Sign-In
Cart
Swimming to the Buoys
Paperback
Publisher Price: $14.99
ISBN13: 9781036912093
Publisher: Jack Brien
Published: Feb 24 2025
Pages: 206
Weight: 0.62
Height: 0.44 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
''I want to be one of the pretty people'', laments Levi Thomas, a 24-year-old, gay, autistic student living in Brighton, England, as he is frustrated with the constant rejection of other gay men due to his appearance and mannerisms, as well as rejection from employers and his contemptuous housemate, Paulina. To cope, Levi escapes into his own world through the power of music and pop-culture references. In Levi's own, exclusive world, life is a celebration marked by an acerbic wit as he yearns to feel like a majestic dolphin, as opposed to a goblin shark.
It is one day on Brighton's nudist beach through a chance encounter with a Syrian refugee, Hassan, that Levi's fantasy and reality collide. Infatuated, Levi lusts after Hassan but, at the same time, forms a newfound friendship with a caustic yet matriarchal drag queen, Moira Lee Bankrupt, who introduces Levi to the camp sensibility of Brighton's drag scene, and builds the foundation for Levi to reveal himself through a sequinned and corseted alter-ego, Havana Meltdown. It is through this series of events that Levi begins to reclaim his own identity and prevails in the face of obstacles which life throws at him.
Jack Brien's comical and wildly salacious debut novel is an insightful, semi-autobiographical meditation on neurodiverse, LGBTQ identities - blending humour with poignant reflections on one's own struggles and triumphs. 'Swimming to the Buoys' is a compelling, bawdy book that intends to illustrate the intersection of neurodivergence, identity and sexuality through the unique lens of an autistic, gay man, celebrating strength and humour as Levi embarks upon his journey of self-acceptance.
Also in
Humor
I Can't Believe I Did That: The Game That Gives You Points for Sharing Awkward, Awesome, and Unforgettable Memories: Card Games
Nadelberg, David
Katcher, Neil
Other
The Science Magpie: Fascinating Facts, Stories, Poems, Diagrams and Jokes Plucked from Science
Flynn, Simon
Paperback
Fixing Flamingos: And Other Solutions to the World's Least Pressing Problems
Brown, Lucienne
Rea, Brian
Paperback
How to Be a Cat: (Cat Books for Kids, Cat Gifts for Kids, Cat Picture Book)
Lazar, Ralph
Swerling, Lisa
Hardcover
Peculiar Questions and Practical Answers: A Little Book of Whimsy and Wisdom from the Files of the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
Hardcover
How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay: Tips and Tricks That Kept Me Alive, Happy, and Creative in Spite of Myself
Lawson, Jenny
Hardcover
Bake It Off: An Unofficial Taylor Swift-Inspired Cookbook for Every Era, from Breakfast to Midnights
Smith, Lindsey
Hardcover
Big Fan: Two Friends, 82,490 Miles, and the Wild, Wonderful Sports We Love
Schur, Michael
Posnanski, Joe
Hardcover
Black Out Loud: The Revolutionary History of Black Comedy from Vaudeville to '90s Sitcoms
Bennett, Geoff
Hardcover
We Are the World (Cup): A Personal History of the World's Greatest Sporting Event
Bennett, Roger
Hardcover
Pardon My Book: Ten Years of the Best (and Worst) in Sports from Pardon My Take
Commenter, Pft
Big Cat
Hardcover
How to Grow Up Without Becoming a Grown-Up: Big Lessons from Little Kids
Shapiro-Barnum, Julian
Hardcover
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Five Novels in One Outrageous Volume
Adams, Douglas
Paperback
The New Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Expert Advice for Extreme Situations
Borgenicht, David
Piven, Joshua
Hardcover
There Are Moms Way Worse Than You: Irrefutable Proof That You Are Indeed a Fantastic Parent
Boozan, Glenn
Hardcover
How to Talk to Your Cat about Gun Safety: And Abstinence, Drugs, Satanism, and Other Dangers That Threaten Their Nine Lives
Auburn, Zachary
Paperback
Not Today, Fascists: The Lies That Got Us Here, and the Truths That Will Reunite Us
Welch, Jennifer
Hardcover
Nobody Wants Your Sh*t: The Art of Decluttering Before You Die (New York Times Bestseller)
Condo, Messie
Hardcover