This was haunting and sad and erotic and visceral and deeply sensual - both in the sexual and sensory meanings of that word. My heart broke for Jonny as a character even as I loved him, wanted good things for him, hoped for things that I knew would not happen. He felt very real, in part due to the nonlinear writing style that felt more like a train of thought than a narrative. The audiobook was narrated by the author and that definitely added to my experience. I want to read more from this author, and other two-spirit and indigiqueer authors.

Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press Audio/Bespeak Audio Editions for free access to the audiobook!

One of my favorite ways an audio book can be narrated is by the author so I really appreciate that Joshua was the narrater. What an exceptional job it was, you could feel everything that was written and it was an amazing experience. This was a five star read.
This book was a fabulous read spotlighting both Indigenous and queer communities.. i love how vulnerable jonny's story was and will definitely be recommending it

Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead is an important read for Canadians. I don’t know that using the word enjoyed is correct, but I am so glad I read it and I was delighted that it made history when it won Canada Reads 2021.

Jonny, the main character is an indigiqueer, 2 spirited man who lives off reserve and works as a cybersex worker. He is returning to the rez because his stepfather has died and we get flashbacks into Jonny’s life from childhood to the present. his struggles and where life has carried him. What I loved about the book is that it is a voice we rarely, if ever, hear about. I am quite unfamiliar with cybersex work and fetishes so this book allowed me to enter a world I would probably not find myself in. I loved Jonny’s relationship with his Kokum (grandmother). It was such an accepting and loving relationship. I loved that the writing made me feel Jonny’s emotions.

That’s why I feel the book is important. Jonny is a character who may not live like I do, look like I do, dress like I do… some of his outfits are described very well, but his life and story are just as valuable as mine and maybe more so because Jonny’s story hasn’t been told.. Until now.

Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press Audio for the audio edition of this book. It's one of those rare times that having the author, in this case Joshua Whitehead, narrate the novel was a perfect choice. There were many times I would forget this was a fictional story. Many times it felt like a memoir.