Name: Us Ones in Between
Rating: 3 (57 reviews)
ISBN: 9780786720842

Lambda Award-winning novelist Blair Mastbaum returns with a story of sexual obsession turned violent in Manhattan's East Village. Kurt Smith can't get over the split with his ex-boyfriend.

Format
304 pages, Paperback
First published
May 5, 2008
Publishers
Running Press Book Publishers
Subjects
Gay·Fiction·Fiction·General
Language
English

About Blair Mastbaum

Blair is the author of Clay's Way and Us Ones In Between, and the co-editor of Cool Thing: Best Gay Fiction from Young American Writers. He's currently living in Portland, Oregon and working on a novel called Hommeboys about his time spent as a model..

The self absorbed loser narrative is very prevalent in literature and I wonder if writing such accounts is a cure for writer's block. Sadly it is not much fun for the reader.

I just finished this book a few minutes ago. It was just what I was looking for.

It's about time we had another young gay author who knows what the hell is going on. I used to think I would have to keep reading the same two Thorn Hillsbery books over and over again.

In his second novel (the first, "Clay's Way", won him the Lamda Literary award for best debut gay novel), Mustbaum sticks with telling the story of a dysfunctional, obsessed gay young man, in this case in the persona of Kurt Smith, a would-be artist/writer three years out of college with an art degree, living in a run-down Manhattan studio apartment. The somewhat naturally shy, introspective Kurt admits being obsessed by his ex-boyfriend, the bisexual and charismatic Billy, who is achieving some fame as member of a popular local band.

After reading Blair Mastbaum's first book "Clay's Way" in 2005, then rereading it twice in 2006, then reading it yet again in 2007, I was super psyched this week when I received my pre-order copy of "Us Ones in Between." Unlike Clay's Way which I couldn't stop reading once I picked it up, Us Ones leaves much to be desired.

Blair Mastbaum's accessible, fearless and subtly poetic writing is a must. Despite what the prior reviewer says, the only thing this book has in common with 'Clay's Way' is how astonishingly good it is.

This book is exactly like his first novel, only worse.In his first novel, there was an obsessive guy in love with a dude who wasn't comfortable with his sexuality.

I just got this book, and started reading it this week. I really love it so far.

Us Ones in Between

About Blair Mastbaum

Books

Cool Thing
Blair Mastbaum

Cool thing
Blair Mastbaum

Cool thing
Blair Mastbaum