★ 2023-08-11
A young pianist seeks to understand himself while trying to gain a foothold in high society.
Seventeen-year-old Léon Delafosse is a piano prodigy, but he lacks the connections and know-how to find a patron and climb the social ladder in belle epoque Paris. Luckily—or, perhaps, unluckily—he meets the charismatic writer Marcel Proust, who introduces him to the fickle young Count Robert de Montesquiou. Robert could become his patron—and maybe more—if Léon plays his cards right, but Robert’s patronage comes with more perils than Léon expected. As Léon attempts to learn the social games of the upper classes, he also struggles with his attraction to other boys and what that means for his life and career. As related in the author’s note, the novel is based on the life of the real Léon Delafosse, a French pianist and composer who is largely unknown outside his wistful portrait by John Singer Sargent and his unfavorable fictionalized appearance in Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past. With these details and Delafosse’s and Proust’s letters as research material, the author creates an intimate, sensitive, gay coming-of-age story. Each description paints a sensual image of Léon’s world, from the rural idyll of his childhood home to his cramped Parisian apartment and Robert’s sumptuous town house. Knowledge of the era is not necessary to enjoy Léon’s story, but readers who do have that context will find even more to appreciate.
Beautifully realized and a pleasure to read. (Historical fiction. 13-18)
Charming Young Man is a gorgeous exploration of artistic talent and envy, wealth and power, art and desire wrapped up in a delicious, page-turner of a plot. I absolutely loved it.” — Nina LaCour, author of Michael L. Printz Award–winner We Are Okay
“Decipher a page of musical notation and you might uncover a memorable melody. Eavesdrop in a Parisian belle-epoque salon and you could bump into Proust. Pick up Eliot Schrefer’s Charming Young Man and you are likely to become charmed yourself. This novel is brash and captivating, filled with evocative twists of plot and language, haunting to the ear. I devoured it.” — Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked
"Famed historical figures and glittering parties are aplenty, but most endearing is the novel's immense empathy for its characters as they navigate the impossibility of queerness in high society spaces." — Entertainment Weekly
“The author creates an intimate, sensitive, gay coming-of-age story. Beautifully realized and a pleasure to read.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Schrefer masterfully portrays Léon’s inner world, full of self-doubt and desperation (alongside dreamy moments at the piano), within a suspenseful story of high personal stakes.” — Booklist (starred review)
“Schrefer immerses readers in the beautiful worlds of Belle Epoque Paris and rural France with detail that enhances the narrative. Teens will be seduced and captivated by the depictions of Paris high society, while also connecting with the heart of the plot: Leon finding his place in the world where he feels like an outsider. An enjoyable and easy-to-read coming-of-age story set in the past but relevant to the present.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“Schrefer’s Léon Delafosse, who is based on the real French pianist of the same name, is not only likable, but sensitive and resilient, and his perseverance amid dramatic ups and downs on his path toward happiness is engaging.” — Publishers Weekly
PRAISE FOR DARKNESS OUTSIDE US: "Schrefer masterfully evokes and maintains suspense that keeps the pages turning briskly while still taking the time to limn the two boys’ touching, moving relationship. If all of this is space opera, readers will want an encore. Bravo." — Booklist (starred review)
"3, 2, 1…blastoff for mystery, adventure, and queer intergalactic bodice-ripping." — Kirkus Reviews
"[A] sexy space odyssey. Schrefer’s immersive novel combines the build of mysteries and the tension of romance, slowly unfurling an iterative story about love and attraction, destiny, and connection. " — Publishers Weekly
"Schrefer does an excellent job of developing and humanizing his characters before throwing them into the swift waters of a sci-fi plot with its truly shocking and satisfying twist. Readers are sure to root for these lovable characters’ survival." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"This deep-space survival story, with a strong gay romance and notes of horror, will appeal to fans of Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff’s Illuminae." — School Library Journal
"Yes, The Darkness Outside Us is utterly inventive and relentlessly page-turning. And yes, Ambrose and Kodiak are seriously the hottest couple in space. But even more, this is an insightful, tender, and profound story, about the weight of history, and the power of transformation and true love." — Deb Caletti, National Book Award finalist and author of A Heart in a Body in the World
“Fiercely imaginative and desperately real, The Darkness Outside Us explores the wild expanses of the human heart. This book is a triumph.” — Elana K. Arnold, author of Damsel, a Printz Honor Book
"The Darkness Outside Us is equal parts terrifying, tender, and thrilling. I loved every word of this sharp, thoughtful look at the world we live in and the ones beyond." — Brandy Colbert, award-winning author of Little & Lion
Absolutely brilliant. The Darkness Outside Us is a pulse-pounding thriller, engrossing science fiction epic, and heartfelt meditation on love all at once.” — Malinda Lo, Author of Ash
