The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay

by Ryan Douglass

“Douglass sets a classic on fire with an inspired recasting that strips away time and all expectations." — Rita Williams-Garcia, New York Times bestselling author of A Sitting in St. James

From New York Times bestselling author Ryan Douglass comes a gripping and tender reimagining of The Great Gatsby about the pursuit of happiness—and love—in a society built on cruelty and secrets.

Seventeen-year-old Nick Carrington wants nothing more than to leave Greenwood, Oklahoma, behind and make a name for himself in the papers. But when tragedy strikes, dreams turn into a twisted reality. Forced to start anew in Harlem, only a letter of acceptance from the prestigious West Egg Academy is able to pull him back into the world.

But the supposedly integrated private boys’ school is more of a catchy headline than a fact, with the same prejudices Nick left behind back home. And his secret but growing feelings for the founder’s wickedly charismatic son, Jay Gatsby Jr.— who dances past society’s conventions with practiced ease—only add more complications.

When Nick’s cutting pen exposes dangerous truths about West Egg and leads to perilous consequences, he and Jay must decide whether to spend a lifetime outrunning trouble or be the ones to light the match. Can they not only fight back but triumph? Or will the powers that be win yet again?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Retellings, Romance, LGBT, Historical, Queer

Audible Audio

First published January 27, 2026

About the author

Ryan Douglass is a queer author and poet from Atlanta, Georgia. He is the New York Times bestselling author of The Taking of Jake Livingston, and his short fiction appears in All These Sunken Souls and Night of the Living Queers. His poetry is featured in Poemhood: Our Black Revival and He/She/They/Us. When he’s not writing, he’s probably baking something sweet or making a playlist for a story he hasn’t written yet.

Reviews

[Marieke (mariekes_mesmerizing_books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isn’t this cover gorgeous? That alone almost earns the book five stars. I’m also a huge fan of retellings, and this one really delivers because of its rep Nick is Black and queer, Jay is biracial (Black mom, white dad), and their dynamic is great.

But in the end, I couldn’t give this wonderful story five stars. Not even a full four. Even though this retelling was wonderful, I didn’t really feel it. I kept reading but never found myself on the edge of my seat, smiling, or holding my breath.

So yeah, 3.5 stars, rounded up to four because I think a lot of you will love it. And again … that cover is a gem.

Thank you, Harper Collins Children’s Books and NetGalley, for this ARC!

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[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded down.
I like the concept of a retelling of the great Gatsby with black queer men, but that's it. Oh, and the cover is very pretty.
I felt detached from the story and the characters. The beginning made it look like the book would be strong but then it started to fade and I can't say I care about anything that happened here. The best part is without doubt the historical setting, it is very well done and it's the only part that made me feel(rage, helplessness, defeat, sadness).
But yeah, I didn't like it as much as I thought I would.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.

[Lance]

Bring on ALL of the queer BIPOC retellings of The Great Gatsby!

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A YA retelling of The Great Gatsby set in early-1900's Harlem following queer Black characters! This is an interesting take on the classic, set in the same time and nearly the same place and yet it becomes very different. Nick is new to New York, looking for work and starting at an integrated school founded by the wealthy Jay Gatsby Sr. But race and class are divides not so easily bridged and most of the poor Black boys find themselves in the "Blue" house destined for jobs involving physical labor. But there is an attraction between Nick and the biracial Jay Gatsby Jr. Conflict, secrets, illegal liquor, and questions of who gets to speak in journalism come together in a conflagration that impacts the entire community. I enjoyed this and liked the twist to the ending as well. Note that it is on the upper side of YA due to a non-explicit sexual scene. The audio narration is good and seems to fit the vibe and time period. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[Noah]

The answer is... yes, I'm going to read another gay Great Gatsby retelling.

[gracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a lover of The Great Gatsby and one who is committed to reading all queer retellings I can come across, getting this arc made so excited especially with it being about two black characters.

The writing was beautiful. The way the prose was structured, the descriptions of the streets of Harlem, the restaurants, was so palpable I couldn't help but be deeply immersed. The characters and characterization were similar enough to TGG that they felt familiar and made me nostalgic, but also distinct enough that this still felt like an independent story and truly that's all I look for in a retelling.

The plot did slow down a bit midway and around the 60% mark, I was a tad uninterested but the buildup absolutely paid off. I also have to give Douglass a ten for not just lifting lines verbatim from the original novel. He let the characterization speak for itself.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for the arc in exchange for an honest review

[KMart Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this retelling, and I say that as someone who’s read a handful of Gatsby reimaginings already. This one feels very intentional about what it wants to be: a story about two young men in love, set against racial injustice and rigid class systems, that chooses hope over tragedy. It keeps the bones of the original while reshaping the emotional core.

I appreciated that the book doesn’t soften its portrayal of racism or pretend the era was kinder than it was. The setting is vivid, and the social tensions feel present in every single interaction. Jay, meanwhile, is charismatic in that Gatsby way, and also deeply flawed. I struggled with the romance because of that imbalance: it often felt like Nick was far more emotionally invested than Jay, and I never fully believed they were in love in the same way. There’s yearning, but it’s lopsided, which made it hard for me to root for them as a couple rather than just for Nick’s happiness.

Tonally, this reads very young. Intense feelings, big declarations, lots of emotional highs and lows. But it is young adult. The melodrama is kind of baked in. I also wished Nick had spent more time grappling with his sexuality internally; his transition from friendship to romance felt smoother than I expected for the time period, and that took away some emotional depth for me.

My biggest issues came in the second half. The story shifts from journalism and social observation into more action-heavy territory, and that’s where it lost me a bit. The stakes escalate quickly, the plans feel shaky, and the resolution comes together too neatly. The ending, in particular, felt overly optimistic for a Gatsby-inspired narrative. I didn’t hate it, but it did feel rushed and surprisingly tidy for a story built on disillusionment. Still, I recognize that this is the point: Douglass isn’t trying to recreate tragedy, he’s rewriting it. He’s telling a version where wrongdoing has consequences, where love gets a chance to survive, and where power doesn’t always win.

Overall, this was a solid and thoughtful retelling with a clear emotional goal. I loved the historical atmosphere and the added diversity in Gatsby. If you want a Gatsby remix that prioritizes young queer love and the possibility of justice over despair, this one is definitely worth picking up.

Thanks so much to Colored Pages Tours and Epic Reads for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

[Papillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this novel. All my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Admittedly, I had to stop reading this book several times and eventually forced myself to just start over because I was just going through the motions rather than actually reading the story.

I believe this is a nice spin to the original that twines in its own creative flair that allows it to stand on its own. I’m glad certain characters and events were given a makeover because I actually /still/ hate the original Daisy to this day, book and movie versions alike.

I came in expecting things to go a certain way, and I’m very glad to be wrong on this one. This was more than a decent read.

[Denise Ruttan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been reading more MM again but it's been a struggle finding ones I like. This one had me at a BIPOC retelling of The Great Gatsby, and on that front it did deliver in ways I didn't expect but appreciated, but I didn't emotionally connect to the romance and I found the prose awkward and corny.

In this world Jay Gatsby is the white-passing son of a white wealthy man who does bootlegging on the side during the Prohibition, and a Black woman. His love interest, Nick, runs away from home in Oklahoma after a race raid kills his family. He joins his cousin in Harlem and gets enrolled at a school run by the Gatsbys, where he sparks up a complicated friendship with the son that blossoms into something more. I found the history to be rather realistic; it wasn't just a Bridgerton retelling of the regency. It showed real racism and wasn't an aspirational vision of history. This part I appreciated. It was quite true to the book and Gatsby's character.

I struggled with the romance, though. I found them awkward and didn't see the sexual tension until it was told to me. Nick didn't seem to spend enough time wrestling with his sexual identity or feelings, he went straight from friendship to love and acceptance of his queerness without hardly any angst. True to the book, Jay was a narcissist who manipulated people with the gift of his attention, but for a romance with a hard-fought HEA, I didn't find that a very attractive love interest. They would have worked better as star-crossed lovers, so the romance felt forced.

I found the prose corny because there was an exclamation point used in almost every paragraph that became kind of annoying.

All that would have been all right except for the over the top plot twist at the last 30% of the book. Mild-mannered, risk-adverse Nick decides he needs to turn into a Luigi style character to right the scales of justice, not murder but robbing the rich in an elaborate scheme, and it was all just too much for me. I would have liked it better had he stuck with journalism instead of a queer Bonnie and Clyde on the run.

So alas, this had a lot of potential but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Renata]

aw man I was rooting for this but it turns out to be a great disillusionment of ME.

I think there are some great ideas here but perhaps too many great ideas? Also it felt like in the middle of plotting out his Harlem boarding school retelling of The Great Gatsby, the author rewatched Ocean's Eleven and was like "you know what, let's also get a Chinese American martial artist/gymnast in here and they'll do a quick casino heist." What??? Why did they have a casino heist in the middle of all this?! Why did Daisy and Jordan have like, a briefcase of spy gadgets??? They're bootleggers, not James Bond?!?!

I think if it had kept the story closer to the West Egg/East Egg schools and the school newspaper expose, etc, and even the having the big party to rob the HOUSE, then that would have made for a tighter book.

Also look I'm not a STICKLER for historical accuracy but there were some really wack moments in here like Jay getting arrested and demanding his ONE PHONE CALL? In the 1920s?? Jay goes to the farmers market and looks for "locally sourced" foods????? (But also: this didn't happen OFTEN enough or in a like...fun way where it seemed to be intentionally winky like a My Contrary Mary or something. It just felt like poorly researched.)

Also it felt like a real whiplash about how homophobic everyone was going to be about Nick and Jay dating, where on one hand they're going out to Harlem drag clubs (sure, fun!) and then other students are bullying Jay for "having boys over to his house" which is like...a normal thing to do...and then people at school are like "oh Nick, you don't see how Jay looks at you, he's totally into you!!! go get him girl!" Like I think there can be really interesting historical queer romances that highlight the existence of queer love and joy even when it was much more taboo/illegal but then you need to focus on the difference between the freedom at the Green Light (and I'll give him this: that's a cute name for the underground gay bar in your Gatsby retelling) and the repression elsewhere at the boarding school!!

It felt particularly egregious because there's already a queer YA Gatsby adaptation, Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix that is SO good and gorgeous and like...has the interesting 1920s queer culture and joy while not feeling wildly anachronistic? And I think there would be room for a different cool YA Gatsby retelling that leans into the Harlem Renaissance specifically (bc Self-Made Boys is more about Latinos and white-passing Latinos) but this just like...didn't hit for me. Which is again a real bummer bc I WAS ROOTING FOR IT!!!!

The more I write this review the more insane I feel.

[thosemeddlingkids · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ouch, my heart hurts.

I've read a couple YA Great Gatsby 'remixes' and this one is probably my favorite. Excellent narration, so much historical context woven in, from Oklahoma to New York City.

There's such care and thoughtfulness into the writing and story, from the glaringly obvious of racism and segregation, to the more nuanced - ie the colorism between Jay and Nick, and Jay having a white dad.

ARC from Netgalley.

[eespencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.75) I love the Great Gatsby, but only because I read a remake of it before reading the original. Remakes of classic novels help make classics accessible to a much wider audience, which is part of the reason books like this one are so important.

Books that take white, straight, old literature and turn them into new reimaginings of what could have been are vital to a continued public interest in the roots of literature. This book does this so well.

Also, this is the first time I’ve ever seen the Tulsa Race Massacre mentioned, let alone being an important part of a story. The. First. Time. Let that sink in. (And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, please look it up!!)

Black, queer, powerful. A great read.

Got as an ARC courtesy of working at my local library.

[Bethany Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent retelling of The Great Gatsby. I was shocked, laughed, cried, and generally just fell in love with these characters. I love the new life breathed into the story and I truly think this is a great way for teens to get a glimpse of a different type of retelling!

[D'Linda Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

ARC review - thank you Epic Reads for this free copy.

I think I have a new favorite author. His other book is a horror so that’s literally why I haven’t read it but I do hope to read more from him. This is a beautiful book with parallels to the Great Gatsby but make it queer and add the Harlem Renaissance to it. So many colorful characters, so much rich history infused into the setting. I really enjoyed this one and found myself wanting to read more about these characters.

[zyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was really good great gatsby fanfic honestly until the very end :/ i wish the last 30 pages had been left off and it would have been a tragic love story because i didn’t want that while i was reading. it shouldn’t be about what the reader wants it should be about what the characters do and i felt like the last 30 pages were super unrealistic compared to the serious grounded nature of the rest of the story

[lexx t · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s something incredibly powerful about watching a character slowly come into themselves, and that’s exactly what Ryan Douglass delivers in The Great Disillusionment of Nick & Jay. Nick’s story unfolds with patience, pain, and purpose, making his transformation impossible to look away from. From the moment the story begins, the weight of loss and survival is present, and Nick’s journey from Greenwood to Harlem feels both devastating and necessary. This book does not ease you in, it asks for your full attention right away.

Harlem becomes a place of possibility and disillusionment all at once. As Nick begins to rebuild his life, he is introduced to new people, new ideas, and a world that feels larger than anything he has known. With the help of his cousin Daisy, along with his aunt and uncle, Nick slowly starts to find his voice and stand up for himself. West Egg Academy promises opportunity but quickly reveals something much darker beneath the surface. Watching Nick begin to question who truly benefits from systems built on false hope was one of the most compelling parts of the story, especially as his love for writing begins to mirror his father’s legacy.

Nick’s personal journey is just as compelling as the larger mystery unfolding around him. His exploration of his sexuality is handled with care and honesty, showing how fear, desire, and self acceptance can exist at the same time. The relationships he forms, especially with Jay and Zihan, allow him the space to be seen in ways he never was before. Being introduced to Harlem’s queer community and its hidden spaces adds both warmth and tension to the story while reinforcing the risks of living openly.

What truly stayed with me was how this book centers growth through guidance and consequence. Nick is shaped by strong, supportive adults like his father and the men who encourage his integrity, curiosity, and sense of right and wrong, while also being forced to witness how power and ambition can corrupt others from the inside out. The story does not shy away from showing how greed, influence, and self preservation can lead people to betray their own community, or how good intentions can be twisted when attached to the wrong people. Daisy plays a key role in pushing Nick to stop shrinking himself and start taking up space, and by the end his evolution feels earned and deeply satisfying. This story reads like a historical crime drama layered with identity, resistance, and heart, and it is easily one of my top reads of the year so far.

[Jen (Fae_Princess_in_Space) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mmm so I wanted to love this one, and there are certainly elements that I was really impressed with but there was a lot here that I personally felt was lacking.

One of the main elements that brought this down for me is this is billed as a The Great Gatsby retelling… yet other than the character and place names, it didn’t have all the key elements of TGG at all. No scorching hot summer, no eyes watching from above, no horrific car accident. None of the key plot points in TGG that I would expect to see in a retelling. I almost feel like this book would have been preferable as a totally different work, without TGG links at all. I’m a huge fan of the original TGG and really enjoyed KM Fajardo’s queer Gatsby retelling ‘Local Heavens’; I went into this expecting a clever retelling like Local Heavens and was disappointed…

I really enjoyed the first half of the book; it showcased the truly traumatic experiences that Black people were dealing with in the time period. I enjoyed seeing Nick settling into his new world and learning on the fly. The social commentary on race disparity and oppression cutting and well executed. I felt Nick’s frustration rising off the page.

I thought Nick and Daisy were fantastic characters, and Jay was charming… although not entirely sure I bought the romance between him and Nick. I just didn’t really see any passion there, it all seemed to sweet and convenient. And Jordan was basically non existent in this version of the story.

All in all, a compelling read and had it not been billed as TGG I genuinely think I would have preferred it a lot more 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thanks to HarperCollins for a free review copy of this book.

[Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

GOT AN ARC FROM LIBRO.fm

YESSSSS NEW RYAN DOUGLASS we are long overdue for something from this incredibly talented writer and I’m so glad that’s finally being rectified.

I think I’m one of the last people on earth who didn’t have to read the original Gatsby in a high school English class so my knowledge is entirely osmosised from retellings and the Baz Luhrman movie lmao. That being said, I don’t think you need a super intimate knowledge of the original to read this. It’s a reimagining that takes names and places for a brand new story and not a straightforward retelling, so if you go into this expecting a one to one you’re probably gonna be disappointed! I did enjoy this though, it packs a lot of feelings into a story that is incredibly relevant today and I can honestly say the ending was much happier than I expected.

[Sha · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ A fresh, thoughtful, and imaginative reimagining. ✨

This story pulled me in from the very first page and kept me wrapped up in its atmosphere, emotion, and creativity. Ryan Douglass takes a world we think we know and flips it, giving Nick and Jay a depth and vulnerability that feel both modern and timeless. The way he weaves identity, longing, and belonging into this narrative? Beautiful. It’s nostalgic, it’s new, and it hits in all the right places.

The writing flows, the characters feel so alive, and there’s a quiet emotional weight that sneaks up on you when you least expect it.

A strong, captivating read that brings something meaningful and necessary to the table. 💛

Highly recommend — and a huge thank you to Ryan Douglass for this advance copy! 📚✨

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an ambitious book that tried to tackle queer coming-of-age themes, the Tulsa race massacre, and racism + segregation + the racial undertones of gentrification in 1920s Harlem, all set within a Great Gatsby retelling. Sometimes, Douglass succeeded with the story he was trying to tell, but on the whole, it was uneven and didn't quite get to the depths of storytelling I thought it should have, even as a YA book.

First off, I think it's a misnomer to call this a Great Gatsby retelling when there isn't too much connecting this story to the original except the names of the characters. Daisy and Nick are cousins, true, but Daisy works for Tom Buchanan, who is much older and whose son, Charlie, is the same age as Daisy and Nick and who at one point tried to pursue Daisy. Tom is married to Myrtle, who we only see very very briefly. Jay is not in love with Daisy, nor does it appear he ever was. Jordan only plays a peripheral role in the story and it appears she's roughly the same age as Tom. So almost straight off the bat, it feels like this should have been marketed as a Gatsby-inspired story, rather than a true retelling/reimagining.

Second, I found Nick to be more wishy-washy of a main character than this story deserved. He went back and forth so many times in his motivations and his actions that it started to come off as inconsistent, rather than just confused and trying to figure out the right thing, as one would expect for a coming-of-age story. Also, for all the trauma he had suffered in his young life, I don't think we saw enough of that impact on him.

Third, while I really appreciated Douglass's inclusion of racial issues, I thought they sometimes felt misplaced in the story and a little clunky. I think the writing itself surrounding the events and the issues was quite good, but didn't seem to fit in with the love story and coming-of-age plot elements as well.

I definitely loved parts of the book and the moments of tenderness between Jay and Nick, especially when Nick allowed himself to feel that tenderness. I think Douglass is extremely talented, but ultimately the book didn't work for me as much as I wanted it to.

[Daniel Horrigan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read 1/3 and it’s just disappointing that this is aimed at 15-18 year olds. I think the age group is able to process better writing. Why is this an re-working of Gatsby and not just its own thing? I may have enjoyed it more and stuck with it if it were a totally original story. The book lacks any emotional realism in relationship to the circumstances. Also, far too many anachronisms for me for a period book. Not a single editor said “oh that expression wasn’t used then.” Just took me right out of it every time.

[Ryan Axlut · Rating 1 out of 5]

juvenile, corny, and inconsistent. Plot got ridiculous as the story progressed, and none of it made sense. Lots of telling not showing. Development was lacking and frustrating. Really wanted to like it but I kinda hated it.

At first I found Nick earnest and endearing. But then I felt like he was fickle and bouncing back and forth between his annoyance/distrust and his affection/possessiveness of Jay. He wanted his attention at the dance, but didn’t like when he tried to dance with him, got mad at him, subtly tried to get rid of him, and then got angry when someone wanted his attention. His conflicting feelings didn’t make a lot of sense.

Something’s moved a bit too quickly. Lots of plot points glossed over and sped into. The romance between jay and Nick was too slow of a burn. I didn’t register much chemistry between the two either. So much was absurd and unearned.

To be honest, I didn’t see this as a retelling more so as it took characters and minimal plot points and themes. Otherwise it seemed like this was a story completely independent of The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby of it all seemed to hurt this story. It would’ve been more fascinating with original characters. This seemed like a messy tumblr adaptation.

Lots of outlandish moments. In one moment in particular, Jay, Daisy, and Nick fight Italian mobsters (not kidding) and get into a huge bar fight with them…and win somehow? At one point, Nick is held at gunpoint and flips a coin to distract the shooter. And it works, which was so absurd I almost stopped. It would be one of many moments where I nearly stopped. I probably should’ve because wtf was that ending?

Author was a huge fan of exclamation marks. I’ve never seen so many exclamation marks in one story alone that wasn’t in quotation marks. Sometimes it felt like the author was trying to force something insightful or important when it wasn’t. So many mixed metaphors too.

If we’re being honest, the only Gatsby components of the book are the character names and the bootlegging. Some characters didn’t even need to be adapted and were done so oddly (I still don’t understand the Jordan of it all). Some were created for the story, which is fine, but what’s the point of an adaptation?

This book was entertaining enough if you could suspend belief (and so many other experiences required during reading). Perhaps this just reads TOO young adult?I know I’m not the audience for the book. I’m definitely not a young adult, however, I still indulge in them often in between my more mature books that are often more melancholy and jarring in order to provide levity and fun. I’ve come across some great YA novels that make me excited for the young queer community of today and tomorrow. This just isn’t one of them.

[Martha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm… I do love a The Great Gatsby retelling, but there were some choices here that left me wondering why this was framed as a Gatsby adaptation at all.

Daisy isn’t romantically linked to Jay or Tom, and Jay doesn’t seem to have ever had feelings for Daisy. Tom is much older than the rest of the cast and married to Myrtle, while his son becomes one of the main antagonists. Jordan barely features. And Jay is a nepo baby?

The novel carries the weight and expectations of being a Gatsby retelling, but the plot and characters diverge so far from the original that it almost works against it. Maybe it might have been stronger as a story loosely inspired by The Great Gatsby rather than a direct adaptation.

I was intrigued by the novel's opening, with Nick fleeing the Tulsa Race Massacre. I always appreciate when authors explore race in a Gatsby retelling, as it deepens the theme of the American Dream and who this applies to. However, several major, traumatic events occur... and then seem to have little lasting emotional impact. Once Nick arrives at Daisy’s house, his past feels quickly forgotten, and not even in a way that suggests repression, which left me disorientated.

The characters themselves only faintly resembled Fitzgerald’s originals. The central romance felt inconsistent, with Nick flipflopping between distrust and infatuation so often that it was hard to invest. Ironically, there’s more romantic tension in the original Great Gatsby. After the midway point, the plot escalates and goes slightly off the rails. Suddenly we’re dealing with Italian mobsters, and I wasn’t entirely sure how we’d arrived there.

So unfortunately, this isn’t my favourite Gatsby adaptation. I much preferred Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore and Local Heavens by K.M. Fajardo. 

[Aaron Aceves]

RTC

[Lucky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping, tangible, reflective, and chock-full of historicity, The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay was the best possible book to end my year of reading.

Fans of Fitzgerald's novel will be pleased by the innovative takes on classic characters and events, though the interpretations are certainly unique enough to be their own.

I have never encountered a more deeply lovable Nick. His thoughtfulness, drive for justice, and deep care for those around him immediately endeared him to me. His relationship with Jay is gorgeous and devastating in equal turns. His angst about whether or not to trust Jay had me sweating on the edge of my seat for the whole book.

I was perhaps most compelled by the way this story interacts frankly with race, class, queer culture, and how/ whether social progress can be enacted. Douglass brings a lot of knowledge and thoughtfulness (along with a dash of hope) to a story made all the richer for his contributions.

If you're looking for an immersive and achingly yearning queer historical romance that examines the cost of social progress and the communities working towards it, you have found the right book. I certainly loved it.

[Stanjay Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nick, one of the two main characters at the center of this story, is someone I believe will linger with me long after finishing the book because of how complex and ever-evolving he is. Early on—about twenty percent into the novel—Nick experiences a life-altering event involving his father, a man whose approval he deeply seeks and whose path he hopes to follow. This moment sets him on a course in early adulthood that he never anticipated.

Throughout his journey, we witness Nick’s sorrow and joy, his determination, his process of self-discovery surrounding his sexuality, and his growing disappointment with the society he encounters, particularly its racism and classism. The author does an excellent job capturing this period, crafting a story that invites readers to approach Nick’s experiences with empathy and a sense of longing as they watch a young man navigate life in the 1920s.

[MikeLikesBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never read the Great Gatsby but I understand this is a retelling using young black queer characters. I was hooked when it started with Nick escaping the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. It was one of the worst tragedies of racist hate where approx 300 black Americans were murder by a white mob. It seldom is talked about so I’m glad the author put it in his book. This book covers racism, coming of age and queerness. As a YA novel these topics will touch youth dealing with the pushback society gives them. The storyline was good as things go a different direction than expected.

I listened to the audiobook and I felt the narrator kept things on point. This was an enjoyable YA historical fiction audiobook.

I want to thank Net Galley and Harper Audio for providing me a free copy of the audiobook. My review is voluntary.

[Kyle Smith]

Around a 3.5 for me. I read this given Gatsby is on my mind a lot because of school, and I think I entered expecting a bit more of this story reimagining aspects of Fitzgerald’s novel. That wasn’t really the premise of the book, which was fine. I enjoyed the set up and the writing was fantastic. I also was fascinated by the characters. Where the story struggled most for me was in the pacing. The middle dragged a bit, and the end was way too rushed. This did make me excited for the author’s other works though.

[Kendra Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is how you do a retelling that is even better than the original. I am absolutely obsessed with this book!
Nick is looking for life beyond small town Greenwood, but when tragedy strikes, he is forced into a new world without a plan and without time to even grieve. New York is far different from his old home in Oklahoma, but can he fit in? His world changes when he meets Jay...

This book had me in an entire chokehold. I really couldn't put it down, and when I had to, I would pop in an earbud and have my phone continue reading it to me. Ryan Douglass did an amazing job writing some very descriptive and intense scenes that truly makes it immersive for the reader. And while this is a retelling, there were still times where I was gasping and in shock of the twists and turns of the story. I really wish this was the book we read in high school instead of The Great Gatsby.

Favorite quote of many: "We'll be the stars that salt the night with light, the dogwood shedding petals in a brutal hurricane. Our tears will wet the earth like rain in the fall, when it's time for a season to start anew."

[Trisha]

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.