I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Four Squares by Bobby Finger is a thoughtful read focused on the life and perspective of Artie Anderson in two time periods - the 1990s and present day. The story is thoughtfully told, reflective but not nostaglic in a "cheesy" way, and shines light on the power of community and love at different points in one's life. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback.

Bobby Finger brings warmth and humor in equal measure to this poignant picture of New York's queer community across decades.

I enjoyed Four Squares by Bobby Finger. The book tells the story of Artie, a gay man in his 30s in the 1990s when HIV/AIDS was ravaging the community. The second timeline is the current day when Artie is aging and learning to deal with aging and the losses that come with getting older. I"m about Artie's age so the dual timelines and how both timelines focus on loss and the importance of community really spoke to me.

All in all, it was a good read, that made me care about the characters. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of Four Squares in exchange for an honest review. Four Squares is available now.

This was a very entertaining read for me. I enjoyed the different timelines. The reader was able to get a glimpse into the struggles of maintaining friendships and relationships over decades.

Artie was a very relatable character and I enjoyed following his journey.

I look forward to more from this author!

While not my favorite book I've ever read, this story was sweet. I'm always a sucker for alternating timelines as well!

I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. I read it in one day! I would definitely recommend this book.

This book isn’t quite what I usually read, but I was hoping for a cozy, heartwarming, down-to-earth story.

Four Squares follows Artie Anderson, a sixty-year-old failed writer who’s still reeling from the deaths of his ex-boyfriend Abe and his other friends, decades ago. In the present day, Artie joins the local LGBTQ+ senior center, and realizes that his life has been missing something so far.

While the concept and long timeline is very promising, I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters. There was little chemistry between Artie and Abe, and I thought the side characters were relatively unmemorable.

My interest in the story itself also faded in and out. I think the arc of Artie the author was the most interesting. The way he felt like it failed and the resentment and shame he felt was palpable, but I felt like it never got its time to shine as the main focus.

As much as I enjoy the slice-of-life genre, I think there’s a balance between being down-to-earth without being boring, and unfortunately I think the story was just a little too mundane. There was also always a sense of distance between us and the events, like we were just reading about them after the fact and not living it as the characters did. At times it felt somewhat aimless or passive, and I think doubling down on the writing angle might’ve helped give it more direction.

Overall, I think this was a slow read; some might enjoy it as a nice evening read. It wasn’t for me but if you enjoy LGBT slice-of-life stories about older characters, particularly with the theme of living life to the fullest as the days pass you by.

I really enjoyed this novel. It’s, heartwarming, funny, sad, and griefy. The found family group is so sweet.

The story jumps back and forth from the 1990’s with Artie and his friends in their 30’s, to Artie in his 60’s, learning to navigate his life alone and trying to find a new community in his older age.

This is a quick read, and while sad in some areas, doesn’t get as sad as it could, and there’s a positive hopeful ending, so you don’t leave it feeling down.

I’d recommend this one!

Thank you @netgalley and @putnambooks for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Five stars for Bobby Finger, I love Bobby Finger.

I was drawn to this book for the setting and subject matter. I enjoyed the portrayal of the main character's anxiety, which felt very true to life, and how the book-within-a-book conceit serves as meta commentary on the text. Unfortunately the prose is not for me, it can feel a bit clunky and distracting when the characters occasionally talk like contemporary Twitter users during chapters set in the 1990s.

It was nice to read a book centering on older queer people. I enjoyed reading about how things changed in New York over time.

Loved this read. Everything about it. The people, the experiences so accurately described of the time, the dual timeline, the style of writing, the friendships, heartaches….all of it. A lovely sweet emotional read.

This book is a poignant story of aging, loss, grief, and friendship. All of these experiences are cast in the shadows of living through the HIV/AIDS crisis as a part of the LGBTQ+ community. I found this book very relatable as I have lost family and friends to HIV/AIDS and also have family and friends dealing with aging and finding ways to fit in. This was a great read. Thanks #NetGalley #PenguinGroup

Telling a duel timeline of a life, in 1992, Artie carves out his own place in New York City with his friends and advertising work. One night during his birthday celebration, Artie meets Abe, the man who will ultimately change his life. Years later, the only people in Artie's life that are connected to Abe (Victoria and Halle) are moving to the west coast. Abe quickly realizes how lonely he has been since he lost Abe. He decides to join GALS, a local center for queer seniors.

Although I wanted it to be more propulsive at times, I loved the different view of the AIDS crisis and the impact of having your own community. Artie was a great older character that you rooted for.

There is deep talent in making an ordinary life an extraordinary story.

Bobby Finger’s “Four Squares” moves between 1992 after Artie Anderson’s 30th birthday celebration and 2022 after his 60th. Artie, a ghostwriter living in New York City, finds himself immersed in life at the local LGBTQ senior center, GALS after an unexpected injury. The story explores themes of community, loneliness, aging, and the importance of connection.

The novel beautifully shifts between the 1990s and the present, intertwining moments of sadness, humor, and profound beauty. Artie Anderson is a well-developed character, with his complex emotions and personal growth vividly shown throughout the story. Artie’s journey through the AIDS crisis, close friendships, and grief is deeply empathetic, even as it remains uniquely his own. Finger’s writing is imbued with warmth, humor, and wit, making many of the storylines both heart-breaking and comforting. Four Squares explores the complexities of human connections and the indelible marks they leave on our lives.


I loved this sweet story. One of my favorites of 2024.

In 1992, Artie Anderson's life is not quite what he hoped.  He is working at a boring job in advertising and still searching for romance.  Then, Artie meets Abe, and his life is forever changed.  Abe pushes Artie to live a fuller existence, even as he himself is not always able to fully embrace their life together.  

Thirty years later, Artie is a successful ghostwriter, after having written one unheralded novel years before.  He lives a quiet life, where a trip to the store can define his whole day.  When Abe’s daughter and ex-wife let Artie know they are moving across the country, he is shocked and realizes how much his life centers around them.  Just as he is dealing with that loss, he finds himself surprisingly joining a local center for queer seniors, where he discovers a new community eager to embrace Artie, if he can finally open himself up to new experiences and a new chapter.

This is a touching and well-written story, exploring interesting themes around family, friendship, and community.  Artie's story will stay with you long after you have put this book down.

Highly recommended.

Bobby Finger has a knack for infusing a true sense of warmth and hope into his novels. While this didn't have the emotional impact of THE OLD PLACE for me, I think found these characters endearing. I will continue to pick up whatever Bobby Finger publishes!

This book is an absolute delight. Artie Anderson is one of the most lovable characters I’ve read in a long time. I was rooting for him at age 30 and age 60 as he faced both the joys and the struggles that life brings. Bobby Finger really knocked it out of the park with this one - I enjoyed The Old Place, but Four Squares was even better. Can’t wait to read whatever he writes next!

Four Squares tells the story of the protagonist, Artie, through two different lenses/stages of his life. Told simultaneously (every other chapter), we see life through Artie’s eyes during his early thirties and early sixties. At the beginning of the novel, Artie has just moved to NYC amidst the AIDS epidemic. Artie is losing friends due to the sickness, is stuck in a mediocre job in advertising, and relies heavily upon his three closest friends as they navigate life in their early thirties. As Artie leaves his job to pursue his dream of writing a novel, we journey with him as he loses.

Flash forward to 30 years later, and we explore Artie’s late adult life amidst the loss of his partner and finding out that his step-daughter is moving across the country, leaving him alone in the city once more. This forces Artie to reflect on his relationships (or lack thereof) and find a new purpose late in life.

This book is filled with beautiful moments that made me laugh and weep (often at the same time). Finger does an excellent job weaving the past with the present, reminding a younger generation that what we have now did not come without sacrifice.

A special thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. I loved it so much that I had to buy a physical copy for my library.