And They Lived...

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars | 333 ratings

Price: 23.99

Last update: 01-29-2025


About this item

Bloomsbury presents And They Lived . . . by Steven Salvatore, read by Kirt Graves.

From the author of Can’t Take That Away comes a sex-positive, fairytale-inspired YA novel that celebrates first love and self-acceptance, perfect for fans of What If It’s Us.

"My heart didn't stand a chance. I loved it from once upon a time all the way to its joyfully complex ever after." – New York Times bestselling author Becky Albertalli

"A jolt of lightning to my soul. The characters are so bright, the emotion is so vibrant, and the love is exquisitely electric." – Jason June, author of Jay's Gay Agenda

Chase Arthur is a budding animator and hopeless romantic obsessed with Disney films and finding his true love, but he’s plagued with the belief that he’s not enough for anyone: he’s recovering from an eating disorder and suffers from body dysmorphia fueled by his father, and can’t quite figure out his gender identity. When Chase starts his freshman year of college, he has to navigate being away from home and missing his sister, finding his squad, and contending with his ex-best friend Leila who is gunning for the same exclusive mentorship. If only he can pull together a short for the freshman animation showcase at the end of the semester.

Then Chase meets Jack Reid, a pragmatic poet who worships words and longs to experience life outside of his sheltered world. But Chase throws everything into question for Jack, who is still discovering his sexual identity, having grown up in close-knit conservative family. Jack internalized a lot of homophobia from his parents and childhood best friend, who unexpectedly visit campus, which threatens to destroy their relationship. Chase will have to learn to love—and be enough for—himself, while discovering what it means to truly live.


Top reviews from the United States

  • Jeff
    5.0 out of 5 stars I ???????????????????? this sooo much! I laughed and I ????????????????????!
    Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2023
    5 / 5 ⭐️'ˢ

    ··ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʟɪᴠᴇᴅ...·· ʙʏ Sᴛᴇᴠᴇɴ Sᴀʟᴠᴀᴛᴏʀᴇ

    I ???????????????????? this sooo much! I laughed and I ????????????????????!

    This is a beautifully written and heartfelt story that explores themes of self-discovery, acceptance, and love. The story follows Chase Arthur and Jack Reid who fall in love their freshman year in college. Chase is a hopeless romantic struggling with body dysmorphia and gender identity and Jack is trying to navigate the challenges of coming out to his family and friends.

    The writing is engaging and honest, capturing the emotions and struggles of Chase and Jack with sensitivity and authenticity. It skillfully weaves in themes of acceptance, forgiveness, and the importance of being true to oneself.

    Salvatore handles the sensitive topics of body dysmorphia and eating disorders with sensitivity and care. He does not shy away from depicting the realities of these conditions but also does not sensationalize or glorify them. Instead, he portrays them in a way that is authentic and relatable, giving readers a deeper understanding of what it's like to live with these challenges.

    You ???????????????? read this (or listen to the audiobook, which was amazingly done by Kirt Graves) and that’s all I have to say.
  • Dani
    5.0 out of 5 stars omg so good
    Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2023
    The characters are all so well developed with their own stories and challenges and complexities and the plot is so perfectly convoluted and messy and real.
  • Rocinante
    4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet and romantic but check CW!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2022
    I really enjoyed this emotional story of a gay kid just starting college, questioning his gender identity, falling in love, and struggling with self-acceptance in the face to his body dysmorphia. He was sweet and I liked his friends and the love interest. The love interest has his own struggles that cause some relationship problems, but I think it’s good to have books where kids make mistakes, make the wrong choices, but learn from them. There were a lot of very sweet and romantic moments that were just delightful. There is some lightly explicit sexual content so this book is probably best for older teens and young adults. Maybe 16+.

    Be aware that there is a ton of potentially triggering content, things do get a little dark and dramatic in the second half of the book. Refer to content warnings at the end of my review if you have triggers.

    My only real problem with this book is the way his school is written. In art school, everyone has to take several semesters of foundational art classes before getting into your major, but this school just has these kids, in their first semester freshman year, jump right into a super advanced class in their major. It’s a major part of the plot though so I just had to shrug and accept it. I can’t believe no one who read this before it was published had art school experience. It seems like a very easy thing to just ask someone who went to school for animation to take a look at your manuscript or at least ask them some questions about their art school experience.

    The main character has body dysmorphia and there is a lot of internalized fat phobia and he feels bad about his body a lot, but he does go to therapy and he’s in a better place mentally by the end of the book, so if you are looking for a book where the MC is fat and confident and it’s not a big deal, this is not that book.

    CW: Homophobia/slurs, threatened outing, fat phobia/slurs, body dysmorphia, graphic disordered eating/purging
  • PRG
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good reading!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2023
    I very much enjoyed this book by Mr Salvatore. It is well written and well proofread. The story of Chase is a story of self-discovery and self acceptance, the story of Jack is likewise a story of self-acceptance, but it is not as fully told. Chase is the focus. I recommend reading this book. Got a sequel planned, Mr Salvatore? I'd sure like more!
  • J. Rafalko
    5.0 out of 5 stars Just a really great story
    Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2022
    I really liked this book. The characters, their relationships. Jack's poems and Chase's roommates and friends. It was a really quick read and I hope to see more from this author in the future, maybe even a continuation of their stories.
  • Big Man
    3.0 out of 5 stars Kinda a slog
    Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2023
    It’s a good story but I feel like it has some stereotypes and I’m not sure if they are intentionally. The roommate to the main character acts very stereotypical gay energy which kinda becomes boring after a while
  • Hex
    5.0 out of 5 stars It broke me in the best of ways.
    Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2022
    I'm emotional over And They Lived…

    The feels got me something fierce; I laughed and cried so hard, it exhausted me.

    The characters are so relatable, as are their internal struggles. If you know, you know. It was both encouraging and uncomfortable to take this journey with them.

    You know a good book when it sparks such a strong visceral reaction.

    I look forward to seeing what Steven writes next.

    If only my queer self had a book like this when I was young… ????❤️
  • Norman C. Blanchette
    5.0 out of 5 stars Love Is Love
    Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2022
    I liked the up and down of their relationship. I also liked the support they experienced from so many people. The "Thunder and Lightning" story was very well woven into the main story and had the reader rooting for the characters throughout.

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