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Reviewed by Stephen Christopher for Readers' Favorite
Pete Chan is bored with his life in Brooklyn. His corporate job is dull, he’s had enough of his lazy boyfriend Toby, and his life is in a rut. Then he listens to the album Brat by Charli XCX and feels inspired. So he quits his job, dumps Toby, and crashes on his friend Johnny’s sofa. His job as a barista at a local coffee house goes well for him until he meets a male Karen. Infuriated by the customer’s behavior, Pete throws a coffee (don’t worry, it’s an iced one) into his face. Another customer has videoed the entire thing and uploaded it to TikTok. It goes viral, and Pete is nicknamed the ‘Bratrista.’ After a slanging match with another user gets out of hand, Pete travels to Chicago to deal with this person face-to-face. The meeting doesn’t go well, and Pete arrives home to find the police waiting for him. His ex-boyfriend has been murdered, and he’s the number one suspect. The only person who can confirm his alibi is the person he has just fought with in Chicago. Can Pete convince the police he’s innocent and find out who really killed Toby? Read The Innocent Memoir of Being a Brat by Aaron Wang to find out.
Gay fiction excels when the author can get right to the heart of what it’s like to be a modern gay man. Aaron Wang nails it. The emotions, the intentions, the decisions, they’re legitimately what a gay man would do, well, with a few exceptions — you’ll know what I mean when you read the book. I love how flawed Pete is, and despite his terrible choices, you have to feel sorry for him and even take his side. This book had me giggling hysterically one minute and gasping with shock the next. The clever narration style has me keen to read more from him. The Innocent Memoir of Being a Brat will suit gay guys the most, but anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery will find this entertaining.
