Liked this one, but didn’t love it.

Because this is a more realistic type of fiction, there are a lot of broken people to be found here. No problem with that, we’ve all got our issues. I just felt like this one is missing some something. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for it. Or maybe it was just too depressing.

It’s the story about outgrowing who you once were. And it’s a story of wanting to stay right where you are. A story of those around you getting married and building families while you stay single hanging out in clubs. It is a story of revisiting your past. And a story of missing your old friends but realizing when you re-meet them that you can never really go back to who you were because you grew at different times, in different ways.

I’d definitely read more from the author, but I wouldn’t exact stalk their release dates.

I ended up requesting the audio for this one because the ebook and physical book does NOT have quotations for dialogue, which left me so confused as to who was talking and when. By the time I switched to the audio, I feel like that already left a bad taste in my mouth, and I was no longer invested in the story.

What I did enjoy is the examination of gay life in literary fiction especially with the DC back drop. What didn't really work for me was the dark spiral that one of the characters took, but I completely understand why that was the case.

Thank you NetGalley and Workmanaudio for this ALC.

Raw, powerful, emotional and difficult to read at times. This story explores the struggles and what it means to be a gay man in America.
Alternating between two POVs and dual timelines, this beautifully written novel was insightful and heartbreaking.

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This debut novel is set in 2015 in the time just after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage. Childhood friends Oscar and Sebastian run into each other at the wedding of a gay couple. The two men were best friends as kids but lost touch after Oscar and his family moved away. Both men are gay and they both have different feelings about the recent turn of events for LGBTQ+ Americans. Sebastian works as an English & Art History teacher at a high school, where he also supervises the LGBTQ student organization. In general he feels sad & lonely, having suffered a bad breakup recently. Sebastian is a little in awe and jealous of how much easier LGBTQ teens have it than when he was a teen. On the other hand, Oscar lives a bit more angry about recent events. He thinks gay men deciding to get married is a bit lame and just them trying to be more mainstream. He spends his nights pursuing hook-ups via apps or at clubs.

Both Oscar and Sebastian clearly want better connection with others and want to find their place in the world. They are past their youth and clearly into adulthood and neither seems sure what sort of life to live...what it means to be a gay man in modern society. Sebastian looks longingly at the life the LGBTQ teens at his school have while Oscar yearns for the crazy days of the 80s (which he was too young to live through as an adult).

The narrative alternates between Sebastian and Oscar's perspectives and in the audio book each part was done by a different narrator, each of whom was perfectly cast as Sebastian or Oscar. I really enjoyed this book and think it is an excellent debut novel. I will be keeping my eye on Zak Salih to see what else he publishes.

CW/TW: suicide, suicidal ideation, homophobia, bullying

Let’s Get Back to the Party by Zak Salih tells the stories of two childhood friends who recently reconnected at a wedding, and the stories of their very different experiences growing up to be gay men and how their views of queerness were shaped by their boyhoods. I really enjoyed this novel and I thought the writing was gorgeous. Salih shapes the story as a dual POV and uses the parallels of two additional gay characters as the ideal of each of the protagonists. Sebastian’s problems surrounding his identity manifest in his obsession with one of his high school students, Arthur, while Oscar’s problems manifest in his obsession with prolific writer, Sean. The story starts to diverge at the ends when the protagonist’s obsessions turn out to not be what their ideal of a gay man is. I thought the formatting of the story was almost perfect and I loved seeing how the boyhoods of each of the protagonists changed their viewpoint of the world while also giving them a sort of tunnel vision about their identity and what the perfect queer experience is. I decided to give this book a 4.5 rather than a 5 star rating for two main reasons. First, as I touched on above, there is a problematic teacher-student relationship that made me entirely uncomfortable, which I imagine was the goal of Salih during this plot line in the novel. Second, Oscar had a proclivity to use some very cringey descriptions of his sexual exploits including one time that he described semen as “cock broth” and “onion milk” which honestly made me want to vomit. Even including the aspects I dislike, I do think this is a very good read. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested into an in depth exploration into ideas around queerness, especially if you are interested in more cynical thoughts around queer activism and progress, and if you enjoyed movies like Moonlight and Brokeback Mountain. Rating: 4.5/5

*Note: I received this book to review as an audio ARC from @netgalley and @workmanaudio

This book had elements that were very important and well done, the look at the ever-evolving LGBTQ+ community, acceptance, legal rights, etc. However, I found myself struggling with this book. I did not like either of the main characters. They both had obsessive personalities and serious flaws. While I don't have to love characters to love a book in this case I needed to find someone to root for or a story to cling to and was unable to find either throughout.

Oscar and Sebastian knew each other in their formative years and became best friends for the few years they spent together. They met again in college but Oscar had forgotten (?) about Sebastian. They meet again at a wedding in their mid-30s and this is where the story takes off from. Sebastian has pined for Oscar through the years and Oscar can't seem to be bothered to remember Sebastian even exists.
Oscar is obsessed with living his life to the fullest, sleeping with as many men as possible and finds a famous gay author to cling to. The author, Sean, has written about his wild and crazy lifestyle bedding as many men as possible and becomes an idol for Oscar.
Sebastian is on the other end of the spectrum with this and is obsessed with finding his person. He ends up clinging to an unhealthy ideology of one of his new students.

The book is raw and gritty and (I think) meant to make the reader uncomfortable at certain parts. I am not a prude reader, but this book took me a little off-guard and I'm not certain it was in a good way.

I could not get into this one. I tried the audio. I tried the book. I kept drifting away from the book with other thoughts so the book just didn’t keep me engaged

The narration was so bad I felt miserable and depressed right at the outset. It was so hard to get wrapped into the story as the narrator just kept pulling me out. I’ve listened to audiobooks with mediocre narrators but this was honestly one of the most flat narrators I’ve heard on the audiobook platform. I was unable to get past it unfortunately. I’m looking forward to giving this book another try in print form once it’s released. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Oh my heart. This was an emotional ride. I really enjoyed it. It was deep, raw, vulnerable, uncomfortable at times for good reasons, and beautifully presented. So many feels...I wanted to reach into the book and pull Sebastian and Oscar out, and just talk with them. I feel like this book puts you in the shoes of these two men very well. My heart is a little bit broken, but it was perfect. Definitely a book for adults. Really thankful for the LGBTQIA representation. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Sebastian Mote wants to find somebody to live and love happily with, and now that the Supreme Court has ruled that all adults can marry each other, he finally has that chance. Unfortunately, he's single, lonely, and it seems like the students he teaches at high school stand a much better shot at romance than he does. He envies their opportunity and their happiness, because they are able to live who they are openly, whereas when he was their age, being honest about what lie beneath the surface would have meant ostracization, shame, or violence. When Sebastian runs into his old friend Oscar, he hopes that their old friendship can be rekindled, and maybe turn into something new. Oscar is not in the right headspace for any of that, and is bitter at modern developments that threaten what he views as traditional gay culture. As Sebastian longs for love, and Oscar longs for the past, they develop friendships that mirror what they feel they have lost. What remains to be seen is whether their old wounds will heal, or the pain will consume them.

I have mixed feelings about Let's Get Back to the Party, but let's first talk about what I did like. I experienced this as an audiobook, and I appreciated the two narrators' delivery. The narrator for Oscar does a great job, bringing his anger and other intense emotions to life. In contrast, Sebastian's narrator is calmer, often tinged with longing and melancholy. The characters and story brought up questions for me of what it must be like for different generations of the gay community, from decades past to the present, and I did appreciate that aspect of the characters. I'd like to read more books that explore generational and cultural shifts in the LGBTQ community. Superficially, I liked that Sebastian wants to find love, and that Oscar is true to himself no matter what others think of him.

As for criticisms, there are a few. While a good portion of the story happens in the present, there are sudden, jarring jumps back to the present that often feel like they don't segue well. I found myself caught off guard by some of these coarse transitions between time periods and had to reorient once I realized the time shift. There are some outright inappropriate situations with minors that I think could have been approached differently to convey internal character flaws without going in that direction. These characters are seriously flawed, and while I appreciate flawed characters most of the time, I think that some aspects were written simply to be controversial. I think that this story is not for everyone, and I think that was Zak Salih's intention. If the premise interests you, then you might enjoy it.

An interesting look at contemporary gay romance.

I appreciated the different perspectives throughout this book: Sebastian, who wants to settle down with a husband and a family, Oscar, who believes settling down is for heterosexual couples, and Sean, who offers the point of view of an aging gay man. All of the characters are flawed, but in a relatable, realistic way (for the most part. I can’t say I relate to the pursuit of young boys or the sharing of an underage boy’s nude photos.). It was interesting to read the same scenes from both Oscar and Sebastion’s perspective, and hear each man’s internal struggle about the same situation.

I’m glad I listened to this as an audiobook, because I can’t stand when dialogue doesn’t have quotation marks.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and the message.

I remember where I was the day that gay marriage became legal in the United States, and the intense feeling I had to become more honest with the repressed queer feelings I had at the time. When I learned that Let's Get Back to the Party was set between the legalization of gay marriage and the tragedy of the Pulse Night Club Shooting, I was excited to delve into literary fiction which focuses on queer adults and the nuances of watching a more accepting world form from a previously homophobic culture. Instead of focusing on nuances behind the motives and the actions of the pained male, cis-gendered gay men in this story, Zah Salih relies on flat characters and a lacking plot. The result creates a story that is overly blunt with its message, rather than a delicate story of a generation of queer people sandwiched between the great pains of the AIDS epidemic and the current popularization of queer culture.

I would have loved to see the characters grow more as people throughout the book than what ended up occurring. Both of the characters are incredibly jaded and hurt throughout this story. One character is jealous of his (happier, freer) students because they will never know the heartache he endured at their age. Another character is upset over straight people celebrating gay culture after decades of systematic prejudices. Both of these feelings are intensely personal and complex, but the reader is never able to fully investigate these concepts or feelings. The characters are upset and find ways to cope without ever fully addressing everything that these situations make them feel.

Many queer adults today can relate to the messages that Salih brings to the table. As a teacher, I see my students discuss and experiment with their sexuality and gender more than many people from my generation could have ever dreamed to. While there are moments where I have also grieved the "what could have been"s, I recognize that my experiences help my queer students navigate the homophobia and transphobia that is still deeply engrained in American society and traditional families in the "Deep South". Homophobia doesn't disappear over night, and many students today still worry about being outed by family, friends, and bullies. Away from my job, I have seen my own family with their own biphobic views attend gay pride parades as if they are city block parties, rather than a means to overcome trauma and celebrate history. These feelings are also complex. Anger is definitely present, but so is the relief that one day, gay pride will be another cultural marker that all Americans will have to become exposed to.

In the end, Zah Salih brings some important concepts to the literary fiction field, but the execution of Let's Get Back to the Party prevents it from becoming queer essential reading. I am hopeful to see more books from Salih after he becomes a more seasoned writer. The quality of writing can always improve, but original concepts usually require a level of creativity and empathy that not every person has innately. Salih has some great concepts. In the future, hopefully his novels will have the required nuance to tell them masterfully.

⭐⭐⭐💫

Thank you to @algonquinbooks and @workmanaudio for providing me with a review copy and an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Full review on the blog (www.acourtofbooksandbrews.com)

This is a book I would implore people to pick up and read to make their own judgement, because as messy and unrelatable as I feel the characters are, they are human and in their own complicated ways, they are just trying to navigate their way through life while dealing with the injustice that, unfortunately, was very much alive back then as it is today.

Let's Get Back to the Party is definitely a thought-provoking story, because it explores what it means for individuals to be a part of a larger community while highlighting the struggles and prejudices gay men continues to face in today's society.

I read the first half and listened to the second half on audio. I would highly recommend the audio if you, like me, are not a fan of long chapters 😅. The narration was great!

Sebastian and Oscar are old childhood friends. Their paths cross at a wedding soon after the Supreme Court ruled to legalize same sex marriage. Sebastian is just coming out of a tough breakup, Oscar is well, Oscar. The book goes back and forth between the two main characters painting a picture how each lives their lives. Sebastian, an art history school teacher for high schoolers, lives a fairly low key life. He didn't come out to his parents until he was in college and it was after his mother had been in an accident. Sebatian seems to be fairly quiet and reserved, though still seems to struggle from his past and anger towards not being able to be open with who he really was. Oscar on the other hand, is embracing his gayness but on a totally different level. He is a player with no intentions of settling down. His anger stems from the horrid relationship he had with his father as well as the fact that he feels as though his community is slowly being overrun and basically taken from them. Everything is changing and he is not ok with it. Though their paths continue to cross throughout the book, there is always something keeping them from reconnecting. From phone tags to sporadic run-ins, these two old school chums seem to be avoiding some invisible wedge not only between each other, but also within themselves. Will they ever be able to find peace in their lives?
This is a duel review as not only did I receive a copy of the audio book, but a physical copy of the book as well. The audio book was really well done. Both narrators did a great job playing out the characters. Though the story itself was somewhat thought provoking as to what it's like to be a gay male and the struggles they may face, I just felt as though the story itself was missing something. I was also a bit uncomfortable with the relationship that Sebatian had with his student. It didn't get taken as far as I was concerned it was going to, but it did creep me out a bit. I also wasn't certain how the title is a representation of what the book is about. I really just couldn't get into this story. I'm not sure what it was, but even though as a reader you're told how the two men's lives intertwine, it just doesn't make sense in the story. You're basically just reading about 2 different guys lives and it's mentioned they run into each other now and again unexpectedly and also play phone tag and seem to avoid one another. One of the characters refers to them as a sad queen and an angry queen and states they need to help each other but it doesn't elaborate on that much at all and I feel like that was definitely a missed opportunity. Not to mention, it talks about the ruling with the Supreme Court for all of a minute and then lets it go, but it was mentioned in the summary of the book leading you to believe it will go more into that as well and it doesn't. I rate this ⭐⭐⭐💫.

3.25

Thank you to netgalley and Workman Audio for an ALC of this book.

In Washington DC just after the Supreme Court legalized marriage equality, Sebastian and Oscar reconnect many years after they were friends as children. Though they had a lot of common when younger, they grew into two extremely different people, and this book explores how their lives divide and entangle with each other.

First of all, I really enjoyed the narrator's of this book and definitely recommend the audio if you're planning to pick up a copy! They both did a great job conveying their individual characters thoughts and feelings.

I was very much...not sympathetic to either of these characters. Suffice it to say, I would definitely not be their friends in real life. But it was interesting to see them try and fail to understand each other and to (quite frankly) mess up again and again at being adults.

I personally very much did not enjoy the storyline of Sebastian and his student. I'm glad it wasn't worse than it was, but I found it pretty messed up. Luckily, I didn't think the book was in anyway glorifying it.

I enjoyed this read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, and Sexual content

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Stalking, Suicide, and Terminal illness

Minor: Hate crime and Mass/school shootings

“Let's Get Back to the Party” is a debut novel about two childhood friends, Oscar and Sebastian. Both gay, they reconnect in their mid-30s and continue to meet up throughout the story.

The protagonists narrate alternating chapters so we hear first-hand accounts through the eyes of Sebastian and Oscar. Both of whom are very different. Yet both have to make life choices. Should sad and lonely Sebastian settle down and marry now that it’s legal? And should uber-angry Oscar continue his nonconformist ways and screw everyone in his path (literally). Neither are entirely sure of the life they’ve chosen.

Sebastian and Oscar have platonic, yet close relationships with intergenerational gay men. Oscar becomes endeared to a beloved gay writer who’s in his late 60s. While Sebastian, a high school teacher, befriends a young and very “out” senior student.

Zak Salih’s characters are flawed and sort of lovable. And thanks to the terrific audiobook narration by Michael Crouch and Will Damron, we experience ALL of the emotions. Melancholy, anger, loneliness, fear, longing, dread.

One of the most memorable and telling scenes was a letter that Sebastian penned to his young student: “Your memories will start to get mixed up. You’ll start to confuse the past for the present. You’ll start wishing things were, for you, the way they are instead of the way they were, which is the way they had to be to bring you to where you are now. You’ll start longing for a life others have instead of the life you have.”

While I appreciate the theme of growing up and not knowing the right path, I felt this book took a few tangents and rattled on a bit. It’s definitely thought-provoking on what it’s like to be a gay man in 2016. I wish it were a bit less sad. But maybe that’s exactly what it was like five years ago. Maybe it's just me (clearly not the target audience), but the book's title and cover doesn't necessarily represent the content.

Special thanks to Workman Audio for a copy of the audiobook, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest feedback.