Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for the arc for review.

There's so much packed into this story that by the end, I was jarred to realized that I'd almost forgotten that the book opened with a scene depicting a vigorous ball exam, something I was immediately certain would be a standout moment.

Learning he's likely got an STI leads Danny Scudd to finding out that he and his kind of crap boyfriend of a year, Tobbs (THE CARPETED BATHROOM OF HUMAN BEINGS), are not on the same page re: monogamy, and thus begins a cascade of events including being gently evicted by his straight and newly pregnant roommates, moving into a sort of queer commune house with his best friend Jacob (the Big Edie to his Little Edie), a re-gay awakening, and all sorts of behaviors all up and down the scale, ranging from fragile self-exploration to absolutely appalling self-destruction.

What I found really compelling and interesting about this book - what really propelled me through it, I mean - was the absolutely human simultaneous implosion & explosion Danny experienced in his new situation. Surrounded by new people (and, for the first time, a therapist), Danny is learning all kinds of lessons: where he's allowed himself to accept too little (a boyfriend who thinks he's "too much"), where he's forced himself to swallow too much (toxic boss), experiences he's missed out on (growing up/living trying to blend in with the straights), who he's missed out on being.

Unfortunately, with a bit of an air of the "zeal of the convert" about him, this all floods in at once, and he starts firing these lessons off all willy nilly, loose cannon-style, and on one hand, YES, ABSOLUTELY DANNY, but on the other hand, NO, DANNY, NOT LIKE THAT.

Another highlight is that no one in this book - not Danny, Jacob, Tobbs, or any of the side characters, not a single one - is one dimensional. Every last character took their turns getting my wide eye and my most suspicious side eye. Some more aggressively and deservedly suspicious than others, but still.

This book is a real trip. With as much that happens, it's unsurprising that the pace never drags - I finished it in an evening. The dialogue is funny and snappy, and packed with references that had me sending off screenshots at 3am, though it does very occasionally veer into "okay, that was just one too many," but that's just about the worst thing I've got to say about it.

Recommended for all levels of relatability: a queer story, a breakup recovery story, a growing & changing alongside your best friend story, a finding your people story, a no longer making yourself small to placate others story, a mental health story, a standing up for yourself story, a letting your ugly side out & putting it back in story, a Death Becomes Her & Empire Records quotes story.

Danny Scudd is a twenty seven year old Londoner about to be ejected from his current apartment by his friend Laura and her dopey, hunky boyfriend so they can start a family. Poor Danny is stuck. He’s been dating a guy for the past year who not only doesn’t seem to want to take their relationship to the next level, but at the start of the book might have in fact given him an STD. Suddenly faced with the prospect of losing his current living arrangement as well his love life, Danny moves in with Jacob, his non-binary best friend and diva extraordinaire and his colorful collection of housemates.
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Up to this point Henry Fry’s debut plays mainly for laughs, his self deprecating narrator both relatable and witty. But Fry wisely flips it, and the book moves into a larger story about mental health, gay culture and finding ones own voice and identity and the costs both positive and negative with this. His therapist sessions in particular really resonated with me.
The result is a poignant and winning book that everyone can enjoy, but will feel particularly relatable to many in the gay community. Thanks to @randomhouse books and @netgalley for the advance copy.
#FirstTimeforEverything is out today!

Henry Fry wrote an intriguing coming of age story in his debut novel First Time for Everything. Danny Scudd faces his first big breakup at the same time he finds himself needing a new place to live. These two events coincide to send him into a living arrangement that forces him to deal with his mental health, his sexuality, and his career. Fry writes about the challenges of growing up gay and the idea of creating family out of friendship. The mood of this novel was a little dark for me and I struggled to connect to the main characters.

A highly entertaining and thought-provoking novel, First Time for Everything features 27-year-old Danny who lives in London. Following his relationship ending with his boyfriend and having to move in with his best friend, Danny soon learns that he doesn’t know himself like he thought he did and seeks help to do so.

This is a very moving coming-of-age story generously sprinkled with comic relief. The reader gets a bird's-eye view into Danny’s unraveling, privy to his inner speak and personal history growing up as a gay man in a small town. The author addresses so many important issues in a gentle, candid way.

I highlighted quite a few sentences, but the dedication, in particular, stands out: “For everyone else who’s late to the party. Let’s make up for lost time.”

This book grabbed my attention from the first page, and I knew that sleep would go to the back-burner in favor of finishing this story. I highly recommend this to fans of coming-of-age novels with found family and homage to Dolly Parton.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for a free ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Happy pub day, Henry Fry!

I adored this book. Devoured it. Laughed out loud. Heart ached. Did have to take breaks to look some phrases up, because it is very deeply British, and solidly #ownvoice LGBQT+, and I am neither. But books are a wonderful way to walk a mile in someone else's shoes, and this first person narrative about MC Danny Scudd's life falling apart, coming-of-age journey was time well spent. I think we all encounter moments of losing the plot on who we really are at various life inflection points, but this book opened my eyes to how much more intense those moments can be if one is outside of the cis/het norm. I was rooting for Danny (and the many wonderful characters in his life) the whole way, and loved how this book portrayed mental heath and therapy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book, in exchange for my honest review.

4.25 stars!

Danny Scudd’s life is not going according to his plan in First Time for Everything by Henry Fry. Brutally honest and endearing, I found myself cheering Danny on as he traversed life as a gay man in London. Danny is a character that reminds us we may say and do the wrong thing but it’s owning up to those mistakes that separate us from the pack. And Danny’s journey to accept himself is inspiring and satisfying!

This book has one of the most memorable and hilarious openings I’ve read. We meet Danny as a patient in a health clinic as he’s being tested for sexually transmitted diseases. Danny believes he’s in a loving, committed relationship, so how would he have an STD? And while hearing Danny’s internal (and external) thoughts—specifically in this scene but throughout the novel—is laugh-out-loud funny, it’s also a harsh reminder of how the LGBT+ community is often not accepted or forced to conform to the heteronormative world.

From this low point in Danny’s life, things get progressively worse as (he thinks he) breaks up with his boyfriend, is forced out of his flat, moves into a commune with his flamboyant best friend Jacob, and struggles at work. Finally seeking therapy, the reader accompanies Danny as he reluctantly faces things from his past, explores his new dating life, and learns to love himself and his friends.

At the heart of this story is Danny and Jacob’s friendship. Both of these flawed characters have struggled in very different ways and I so wanted to reach into the book and give them both hugs. I not only laughed, I cried, longing for them both to find their way to peace with each other and themselves.

First Time for Everything examines gender identity and mental health, spotlighting some very serious issues but with a witty and honest tone. It feels especially important to read books and listen to people from the LGBT+ community. To empathize, educate, and learn how to better support our fellow human beings. No one should be made to feel uncomfortable for living their truth.

Coming of Age in Swinging London

Danny thinks he’s escaped his boring small town life by coming to London. Things are going great. He’s in a stable relationship with his boyfriend Tobbs. He has an apartment with his friend Laura and his job is all right. Then everything changes.

In a dull nurses’ office he discovers that he has an STDI. Tobbs hasn’t been as faithful as he’d thought. This leads to a breakup. Then he loses his apartment because Laura is pregnant, and she and her partner want to start a family. Even his job turns sour. He’s rescued by is non-binary friend Jacob who offers to share his apartment. Where Danny is reserved and quiet, Jacob is the buoyant and outgoing.

Fitting into Jacob’s lifestyle Danny learns about a side of London he’s new to. Forced out of his shell. Danny starts to grow and change. He sees a wonderful, supportive counselor, Nina. Together with her and his new experiences, Danny finds the person hidden under is quiet demeanor.

This is a hilarious coming-of-age story. The dialog and humor carry the story. While it deals with a serious topic how the shame experienced by young people because of who they are shapes their life, it is filled with memorable moments. I believe the light, humorous tone keeps the story from becoming too psychological.

I received this book from Random House for this review.

Greatest lesson in life is the one you get while trying to figure out who are you and what kind of a future you are seeing yourself in. It’s the harshest, cruelest and the most brutal lesson. Once you lose your protective layers, once you start to get hit left and right, you start to realize maybe you are not who you think you are, maybe you are just a people pleaser or worse, burden to everyone without knowing. It is the first Time Danny sees that.

When Danny came out, it wasn’t as glamorous as his best friend Jacob’s coming out. Jacob was unapologetic. Jacob knew who they were. Jacob set their boundaries at the beginning claiming their full identity. On the other hand, Danny was still wearing his boring blue shit and trying to put everyone’s need (especially his annoying boyfriend Tobbs’ needs) before his own. After being pushed around so much and being first to be replaced everywhere, he moved in with Jacob. After that a transformation began. This transformation showed Danny maybe he wasn’t the victim as he always claimed to be…

This is like a great coming of age novel but in terms of sexual identity. It was a display of how a person can built walls while calling them boundaries while forgetting what boundaries actually do. It shows how we see ourselves 90% of the time is waaayy different than how people see us. Most importantly, it tells us if we cannot agree on who we are, no one is going to take time to figure that out for us.

I love Danny Scudd. I think his story is one a lot of people will relate to: as someone who has gone through a similar episode, I loved the in depth look, and being able to see his situation improve as he wen through therapy and learned more about himself. I think the biggest critique I would give is that it was really long: most people will probably get bored around the halfway mark, since nothing really happens for a lot of this book.

Henry Fry really nailed the ending with this - over the course of the book Danny becomes SO unlikeable I was beginning to worry that the book was going to reveal that Danny's true self was just a horrible and self-centered person. It was interesting to see Danny dig himself into a hole and then work his way back out again.

Obviously since I'm me I loved the found family here. The Centerfold was home to some of the coolest and weirdest and most loving characters I've read. I particularly loved Melania and how quick she seems to take people under her wing.

This book really gets into the ways different people deal with judgment and shame. Danny and Jacob had this incredible friendship but were complete opposites in how they chose to guard themselves - Danny choosing to become invisible while Jacob leaned into being the center of attention.

I'd say that even though this book isn't Young Adult it is fairly PG13 and hopefully will be an amazing story that young queer people will find relatable.

Thank you to @NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the copy of this book for my honest review.

First Time for Everything has a lot to offer in the way of self actualization and coming into ones own. Danny Scudd is a uniquely lovable character from the very first scene as we watch his life unravel before his very eyes, but I did start to falter in that feeling as the book went on, and it lost me a bit in the downward spiral of anger.

All in all, tho, this was an interesting coming of age tale told through the eyes of 27 year old Danny. Some of my favorite interactions were his therapy sessions with Nina, followed by those with his eccentrically fabulous best friend, Jacob.

3.5 stars for this debut out tomorrow 5/10

Received from NetGalley, thanks!

I really liked this book! Once again I went in blind, knowing nothing of what it was about and this time it was a win!

Danny Scudd is in his late 20s and the book starts with him at a sexual health clinic and honestly, that was a great way to start a book. Despite how things start, it seems like Danny has his shit together; he has a job he sort of likes, a boyfriend who seems like a complete wanker, a best friend, and a good place to live with some old school friends.

However, things fall apart pretty quickly, and we learn that Danny is kind of a hot mess.

Throughout the book Danny is trying to find himself, figure out who the real Danny Scudd is. I really love how important therapy is to the story. And that it feels so accurate; that the therapist gets Danny to a place where he can figure things out on his own, that she’s not giving him answers or solutions. Mental health is also really prevalent throughout the book. Danny goes through a lot and figured things out about himself and his past that really have an impact on him.

While there is a splashing of romance here and there, overall this book is about friendship, found family, and finding yourself. It looks a lot at gay relationships and what it’s like to be gay in a small, conservative town and the things you do to survive.

While a lot of the content is about gay men, I really liked that it was also about the queer community as whole, as well as other marginalized communities. There was good diversity in the side characters and they all felt well written and like actual characters, not just thrown in there to meet the diversity quota.

Overall, a good book, a really solid debut. There were some great lines and I highlighted a bunch of them. I’ll definitely be watching for more books from this author.

I really flew through this book! I found Danny really charming, and saw some of my life and experiences reflected in this delightfully queer story. I did struggle a bit with the British pop culture references and it felt like a lot went over my head, but still had a really good time reading this book.

Danny Scudd has a massive crisis of identity, not because he's gay, but because he doesn't really know who he is beyond the mild-mannered guy that disappears into the background and lets everyone walk all over him. When the guy he thought was his boyfriend gives him an STI and then informs him there never was a relationship on the same day that the friend he rents a room from kicks him out, Danny finds himself with an opportunity to explore more sides of himself than he ever thought possible and what he finds isn't necessarily for the best.
It goes a lot deeper into depression and the effect on past traumas on current behaviors than I was expecting, but I appreciate how well Fry manages to incorporate the deep thought and discovery moments so well into what is mostly a very entertaining romp.
Fry hid a deep and fascinating journey of self-discovery and relationships in between a story of misadventures and captivating characters. A truly enlightening read that hits all the emotions and makes you think.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the early read!

I could not put this book down. It is wonderfully written, witty, charming and intensely describes the coming of age.

”I can’t believe this: Even my therapist is laughing at how ridiculous my life is.”

Okay. I was clearly not the target audience for First Time for Everything. Surely there is a reader out there who will appreciate (and maybe even enjoy) the story of Danny Scudd and his quirky, messy life, but I was not that reader.

”You need to look after yourself and find someone who treats you like the magical queen you are. Not some second-rate gossip columnist who gives you the boggy balls!”

Pet peeves and trouble spots that this book features in technicolor, in no particular order, that individually I might have overlooked, but together just became too distracting and uncomfortable for my reading tastes:

- regional / generational / sexual (?) jargon and slang terms that I am unfamiliar with and therefore could not process
- a man who names his penis, yikes
- casual use of the C-word for women
- vivid descriptions of STD symptoms, testing, and diagnoses protocol (would have loved to finish my life without any of this information taking up residence in my head, but alas.)
- a culture vibe throughout the book that monogamy and marriage are somehow “outdated and heteronormative” concepts, which frankly I find insulting
- a truly horrible strip club moment where a dancer tries to sexualize period blood (this was the nail in the coffin for me; at this point I was ready to call it quits and absolutely would have DNFed if I wasn’t reading a galley)
- awkward and personally humiliating anecdotes from Danny that were less “self-deprecating-and-funny” and more “Scott’s-Tot’s-level-vicarious-cringe”

”Monogamy is a heteronormative paradigm steeped in misogyny, designed to control. As queers, we get to define our own relationships.”

I will admit that Jacob, the MC’s best friend, seemed like a fun person and a truly good friend. I also really enjoyed reading the insights that Nora, Danny’s therapist, offered—he clearly needed a lot of help and I appreciated the compassionate wisdom she was able to give him.

”I concentrate on helping my clients be kind to themselves, to heal their trauma and understand what’s led them to reaching out for help. I don’t provide solutions, I help guide you to realizing them yourself.”

Overall, though, I really didn’t love it. However, for readers who find depressingly down-on-their-luck characters to be super relatable, or seeking more gay representation in their books, or those who really want a fabulous trans icon/queen like Jacob for a best friend, this book might really resonate.

”Growing up gay in a straight world plays havoc with your rainbow matter.”

——

A huge thank-you to Henry Fry, Random House, Ballantine, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

DNF @ 35%. I requested this because the tone sounds similar to Bridget Jones's Diary, which I love. While it does have some British humor, I didn't find the characters compelling enough to continue reading. Danny is wishy-washy in an off-putting way (except when he corrects his friends and family about Jacob's pronouns, which Jacob doesn't care much about anyway); I liked Jacob, but at times it felt like they were included more for the sake of representation. The amount of introspection and analysis of Danny's (again, less-than-interesting) life combined with the onslaught of stereotypical queerphobic language made me not want to finish it.

It is funny at times, and it should be praised for its representation, but those are the main positives from me.

First time for Everything by Henry Fry is a light and funny book. I found this to be a very quick read. It definitely helped push me through as there were many funny parts to the story. It was well written and the characters were well developed but I am not the target audience for this novel.
This is also well written for those that need to better understand LGBTQ people and what they go through on their journey for acceptance.
Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review

I struggled with this one. There was an entire lingo in this book that I had difficulty understanding. Maybe I am too old or too American for this book!

This is a bit of queer man’s coming of age story. Danny has always lived on the periphery of his truths. Trying so hard not to be “too much.” On the flip side, is his mixed-race, flamboyant, non-binary bestie, Jacob.

I didn’t really connect with Danny’s journey, but I did appreciate the raw honesty of his situation and his struggle to figure out his life.

I think if you are looking for a gay Bridget Jones Diary type book with British humor and snappy pop culture references, this is the book for you.

I requested an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher and these are my honest opinions.

I went into this book not knowing much about it. I was pleasantly surprised. The first chapter pulled me in and I needed to know more about Danny and the search to find out who he really was. Who he really wanted to be. Therapy and mental health is a HUGE part of this book and I loved it. This was such a delight and a journey.