Here For It — described by The Advocate as "one of the funniest books of the year" — returns with Kings of B'more, a new, joyfully queer celebration of friendship."I think the way that a lot of us learn about love is by loving our friends," Thomas says, "And for queer people, I think that has been the lifeline for a lot of us.
Family of choice is a huge component of queer life. Family of choice starts with finding one person who is your friend and your introduction to a larger scene or a larger way of understanding yourself." Kings of B'more follows two Black, queer 16-year-olds who have to figure out what their friendship will look like when one of them breaks the news that he's suddenly moving out of state.
They inexplicably forged this intense, life-affirming bond and now their families are going to screw it up all up. The book follows the two as they have one final, magical adventure together.It's a heartwarming, hilarious story, a reminder to hold your friends just as close as you do your lovers.
R. Eric Thomas joins the LGBTQ&A podcast to talk about the life-changing power of queer friendships, chosen family, and his new YA book, Kings of B'more. You can listen to the interview on Apple Podcasts and read excerpts below.Jeffrey Masters: The love story at the heart of the book is between two friends.