A review by darshreads
Just by Looking at Him by Ryan O'Connell

dark funny lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

4.0

One of the reasons that I adore book clubs is that they introduce me to books that I would have never read on my own - a sort of exploration of my bookish palette, you might say. 
I don’t think I would have picked up or stuck with ‘Just by Looking at him’ had it not been for a pride book club that I ironically ended up not being able to go to BUT I did keep on reading this and found an immense amount of joy in it. 
'Just by looking at him’ is the story of a Hollywood screenwriter, Elliot, who’s dealing with a stale relationship with his boyfriend of nine years atop a shared alcohol addiction. Elliot has cerebral palsy as does the author and this informs the writing very well as we get to see how ableism really hampers Elliot’s life and relationships. 
Funnily enough, I noticed how different my queerness is from Elliot’s and ~it’s all so beautiful~ *wipes a tear* 
I found Elliot’s narrative hilarious and adored the relationship with his dad. I do wish the book had some more meat to it especially with regards to addiction but I do understand the creative choices that were made. 
I can also see why the criticism of ‘this is just about rich white people problems’ was levelled against the book but the book feels genuine and I would rather have an honest portrayal of someone’s life than not have it? Or worse, have them appropriate experiences that are not their own for the sake of it. Pain is pain and privilege is privilege. It can all exist in literature as it does in the world? I don’t know. 
In any case, I really enjoyed the book and I might check out the author’s show some time. Fin
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