All Friends Are Necessary
- Author Tomas Moniz
- Narrator Andrew Joseph Perez
- Publisher Hachette Audio
- Publish Date 11 June 2024
- Run Time 6 hours and 52 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Family life fiction, Fiction: general and literary.
This book is not purchasable in your country. Please select another book.
Flexible Pricing & Rewards For Listening
At xigxag, the more you read, the less you pay* on select audiobook and x-book® titles, as in the table below. Pricing updates automatically in the app and resets one year after your first purchase. And you can always find a selection of brilliant titles available for only £3.99.
Titles Purchased
- 1-5
- 6-10
- 11-15
- 16-20
- Over 20
Price per title
- £8.99
- £7.99
- £6.99
- £5.99
- £4.99
*Only the full price titles you buy count toward your personal pricing tier. Full price titles don’t include Listen for Less or other books bought with a voucher or discount code.
Listen to a sample
What to expect
In this “tender and open-hearted novel," (Nina LaCour, author of Yerba Buena) Tomas Moniz—a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway and Lambda Literary awards—delivers a commanding new story about the power of friendship, community, and the families we create for ourselves.
Efren “Chino” Flores has just moved back to the Bay Area from Seattle, jumping from sublet to sublet. In Washington, he was a beloved middle school biology teacher with a loving wife and a child on the way until a stunning loss changed his life. Now he’s working temp jobs and struggling to put himself back out into the world.
But there to nurture Chino is a coterie of new and old friends and lovers who form a protective web around him. Closest to him are Metal Matt, a red-haired metalhead with a soft spot for Courtney Love and a rangy dog named Sabbath, and Mike and Kay, a couple whose literary edge is matched only by the success of their secret OnlyFans account. As Chino begins to date more men and women—and to open himself up again to love—his bonds with other people grow both rich and profound. Like a fern blooming in the wake of a forest fire, new life comes after even the most devastating upheaval.
With gorgeous, heartrending detail and a seemingly infinite catalogue of tender, unexpected interactions, Tomas Moniz has created a striking mosaic of desire and belonging. An anthem to both queer and platonic love, All Friends Are Necessary evinces the wonder of friendship and the joy of giving yourself up to the essential force of community.
"Vibrant, alive, and absolutely devastating in its beauty, All Friends Are Necessary is like a late-night phone call with your best friend—exuberant, confessional, and above all, honest."—Chelsea Bieker, author of Godshot and Madwoman
Efren “Chino” Flores has just moved back to the Bay Area from Seattle, jumping from sublet to sublet. In Washington, he was a beloved middle school biology teacher with a loving wife and a child on the way until a stunning loss changed his life. Now he’s working temp jobs and struggling to put himself back out into the world.
But there to nurture Chino is a coterie of new and old friends and lovers who form a protective web around him. Closest to him are Metal Matt, a red-haired metalhead with a soft spot for Courtney Love and a rangy dog named Sabbath, and Mike and Kay, a couple whose literary edge is matched only by the success of their secret OnlyFans account. As Chino begins to date more men and women—and to open himself up again to love—his bonds with other people grow both rich and profound. Like a fern blooming in the wake of a forest fire, new life comes after even the most devastating upheaval.
With gorgeous, heartrending detail and a seemingly infinite catalogue of tender, unexpected interactions, Tomas Moniz has created a striking mosaic of desire and belonging. An anthem to both queer and platonic love, All Friends Are Necessary evinces the wonder of friendship and the joy of giving yourself up to the essential force of community.
"Vibrant, alive, and absolutely devastating in its beauty, All Friends Are Necessary is like a late-night phone call with your best friend—exuberant, confessional, and above all, honest."—Chelsea Bieker, author of Godshot and Madwoman
Critics Review
One of People's Best Books of June
Most Anticipated Queer Adult Fiction by LGBTQ Reads
“Absolutely irresistible... unforgettably profound."—People Magazine
Most Anticipated Queer Adult Fiction by LGBTQ Reads
“Absolutely irresistible... unforgettably profound."—People Magazine
“Tender new beginnings are at the heart of Oakland author Tomas Moniz’s sophomore novel… When Efren “Chino” Flores suffers a devastating loss in Seattle, he moves back to the Bay Area and finds himself enmeshed in a group of old and new friends and lovers.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“Tender and open-hearted, sexy and messy and deeply human. I absolutely love this novel.”—Nina LaCour, author of Yerba Buena
“All Friends Are Necessary is playful, buoyant, subversive, observant, and rebellious… I adore this book… Even as Chino confronts his grief and faces everything he’s lost, the prose is edged in hopeful tones. It’s as if Moniz is writing to show each of us the way that things can still turn out okay.”—Bomb Magazine
"Vibrant, alive, and absolutely devastating in its beauty, All Friends Are Necessary is like a late-night phone call with your best friend—exuberant, confessional, and above all, honest. Cutting to the heart of grief in all its multitudes, one man finds his way back to a new version of self after deep loss. Sexy and subversive, I tore through this book, inhaling line after surprising line, feeling myself want to reach into the pages and be saved too."—Chelsea Bieker, author of Godshot and Madwoman
"Moniz connects to his characters in a consistently compassionate manner and brings each personality to life through their own separate fears and passions. It's a resonant and impressive sophomore effort from a Bay Area Latinx writer who continues to shine."—Bay Area Reporter
“Vivid and compelling, All Friends Are Necessary is a celebration of love in all its forms. In the wake of devastating losses and amid the isolation of the pandemic, Efren “Chino” Flores struggles for meaning and connection. In a pitch-perfect portrayal of the Bay Area and beyond, the indelible Flores welcomes us into his circle of friends. A tender, frank, and funny narrative.”—Vanessa Hua, author of Forbidden City
“Bighearted and introspective… Moniz’s thoughtful narrative demonstrates the reparative power of friendship, and how it can even transcend the bonds of love. Readers will be entranced.”—Publishers Weekly
"All Friends Are Necessary brings much needed tenderness, beauty, and hope into the world. This splendid and rejuvenating novel will make you feel so full and alive, held and comforted. Tomas Moniz has created joyous companions and a book to cherish for ages. I love these characters and will miss them endlessly."—Joseph Han, author of Nuclear Family
“Tomas Moniz’s All Friends are Necessary is a powerful love letter to friendship and community... It is a tender story that demonstrates how nature and friendships are integral parts of surviving in this difficult world. Moniz’s novel is the balm we all need. Don't walk, run to grab this gorgeous book.”—Cleyvis Natera, author of Neruda on the Park
“All Friends Are Necessary is so tender and well-crafted that you almost don't notice how fiercely it challenges common depictions of male friendship. The novel explores the interiority of Efren "Chino" Flores and his ride-or-die, Metal Matt, who love each other and work hard to demonstrate that love con cariño and sin vergüenza.”—Michelle Cruz Gonzales, author The Spitboy Rule: Tales of a Xicana in a Female Punk Band
“Tomas Moniz returns with a beautiful, searching novel. All Friends Are Necessary combines the rugged tenderness of Denis Johnson, the poetic geographies of Jimmy Santiago Baca, the frank sexual desire of Garth Greenwell, and the playful joy of Sandra Cisneros into a novel equally heartbreaking and hopeful. This is one of the best books of the year.”—Christian Kiefer, author of The Heart of It All
“Moniz writes about friendship, community, and love—all the flavors of it one can experience in a lifetime—with the warmth of a big hug and a wealth of wisdom. More than a novel, All Friends Are Necessary is a manifesto on how to live more tenderly and authentically, how to open your heart and let life inside.”—Christopher Gonzalez, author of I’m Not Hungry but I Could Eat
| Author | Tomas Moniz |
|---|---|
| Narrator | Andrew Joseph Perez |
| Duration | 6 hours and 52 minutes |
| Release Date | |
| ISBN | 9781668639030 |
| Format | Audiobook |
| Publisher | Hachette Audio |
| Genre | Family life fiction, Fiction: general and literary |
| Availability | US |
More from the same
About xigxag
Experience the best audiobooks with xigxag, an innovative and user-friendly audiobook platform designed for seamless discovery, purchase, and enjoyment of your favorite titles. Our flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less, providing affordable prices and the best audiobook deals without requiring a subscription. Perfect for gifting, xigxag also features convenient audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.
Beyond the listening experience, xigxag stands as an exciting alternative to big tech, embodying a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. As the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, we ensure a guilt-free listening experience from a leader in audiobook innovation.
Effortlessly search audiobooks, access honest audiobook reviews that evaluate both the content and narration, and easily discover hidden gems. Whether you prefer to download or stream top audiobook titles, xigxag provides the best possible listening experience anytime, anywhere, on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Discover the future of audiobooks today.