Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - The Guncle

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The Guncle by Steven Rowley

57 reviews

stacy837's review

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Title: The Guncle
Author: Steven Rowley
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: May 25, 2021

T H R E E • W O R D S

Wise • Bittersweet • Comical

📖 S Y N O P S I S

In the wake of their mother's death, Maise and Grant was sent to live with their uncle Patrick aka GUP, while their father checks into a rehabilitation facility to deal with his addiction. Patrick has always loved spending time with his niece and nephew, but soon finds himself overwhelmed and not knowing what to expect.

What few people know is that Patrick has been barely hanging on in the years since his own partner's death. What lies ahead are not only some hilarious adventures, but a summer that will have a lasting impact and healing effects each of them.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Everyone needs Guncle rules! Although, Patrick (GUP) comes across extremely pretentious in the beginning, I think that was the whole point, and as the narrative progresses it reveals more as to why he has closed himself off from living. In this way, Rowley paints a portrait of grief, which feels validating all on its own. In the aftermath of my own partner's death, I experienced firsthand the power of children in the healing process, and this aspect of the novel tugged at my heartstrings.

At times heartwarming, at other times absolutely hilarious (the baby dog food story had me laughing out loud), I absolutely loved the themes of celebrating our authentic selves, and living without prejudice. The way GUP approaches allowing the children to make their own choices and not allow society to dictate what they should be was very well done.

Steven Rowley has developed a strong cast of characters. I probably related to Patrick the most from a grief perspective, yet I absolutely adored Maisie. I found myself just wanting to live with them and experience all of their adventures. The thruple next door was also a nice bonus.

My main issue is that there were several insensitivities to addiction, which were hard to over look from a personal standpoint. Otherwise, this was a solid feel-good novel that made me laugh and made me cry, a sign of a worthwhile read. I am definitely looking forward to whatever Steven Rowley publishes next.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• grievers (not early grief)
• bookclubs
• readers who enjoyed Akin by Emma Donoghue

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Grief orbits the heart. Some days the circle is greater. Those are the good days. You have room to move and dance and breathe. Some days the circle is tighter. Those are the hard ones."

"'I loved him and he died.'"

"'It feels sometimes like Joe, whom I loved very much, is being erased. He's just a smudge now on a chalkboard, smeared in an effort to get rid of him to make way for something new. And I hate that. So there are times I wished it hurt more, because it would mean the details of him would still be sharp. And then there are other days out here in the desert - especially if you go way out, to Joshua Tree or beyond - when you can see the Milky Way. A whole smudge of stars across the sky. And you think, there's still so much in that smudge. So many gleaming, beautiful things that you could never erase them all.'"

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just_one_more_paige's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was a summer release from last year that I found at a used bookstore and grabbed on a whim. I'm not always into this type of read, but every once in a while a good uplifting book is necessary. And as a last hurrah as summer turns to autumn, the time was right.

When Patrick's best friend, Sarah, dies after a battle with cancer and Sarah's husband (Patrick's brother) confesses that he struggles with addiction and wants to check into rehab, Patrick is saddled with his niece and nephew, Maisie and Grant, for the summer. As the two kids get settled in with Gay Uncle Patrick (or GUP), they work together to overcome grief both new (the loss of their mother) and old (Patrick's great love). And against his expectations, Patrick finds himself warming to the uniquities of the kids, as they, in turn, learn from his eccentricities.

Oh my heart. Oh the humanity. This book is like, exactly what a movie billed as “the feel good film of the year” would make you feel. It walks that perfect line of heart-warming family and healing vibes (the kind that make you cry happy tears), with the humor and sarcasm that are pure entertainment. I listened to the audiobook, which the author reads himself, and the tone was just right. I could not stop listening. Patrick's interactions with the kids, as the childless, single, well-off and kinda famous but a bit recluse-y, with some of those well-worm but loved gay stereotypes (unconventional clothing, drinks by the poolside, a love of old movies and theater, etc.) are so funny. His comfort in who he is, leaning into his outside the "norm" existence, allows for so much self-acceptance for his niece and nephew, especially Maisie, as she is beginning her journey through puberty/adolescence, that it was almost too wholesome to bear. But it's balanced nicely with Patrick's sarcasm and snark, his willingness to speak with them like they're mini adults, gives a level of validation to them that is deeply necessary as they heal. And the way that their presence re-opens Patrick's own heart, allowing him to find a way to accept his own losses, the ones he has been hiding away from the world and wallowing in for years, is beautiful.

There are some other aspects of the novel, like how well Patrick's adult relationships with his siblings is written, the budding romantic relationship that he finds after finally coming back out in society (as it were), and his first efforts in years to rekindle his acting career, now that there are reasons in his life again, that were also lovely. They added depth to the development of Patrick's character and the overall story that were necessary, that were a major part of what made it as great as it was. But they were also not as central as Grant and Maisie and Patrick as GUP, and so I will mention them briefly, but bring it back around at the end.

Honestly, this is one of those books that the journey of reading is, in itself, the prize. I don't need a long review to list it all, or many words of reflection on the plot or anything, because they will all just continue to highlight the heartbreakingly human way that grief and emotional processing happen, and how we cannot do it alone. I chuckled (so many times) and shed a few tears, and overall, I really recommend this "feel good" read the next time you're in the mood for one.

“Grief orbits the heart. Some days the circle is greater. Those are the good days. You have room to move and dance and breathe. Some days the circle is tighter. Those are the hard ones.”

“He had lived a life, and survived it.”

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therainbowshelf's review against another edition

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emotional funny sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book finds a good balance between over the top humor, parenthood, and grief. It was fun reading all the ways Pat tries to connect with the kids and fails, and watching him work through his grief. He does read like a gay type-character from a comedy movie, though, and I wish the kids got a little more characterization. We don't really see them deal with their grief and they feel like they stop being people when not on screen.

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lindsayhotrod's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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gabyisafreeelf's review against another edition

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emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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bookishaddictions's review

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challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I was really excited for this one, but I felt like it didn’t really sit right with me. I loved the idea of The Guncle, but I was underwhelmed in a few regards. I know, I’m in the minority here according to the Goodsread rating. While I loved Patrick’s relationship with the kids, I felt like we mainly got to know the Patrick he thought he should be rather than who he was hinted at really being. I also found the story to really emphasize stereotypes (of gay men, of poly relationships, and more). While there is nothing wrong with gay men that are stereotypically flamboyant, I didn’t care for the emphasis being placed on the more negatively viewed traits (selfishness, vanity, body image issues, etc.). At least half of the men I know consider themselves queer, and less than 10% of those men would be considered “flamboyant”. I could have got past this if we could see some of the deeper parts of Patrick or JED, but we only basically get to have those depths touched on as minimally as possible. Grant and Maisie’s characters are funny, and were quite reflective of many kids grieving experience; I just wish the whole story had the same authenticity 🤷🏼‍♀️

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mlindsay27's review

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2.75

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kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I felt like this book was a little overhyped. I thought it was cute and had some poignant moments which were very sweet. I found the main character to be a bit pretentious and his gayness was over-exaggerated to make the story more flamboyant and colorful. The character seemed more a caricature of what it means to be a gay, white man in Hollywood/Palm Springs and that felt like an uncomfortable juxtaposition against the visceral way grief and loss was described in this novel.

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readwithcaitlyn's review

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adventurous challenging emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

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