Right Beside You
Tucker Shaw
(Author)
Description
"Deeply moving and thoroughly engrossing." —Kirkus, starred review
In this fresh, speculative blend of queer romance and coming-of-age, Eddie meets Theo in present-day New York and Francis in a New York of the past... torn between eras and his heart, he must make a decision that will change his life forever.
High school has just ended and Eddie is at a loss for what's next. He had a falling out with his best friend, and he never really related to the rest of his peers in the sleepy Colorado town he calls home. The future is bleak.
Until his ancient and eccentric great aunt Cookie asks him to care for her in New York City as she recuperates from an illness. Eddie leaps at the opportunity. Soon after he arrives at her tiny Greenwich Village apartment, homebound Cookie asks Eddie to use her vintage polaroid camera to snap pictures of her favorite places she can no longer visit. But something's unusual about this camera. When he takes a photo, he's launched back in time to an entirely different New York of the early 20th century.
As Eddie explores the underground queer life of the 1930s, he discovers new undercurrents of his own identity. Not to mention a dangerously handsome boy in scuffed boots and tattered stovepipe trousers who keeps popping up in his visions of the past.
But when Eddie begins to develop a crush on the mercurial Francis, a cute baker named Theo enters the picture—and he's in the present. Caught between timelines and feelings, Eddie must make a decision about what he's willing to chase: his romantic fantasies of the past or a reality that might just be what he's wanted all along.
Product Details
| Publisher | Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) |
| Publish Date | April 29, 2025 |
| Pages | 336 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Hardback |
| EAN/UPC | 9781250327109 |
| Dimensions | 218.4 X 5.8 X 1.1 inches | 0.9 pounds |
About the Author
Reviews
"Shaw’s splendid novel offers long thoughts about time and the nature of reality as it tells a compelling love story that is beautifully written in the omniscient narrator’s voice, which is used to speak directly to Eddie ("Don’t fall in, Eddie. Don’t panic"). Don’t miss this lovely book." —Booklist, starred review
"A precious celebration of queer joy, resistance, and community; a deserved first selection for any well-rounded collection." —School Library Journal, starred review
Praise for When You Call My Name
A CBC Young Adult, Teacher & Librarian Favorites 9th - 12th Grade Selection
A Rainbow Book List Top Ten Title for Teen Readers
A School Library Journal Best Books of 2022 Selection
A Buzzfeed New LGBTQA+ YA Novels You Need This Spring Selection
"Poignant and uplifting . . . The novel explores the tenacity and strength of queer friendship during the toughest of times, while paying homage to a city that faced significant loss." —GAY TIMES
"This is a brilliant affirmation of the power of love on so many levels, with a wide range of appeal." —Booklist, Starred Review
"This book is historical fiction. . .but the frank, personable writing style circumvents many of the challenges the genre often has in generating teen appeal. . . an invaluable addition to a genre that has largely excluded this piece of history." —School Library Journal, starred review
"In 1990 Manhattan the paths of two young men intertwine. . .but the story is not just about their connection; it’s about the history of New York and the people who fought and coped, loved and lost, died and survived during the years when an HIV diagnosis was a death sentence. The novel is a love letter to this time and place and to the people of Manhattan. It masterfully pulls at the heartstrings. . .a touching and beautiful story." —Kirkus Reviews
"Copious period-specific pop culture references pepper the novel, whose assured pacing and intimate tone balances elements of promise, possibility, and reality. In Adam and Ben, Shaw effectively captures the era’s feeling of pain, uncertainty, and liberation for the gay community." —Publishers Weekly
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