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Us Ones in Between
Lambda Award-winning novelist Blair Mastbaum ( Clay’s Way ) returns with a story of sexual obsession turned violent in Manhattan’s East Village. Kurt Smith can’t get over the split with his ex-boyfriend. When Kurt’s failure to reconnect becomes more than he can handle, the line between fantasy and reality is blurred-and even Kurt can’t be sure he’s not responsible for the killings making local headlines.
208 pages, Paperback
First published May 12, 2008
1 person is currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Blair Mastbaum
5 books24 followersBlair is the author of Clay's Way and Us Ones In Between, and the co-editor of Cool Thing: Best Gay Fiction from Young American Writers. He's currently living in Portland, Oregon and working on a novel called Hommeboys about his time spent as a model.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 11, 2025
I've read some very contrasting reports on this book - but honestly Mastbaum is a wonderful writer - very funny and observant and I can't imagine anyone who enjoyed 'Clay's Way' not enjoying this book - but who knows maybe I'm wrong - but I strongly recommend you find out for yourself. For me this was my second reading after recently buying my own copy (that was 2021 when this review was first posted).
Having thought more about these stories I feel called to upon defend them against one of the most frequent criticisms - that the world that gave birth to them has vanished - Which is true but completely irrelevant unless you only read novels which take place in the present (I am perfectly aware that the present, like today, or yesterday, is always changing) or only want to read what mirrors your own immediate surroundings and experiences (which also always changes). I can't help feeling that so many reviewers are upset not with Mastbaum's tale, but the vanishing of the world he writes about.
But what is important is whether an author has something to say, not whether its setting is recognisable. I know what I am about to say is pretentious but there is a reason Jane Austen, Anthony Trollope or Charles Dickens are still read but still resonate with readers. Mr. Mastbaum is not in their league but his stories are not invalidated by the gentrification of the Lower East Side and Brooklyn. It is what he says that is important. I again recommend this author and this book and will probably read it again.
Having thought more about these stories I feel called to upon defend them against one of the most frequent criticisms - that the world that gave birth to them has vanished - Which is true but completely irrelevant unless you only read novels which take place in the present (I am perfectly aware that the present, like today, or yesterday, is always changing) or only want to read what mirrors your own immediate surroundings and experiences (which also always changes). I can't help feeling that so many reviewers are upset not with Mastbaum's tale, but the vanishing of the world he writes about.
But what is important is whether an author has something to say, not whether its setting is recognisable. I know what I am about to say is pretentious but there is a reason Jane Austen, Anthony Trollope or Charles Dickens are still read but still resonate with readers. Mr. Mastbaum is not in their league but his stories are not invalidated by the gentrification of the Lower East Side and Brooklyn. It is what he says that is important. I again recommend this author and this book and will probably read it again.
February 4, 2023
Strangely enough, the second half of this novel was better than the first half (usually, it is the other way around). The main character however is unsympathetic, and one wonders what others see in Kurt. What attracts Pete, for example. One never finds out.
The incessant whining over love lost is tedious; unfortunately, also rather accurate for the age. By the end, Kurt does start to have flickers of insight into his predicament. When, he wonders, did he become everything he did not want to become?
Now if only he learns to wash. And develops some empathy for other souls in the world. Can you believe he stole that delivery bike? What a prick.
The incessant whining over love lost is tedious; unfortunately, also rather accurate for the age. By the end, Kurt does start to have flickers of insight into his predicament. When, he wonders, did he become everything he did not want to become?
Now if only he learns to wash. And develops some empathy for other souls in the world. Can you believe he stole that delivery bike? What a prick.
February 22, 2013
It's unbelievable, but true. I was able to read "Us Ones in Between" within 6 hours. I don't ever think that I was able to do something like that unless the book was a novella. It was sort of an easy read, other than the fact the font was a little larger than any other general book. So this is what I got from it...
This novel is dark. Starts off dark from the very beginning. Kurt Smith, 25 years old, an unaccomplished artist, living in a bachelor apartment in New York. Kurt's first boyfriend (in secret) had beaten him up, and his first real love, Billy, had fallen out of love with him, and Kurt hasn't gotten over him. Spends all of his time as shut in, hasn't had any accomplishments since he had graduated from Art School. Very shy, introverted, and too much into his mind. Any "project" that he has started never gets completed and ends up buried in the bottom of some drawer. Unable to sustain a friendship and royally messes up any new attempts that comes his way. Unemployed, and completely broke, from a broken home. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
The only clear thought that reoccurs in his mind is thinking about pushing someone off the subway platform just to feel a rush of being alive... if that's even possible. He just doesn't know what he wants in life. He blames himself for not doing anything and yet, at the same time, he blames the rest of the world for not giving him (whatever) what he deserves. So, generally, the story is a very "whoa is me". His friend, Sherlock, and ex-boyfriend, Billy (for over a year now) is trying unsuccessfully to get Kurt to get on with his life and do something about himself. Except that there's a few problems with that idea... he's depressed and very obsessed with getting back together with Billy (ex-boyfriend); and he gets himself into these weird following trance with selective guys, and borderline becomes this other persona that he had created from an unfinished novel.
I kept wondering why Blair Mastbaum (the author) went in that direction with his main character, Kurt? As I am reading the novel, I get frustrated with the main character, but at the same time, I am truly unable to put the book down because I kept assuming that it couldn't get anymore worse than the last situation. And if I laughed, it was because of the dark humour described. I've read a few novels about young adults going through a period of their lives being all alone, depressed, isolated, etc., but eventually there was some upside slowly heading their way. Not in this novel. And I guess that's why I was driven to read it in one sitting (with a couple of 5 minute breaks here and there to readjust my eyes). Strangely enough, despite the tone of this novel, right up to the final words, I consider this one of my favourites.
This novel is dark. Starts off dark from the very beginning. Kurt Smith, 25 years old, an unaccomplished artist, living in a bachelor apartment in New York. Kurt's first boyfriend (in secret) had beaten him up, and his first real love, Billy, had fallen out of love with him, and Kurt hasn't gotten over him. Spends all of his time as shut in, hasn't had any accomplishments since he had graduated from Art School. Very shy, introverted, and too much into his mind. Any "project" that he has started never gets completed and ends up buried in the bottom of some drawer. Unable to sustain a friendship and royally messes up any new attempts that comes his way. Unemployed, and completely broke, from a broken home. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
The only clear thought that reoccurs in his mind is thinking about pushing someone off the subway platform just to feel a rush of being alive... if that's even possible. He just doesn't know what he wants in life. He blames himself for not doing anything and yet, at the same time, he blames the rest of the world for not giving him (whatever) what he deserves. So, generally, the story is a very "whoa is me". His friend, Sherlock, and ex-boyfriend, Billy (for over a year now) is trying unsuccessfully to get Kurt to get on with his life and do something about himself. Except that there's a few problems with that idea... he's depressed and very obsessed with getting back together with Billy (ex-boyfriend); and he gets himself into these weird following trance with selective guys, and borderline becomes this other persona that he had created from an unfinished novel.
I kept wondering why Blair Mastbaum (the author) went in that direction with his main character, Kurt? As I am reading the novel, I get frustrated with the main character, but at the same time, I am truly unable to put the book down because I kept assuming that it couldn't get anymore worse than the last situation. And if I laughed, it was because of the dark humour described. I've read a few novels about young adults going through a period of their lives being all alone, depressed, isolated, etc., but eventually there was some upside slowly heading their way. Not in this novel. And I guess that's why I was driven to read it in one sitting (with a couple of 5 minute breaks here and there to readjust my eyes). Strangely enough, despite the tone of this novel, right up to the final words, I consider this one of my favourites.
June 27, 2008
you know you're getting old went a character in a book thinks that the Nirvana playing on his laptop makes him seem "old school but not trendy"
April 2, 2024
DNF @ 16% — I want back the 20 minutes that I just spent reading the first chapter of this book.
I can’t. It was awful.
Casual use of the R word? Gtfo here. Grow up.
Straight characters casually saying “faggot” ? Nah.
Self-pity and “poor me” to the point where I actually rolled my eyes.
“Artists are supposed to be depressed.” Stupid observation.
“He tells jokes about abortion and rape, subjects that most people think are taboo, but totally shouldn’t be, at least in my world.” WOW, what an edgy protagonist.
“This is torture because he’s he’s [typo] practically forgotten I exist and every pseudo-hipster doofus in town wants to make out with him now that his stupid band was on the cover of the fucking Time Out New York and his record got a fucking nine point something on Pitchfork.” This may be the single most pretentious, ridiculous (non-ironic), idiotic sentence I have ever read in a book. Reading that sentence took a full 30 seconds off my life that I’ll never get back.
This is perhaps the most “PICK ME” writing I’ve encountered in ages. Someone trying, and failing, to be edgy and witty.
I can’t read another sentence. I normally don’t DNF, and rarely rate something I that I DNF — but this is the exception.
This book is barely 130 pages and I just could not do it.
I can’t. It was awful.
Casual use of the R word? Gtfo here. Grow up.
Straight characters casually saying “faggot” ? Nah.
Self-pity and “poor me” to the point where I actually rolled my eyes.
“Artists are supposed to be depressed.” Stupid observation.
“He tells jokes about abortion and rape, subjects that most people think are taboo, but totally shouldn’t be, at least in my world.” WOW, what an edgy protagonist.
“This is torture because he’s he’s [typo] practically forgotten I exist and every pseudo-hipster doofus in town wants to make out with him now that his stupid band was on the cover of the fucking Time Out New York and his record got a fucking nine point something on Pitchfork.” This may be the single most pretentious, ridiculous (non-ironic), idiotic sentence I have ever read in a book. Reading that sentence took a full 30 seconds off my life that I’ll never get back.
This is perhaps the most “PICK ME” writing I’ve encountered in ages. Someone trying, and failing, to be edgy and witty.
I can’t read another sentence. I normally don’t DNF, and rarely rate something I that I DNF — but this is the exception.
This book is barely 130 pages and I just could not do it.
May 11, 2017
A light read in the first person, a memoir of a twenty-something set primarily in New York City. The introspection and constant moaning got too much, dragging the narrative. Secondary characters lacked development, triggering an assessment of too much ego.
September 11, 2023
Way too many typos.
There were more spelling errors and typos in this book than can be forgiven. Remind me to not head any more books written by Blair Mastbaum.
There were more spelling errors and typos in this book than can be forgiven. Remind me to not head any more books written by Blair Mastbaum.
June 19, 2011
"As this tautly written novel progresses, it becomes less clear whether Kurt’s actually writing about wanting to push young men, or if he is in fact Elliot, and/or if the novel is a novel about himself. Mastbaum’s prose is spare but vivid, exposing both Kurt’s inner and outer worlds while maintaining a sense of suspense about the blurring between reality and unreality. The strange conclusion is a fitting end that may well be another beginning."
The rest of my review is here:
http://www.yasminnair.net/content/bla...
The rest of my review is here:
http://www.yasminnair.net/content/bla...
May 9, 2009
Pushed in a direction that most books don't. I want to say that it was daring and edgy but that sounds pathetically cliche. Unlike commercials, I actually mean it.
June 26, 2009
I really enjoyed the change in style from Mastbaum's first novel, "Clay's Way." This sparked memories of a summer reading Robert Cormier's great works, a comparison I don't include lightly.
October 9, 2012
I really enjoyed this novel. Blair has a wonderful way of dragging ones self into the emotions of his characters. Two thumbs up.
[if you want to know what happens...read it]
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews