outlandishly delicious plot kept me pinned to every page. I could not put this book down.”—John Glynn, author of Out East
PRAISE FOR INDIVISIBLE:
"Indivisible is a deeply moving tribute to those caught between two worlds in the immigration crisis in America—a potent reminder that no human being is illegal, and that hundreds of thousands of children in this situation are forced to grow up too quickly. Although this is fiction, it’s far too real."—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Two Ways
"Stellar, clear and emotional, realistic and suspenseful. The story is complex and heart-wrenching, yet full of hope and familial love.”—Booklist, starred review
"Indivisible is a powerful story about family, friendship, and home. In a world divided by so many labels, this story is a reminder that there are no boundaries for love."—Yamile Saied Méndez, author of Pura Belpré Inaugural YA Award winner Furia
“As heart-wrenching a tale as it is, Indivisible is also a heartening tribute to the power and endurance of familial love."—Adi Alsaid, author of Let's Get Lost and North of Happy
"Indivisible is a heartbreakingly poignant and timely coming-of-age story of the human cost of a morally bankrupt immigration policy. This book is an unforgettable chronicle of the fiercest, indomitable love and devotion."—Jeff Zentner, Morris Award-winning author of The Serpent King
"Both a gripping, harrowing story about an American tragedy and a moving portrait of the bonds of family and unexpected community, Indivisible somehow never loses its humor, its humanity or its hope."—Kelly Loy Gilbert, author of Stonewall Honor Book Picture Us In the Light
"Daniel Aleman is a fearless writer who never shies away from the complexity of his premise."—Adam Sass, author of Surrender Your Sons
“Daniel Aleman skillfully paints a story of how injustice rips us apart, friendships and family gathers our broken pieces, and hope slowly stitches us back together. Indivisible belongs on every shelf.”—Julian Winters, award-winning author of Running With Lions
"Indivisible is an intimate and emotional portrait of a family trying to survive under the threat of deportation, with a deeply sensitive and resilient narrator at its center. It’s a powerful story of finding strength: strength to hold a family together as their worst fear becomes reality, and strength to learn who you are, what you want and the person you hope to become. At times heartbreaking, ultimately uplifting, this book is a poignant story we need."—Julia Drake, author of The Last True Poets of the Sea
“[This] thoroughly openhearted debut … will leave an indelible mark on the hearts of readers.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
JANUARY 2025 - AudioFile
Smoothly shifting between tones of self-indulgence, sincerity, sarcasm, and abject fear, Vikas Adam narrates this comedy of errors in which the protagonist may end up either in jail or on the NEW YORK TIMES Best-Seller List, or both. It all starts when a down-in-the-dumps, down-on-his-luck gay writer uses a dating app to connect with a handsome stranger, has a wonderful night out on the town, and then wakes up next to a corpse. What to do? Call his agent, of course. Adam provides a great voice for the snarky Brooklyn-accented middle-aged agent as they try to decide how to dispose of the body. A hip, fun listen that combines humor and heart, and gleefully accentuates the importance of family, loyalty, and second chances. B.P. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2024-08-17
When a one-night-stand dies in his bed, a struggling writer sees a way to resuscitate his career.
In his first book for adults, having written two YA novels, Aleman creates a protagonist with an autofictional vibe—David Alvarez, the 28-year-old gay Latine author of two books—and places him in a gleefully cooked-up situation. After a roaring success with his debut and a wholesale flop with his second book, Alvarez learns from his agent, the soigne Stacey Hixon-Jones, that his publisher has passed on his third manuscript. Broke, friendless, and lonely, he turns to Grindr to drown his sorrows and meets up with what seems like the man of his dreams. The charming, handsome, slightly older guy who invites him to the Plaza Hotel and escorts him around town on a boozy, thrilling date seems like he could fill the hole left by the loss of his erstwhile partner, Jeremy, a casualty of David's absorption in his career drama. Unfortunately, in the morning, the dream date appears to have expired—and David doesn't remember whether he murdered him or not. In a panic, he calls Stacey, who pops over with dollar signs in her eyes. Surely they can turn this dead body into a bestseller! As they execute Stacey's bizarre idea for next steps, things get crazier and campier by the minute, sometimes staying on the funny side of ridiculous and sometimes…not. The plot keeps thickening, that's for sure, and contrasts a bit uncomfortably with the earnest portrayal of David's emotional landscape; his father, stepmother, and half brother in New Jersey could be characters from a different novel.
For fans of Grant Ginder and Jean Hanff Korelitz, Aleman could be a writer to watch.
