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That Doesn't Belong Here
That Doesn't Belong Here begins when Levi and his friend Emily discover an impossible creature in an abandoned pick up. The thing is wounded, frightened and the two friends cannot leave him to the mercy of rubberneckers and tourists. This novel explores what it means to be a person, as the creature, Kato, begins to display not mere intelligence or friendliness but what can only be explained as humanity. The question of who we are allowed to love arises for Levi and Kato, as they are not just crossing the boundaries of gender or sexuality, but of species.
- GenresContemporaryM M Romance
172 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2017
1 person is currently reading
204 people want to read
About the author
Dan Ackerman
14 books37 followersDan is a writer. All their books have typos (like, probably way too many). Unfortunately, there's nothing they're going to do about it until a quality professional editor starts volunteering their time to spooky gay romances. Currently writing just a bit at a time.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 31, 2019
3.5 Hearts
Well that was an odd little story with an equally odd cover, but it was still quite the charming gem if I do say so myself.
Levi and his bff Emily, happen to find and rescue a sea creature one day while out on the beach. Injured, they help provide a safe place for this mysterious being to heal, and what unfolds is a slow friendship into something more.
For me, where this story excels at is Kato. Perhaps because there is a language barrier, he is seemingly innocent and sweet, and as he’s exposed to Levi and Emily’s world, his wonder, confusion, and interest in everything is what makes this so enjoyable. What’s particularly beguiling is that Kato has no artifice. The world to him is quite straightforward, and it was humbling to see how the messy nuances of being human often get in the way of the truth. As he learns English and more about the lives of his friends, Kato makes known his attraction to Levi. What evolves is Levi’s awakening and realizing who he is and how he defines himself, and it’s exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time.
Of course, there’s a bit of plot drama that involves Kato being discovered, and this I didn’t enjoy as much. However, I like how this takes the metaphor of a mystical being who’s obviously not like everyone else and aptly shows that just because one is different, that doesn’t mean their feelings and their right to live, love, and be free is not valid. The emphasis to not judge or label and to fight for what you want, rings very strongly here.
Overall, I obviously loved the endearing vulnerable character that is Kato and how he changes several lives he comes into contact with, ultimately, with the potential to do more.This excelled at all the awkward and sweet that is NA with a dash of sexy thrown in. As a warning, this kinda ends abruptly in my opinion, albeit, with a hopeful strong HFN. I only wish that there was an epilogue or a satisfactory conclusion that solidified my belief that Levi and Kato were successful at being truly together despite their many differences.
Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for a honest review
Well that was an odd little story with an equally odd cover, but it was still quite the charming gem if I do say so myself.
Levi and his bff Emily, happen to find and rescue a sea creature one day while out on the beach. Injured, they help provide a safe place for this mysterious being to heal, and what unfolds is a slow friendship into something more.
For me, where this story excels at is Kato. Perhaps because there is a language barrier, he is seemingly innocent and sweet, and as he’s exposed to Levi and Emily’s world, his wonder, confusion, and interest in everything is what makes this so enjoyable. What’s particularly beguiling is that Kato has no artifice. The world to him is quite straightforward, and it was humbling to see how the messy nuances of being human often get in the way of the truth. As he learns English and more about the lives of his friends, Kato makes known his attraction to Levi. What evolves is Levi’s awakening and realizing who he is and how he defines himself, and it’s exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time.
Of course, there’s a bit of plot drama that involves Kato being discovered, and this I didn’t enjoy as much. However, I like how this takes the metaphor of a mystical being who’s obviously not like everyone else and aptly shows that just because one is different, that doesn’t mean their feelings and their right to live, love, and be free is not valid. The emphasis to not judge or label and to fight for what you want, rings very strongly here.
Overall, I obviously loved the endearing vulnerable character that is Kato and how he changes several lives he comes into contact with, ultimately, with the potential to do more.This excelled at all the awkward and sweet that is NA with a dash of sexy thrown in. As a warning, this kinda ends abruptly in my opinion, albeit, with a hopeful strong HFN. I only wish that there was an epilogue or a satisfactory conclusion that solidified my belief that Levi and Kato were successful at being truly together despite their many differences.
Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for a honest review
October 1, 2017
3.75 stars rounded up
On an early morning, Levi and Emily find an injured creature – with tail, slender fins, a person-shaped torso, and a humanly face – on a silver pick-up in the middle of the ocean. The best friends decided to bring the creature – who later reveal his name as Kato – to Emily’s house with its own private beach so it can heal itself there. Along the way, the three becomes good friends. Especially for Levi and Kato things might even shaped into something more loving…
That Doesn’t Belong Here is a sweet and touching story between a Jewish boy, his lesbian girlfriend, and an endearing merman that I just want to hug and protect from all harms that human can do to other creatures. It is Dan Ackerman’s second book – after What Everyone Deserves, which was released last year – and I was hooked right from the beginning.
Truthfully, it is SO easy to fall for Kato, even if the first part — I’m saying ‘part’ as loose term here – is taken from Levi’s perspective. We don’t get Kato’s perspective until he is recaptured and taken to a park where he becomes part of a show (pretty much being treated like dolphins or seals). Kato is such a sweetheart – from how he loves his foods, to learn English, to how he befriends Levi and Emily. He’s simply wonderful!
However, this book is also about Levi – and how he deals with his sexuality. As a Jewish boy, Levi is in self-denial about his sexual interest. Levi is also not very confident with how he looks ("He did not peel off his shirt, not wanting her to see what his brother called his ‘fatboy tits’, his scraggly patch of chest hair or his pasty white skin"). It takes time for Levi to accept his attraction towards a non-human creature. It was this personal journey that I enjoyed reading immensely.
I also like the secondary characters – Levi’s best friend Emily and her girlfriend, Charlotte. Both are supportive and protective of Kato’s existence. I was also quite taken with Charlotte who is described as having autism.
I still think that Levi’s relationship with his family hasn’t been fully explored though. How do they react with the news about Levi and Kato? The ending feels a little bit open for me, more of happy for now, and I would love to see more closure about them.
A Guest Review for The Blogger Girls
The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
On an early morning, Levi and Emily find an injured creature – with tail, slender fins, a person-shaped torso, and a humanly face – on a silver pick-up in the middle of the ocean. The best friends decided to bring the creature – who later reveal his name as Kato – to Emily’s house with its own private beach so it can heal itself there. Along the way, the three becomes good friends. Especially for Levi and Kato things might even shaped into something more loving…
That Doesn’t Belong Here is a sweet and touching story between a Jewish boy, his lesbian girlfriend, and an endearing merman that I just want to hug and protect from all harms that human can do to other creatures. It is Dan Ackerman’s second book – after What Everyone Deserves, which was released last year – and I was hooked right from the beginning.
Truthfully, it is SO easy to fall for Kato, even if the first part — I’m saying ‘part’ as loose term here – is taken from Levi’s perspective. We don’t get Kato’s perspective until he is recaptured and taken to a park where he becomes part of a show (pretty much being treated like dolphins or seals). Kato is such a sweetheart – from how he loves his foods, to learn English, to how he befriends Levi and Emily. He’s simply wonderful!
However, this book is also about Levi – and how he deals with his sexuality. As a Jewish boy, Levi is in self-denial about his sexual interest. Levi is also not very confident with how he looks ("He did not peel off his shirt, not wanting her to see what his brother called his ‘fatboy tits’, his scraggly patch of chest hair or his pasty white skin"). It takes time for Levi to accept his attraction towards a non-human creature. It was this personal journey that I enjoyed reading immensely.
I also like the secondary characters – Levi’s best friend Emily and her girlfriend, Charlotte. Both are supportive and protective of Kato’s existence. I was also quite taken with Charlotte who is described as having autism.
I still think that Levi’s relationship with his family hasn’t been fully explored though. How do they react with the news about Levi and Kato? The ending feels a little bit open for me, more of happy for now, and I would love to see more closure about them.
A Guest Review for The Blogger Girls
The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
July 27, 2017
A ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords Review. This review can also be found here.
Emily and Levi are out on the beach when they find a silver pickup truck in the middle of the ocean. When Emily and Levi go to investigate they find someone trapped in the back seat, injured.
But this someone isn’t human, it’s something else and nothing like anything they have seen before but as it turns out that isn’t even the most interesting thing about Kato. Because the fact of the matter is that Kato is part of a sentient species.
Levi is struggling with himself and his sexuality. Making things worse is the fact that Kato seems to like him and not only is Kato a man but he is also not a human and Levi can’t seem to deny that he feels something for Kato too.
This is a really short story at least as far as I am concerned. My reader puts this at 146 pages but with the speed that I flew through the pages, this book might as well have been 50 pages long instead of thrice that.
This book had me hooked from the beginning. I read the first chapter which I found in the author’s email requesting the review but I couldn’t stop after having read only a single chapter and I would have seriously bought this book just to find out what was next if it had already been published. But it wasn’t so I couldn’t, but I did download a sample off of Smashwords which had a lot more content but still not enough to satisfy me and I remember going off on a hunt to find a book to distract me until I could get my hands on an ARC. Thankfully I got it the next day and I finished it in the same day.
God this book was unbelievable. It had such an amazingly well-executed premise and just the concept of this book had me so hooked, imagining that there is a sentient species right here on Earth that we know nothing about. I also loved the author’s idea of not having Kato be an alien because initially, I thought that was the lines along which this story would be headed but it didn't and I fell a little bit more in love with this book.
As if that wasn’t enough to make the story good, the author tops it off with some amazing characters, perfect in their imperfections. I was already in love with Kato throughout the book but I didn’t realise how much till Kato finds himself in trouble and then I couldn’t wait for him to get out of it. But what was surprising is how much I loved Levi. I think I loved the fact that Levi wasn’t super model hot and he actually had some fat on him. The fact that Levi is confused, doesn’t quite understand who he is and at the same time struggles with his body could have gone really wrong because I don’t appreciate a self-deprecating personality in denial but Levi, God Levi makes it work. What was amazing about Levi was how his inner worth always shone through and his quiet strength was always on display no matter how blind he was to both these qualities of his. I also loved Emily, she is just such a contained character and I loved her independence and her confidence and her tendency to worry. This was one woman that I genuinely admired.
I can’t think of a single character in this book supporting or otherwise that wasn’t memorable and I truly fell in love with all of the nice ones and hated all the other ones.
The story doesn’t let up for a second because even though the story line moves slowly the pace of the book is fast. Things move slowly but at the same time it feels like everything is moving by too quickly or maybe it was my own reluctance of not having the book end coupled with my eagerness to know what happens next that made me feel that way.
This book ends suddenly, it is like reaching the top of a crescendo and instead of being gently guided down you find yourself in a free fall. I loved the ending but at the same time, I wanted more. This book truly had a dichotomy of emotions rising up in me.
There are a few loose ends that aren’t tied up in this book. Firstly, the fact that we never find out how Kato ended up in that trunk and secondly, we never find out what Charlotte wanted to discuss with Kato. Not that I mind too much. As far as I am concerned this book was perfect in spite of its flaws.
This book is amazing but it was imagination that flows throughout this book that has me so enraptured with this book and all its characters. I want more.
Cover Art - I really like the cover for the book not because of the picture that adorns it, which to be honest I find a little childish but what I love about the picture is that I can see how that image inspired this body of work or vice versa which makes this image more than just how it looks because it might look childish but it has depth.
Emily and Levi are out on the beach when they find a silver pickup truck in the middle of the ocean. When Emily and Levi go to investigate they find someone trapped in the back seat, injured.
But this someone isn’t human, it’s something else and nothing like anything they have seen before but as it turns out that isn’t even the most interesting thing about Kato. Because the fact of the matter is that Kato is part of a sentient species.
Levi is struggling with himself and his sexuality. Making things worse is the fact that Kato seems to like him and not only is Kato a man but he is also not a human and Levi can’t seem to deny that he feels something for Kato too.
This is a really short story at least as far as I am concerned. My reader puts this at 146 pages but with the speed that I flew through the pages, this book might as well have been 50 pages long instead of thrice that.
This book had me hooked from the beginning. I read the first chapter which I found in the author’s email requesting the review but I couldn’t stop after having read only a single chapter and I would have seriously bought this book just to find out what was next if it had already been published. But it wasn’t so I couldn’t, but I did download a sample off of Smashwords which had a lot more content but still not enough to satisfy me and I remember going off on a hunt to find a book to distract me until I could get my hands on an ARC. Thankfully I got it the next day and I finished it in the same day.
God this book was unbelievable. It had such an amazingly well-executed premise and just the concept of this book had me so hooked, imagining that there is a sentient species right here on Earth that we know nothing about. I also loved the author’s idea of not having Kato be an alien because initially, I thought that was the lines along which this story would be headed but it didn't and I fell a little bit more in love with this book.
As if that wasn’t enough to make the story good, the author tops it off with some amazing characters, perfect in their imperfections. I was already in love with Kato throughout the book but I didn’t realise how much till Kato finds himself in trouble and then I couldn’t wait for him to get out of it. But what was surprising is how much I loved Levi. I think I loved the fact that Levi wasn’t super model hot and he actually had some fat on him. The fact that Levi is confused, doesn’t quite understand who he is and at the same time struggles with his body could have gone really wrong because I don’t appreciate a self-deprecating personality in denial but Levi, God Levi makes it work. What was amazing about Levi was how his inner worth always shone through and his quiet strength was always on display no matter how blind he was to both these qualities of his. I also loved Emily, she is just such a contained character and I loved her independence and her confidence and her tendency to worry. This was one woman that I genuinely admired.
I can’t think of a single character in this book supporting or otherwise that wasn’t memorable and I truly fell in love with all of the nice ones and hated all the other ones.
The story doesn’t let up for a second because even though the story line moves slowly the pace of the book is fast. Things move slowly but at the same time it feels like everything is moving by too quickly or maybe it was my own reluctance of not having the book end coupled with my eagerness to know what happens next that made me feel that way.
This book ends suddenly, it is like reaching the top of a crescendo and instead of being gently guided down you find yourself in a free fall. I loved the ending but at the same time, I wanted more. This book truly had a dichotomy of emotions rising up in me.
There are a few loose ends that aren’t tied up in this book. Firstly, the fact that we never find out how Kato ended up in that trunk and secondly, we never find out what Charlotte wanted to discuss with Kato. Not that I mind too much. As far as I am concerned this book was perfect in spite of its flaws.
This book is amazing but it was imagination that flows throughout this book that has me so enraptured with this book and all its characters. I want more.
Cover Art - I really like the cover for the book not because of the picture that adorns it, which to be honest I find a little childish but what I love about the picture is that I can see how that image inspired this body of work or vice versa which makes this image more than just how it looks because it might look childish but it has depth.
October 2, 2017
Every now and again, you stumble across a book that is completely different from your standard reading preferences. Sometimes you love it, sometimes you really don’t, but That Doesn’t Belong Here most definitely falls into that first category.
Levi and Emily are best friends who live together in the summer home of Emily’s ridiculously rich parents. One very early morning while strolling the beach, the two friends spot a submerged truck with a wounded creature trapped in the back seat. There is only one word they can possibly use to label what they rescued – merman. Coincidently, Emily happens to have a private and secluded beach on her property where they can take the merman to recover from the injuries that make it impossible to swim. As the merman heals, Emily and Levi become friends with the creature, who identifies himself as Kato.
The characters in this story were all kinds of wonderful.
“Good Jewish boys from Long Island did not move to California to study Art History and find mythical creatures while watching the sunrise with a lesbian.”
Except in this book they do, and what I think I marveled over the most was that the way the author wrote the characters and the situation, this merman tale seemed actually, possibly, realistic. There was no growing legs, the merman didn’t naturally speak English, and Levi and Kato were not fated mates. Instead Levi was a closeted, chubby pansexual, Emily was the big bottomed lesbian with the autistic girlfriend and Kato was an apparently foulmouthed gay merman who could flip people off despite his webbed fingers and made obscene gestures with his tongue. While I enjoyed the rather simple, yet perfect plot it was the characters that made this story so memorable. The banter between all of them, especially Emily and Levi, was so well done that I wanted to meet these people. I wanted to be their friend too. I think I could have easily read an entire book of dialogue between Levi and his bestie.
“What’s a little mermaid dick between friends?”
“If he was a mermaid, he wouldn’t have a dick.”
“That’s not very trans-inclusive of you.”
As to the romance between Levi and Kato, again somehow the author made their relationship seem entirely possible while setting the story in the “real world”. The way the two men learned how things between them would work was adorable and a little bit hilarious. The trials of the last third of the book, while separating the men made the ending that much sweeter. In fact it helped cement their relationship and made Levi realize what was important.
If I had any complaint about this book? I didn’t want it to end. I wanted more and I’ll surely be checking out more from this author in the future.
Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2017/10/0...
Levi and Emily are best friends who live together in the summer home of Emily’s ridiculously rich parents. One very early morning while strolling the beach, the two friends spot a submerged truck with a wounded creature trapped in the back seat. There is only one word they can possibly use to label what they rescued – merman. Coincidently, Emily happens to have a private and secluded beach on her property where they can take the merman to recover from the injuries that make it impossible to swim. As the merman heals, Emily and Levi become friends with the creature, who identifies himself as Kato.
The characters in this story were all kinds of wonderful.
“Good Jewish boys from Long Island did not move to California to study Art History and find mythical creatures while watching the sunrise with a lesbian.”
Except in this book they do, and what I think I marveled over the most was that the way the author wrote the characters and the situation, this merman tale seemed actually, possibly, realistic. There was no growing legs, the merman didn’t naturally speak English, and Levi and Kato were not fated mates. Instead Levi was a closeted, chubby pansexual, Emily was the big bottomed lesbian with the autistic girlfriend and Kato was an apparently foulmouthed gay merman who could flip people off despite his webbed fingers and made obscene gestures with his tongue. While I enjoyed the rather simple, yet perfect plot it was the characters that made this story so memorable. The banter between all of them, especially Emily and Levi, was so well done that I wanted to meet these people. I wanted to be their friend too. I think I could have easily read an entire book of dialogue between Levi and his bestie.
“What’s a little mermaid dick between friends?”
“If he was a mermaid, he wouldn’t have a dick.”
“That’s not very trans-inclusive of you.”
As to the romance between Levi and Kato, again somehow the author made their relationship seem entirely possible while setting the story in the “real world”. The way the two men learned how things between them would work was adorable and a little bit hilarious. The trials of the last third of the book, while separating the men made the ending that much sweeter. In fact it helped cement their relationship and made Levi realize what was important.
If I had any complaint about this book? I didn’t want it to end. I wanted more and I’ll surely be checking out more from this author in the future.
Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2017/10/0...
September 5, 2017
This was an adorable story. As I was reading, I kept thinking about how a version of this would make a great young adult or children's book. The reason I felt so is because it handled talking about different difficult topics well, from gender, identity, sexuality, and even autism.
September 28, 2017
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
Ackerman’s writing style is basic, but effective. There are no convoluted descriptions of the sea, sky, or the longing glances Levi and Kato exchange, nor did I want that. That Doesn’t Belong Here is a story about outsiders. Emily is a lesbian who fails to fit in with her Hollywood parents; Charlotte is an autistic lesbian who struggles with social communication and change; Levi is pansexual, Jewish, and of a softer body type than the average gay romance protagonist; and Kato is — well, a gay merman. I absolutely loved the fact that Ackerman celebrates the characters’ differences, making them completely relatable, though perhaps my favorite aspect of this novel is the way in which Ackerman encourages the reader to be innocent. Merfolk are usually the subject of fantasy stories, but I felt my disbelief was suspended here and that there was nothing unusual about this romance between Levi and Kato in contemporary California.
Ackerman tackles important issues during That Doesn’t Belong Here, including Levi’s confused feelings and the consequences of his forced ‘coming out’ to his family, as well as the environmental issues that arise from Kato’s existence. Yet, I think Ackerman succeeds in provoking the readers’ thoughts the most when Kato is kidnapped. I do not want to say too much about this part of the story, but the effects of these events on Kato’s physical and mental well-being are distressing to witness.
The romance in That Doesn’t Belong Here develops from a friendship and everything that happens between Levi and Kato feels natural, despite the difference in their species.
Read Kirsty’s review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
Ackerman’s writing style is basic, but effective. There are no convoluted descriptions of the sea, sky, or the longing glances Levi and Kato exchange, nor did I want that. That Doesn’t Belong Here is a story about outsiders. Emily is a lesbian who fails to fit in with her Hollywood parents; Charlotte is an autistic lesbian who struggles with social communication and change; Levi is pansexual, Jewish, and of a softer body type than the average gay romance protagonist; and Kato is — well, a gay merman. I absolutely loved the fact that Ackerman celebrates the characters’ differences, making them completely relatable, though perhaps my favorite aspect of this novel is the way in which Ackerman encourages the reader to be innocent. Merfolk are usually the subject of fantasy stories, but I felt my disbelief was suspended here and that there was nothing unusual about this romance between Levi and Kato in contemporary California.
Ackerman tackles important issues during That Doesn’t Belong Here, including Levi’s confused feelings and the consequences of his forced ‘coming out’ to his family, as well as the environmental issues that arise from Kato’s existence. Yet, I think Ackerman succeeds in provoking the readers’ thoughts the most when Kato is kidnapped. I do not want to say too much about this part of the story, but the effects of these events on Kato’s physical and mental well-being are distressing to witness.
The romance in That Doesn’t Belong Here develops from a friendship and everything that happens between Levi and Kato feels natural, despite the difference in their species.
Read Kirsty’s review in its entirety here.
July 23, 2017
IF you're looking for something totally outside of the box to read, this story is definitely worth a read.
For me, it took a huge amount of suspension of belief, which is not to say the story didn't have a lot going for it. IF you can get your head around a creature who can barely speak English, suddenly being able to use a phone and ipad.
I never got a full image of what Kato looked like, other than he had a tail and webbed fingers.
The second half of the book worked better for me than the first, ironically I found Kato and ? better as individuals than together.
ARC copy received in exchange for an honest review
For me, it took a huge amount of suspension of belief, which is not to say the story didn't have a lot going for it. IF you can get your head around a creature who can barely speak English, suddenly being able to use a phone and ipad.
I never got a full image of what Kato looked like, other than he had a tail and webbed fingers.
The second half of the book worked better for me than the first, ironically I found Kato and ? better as individuals than together.
ARC copy received in exchange for an honest review
July 3, 2021
For me, it was easy and nice reading, the characters are presented clearly and the history has a good argument.
September 18, 2019
God, I cried. And laughed. And loved this story from beginning to end. Also read it far too quickly.
December 13, 2018
When boy meets boy but one boy happens to be a merman. An engaging book that does a great job of showing how relationships can flourish across a multitude of different barriers. As ever Ackerman is also a master at world building. While we don't experience quite as much as in their other works there are hints about the larger world around the characters in the past that leave the reader desperately wanting to know more. However, overall this is a story about people and how we interact with one another and how we should care for those around us.
March 8, 2019
8 pages in... not for me.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews