Shortlisted for the 2026 LGBTQ+ Young Adult Lambda Literary Award



Self-styled 'beautiful boy' Toby Ryerson dreams in stardust but lives in the dirt. Haunted by his mom's overdose, he itches for a life of fun and fabulosity far from the MAGA hats of his backwoods Adirondack town. The only problem: his older brother Jimmy's plans to polish him into a spotless 'Disney gay' with college, career, and husband. Toby knows that Jimmy didn't sacrifice everything to raise him just so he can waste his life on men and partying like Mom did. But why can't Jimmy see that he is their mother's son?

When Toby outs the boy who broke his heart in a fit of rage, the web of lies he's spun to manage Jimmy's expectations quickly unravels. A brutal beating leads to a campaign of cyberbullying, culminating in even greater disaster.

Worse: Toby knows it's all his own fault.

Enter Gabe, a sexy stranger from Mom's past who seduces Toby with the keys to the Big Apple. But when Toby's dreams of a fabulous life turn into a nightmare, will Jimmy's love be enough to save him, or will he end up just like Mom?

An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys is a queer coming-of-age novel as well as a love story between two mismatched brothers coping with the burden of secrets and a legacy of shame.