"If
Sketchtasy doesn't become a classic, we are doomed. Mattilda has such complete command of craft here that she is able to evoke experience rather than simply describe it. Whether or not we identify with her characters, she lets us into their hearts and perceptions through sheer talent, raw honesty, and the sophisticated ability to handle word order, duration, pacing, and soul. The form of this novel is determined organically from the emotions at their core. A lesson in how to write, how to remember, how to grapple with history." –Sarah Schulman, author of
Conflict Is Not Abuse "I thought it was impossible that Sycamore could get any better, but
Sketchtasy is a vivid masterpiece that rivals the likes of
Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby Jr. It's dangerous, hilarious, scary, and trancendentally beautiful. Sycamore's prose is so searing, you might want to read it with sunglasses." –Jake Shears, singer, author of
Boys Keep Swinging "Every sentence in
Sketchtasy is a living thing, fierce and funny and a little bit dangerous–a voice made of coke dust and club lights, cut with crackling insight. I was completely addicted to the story of Alexa's search for connection, set in the gritty Boston nightclub scene in the 90s. Nobody writes like Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore–most writers wouldn't dare try." –Julie Buntin, author of
Marlena "Reading
Sketchtasy is like a night of stealing other people's drinks, or a much-needed slap to the face, or a little of both. Bold, glittering, wise, fun, the novel as found poem alive in the mouth of this truth-telling queen, making her way through a wasteland of other people's lies (and a few of her own), and looking for something near paradise. Follow her and live." –Alexander Chee, author of
The Queen of the Night "
Sketchtasy is a breakneck spree through a cultural moment, scratching off the patina of nostalgia to show how urgently relevant it still is. If you've heard her read, you know Sycamore's voice is one in a zillion. She's at her very best here." –
Shelf Awareness Sketchtasy is a powerful firecracker of a novel; it's not just one of the best books of the year, it's an instant classic of queer literature." –NPR ("Best Books of 2018")
"If there's any justice in this world,
Sketchtasy will become the definitive novel of life in Boston ... It slyly trades 1990s nostalgia for a queer narrative that is mesmerizing and heartbreaking all at once." –
The Millions "Descending into Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore's writing is like diving into a lake and submerging yourself into a more authentically emotional world ...
Sketchtasy unveils like a spiraling phone message from someone you love, moving at the timeless pace of a high you keep rolling through to prevent crashing." –
BOMB Magazine
