Author Name: Jaire Sims
Author Website: https://jairesims.com/getting-by/
Book Genre: Young Adult LGBTQ
Trigger Warnings: The book has multiple bullying scenes. The book also has a dream sequence that could be a triggering scene for victims of sexual assault due to the coercion element.
Author Bio:
Jaire Malik Sims was born and raised on the far southwest side of Chicago. Even at a young age, Jaire was not known for his talkative behavior. He was able to make casual friends in elementary school and high school, but he never succeeded in making those friendships close or intimate. Sims strived to get good grades and often made the Honor List in elementary school. He was a straight “A” student in high school and became class valedictorian. Although Sims excelled at grades in high school, his difficulty with socializing began to manifest as a teenager.
Due to his quiet nature and frequent experiences with social anxiety, Jaire was an easy target to teasing and bullying during his adolescence. His difficulties with socializing during his college years subsequently led him to see a clinical professional counselor and take a mental health assessment.
While twenty-one, and a junior in college, Jaire was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. A year later, he graduated from Monmouth College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies. Jaire has restricted interests, which makes it difficult for him to have and maintain casual conversations with people. He developed an interest in all things Disney in high school and still enjoys talking about his favorite Disney films and songs. Educators often told Sims that he had strong writing skills. This encouragement played a part in motivating him to write his first novel, Getting By.
His debut novel was named a finalist in the African American Fiction Category of the 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Jaire hopes his book will reach certain demographics who share commonalities with him and perhaps inspire them to write their own stories while taking inspirations from their life experiences.
Book Title: Getting By
Book link:
Book Synopsis:
Getting By is about a boy named Carver Goodman who struggles to understand his sexuality. While trying to balance homework, extracurricular activities, and the ACT, Carver has to deal with violent bullies at his school. While Carver tries to figure out his sexuality, he develops his first romantic relationship and gradually learns who is as he deals with the challenges in his life.
