A strange little baby. That’s how Tucker Shaw called this story. Just like When You Call My Name, it’s a dedication. Again, to New York. To all those actors from the past. To a time when things were more simple.

Right Beside You is indeed a strange little baby. I had to get used to it first. It’s like someone is watching from a circling helicopter, and then suddenly, the helicopter quickly descends and zooms in on details. Details of New York, details of the past, details of Cookie’s ninety-nine-year-old life, and details of Eddie’s life.

This story is about being afraid to fail since everything we do is visible—through cameras, social media, and other apps on our phones. We always check things—whether a movie is good, whether a restaurant is good, or whether we’re driving the right way. According to ninety-nine-year-old Cookie, we’re afraid to be different, afraid to be ourselves. This applies to Eddie, too.

So Eddie escapes to the past, together with Francis, and lives like he never lived before. But there’s also Theo, who is such a sweet guy aka cinnamon roll in the present.

Don’t read this book because you want to read a romance. Because it isn’t. Read it because you want to read a love song about New York and the past. Because you want to read a love song to (queer) joy. And because you want to follow Eddie’s journey to growth, from a boy who hides to a boy who is brave and shines.

Eddie heads to New York City from his small town in Colorado to help care for his aging great aunt. As a queer kid he has dreamed of New York City and all the adventures he will have once he gets there, but the reality of his move is overwhelming once it finally happens. Cookie is 100 years old but does not let age define her. She has lived a colorful and adventurous life creating a large community amongst her people in New York City. She has lived an amazing life and wants to share as much of it with Eddie as she can.

Cookie creates opportunities for Eddie to see the magic of New York by sending him all over town to run errands for her. The twist comes in the form of real magic that not only transports him around town but through time into all different eras in New York. He gets to experience New York as Cookie had. There may or may not be a boy guiding him on all these adventures as well.

Such a great story of finding who you are and learning to live as your true self. I loved the relationships in this book and the beautiful description of New York City...past and present.

I was given an advanced copy of the book through NetGalley. Thanks to them for allowing me to read it early.

A speculative YA novel introducing the long and complex history of New York's queer people and their links to the American show business. Highly recommended. I hope it gets adapted into a TV show.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.