WINNER OF THE KIRKUS PRIZE âą WINNER OF A LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD âą NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK âą NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' PICK âą STONEWALL HONOR BOOK âą NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, KIRKUS REVIEWS, LIBRARY JOURNAL, AMAZON AND APPLE BOOKS âą TODAY SUMMER READING LIST PICK âą ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY BEST DEBUT OF SUMMER PICK âą PEOPLE BEST BOOK OF SUMMER PICK
A raw, poetic, coming-of-age âmasterworkâ (The New York Times)
Punch Me Up to the Gods introduces a powerful new talent in Brian Broome, whose early years growing up in Ohio as a dark-skinned Black boy harboring crushes on other boys propel forward this gorgeous, aching, and unforgettable debut. Brianâs recounting of his experiencesâin all their cringe-worthy, hilarious, and heartbreaking gloryâreveal a perpetual outsider awkwardly squirming to find his way in. Indiscriminate sex and escalating drug use help to soothe his hurt, young psyche, usually to uproarious and devastating effect. A no-nonsense mother and broken father play crucial roles in our misfitâs origin story. But it is Brianâs voice in the retelling that shows the true depth of vulnerability for young Black boys that is often quietly near to bursting at the seams.
Cleverly framed around Gwendolyn Brooksâs poem âWe Real Cool,â the iconic and loving ode to Black boyhood, Punch Me Up to the Gods is at once playful, poignant, and wholly original. Broomeâs writing brims with swagger and sensitivity, bringing an exquisite and fresh voice to ongoing cultural conversations about Blackness in America.