An impeccable rendering of modern queer life, Hard Place is a closely-held mirror to the tenderness and brutality of what it means to be young, gay and trying today in all its unflinching, and sometimes unflattering, glory. Torr is a new champion of the form. Rebecca K Reilly, author of Greta and Valdin
Ruthless yet tender, funny yet devastating, with language sharp enough to cut. An essential read for our times. Amy Twigg, author of Spoilt Creatures
A triumph of contemporary queer satire. Jodie Matthews, author of Meet Me at the Surface
'Brutal, nuanced, compassionate and critical all at once, Hard Place shows the messy, human hypocrisy of existing in the current moment but it also shows the necessity of creating imperfect connections and allowing ourselves to both change and be changed. Funny, heartwarming and socially aware all at once, it signals the arrival of a major new talent' Heather Parry, author of Carrion Crow
Hard Place is a stunning debut, a beautifully observed, darkly funny exploration of modern relationships and London life. So savage and so tender, it marks Gab Torr as one of the brightest new talents in British writing' Tom Newlands, author of Only Here, Only Now
Everyone's healing. No-one's happy.
For years, Billys decisions have been made for her by long-term girlfriend Rose, leaving her free not to think for or about herself. But when they break up and Billy is left without anywhere to live, shes forced to take up an unappealing but affordable SpareRoom ad. Her new flatmates, Sid and Rhoda, are the kinds of people who talk very seriously about taking accountability, adhering to the flats community guidelines and holding space for one another. Meals are communal by force, polyamory is assumed, and whatever the problem, capitalisms usually to blame. Yes, Rhodas parents own the flat, but that doesnt matter: theyre unapologetically political and loudly queer, and slowly Billy becomes enmeshed in their radical, vulnerable world. But as Billys past starts to catch up with her, and all of their boundaries begin to crumble, each of them must reckon with what they truly stand for and what theyll sacrifice to hold onto it.
Hard Place is a many-layered feast of a novel biting, witty and unexpectedly tender at the same time. I hugely enjoyed it! Hannah Beer, author of I Make My Own Fun
