All Friends Are Necessary
A Novel
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All Friends Are Necessary
Narrated by:
Andrew Joseph Perez
Buy Now for $21.99
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Narrated by:
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Andrew Joseph Perez
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By:
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Tomas Moniz
About this listen
Efren “Chino” Flores has just moved back to the Bay Area from Seattle, jumping from sublet to sublet. In Washington, he was a beloved middle school biology teacher with a loving wife and a child on the way until a stunning loss changed his life. Now he’s working temp jobs and struggling to put himself back out into the world.
But there to nurture Chino is a coterie of new and old friends and lovers who form a protective web around him. Closest to him are Metal Matt, a red-haired metalhead with a soft spot for Courtney Love and a rangy dog named Sabbath, and Mike and Kay, a couple whose literary edge is matched only by the success of their secret OnlyFans account. As Chino begins to date more men and women—and to open himself up again to love—his bonds with other people grow both rich and profound. Like a fern blooming in the wake of a forest fire, new life comes after even the most devastating upheaval.
With gorgeous, heartrending detail and a seemingly infinite catalogue of tender, unexpected interactions, Tomas Moniz has created a striking mosaic of desire and belonging. An anthem to both queer and platonic love, All Friends Are Necessary evinces the wonder of friendship and the joy of giving yourself up to the essential force of community.
"Vibrant, alive, and absolutely devastating in its beauty, All Friends Are Necessary is like a late-night phone call with your best friend—exuberant, confessional, and above all, honest."—Chelsea Bieker, author of Godshot and Madwoman
Critic Reviews
One of People's Best Books of June
Most Anticipated Queer Adult Fiction by LGBTQ Reads
“Absolutely irresistible... unforgettably profound."—People Magazine
Most Anticipated Queer Adult Fiction by LGBTQ Reads
“Absolutely irresistible... unforgettably profound."—People Magazine
“Tender new beginnings are at the heart of Oakland author Tomas Moniz’s sophomore novel… When Efren “Chino” Flores suffers a devastating loss in Seattle, he moves back to the Bay Area and finds himself enmeshed in a group of old and new friends and lovers.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“Tender and open-hearted, sexy and messy and deeply human. I absolutely love this novel.”—Nina LaCour, author of Yerba Buena
“All Friends Are Necessary is playful, buoyant, subversive, observant, and rebellious… I adore this book… Even as Chino confronts his grief and faces everything he’s lost, the prose is edged in hopeful tones. It’s as if Moniz is writing to show each of us the way that things can still turn out okay.”—Bomb Magazine
"Vibrant, alive, and absolutely devastating in its beauty, All Friends Are Necessary is like a late-night phone call with your best friend—exuberant, confessional, and above all, honest. Cutting to the heart of grief in all its multitudes, one man finds his way back to a new version of self after deep loss. Sexy and subversive, I tore through this book, inhaling line after surprising line, feeling myself want to reach into the pages and be saved too."—Chelsea Bieker, author of Godshot and Madwoman
"Moniz connects to his characters in a consistently compassionate manner and brings each personality to life through their own separate fears and passions. It's a resonant and impressive sophomore effort from a Bay Area Latinx writer who continues to shine."—Bay Area Reporter
“Vivid and compelling, All Friends Are Necessary is a celebration of love in all its forms. In the wake of devastating losses and amid the isolation of the pandemic, Efren “Chino” Flores struggles for meaning and connection. In a pitch-perfect portrayal of the Bay Area and beyond, the indelible Flores welcomes us into his circle of friends. A tender, frank, and funny narrative.”—Vanessa Hua, author of Forbidden City
“Bighearted and introspective… Moniz’s thoughtful narrative demonstrates the reparative power of friendship, and how it can even transcend the bonds of love. Readers will be entranced.”—Publishers Weekly
"All Friends Are Necessary brings much needed tenderness, beauty, and hope into the world. This splendid and rejuvenating novel will make you feel so full and alive, held and comforted. Tomas Moniz has created joyous companions and a book to cherish for ages. I love these characters and will miss them endlessly."—Joseph Han, author of Nuclear Family
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