Ponyboy
by Eliot Duncan
Review by Māia
Stumbling through the queer nightlife of Paris and Berlin, Ponyboy falls into a stream of never-ending nights, interrupted only by different types of heartbreak. This poetic prose turned whirlwind novel reveals the plastic neon monotony of addiction without ever being repetitive. The taste of lust and exhilaration of indulgence is technicolour until it’s exhausting, and the author executes this beautifully. The third act of this book crashes Ponyboy back into earth, where the Midwest daylight of his hometown beams in the brutal but hopeful reality of navigating rehab, recovery, and settling into his trans identity. This book is unflinching, luscious and just so stunningly written, I don’t think I will ever stop thinking about it.
