Let Them Stare

Jonathan Van Ness is an Emmy-winning television personality, 4x New York Times bestselling author, podcaster, comedian, celebrity hairstylist, and founder of JVN Hair. He stars on Netflix’s Emmy Award–winning reboot series Queer Eye, where he shines as the hair guru and self-care advocate; and he hosts the popular podcast Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness.Julie Murphy splits her time between North Texas and Kansas with her husband, who loves her, and her cats, who tolerate her. She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author and coauthor of over twenty books for all ages including Dumplin’ (now a Netflix original film) and the Christmas Notch series cowritten with her best friend, Sierra Simone. When Julie isn’t writing, she’s hunting for the perfect slice of cheese pizza, discovering a new hobby that she will soon discard, and planning her next travel adventure.

“This quirky, passionate, rebellious, and quick-witted novel brings aspects of modern queer culture into direct, literal conversation with elements of its past. It’s a monument to what came before, a testament to continued struggles, and a celebration of queer joy." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“A big-hearted, genre-defying ode to queer pride and the struggle to find belonging and community in small rural towns." — School Library Journal (starred review)“The collaborators seamlessly connect Rufus’s and Sully’s stories, showing through both the resilience of queer life and the bigotry they each face.”  — Publishers Weekly"A sparkling, thought-provoking, hyper-contemporary read. Gorge!" — Shelf Awareness“An excellent entry point for readers curious about history and open to the paranormal.” — Booklist"This hilarious, heartwarming, and offbeat page turner is for anyone who’s ever dreamed of a bigger life and finds the truth that sometimes that bigger life is found right where you already are, with the people who become your chosen family (and maybe even a fabulous vintage haunted handbag)!" — Busy Philipps, New York Times bestselling author of This Will Ony Hurt a Little and cohost of Busy Philipps is Doing Her Best"Let Them Stare glitters with humor and mystery, with a narrator whose verve and charm leap off the page. It’s a love letter to queer history wrapped in a small-town ghost story romp, and I loved it to pieces." — Becky Albertalli, New York Times Bestselling Author of Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda"Let Them Stare is the perfect combination of humor and heart, the supernatural and the super fashionable! Sully, Rufus, and Brad will always have my heart, and this book will haunt me (in the best way!) in this and every decade from here on out!"  — Jason June, New York Times bestselling author of Out of the Blue and Jay's Gay Agenda"Jonathan van Ness and Julie Murphy's Let Them Stare is a magical queer romp of a book that will enter your heart purse first and linger there forever. A beautiful and hilarious ode to celebrating, uncovering, and growing out of our history.” — Abdi Nazemian, Stonewall and Lambda Award Winning author of Like a Love Story and Only This Beautiful Moment"The world that Jonathan and Julie create in Let Them Stare is nothing short of queer excellence. It was healing to my younger self but also wildly entertaining and funny for my current self! I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH! A perfect read." — Dylan Mulvaney, author of Paper Doll, influencer, actress