A MOST ANTICIPATED SUMMER READ SELECTION BY * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY * Oprah Daily * HARPER’S BAZAAR * COSMOPOLITAN * VULTURE * THE ADVOCATE * BOOKRIOT * PRIDE * NEW NOW NEXT * AND MORE
“[Brammer’s] writing is incredibly funny, kind and gracious to his readers, and deeply vulnerable in a way that makes it feel as if he’s talking to only you.”—LA TIMES
“An outgrowth from John Paul Brammer’s advice column of the same name, ¡Hola Papi! is part words of wisdom, part raucous memoir careening through the misadventures of queer youth. Taken together, that adds up to a warm, witty compendium of hard-won life lessons, ripped directly from the annals of Brammer’s own experiences as a biracial gay man.”—HARPER'S BAZAAR
“Readers are likely to become addicted to these stories; they’re that good. Beautifully written...the stories run a gamut of emotions that readers will share. Some are wistful; some, melancholy; others, sad or poignant or bittersweet. The subjects of the stories—Brammer’s quotidian life—are made fascinating with the author's deeply introspective musing and self-analysis. Brammer comes to know himself very well, and readers will be delighted to make his acquaintance, too.”—BOOKLIST (STARRED REVIEW)
“Packed with illuminatingly frank perspectives…The sum of Brammer’s life experiences will prove charming, instructional, and frequently relatable for his established readership and those seeking time-tested advice on contemporary conundrums.”—KIRKUS REVIEWS
“Through essays that blend memoir with solicited advice, he addresses the messy emotions and experiences that follow us from adolescence into adulthood: How do we let go of childhood trauma? How do we grow confident in our identities? Brammer responds through his own deeply personal stories, while gently reminding us that he doesn’t have all the answers. No one does.”—VULTURE (35 BOOKS WE CAN'T WAIT TO READ THIS SUMMER)
“[H]ilarious and heartfelt...In each essay, he recounts stories from his own life and then ties his own experience into a larger narrative about how to navigate…well, being alive in the world.”—BOOKRIOT (20 MUST-READ QUEER BOOKS OUT IN JUNE)
“Brammer’s worldview is grounded in realism and self-deprecating humor; his book is likely to be a well-loved addition to any collection of personal essays or memoirs. There is an ease and charm to Brammer’s writing that will make readers feel as though he is sitting beside them, regaling them with his often funny, increasingly insightful, sometimes heartbreaking tales. With a combination of frankness and self-reflection...This collection shines especially brightly whenever Brammer describes his coming-of-age experiences...As he does in his advice column, Brammer addresses readers directly, showing us the times he sought advice and the times he should have taken it."—LIBRARY JOURNAL
“Brammer’s talent as a storyteller lies in extracting profound meaning from seemingly minor events and feelings...¡Hola Papi! is a testament to turning past struggles and humiliations into fuel for a brighter future, and to owning your experiences by reframing the narrative and finding agency in the retelling.”—BOOKPAGE
“Consoler of the queer and lonely John Paul Brammer—a self-described 'Twitter-addled gay Mexican with anxiety'—expands upon his popular ¡Hola Papi! advice column, often hilarious and always heartfelt, spinning personal misadventures into invaluable life lessons.”—OPRAH MAGAZINE
“John Paul Brammer brings his trademark heart and wit to essays that reveal how he grew up queer and mixed-race in the American heartland, came out in a Walmart parking lot (he does not recommend it), and became the LGBTQ+ community's favorite advice columnist — the 'Chicano Carrie Bradshaw' of his generation.”—THE ADVOCATE (22 LGBTQ+ BOOKS YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED TO READ THIS YEAR)