A “hilarious, tender, raw, and heart-stoppingly moving” (Amanda Eyre Ward) debut about a down-on-his-luck gay man working out how he fits into the world, making up for lost time, and opening himself up to life’s possibilities
“Fry brings a refreshing voice to the queer coming-of-age novel with characters whose stories don’t revolve around trauma. Instead, everyday experiences are portrayed with drama and delight.”—The Washington Post (New & Noteworthy)
Danny Scudd is absolutely fine. He always dreamed of escaping the small-town life of his parents’ fish-and-chip shop, moving to London, and becoming a journalist. And, after five years in the city, his career isn’t exactly awful, and his relationship with pretentious Tobbs isn’t exactly unfulfilling. Certainly his limited-edition Dolly Parton vinyls and many (maybe too many) house plants are hitting the spot. But his world is flipped upside down when a visit to the local clinic reveals that Tobbs might not have been exactly faithful. In fact, Tobbs claims they were never operating under the “heteronormative paradigm” of monogamy to begin with. Oh, and Danny’s flatmates are unceremoniously evicting him because they want to start a family. It’s all going quite well.
Newly single and with nowhere to live, Danny is forced to move in with his best friend, Jacob, a flamboyant nonbinary artist whom he’s known since childhood, and their eccentric group of friends living in an East London “commune.” What follows is a colorful voyage of discovery through modern queer life, dating, work, and lots of therapy—all places Danny has always been too afraid to fully explore. Upon realizing just how little he knows about himself and his sexuality, he careens from one questionable decision (and man) to another, relying on his inscrutable new therapist and housemates to help him face the demons he’s spent his entire life trying to repress. Is he really fine, after all?
Genre: General Fiction
“Fry brings a refreshing voice to the queer coming-of-age novel with characters whose stories don’t revolve around trauma. Instead, everyday experiences are portrayed with drama and delight.”—The Washington Post (New & Noteworthy)
Danny Scudd is absolutely fine. He always dreamed of escaping the small-town life of his parents’ fish-and-chip shop, moving to London, and becoming a journalist. And, after five years in the city, his career isn’t exactly awful, and his relationship with pretentious Tobbs isn’t exactly unfulfilling. Certainly his limited-edition Dolly Parton vinyls and many (maybe too many) house plants are hitting the spot. But his world is flipped upside down when a visit to the local clinic reveals that Tobbs might not have been exactly faithful. In fact, Tobbs claims they were never operating under the “heteronormative paradigm” of monogamy to begin with. Oh, and Danny’s flatmates are unceremoniously evicting him because they want to start a family. It’s all going quite well.
Newly single and with nowhere to live, Danny is forced to move in with his best friend, Jacob, a flamboyant nonbinary artist whom he’s known since childhood, and their eccentric group of friends living in an East London “commune.” What follows is a colorful voyage of discovery through modern queer life, dating, work, and lots of therapy—all places Danny has always been too afraid to fully explore. Upon realizing just how little he knows about himself and his sexuality, he careens from one questionable decision (and man) to another, relying on his inscrutable new therapist and housemates to help him face the demons he’s spent his entire life trying to repress. Is he really fine, after all?
Genre: General Fiction
Praise for this book
"Funny, touching, and fabulous . . . a little slice of queer joy." - Julie Cohen
"I can't believe First Time for Everything is a debut novel - Henry Fry's voice is just that assured on the page. With Danny Scudd, he's given us a character that will have you rolling on the floor with laughter, right up until the moment where he breaks your heart. This is a book for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider - for all of us who have gone through the joyful, excruciating, and necessary journey of discovering the people we were always meant to be." - Grant Ginder
"A hilarious and heartfelt coming-of-queer novel about Danny Scudd, an anxiety-riddled gay man in his late twenties who's trying to learn how to shed the mask he donned for straight society . . . Reading this book felt like hanging out with one of my queer besties. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who's ever felt like they didn't belong." - Celia Laskey
"I love that this book exists! The characters were so real to me that I'm still thinking about them (and wishing we were friends). . . . A very relatable journey of self-discovery." - Radhika Sanghani
"First Time for Everything is a wild novel about rage and joy. Danny Scudd is a young Londoner trying to discern between his persona and his truth. His journey is hilarious, tender, raw, and heart-stoppingly moving. I adored this powerful, wonderful book." - Amanda Eyre Ward
"I can't believe First Time for Everything is a debut novel - Henry Fry's voice is just that assured on the page. With Danny Scudd, he's given us a character that will have you rolling on the floor with laughter, right up until the moment where he breaks your heart. This is a book for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider - for all of us who have gone through the joyful, excruciating, and necessary journey of discovering the people we were always meant to be." - Grant Ginder
"A hilarious and heartfelt coming-of-queer novel about Danny Scudd, an anxiety-riddled gay man in his late twenties who's trying to learn how to shed the mask he donned for straight society . . . Reading this book felt like hanging out with one of my queer besties. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who's ever felt like they didn't belong." - Celia Laskey
"I love that this book exists! The characters were so real to me that I'm still thinking about them (and wishing we were friends). . . . A very relatable journey of self-discovery." - Radhika Sanghani
"First Time for Everything is a wild novel about rage and joy. Danny Scudd is a young Londoner trying to discern between his persona and his truth. His journey is hilarious, tender, raw, and heart-stoppingly moving. I adored this powerful, wonderful book." - Amanda Eyre Ward
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