Waiting on a Friend

“A wildly inventive and moving novel that walks a tightrope of emotion with grace and humor . . . an astonishingly brilliant debut.”—Patrick Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of Buckeye

“A magical retelling of queer history, a celebration of NYC youth and friendship.”—Literary Hub, “Most Anticipated Books of 2026”

“Fresh and refreshing, both heartbreaking and uplifting . . . Natalie Adler has given us a gem.”—Rabih Alameddine, author of The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother), winner of the National Book Award

“A fun, sexy, heartbreaking, inventive whirl of a novel.”—Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful

“Quirky, queer, poignant, and funny, this book shines with spirit and hope.”—Julia Glass, author of Three Junes, winner of the National Book Award

“A perfect ghost story . . . beautiful, quietly radical, and so heartfelt it hurts.”—Gretchen Felker-Martin, author of Manhunt

“Adler gets the feeling of the time more right than almost any historical fiction I’ve read about the early-middle height of AIDS in NYC.”—Andrea Lawlor, author of Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl

“Natalie Adler is bringing one incarnation of the AIDS experience into the present where it all belongs. Someone is listening.”—Sarah Schulman, author of Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP

“[A book] everyone should be itching to read. Adler has her finger on the pulse of humanity, humor, and a damn good haunting plot.”—Debutiful

“A riveting debut by a writer of tremendous compassion and insight.”—Helen Phillips, author of The Need

“A breathtaking novel . . . I absolutely loved it and could not stop reading.”—Jiaming Tang, author of Cinema Love

“This book will linger long after the last page.”—Garrard Conley, author of Boy Erased

“Tender, funny, insightful . . . These characters and this world stayed in my heart long after I finished the book.”—Carter Sickels, author of The Prettiest Star

“At turns funny and wise, sexy and sad, paranormal and devastatingly real—this book made me feel more human.”—Molly McGhee, author of Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind

“By turns biting and generous, funny and devastating, Waiting on a Friend evokes friendship in all its complexity—its resentments, tender obsessions, marvelous intimacies, and supernatural power.”—Beth Morgan, author of A Touch of Jen

“Spellbinding . . . Adler’s debut is highly recommended for readers who enjoy vividly drawn literary fiction about the past.”—Library Journal, starred review

“[A] powerhouse debut . . . Adler’s intimate portrayal of the period is richly detailed, both in the grim atmosphere and the city’s life-affirming downtown arts community. This dazzles like a mirror ball.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review