''I want to be one of the pretty people'', laments Levi Thomas, a 24-year-old, gay, autistic student living in Brighton, England, as he is frustrated with the constant rejection of other gay men due to his appearance and mannerisms, as well as rejection from employers and his contemptuous housemate, Paulina. To cope, Levi escapes into his own world through the power of music and pop-culture references. In Levi's own, exclusive world, life is a celebration marked by an acerbic wit as he yearns to feel like a majestic dolphin, as opposed to a goblin shark.
It is one day on Brighton's nudist beach through a chance encounter with a Syrian refugee, Hassan, that Levi's fantasy and reality collide. Infatuated, Levi lusts after Hassan but, at the same time, forms a newfound friendship with a caustic yet matriarchal drag queen, Moira Lee Bankrupt, who introduces Levi to the camp sensibility of Brighton's drag scene, and builds the foundation for Levi to reveal himself through a sequinned and corseted alter-ego, Havana Meltdown. It is through this series of events that Levi begins to reclaim his own identity and prevails in the face of obstacles which life throws at him.
Jack Brien's comical and wildly salacious debut novel is an insightful, semi-autobiographical meditation on neurodiverse, LGBTQ identities - blending humour with poignant reflections on one's own struggles and triumphs. 'Swimming to the Buoys' is a compelling, bawdy book that intends to illustrate the intersection of neurodivergence, identity and sexuality through the unique lens of an autistic, gay man, celebrating strength and humour as Levi embarks upon his journey of self-acceptance.
