Shampoo Unicorn

Very seldom have I thought, “I should have listened to the audiobook instead of reading this.” Shampoo Unicorn by Sawyer Lovett gave me exactly this feeling. Many of the chapters of this book were transcripts of podcasts and hearing them as such would have amplified both the story experience and emotional content of the episodes.

Brian, Greg, and Leslie’s lives are woven together via friendship (Brian and Greg) and a podcast (Brian and Leslie). All three of them are struggling to live with their sexuality, and the ramifications of the personal choice they have made to live out or closeted. The story is set in rural West Virginia and incorporates the magnified sense of isolation and fear that folks in the LGBTQ+ community may feel in such places.


Brian, Greg, and their friend Riley have known each other for years. Over time and choices, their friendship has morphed, events in the story cause it to shift yet again. Leslie, unknown to the others but tethered to them via the podcast, is struggling to make a decision on how to live as her authentic self. All the characters are well-fleshed out and multi-faceted and relate their story in their own voice. Getting into the head of the various characters adds so much depth to a story. In telling the story from multiple points of view, the author did a wonderful job of portraying a unique voice for each character, jumping from one to another with such ease I literally checked to see if the book was written by more than one person. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the author’s future work. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.