While the premise of this novel is a bit absurd, the characters make the read worthwhile. I enjoyed getting to know Sully and empathizing with their struggle. I also enjoyed Rufus's story even if it took a literal ghost story to learn about the past.
While this novel won't be for everyone, readers who identify with or have a heart for those who struggle because of their differences, will enjoy this heartfelt story.

Infinity stars; I loved this— it is a ghost story / non-binary MC / small town Pennsylvania/ YA romcom … and I know not everyone enjoys some of those elements… but ignore those biases because this book is delightful.

Sully can’t wait to leave Hearst, PA; after high school graduation they have a fun new internship with an influencer in New York City. But just as their new life is about to start, the internship falls through and they are stuck with no job and no car. So what better time to go thrifting? And because karma rewards those without hope, they are rewarded with a super rare, vintage, extremely valuable Butler bag. (Think of a vintage Birkin because I don’t think a Butler bag is a thing)

Lo and behold the handbag is haunted with the ghost of Rufus,
a queer diva who has been erased from the history of Hearst- so now it up to Sully to uncover and tell their story.

I love Julie Murphy- she wrote my favorite in the Meant To Be Series, “If the Shoe Fits” and other romcoms with a plus sized/ thick hottie FMC.

Queer Eyes’ Jonathan Van Ness first novel- I know them from their hair care only, but I am a fan.

I laughed a lot at the dialogue between Sully - a modern day 18 year old, and Rufus who asks too many questions. I was really enraptured by the historical love story between Rufus and Robby and finding out as they did what happened in the 1950s. I was absolutely rooting for Sully all the way, a snarky and confident kid, a great friend.

This is a happy ending with a lot of realism about our current state- and a lot of respect and integration of queer history. We simultaneously have so much to be grateful for and so much to keep fighting for. This book reminds me of a quote from Steel Magnolias “Laughter through tears is the best emotion.”

Indeed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC. Book to be published May 20, 2025.

An emotional, funny read! (For the young adult LGBTQ+)

Be unapologetically you! Jonathan Van Ness and Julie Murphy have certainly proven this.

Poor Sully's life is such an emotional rollercoaster! Sully is ready for life to begin. Their not-so-welcoming hometown is about to be behind them. The perfect dream job is happening. Excitement has been building. Bags are packed.

There is just one unforeseen problem.

Sully's world is turned upside down, causing them to reconsider their whole outlook. Now, they must find a new life path that they never prepared or planned. With a supportive mother and father, and a surprisingly new friend, Sully must traverse the ups and downs that life continues to throw.

In today's world, many people are too scared to be different, or really, themselves. Occasionally, what we are running from is actually what we need.

Trope: Found Family

I was not ready for this book to hit me in the feels like it did! Sully is intensely themselves, and while supported by a wonderful group of family and friends, still has some people in their life that just "don't get it." Along comes THE bag of their dreams, complete with...a ghost? A drag queen ghost? Yep, and one who will teach some very important life lessons along the way. Thank you so much to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC.

this was a quick and lighthearted read. The characters were cute and I definitely read this whole thing in JVN's voice.

I really loved this book. Lighthearted, funny a quick read with some historical fiction thrown in. The characters are very loveable.

Let Them Stare is a YA love letter to those learning who they are in a small town that might not understand. Full of humor and heart, my hope was this novel was as cathartic to write as it was to read.

This novel was surprising in so many ways. A ghost? A HAUNTED HANDBAG? It was whimsical in a way that doesn’t take away from the heavier themes. It’s also a lesson in queer history, in a manner that is never preachy or that feels like a lecture. A truly delightful surprise.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a review.

This is cute, it's funny, and it's heartfelt. I couldn't help but read it in JVN's voice lol. It's a quick and easy read.

This was a cute story. I enjoyed the combination of modern teenager angst with the historical perspective of how queer culture and rights have changed in America.

I was not expecting a ghost element when I went into this book. I ended up enjoying it, and it worked well with the plot and the underlying lessons. The comparison between Sully and Rufus’s worlds was helpful in showing the societal changes over time. Their friendship quickly blossomed into something that was endearing to witness.

Having the story set in a closed-minded small town is relatable for a big portion of America. I suspect that will give comfort to many queer kids who feel like they’re alone in their situation. I found it valuable to show how trans people are not afforded as many liberties as other queer people. It’s important to note how although there has been much improvement over the years, there is still plenty of work left to do.

The only criticism I have for this book is the language. So much of the dialogue is trendy with current slang. I question if the book will age well, depending on how quickly current slang and trends in gay culture shift.

Overall, I think this book does a great job of balancing the life of a teenager while also teaching a little history. It makes the topics more approachable and accessible to the audience.

Jonathan Van Ness and Julie Murphy pairing to write a humorous sensitive YA novel with a sweet romance is the joint venture readers did not know they needed but will adore.

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a review.

This book gave me so many warm and fuzzy feelings!!! It also made me angry at times due to the actions of adults in the life of a non-binary human.

The supernatural and historical elements brought enjoyment to a whole new level!

The chapters ended at the perfect places that made me want to keep turning the pages!

The cover is also amazing and colorful and would definitely draw my attention on a shelf.

Sully’s summer is turned upside down when their big city internship is cancelled, and they discover a vintage handbag haunted by an amnesiac ghost- Rufus. As Sully and Rufus try to recover Rufus’s past, they learn more about their hometown and the history of the queer experience. This is about growing up queer in a small town and wanting to escape to somewhere more welcoming, discovering maybe you weren’t as alone as you thought, and the importance of community and remembering the past. As Sully says, “we were here, we are here, and we’re no going anywhere no matter what you try to pull.”

This was funny and touching- and I think a lot of people could use a book like this right now.

I wasn't expecting this to be so heartfelt. I was expecting just a typical teen rom com but it had a lot more depth. I really enjoyed Sullys journey and that they were called out and forced to grow up. I really like that they were forced to learn queer history and appreciate all the people that came before them and while there is still progress to be made there are good people around. Some of the language and pop culture references could become dated really fast so that brought it down a bit for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC digital copy. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own.

Praise report:
Informative topic done in a cutesy teen-friendly way. I could see this book being of benefit in a middle school. Appreciated the crush vibes and focus on building a relationship. Truly enjoyed the historic aspects. I was shocked at learning how recently the LGBTQ+ population was at risk of being arrested and/or institutionalized.

Concerns:
Literal personification of the Butler handbag through Rufus, the ghost-friend, was so cringe .And the overused Bread-Brad name calling did not seem believable. Sully was so vocal about being identified correctly and authentically accepted by others. I don’t think he could be judgmental on looks alone since that’s how he was judged.

Overall:
I recognize that I am not the target audience for this book. And if it helps one person live authentically, or one person to accept another’s authenticity, then it’s a good book :)

3 out of 5 stars and my respect to the authors.

received an ARC of this book from the publisher. I loved that this book very much felt like JVN speaking, as a big fan it was hard not to read it in their voice. The back and forth between history and now, and the lense of a queer relationship then and now was interesting and unique. What I didn’t love as much was a random ghost story, it didn’t add much of anything to the story for me. I think it would have been just as interesting, if not more so, if the history and back story was a collection of letters etc. the ghost story felt silly in a way that made the book feel YA. As it’s an ARC, I’m not sure if it’s intended to be YA but for me it left something to be desired. I’d love to see JVNs voice in something a bit more adult in the future. I’ve read their bios and own story and found them so much more interesting than this. That said, it was an easy read and if you can hang with the silly humor of a random ghost trapped in a purse, you may enjoy it.

realy charming story with some good vibes and interesting discussion. our protag is awesome, as is the LI, Brad, and the ghost, Rufus. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

4 Stars
A quirky, fun novel featuring Sully who doesn't know which direction that want to go in life. Sully thought they wanted to be an influencer but that's not in the cards.

Instead, they are trying to find a way to get out of town when they find an expensive vintage handbag that may finance their escape. The Butler bag could be a ticket out of their small hometown. Hovering inside the Butler is a ghost. The ghost and Sully bond very deeply and the mystery unravels of how. Rufus died and what happened to the love of his life.
Rufus was abandoned and he has no memory of how he died.

Sully and friends go on a mission to bring closure and make an astounding discovery of their town. Highly recommendable.

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for my reading pleasure.

I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley. I have to start by saying Jonathan Van Ness is a treasure. This book is amazing from the coolest dino cover ever to a beautifully-written story about a nonbinary teen who has to start from scratch after their post-high school plans fall apart. It's been a rough year for LGBTQ+ people in the US and I imagine that this book can uplift so many hearts and make people feel less alone. Obviously it's important for cisgender people to read it too because learning more about life from another POV helps everyone.

While this delightful book is described as a young adult novel, its message is for people of all ages. With the perfect combination of heart, humor, and mystery, Sully and Rufus had my heart from the very beginning. I am typically not a fan of the paranormal genre but the haunted purse was sheer genius. I'll never look at a thrift-store hand bag in the same way again!

The story begins with the protagonist, Sully, a gender-nonconforming teen, preparing to attend a high school graduation party hosted by their mother. Sully is excited to be leaving their small home town tomorrow, for a larger city in which they hope to find acceptance and to begin a delicious internship in the fashion industry. When the job falls through, hours before his flight, Sully is left to quickly figure out a summer job and make new plans. Sully immediately goes to the second-hand shop in which they had been employed, to inquire about resuming their job. While there, Sully spots what they believe to be an authentic vintage handbag, that if authenticated could provide funding for life in another city. Later, at home, Sully learns the bag is inhabited by the ghost of a lively drag queen, Rufus, from the 1950's. Rufus desperately wants to know how he died and what became of his one love.

What follows is an entertaining ghost-story adventure where the authors seamlessly parallel Sully and Rufus's stories of queer life, small-town bigotry, and resilience. A story where Sully learns that everyone's life is hard, that places cannot change without people who are willing to facilitate change, and the importance of fighting for their queer past and its future. This wonderful story sheds light on the advances that have been made in the LGBTQ movement, but also how far we have to go.

Thank you Harper Collins and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy.

This book follows a nonbinary teenager who lives in the small town of Hearst and is about to leave for New York City for a new job and an exciting new life in the big city. Until, they lose that job right before their flight (dun dun dun)

I'm conflicted on this one because I thought, Sully was very cute and sweet. And I loved their relationship with their parents. But unfortunately, the writing style just did not click with me. I think a lot of the extra humor lines in here can be cut. Not because they were all unfunny, but because it just felt a little overdone. It was distracting and hard to get through. Something about the way this was written reminded me of one of those short stories in standardized tests like the SAT, which isn't really the style of writing I enjoy.

But I love the spirit of this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the early access!