Publishers Weekly
04/29/2024
In the bighearted and introspective latest from Moniz (Big Familia), a 30-something Latinx bisexual man puts his life back together in Northern California after his first baby is stillborn and his marriage falls apart. Efren “Chino” Flores, a high school biology teacher, returns from Seattle to his roots in San Francisco to recover from his grief. The narrative spans several years, beginning with Chino renting a sublet, reconnecting with friends, finding new lovers, and getting sober. He then spends a year in a Sonoma County cabin. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he forms a pod in Oakland with Metal Matt, who takes him to a nude beach for a bracing dip in the bay; Metal Matt’s girlfriend; and a mixed-race couple who offer food and hugs and dish on their secret OnlyFans account. He also reflects on the sexual encounters he’s had with men and women since separating from his wife and tries to find a way to love again despite the longing he feels for her. Moniz’s thoughtful narrative demonstrates the reparative power of friendship, and how it can even transcend the bonds of love. Readers will be entranced. Agent: Eleanor Jackson, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. (June)
From the Publisher
One of People's Best Books of June 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
"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
“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 is so tender and well-crafted that you almost don't notice how fiercely it challenges common depictions of male friendship. The novel explores the interiority of Efren "Chino" Flores and his ride-or-die, Metal Matt, who love each other and work hard to demonstrate that love con cariño and sin vergüenza.”—Michelle Cruz Gonzales, author The Spitboy Rule: Tales of a Xicana in a Female Punk Band
"Moniz's raw novel unfolds as a series of vignettes and escapades… As romantic relationships come together and sometimes fall apart, Chino's friends are a constant, holding a mirror to Chino’s life, supporting him, and helping shoulder the burden of his grief.”—Booklist
“Tomas Moniz’s All Friends are Necessary is a powerful love letter to friendship and community... It is a tender story that demonstrates how nature and friendships are integral parts of surviving in this difficult world. Moniz’s novel is the balm we all need. Don't walk, run to grab this gorgeous book.”—Cleyvis Natera, author of Neruda on the Park
“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
“Tomas Moniz returns with a beautiful, searching novel. All Friends Are Necessary combines the rugged tenderness of Denis Johnson, the poetic geographies of Jimmy Santiago Baca, the frank sexual desire of Garth Greenwell, and the playful joy of Sandra Cisneros into a novel equally heartbreaking and hopeful. This is one of the best books of the year.”—Christian Kiefer, author of The Heart of It All
“Moniz writes about friendship, community, and love—all the flavors of it one can experience in a lifetime—with the warmth of a big hug and a wealth of wisdom. More than a novel, All Friends Are Necessary is a manifesto on how to live more tenderly and authentically, how to open your heart and let life inside.”—Christopher Gonzalez, author of I’m Not Hungry but I Could Eat
Kirkus Reviews
2024-05-04
An intimate look into the bonds that rebuild us after tragedy.
Thirty-seven-year-old Efren “Chino” Flores has just moved to the San Francisco Bay Area from Seattle. In Seattle, Chino lived with his wife, Luna, and taught middle school biology. But when Luna got pregnant and then had a miscarriage, the grief ripped them apart. Now, Chino must navigate a new beginning, relying on the support of his closest friends, Metal Matt and Mike and Kay, along with the romantic and sexual partners—both men and women—that he meets. Often the borders between sexual and platonic are not clear—for Chino, friendship toes the line of eroticism. Spanning the years 2018 to 2022 and the Covid-19 pandemic, the book follows Chino as he moves from San Francisco up to Guerneville and then to Oakland, teaching after-school classes about local wildlife to middle schoolers and eventually starting his own nature-based educational institution. Interwoven in the plot are vignettes of his childhood, teachings on ferns and other native plants, and meditations on ever-changing and ever-present grief: “There is something about grief that holds on to you. Or maybe it’s you holding on to it. Like itching a scab, like stroking a scar. A reminder.” Chino’s voice is quirky and refreshingly frank: With a new lease on life, he’s exploring what he likes and doesn’t like, reflecting on the gifts and frustrations of friendship, sex, and loneliness. But there are moments in this story that feel thematically underdeveloped: At one point, Chino and his friends go to a spin class before heading out to protest a Nazi gathering; during the spin class, they all enthusiastically cheer “Fuck Nazis,” a scene that feels both out of touch and a little overwrought.
A thoughtful, tender, if somewhat earnest tribute to the joyful minutiae that sustain us.
