Mike Albo doesn’t even pretend to have it all figured out - as if there were some way to ‘figure out’ dating in a digital age. He haphazardly stumbles through social media and observations of dating apps. His identity as a gay man only compounds the chaos, wrought with the headless torsos of gay dating apps. Despite it all, he remains snarkily optimistic.

Written and narrated by Mike Albo, this audio original reads like a series of essays, oscillating between humorous and embarrassing, heartwrenching and hopeful. I appreciated the authenticity of Albo’s experiences and the fact that he didn’t shy away from anything. His humor is candid and his narration is entertaining; his experiences feel at once universal but so niche. I wanted to like the overall book more, but personally struggled with the lack of clear narrative focus - and hey, that may have been the whole point, to illustrate the chaos of (gay) digital dating. Some of the audio was recorded in a studio and some at a comedy show (even interacting with the audience in some parts), and I wish it had just been consistently one or the other. That said, it was a relatively quick and humorous read, with some poignant observations that I wasn’t expecting, it might be a fun read for others!

Reviewed as part of #ARC from #NetGalley. Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read and review.

Read this book if you:
😂 like love stories that are just as cringey as they are cute
📱have ever had the misfortune of meeting some “interesting characters” on a dating app
🦄 feel like dating a hologram would just be easier

This was a super interesting read. i've discovered that I have a deep appreciation for people being honest about the fact that they still havent gotten life figured out and this author didn't shy away from that topic. It was a bit heartbreaking to hear about AIDS in the 80's/90's through this lens of a coming of age gay man in in the midwest. And eye opening to think about what the author said about big tech companies repackaging and selling our desire back to us. I am still reeling from that.

Funny and REAL which are really the only two things I want out of a book. Loved listening to this but was surprised that it seems to be audio only (?) and some parts are live recordings with an audience, so it doesn't really feel like a book as much as like listening to a recorded comedy set (?). Still counting it toward my books read this year and still loved it.

A modern search for love through the eyes of a cis gay man with a sense of humor who meditates and makes his own kombucha.
I had just finished listening to Giovanni’s Room (James Baldwin), a story set in the 1960s about a man struggling to accept his being gay. Fast forward a generation, and Mike Albo knew he was gay from his elementary school days. Yet, he came of age during the AIDS crisis, making it also a very difficult time to be gay. (Not that it is “easy” now with equal rights and protection laws threatened to be overturned by the current administration.)
In this memoir, Albo combines some live standup with written pieces he narrates with some sound effects thrown in for emphasis. He has a great attitude…after listening to all the stories and travails, I just want him to find someone he can settle down with and be happy!
My thanks to the author, publisher, @MacmillanAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #HologramBoyfriends for review purposes. Publication date: 4 November 2025.