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A Place for Us: A Memoir
From one of the most vital and passionate LGBTQ+ activists comes a powerful memoir about self-discovery, community, love, and resilience in the face of adversity.
You never forget your first. First kiss. First love. First heartache. They all burrow their way into your subconscious, destined to reshape how you see the world forever.
Growing up in rural Oregon, Brandon Wolf grappled with the devastating loss of his supportive mother and with the embedded racism and homophobia of a community that made him feel like an unwelcome stranger. After the lack of connection and role models led him down a spiral of risky behavior, Wolf escaped to survive. In Orlando, he found what he’d been searching for: belonging—in a community that was a safe space with people he’d come to call his chosen family. They taught Wolf how to love, and be loved, unconditionally. Then, on June 12, 2016, in an exhilarating refuge where Wolf and hundreds of others had discovered a liberating new normal, they were suddenly challenged with fighting for a way out—in order to survive. Overnight, everything was ripped away by chaos, panic, and fear. But the unimaginable tragedy also gave Wolf a new power: purpose.
In this unforgettable coming-of-age memoir, Wolf shares his transformative journey from young outsider to galvanizing activist. Marshaling the compassion and strength of a community, Wolf explores how to get through the darkest times with healing, hope, and resistance. “With our backs against the wall,” he writes, “we find a way out together.”
You never forget your first. First kiss. First love. First heartache. They all burrow their way into your subconscious, destined to reshape how you see the world forever.
Growing up in rural Oregon, Brandon Wolf grappled with the devastating loss of his supportive mother and with the embedded racism and homophobia of a community that made him feel like an unwelcome stranger. After the lack of connection and role models led him down a spiral of risky behavior, Wolf escaped to survive. In Orlando, he found what he’d been searching for: belonging—in a community that was a safe space with people he’d come to call his chosen family. They taught Wolf how to love, and be loved, unconditionally. Then, on June 12, 2016, in an exhilarating refuge where Wolf and hundreds of others had discovered a liberating new normal, they were suddenly challenged with fighting for a way out—in order to survive. Overnight, everything was ripped away by chaos, panic, and fear. But the unimaginable tragedy also gave Wolf a new power: purpose.
In this unforgettable coming-of-age memoir, Wolf shares his transformative journey from young outsider to galvanizing activist. Marshaling the compassion and strength of a community, Wolf explores how to get through the darkest times with healing, hope, and resistance. “With our backs against the wall,” he writes, “we find a way out together.”
222 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 6, 2023
868 people are currently reading
6707 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 271 reviews
June 8, 2023
A Place For Us was the most perfect, heart-wrenching, first read for Pride Month.
Imagine finding your safe-place? Where you, for the first time, now have a sense of community and found family? Just to have it all ripped away from you after one night that was filled with tragedy and loss?
That’s what happened to Brandon J. Wolf and his friends. The night in question was June 12th, 2016. The location; Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
Brandon’s life growing up in rural Oregon was difficult. He was surrounded by embedded racism and homophobia, he didn’t feel like he belonged there at all.
Then had to deal with the devastating loss of his beloved Mother.
He started to spiral out of control, so he moved to Florida for a fresh start. To begin again and to survive.
Orlando brought him everything he wanted and needed out of life. A tight knit community of people just like himself - openly and freely themselves. Suddenly it didn’t matter about the colour of his skin or his sexuality, he wasn’t cruelly made to feel like they were holding him back and making him an outsider. He belonged! Everybody deserves to feel this in their lives.
He fell in love with a guy called Drew. They figured out over time that it wasn’t a romantic kind of love they felt, it was a truly platonic but soul-mate best friendship. Drew and Brandon supported each other and made each other better.
They went out to Pulse nightclub that one June night, like many other nights before, to dance the night away surrounded by their type of people. They were with their significant others, Drew with Juan and Brandon with Eric. Brandon and Eric went to the toilets and as they were chatting, their life as they knew was about to change in a big way…
bang, bang bang
What was that noise? Something going wrong with the sound system…? Then it dawned on them. Gunshots. In a place that felt like home. It was being invaded and now they have to fight to make it out of there. To survive. How is this fair?
Brandon and Eric managed to make it outside, but as the fresh air hit them and they ran away from the scene of carnage, they realised something truly heartbreaking… Drew and Juan were still inside.
This is one of the most moving, powerful and important memoirs I’ve ever read. So glad I chose it as my Amazon First Reads book for June.
Mass shootings in America are an epidemic, so many young people are needlessly losing their lives. I implore you all to give Brandon’s story a read. It’s about finding the strength to carry on after unimaginable pain and loss.
”Drew and Juan didn't just matter because of the brutal way they were murdered; they mattered because of the beautiful ways they had lived. The love they had shared with us- -and for each other--was worth shouting out loud. The community they had created, for anyone lucky enough to know them, was worth memorializing.”
🏳️🌈❤️
Imagine finding your safe-place? Where you, for the first time, now have a sense of community and found family? Just to have it all ripped away from you after one night that was filled with tragedy and loss?
That’s what happened to Brandon J. Wolf and his friends. The night in question was June 12th, 2016. The location; Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
Brandon’s life growing up in rural Oregon was difficult. He was surrounded by embedded racism and homophobia, he didn’t feel like he belonged there at all.
Then had to deal with the devastating loss of his beloved Mother.
He started to spiral out of control, so he moved to Florida for a fresh start. To begin again and to survive.
Orlando brought him everything he wanted and needed out of life. A tight knit community of people just like himself - openly and freely themselves. Suddenly it didn’t matter about the colour of his skin or his sexuality, he wasn’t cruelly made to feel like they were holding him back and making him an outsider. He belonged! Everybody deserves to feel this in their lives.
He fell in love with a guy called Drew. They figured out over time that it wasn’t a romantic kind of love they felt, it was a truly platonic but soul-mate best friendship. Drew and Brandon supported each other and made each other better.
They went out to Pulse nightclub that one June night, like many other nights before, to dance the night away surrounded by their type of people. They were with their significant others, Drew with Juan and Brandon with Eric. Brandon and Eric went to the toilets and as they were chatting, their life as they knew was about to change in a big way…
bang, bang bang
What was that noise? Something going wrong with the sound system…? Then it dawned on them. Gunshots. In a place that felt like home. It was being invaded and now they have to fight to make it out of there. To survive. How is this fair?
Brandon and Eric managed to make it outside, but as the fresh air hit them and they ran away from the scene of carnage, they realised something truly heartbreaking… Drew and Juan were still inside.
This is one of the most moving, powerful and important memoirs I’ve ever read. So glad I chose it as my Amazon First Reads book for June.
Mass shootings in America are an epidemic, so many young people are needlessly losing their lives. I implore you all to give Brandon’s story a read. It’s about finding the strength to carry on after unimaginable pain and loss.
”Drew and Juan didn't just matter because of the brutal way they were murdered; they mattered because of the beautiful ways they had lived. The love they had shared with us- -and for each other--was worth shouting out loud. The community they had created, for anyone lucky enough to know them, was worth memorializing.”
🏳️🌈❤️
July 4, 2023
Honest, vulnerable, and timely.
Honest, and unflinching look at grief in its many forms and at the sometimes-ridiculous aspects of growing up and becoming more than we once were.
Vulnerable, the author reveals a lot of fragile moments besides the big ones the small very human moments that we can all relate to even though our egos might not let us share, with every vulnerable moment I had this parental urge to protect Brandon so for me it made the whole reading experience very emotional, seriously, I cried at least 4 times.
Timely, we have grown so accustomed to violence on mass market scale that it's easy to forget that behind every act are lives that are as rich and full as ours, there is so much of it we simply cannot contain all that pain or even the awareness of it but it's important that we remind ourselves of it occasionally be it just so we don't lose sight of what and especially WHO we stand to lose if we don’t do anything to curb the currently growing climate of hatred.
Disclosure: I received and eARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, I don't think this fact affected my review in any way.
Honest, and unflinching look at grief in its many forms and at the sometimes-ridiculous aspects of growing up and becoming more than we once were.
Vulnerable, the author reveals a lot of fragile moments besides the big ones the small very human moments that we can all relate to even though our egos might not let us share, with every vulnerable moment I had this parental urge to protect Brandon so for me it made the whole reading experience very emotional, seriously, I cried at least 4 times.
Timely, we have grown so accustomed to violence on mass market scale that it's easy to forget that behind every act are lives that are as rich and full as ours, there is so much of it we simply cannot contain all that pain or even the awareness of it but it's important that we remind ourselves of it occasionally be it just so we don't lose sight of what and especially WHO we stand to lose if we don’t do anything to curb the currently growing climate of hatred.
Disclosure: I received and eARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, I don't think this fact affected my review in any way.
December 23, 2022
Wolf survived the Orlando nightclub shooting, but that's not where he starts the story: he opens the book in his childhood in Oregon, when he lost his mother at a young age. This would be a devastating and formative loss for almost any child, but for Wolf it came with an extra complication—he already felt other, and without his mother by his side it was a long, long time before he could truly feel that he had people in his corner, people who understood him.
It's roughly a third of the book in before Pulse is even mentioned, and that's intentional: the shooting was the catalyst for this book and a catalyst in Wolf's life, but it was representative of a great deal more than that. Wolf describes growing up knowing exactly how many other students in his school were Black, knowing that his white family wouldn't stand up against racial or homophobic slurs, and constantly needing to watch his back, because his school and his town were not safe places to be if you were different. (That Pulse was something representative of a safe space—and of chosen family—is not a new spin, and if you've read a think piece or two this won't come as new information. But Wolf doesn't belabour the point about Pulse here, focusing instead on the people who were his chosen family.)
I'm grateful that the book focuses less on what happened and who committed this violence and more on who and what were lost, because Wolf is right: the media conversation so quickly turns to othering and blame. Thoughts and prayers. The human stories get lost, and nothing changes. That said, on the subject of the media, not long before I read this (in December 2022), the New York Times reported that gun violence had become the leading cause of death for children in the U.S., surpassing motor vehicle crashes, cancer, and other causes for the first time. The Orlando victims didn't include children, but this book is still incredibly timely. Shootings have gone up, not down, and there have been so many mass murders that they blur together even when I look them up individually. (Tell me there is a systemic problem without telling me there is a systemic problem.)
This hovers somewhere between three and four stars for me. The story and timeline felt clearest in the first two thirds, and the writing sometimes felt unnecessarily dramatic—the material is dramatic enough not to need the flourishes. But I'm also reading this thinking why is this the first memoir about this that I've seen? Surely there have been others—it's been more than six years. But the people affected by this shooting tended to be in doubly marginalised groups (in many cases queer and Latinx; Wolf is queer and Black), and those aren't voices that are often amplified in the US. It's appalling that there is even a mass-shooting literature, but...there is, and Wolf's is a necessary voice in that literature.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a free review copy through NetGalley.
It's roughly a third of the book in before Pulse is even mentioned, and that's intentional: the shooting was the catalyst for this book and a catalyst in Wolf's life, but it was representative of a great deal more than that. Wolf describes growing up knowing exactly how many other students in his school were Black, knowing that his white family wouldn't stand up against racial or homophobic slurs, and constantly needing to watch his back, because his school and his town were not safe places to be if you were different. (That Pulse was something representative of a safe space—and of chosen family—is not a new spin, and if you've read a think piece or two this won't come as new information. But Wolf doesn't belabour the point about Pulse here, focusing instead on the people who were his chosen family.)
I'm grateful that the book focuses less on what happened and who committed this violence and more on who and what were lost, because Wolf is right: the media conversation so quickly turns to othering and blame. Thoughts and prayers. The human stories get lost, and nothing changes. That said, on the subject of the media, not long before I read this (in December 2022), the New York Times reported that gun violence had become the leading cause of death for children in the U.S., surpassing motor vehicle crashes, cancer, and other causes for the first time. The Orlando victims didn't include children, but this book is still incredibly timely. Shootings have gone up, not down, and there have been so many mass murders that they blur together even when I look them up individually. (Tell me there is a systemic problem without telling me there is a systemic problem.)
This hovers somewhere between three and four stars for me. The story and timeline felt clearest in the first two thirds, and the writing sometimes felt unnecessarily dramatic—the material is dramatic enough not to need the flourishes. But I'm also reading this thinking why is this the first memoir about this that I've seen? Surely there have been others—it's been more than six years. But the people affected by this shooting tended to be in doubly marginalised groups (in many cases queer and Latinx; Wolf is queer and Black), and those aren't voices that are often amplified in the US. It's appalling that there is even a mass-shooting literature, but...there is, and Wolf's is a necessary voice in that literature.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a free review copy through NetGalley.
March 9, 2023
This book was very close to home for me. A very well written memoir with excellent prose. The themes and thoughts flowed amazingly from chapter to chapter. I cried a few times and really had a chance to think about these experiences on a deep level. Thank you for sharing your story, and this is definitely a memoir near and dear to my heart. Brandon tackled grief, friendship and forgiveness in an amazingly well crafted book! 5/5
January 10, 2024
It takes great skill to navigate the themes of racism, homophobia and heartbreak with vulnerability and authenticity, but Brandon does just that in his memoir “a place for us.” I was immersed from the first page and read the book in basically one sitting. He explores his traumas and triumphs in a voice that is honest, endearing, and humorous.
December 7, 2024
Brandon Wolf is a very brave author. I’m not talking about what he endured at the Pulse nightclub massacre but rather his honesty about his early life and personal growth. These are things I would not have had the guts to put down in words.
As far as Pulse, the loss of his friends, his mental & emotional struggles and journey to becoming an activist, all of these things make this a must read.
As far as Pulse, the loss of his friends, his mental & emotional struggles and journey to becoming an activist, all of these things make this a must read.
June 13, 2025
June 12th was the anniversary of the tragedy at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. 49 souls were senselessly taken from the world because of disgusting hatred. I wish I could say that things have gotten better since then. But we do have the stories and memories of the people who were close to the victims, and the words of the survivors.
“A Place For Us” was written by Brandon Wolf, who was there at Pulse on the night that it happened. He made it out alive, but unfortunately two of his closest friends did not. This book is about Wolf’s experience growing up both gay and black in a town that did not accept him, how he navigated this bigotry as he got older, and the love that he found for himself and from other people despite many obstacles.
I liked the tone of the writing, which was relaxed and conversational. Still, I had to read it in bursts due to the upsetting content. (The chapter in which Wolf recounts being targeted and harassed by law enforcement in Florida was especially infuriating.) The hatred and ignorance are very real and are still a dangerous problem in this country.
I think the book is organized well. The actual night at Pulse is covered right at the halfway point, and everything else is either relevant background about Wolf’s earlier life or stories about the aftermath. How he struggled with survivor’s guilt as he attempted to focus on career goals, etc. And there are beautiful moments, like the reconciliation with his father.
Definitely a tough read, but an important one and absolutely worth it. Wolf brings lessons of hope and love to a horrific and tragic experience.
This is a list of everyone whose life was taken at the Pulse Nightclub shooting on June 12, 2016:
Stanley Almodovar III, 23 years old
Amanda Alvear, 25 years old
Oscar A Aracena-Montero, 26 years old
Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33 years old
Antonio Davon Brown, 29 years old
Darryl Roman Burt II, 29 years old
Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28 years old
Juan Chavez Martinez, 25 years old
Luis Daniel Conde, 39 years old
Cory James Connell, 21 years old
Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25 years old
Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32 years old
Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31 years old
Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25 years old
Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26 years old
Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22 years old
Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22 years old
Paul Terrell Henry, 41 years old
Frank Hernandez, 27 years old
Miguel Angel Honorato, 30 years old
Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40 years old
Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19 years old
Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30 years old
Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25 years old
Christopher “Drew” Andrew Leinonen, 32 years old
Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21 years old
Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49 years old
Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25 years old
KJ Morris, 37 years old
Akyra Monet Murray, 18 years old
Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20 years old
Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25 years old
Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36 years old
Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32 years old
Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35 years old
Enrique L. Rios, Jr., 25 years old
Jean C. Nives Rodriguez, 27 years old
Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35 years old
Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24 years old
Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24 years old
Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34 years old
Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33 years old
Martin Benitez Torres, 33 years old
Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24 years old
Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37 years old
Luis S. Vielma, 22 years old
Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50 years old
Luis Daniel Lestat Wilson-Leon, 37 years old
Jerald “Jerry” Arthur Wright, 31 years old
“A Place For Us” was written by Brandon Wolf, who was there at Pulse on the night that it happened. He made it out alive, but unfortunately two of his closest friends did not. This book is about Wolf’s experience growing up both gay and black in a town that did not accept him, how he navigated this bigotry as he got older, and the love that he found for himself and from other people despite many obstacles.
I liked the tone of the writing, which was relaxed and conversational. Still, I had to read it in bursts due to the upsetting content. (The chapter in which Wolf recounts being targeted and harassed by law enforcement in Florida was especially infuriating.) The hatred and ignorance are very real and are still a dangerous problem in this country.
I think the book is organized well. The actual night at Pulse is covered right at the halfway point, and everything else is either relevant background about Wolf’s earlier life or stories about the aftermath. How he struggled with survivor’s guilt as he attempted to focus on career goals, etc. And there are beautiful moments, like the reconciliation with his father.
Definitely a tough read, but an important one and absolutely worth it. Wolf brings lessons of hope and love to a horrific and tragic experience.
This is a list of everyone whose life was taken at the Pulse Nightclub shooting on June 12, 2016:
Stanley Almodovar III, 23 years old
Amanda Alvear, 25 years old
Oscar A Aracena-Montero, 26 years old
Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33 years old
Antonio Davon Brown, 29 years old
Darryl Roman Burt II, 29 years old
Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28 years old
Juan Chavez Martinez, 25 years old
Luis Daniel Conde, 39 years old
Cory James Connell, 21 years old
Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25 years old
Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32 years old
Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31 years old
Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25 years old
Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26 years old
Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22 years old
Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22 years old
Paul Terrell Henry, 41 years old
Frank Hernandez, 27 years old
Miguel Angel Honorato, 30 years old
Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40 years old
Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19 years old
Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30 years old
Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25 years old
Christopher “Drew” Andrew Leinonen, 32 years old
Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21 years old
Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49 years old
Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25 years old
KJ Morris, 37 years old
Akyra Monet Murray, 18 years old
Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20 years old
Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25 years old
Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36 years old
Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32 years old
Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35 years old
Enrique L. Rios, Jr., 25 years old
Jean C. Nives Rodriguez, 27 years old
Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35 years old
Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24 years old
Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24 years old
Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34 years old
Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33 years old
Martin Benitez Torres, 33 years old
Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24 years old
Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37 years old
Luis S. Vielma, 22 years old
Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50 years old
Luis Daniel Lestat Wilson-Leon, 37 years old
Jerald “Jerry” Arthur Wright, 31 years old
June 4, 2023
A Place for Us by Brandon J. Wolf. Thanks to @littlea and #amazonfirstreads for the gifted copy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Growing up in rural Oregon, Brandon grapples with the loss of his mother and racism and homophobia at school. He escapes to Orlando to become himself only to experience great tragedy and loss.
A great memoir to read for Pride month. You are hooked on Brandon’s story from the very beginning as he tries to become himself in a stifling environment, as he comes of age and survives the Pulse nightclub, and as he learns to heal from his trauma. It’s a great read that you won’t be able to put down… A loving tribute to his friends killed in the Pulse shooting.
“In the face of oppression and bigotry, twisting yourself into moral pretzels in order to appear neutral only leaves you both feet squarely on the wrong side of history.”
A Place for Us comes out 6/6.
Growing up in rural Oregon, Brandon grapples with the loss of his mother and racism and homophobia at school. He escapes to Orlando to become himself only to experience great tragedy and loss.
A great memoir to read for Pride month. You are hooked on Brandon’s story from the very beginning as he tries to become himself in a stifling environment, as he comes of age and survives the Pulse nightclub, and as he learns to heal from his trauma. It’s a great read that you won’t be able to put down… A loving tribute to his friends killed in the Pulse shooting.
“In the face of oppression and bigotry, twisting yourself into moral pretzels in order to appear neutral only leaves you both feet squarely on the wrong side of history.”
A Place for Us comes out 6/6.
January 13, 2023
Brandon Wolf, the author of A Place for Us, is both queer and black, a combination that made growing up extremely difficult and challenging. Judging by his writing, he is also intelligent, funny, shy and brutally honest. Thank goodness, there are places like Pulse Nightclub where he could go to unashamedly be himself, a place he could call his own, a safe haven. Until the unspeakable happened.
Brandon survived the horrific, traumatic event, but he lost his best friend, Drew, and other friends in the shooting. After a period of grief, he turned to activism in the hopes of preventing this sort of tragedy from ever happening again. We should all be sickened and infuriated by our politicians’ selfish needs for reelection rather than actually enacting any useful gun legislation, and he set about trying to change that through activism and advocating for change himself.
This isn’t a story that only encompasses the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. It is also about racism, homophobia, inequality, mass shootings that continuously fail to yield any meaningful laws, and the injustices endured by anyone who is perceived as different. Our country is divided and our humanity endangered, and it needs to stop. In writing this book, Brandon not only wants to memorialize his friends, Drew and Juan, but he wants to shine a light on the victims rather than the terrorist. And in doing so, I hope he’s been able to assuage his survivor’s guilt and show the world that love is love.
I give this book 4 stars and applaud the author for his vulnerability in writing his memoir. Thank you NetGalley and Little A Publishers for the ARC.
Brandon survived the horrific, traumatic event, but he lost his best friend, Drew, and other friends in the shooting. After a period of grief, he turned to activism in the hopes of preventing this sort of tragedy from ever happening again. We should all be sickened and infuriated by our politicians’ selfish needs for reelection rather than actually enacting any useful gun legislation, and he set about trying to change that through activism and advocating for change himself.
This isn’t a story that only encompasses the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. It is also about racism, homophobia, inequality, mass shootings that continuously fail to yield any meaningful laws, and the injustices endured by anyone who is perceived as different. Our country is divided and our humanity endangered, and it needs to stop. In writing this book, Brandon not only wants to memorialize his friends, Drew and Juan, but he wants to shine a light on the victims rather than the terrorist. And in doing so, I hope he’s been able to assuage his survivor’s guilt and show the world that love is love.
I give this book 4 stars and applaud the author for his vulnerability in writing his memoir. Thank you NetGalley and Little A Publishers for the ARC.
June 20, 2023
On June 12, 2016 at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, 49 people were murdered. They were murdered not by someone who knew them but for who they might be. Brandon J Wolf was in the nightclub at the time. A Place for Us: A Memoir is Wolf's story. It is a story about his life as well as his experience that night and how it changed his life.
I found it a moving and interesting story. It encompasses his high school years to his years working in advocacy for inclusion and against gun violence.
I would suggest it for reading with anyone who share concerns about inclusion and gun violence.
I chose it as an Amazon First Reads book and was happy to read it during Pride Month, but it is really a book to read during any time.
I found it a moving and interesting story. It encompasses his high school years to his years working in advocacy for inclusion and against gun violence.
I would suggest it for reading with anyone who share concerns about inclusion and gun violence.
I chose it as an Amazon First Reads book and was happy to read it during Pride Month, but it is really a book to read during any time.
August 26, 2023
Surprisingly dull, overwritten story of an unremarkable young man who happened to be in the Pulse nightclub bathroom at the time of the Orlando murders. There is really not much to this book. He tries to twist a few minor life incidents into massive hate crimes done against him, but the stilted writing style makes the stories seem exaggerated and lack credibility. Being a resident of two places that play a major role in his story and working at the same place, I can tell you that he's stretching the truth. Of course at the start of the book he admits to changing stories and specifics, so how can we know what's really true or accurate?
The author is an activist, which means his creative non-fiction book provides totally lop-sided views of life. He uses capital b for black and lower case w for white, claims he's black despite the fact that he's half white so truly mixed race, he admits to lying and doing the very harmful things that others do to him, and he ended up working for proven liar Elizabeth Warren's presidential campaign.
This guy is merely taking his anger and turning it into a cause instead of seeing that he has his own major issues to deal with. A skeptic would say he's commercializing that he happened to be at Pulse that night, making money off tragedy and getting famous without reason beyond circumstances. He is also simply too young and inexperienced to be writing a memoir that lacks depth and perspective. Skip this.
The author is an activist, which means his creative non-fiction book provides totally lop-sided views of life. He uses capital b for black and lower case w for white, claims he's black despite the fact that he's half white so truly mixed race, he admits to lying and doing the very harmful things that others do to him, and he ended up working for proven liar Elizabeth Warren's presidential campaign.
This guy is merely taking his anger and turning it into a cause instead of seeing that he has his own major issues to deal with. A skeptic would say he's commercializing that he happened to be at Pulse that night, making money off tragedy and getting famous without reason beyond circumstances. He is also simply too young and inexperienced to be writing a memoir that lacks depth and perspective. Skip this.
December 16, 2023
This book is as beautiful as it is (at times) brutal.
November 13, 2023
This was a great read- I’m mostly giving it 3 stars for lack of good editing. There were multiple repeated phrases, metaphors, and ideas that got on my nerves. But in general, the entire memoir was a testament to being a survivor in the face of grief and tragedy. I did enjoy it overall.
September 12, 2023
Struggled to rate as it’s an important book, about being queer and Black in America, finding your identity and chosen family. But I found the writing a bit meandering and disengaging at times.
July 30, 2023
My short review is: If you are in a red state - especially Florida - read it before it is banned!
I was so looking forward to reading this book and my expectations were set quite high. I am happy to say it not only met but it exceed everything I hoped it would be.
The writing and story telling allows you to be immediately drawn into Brandon’s world. You feel the excitement of his wins, the anxiety of his fears and the devastation of his losses.
This book will undoubtedly help those who are struggling to find themselves and to find a world where there is support through friends and chosen families. And if your lucky enough - those worlds can coexist.
Thank you Brandon for sharing your most intimate and raw moments. This memoir will stay with me for many years to come.
I was so looking forward to reading this book and my expectations were set quite high. I am happy to say it not only met but it exceed everything I hoped it would be.
The writing and story telling allows you to be immediately drawn into Brandon’s world. You feel the excitement of his wins, the anxiety of his fears and the devastation of his losses.
This book will undoubtedly help those who are struggling to find themselves and to find a world where there is support through friends and chosen families. And if your lucky enough - those worlds can coexist.
Thank you Brandon for sharing your most intimate and raw moments. This memoir will stay with me for many years to come.
August 27, 2023
This was a wonderful memoir. It was raw and real and left me feeling all sorts of emotions after finishing this.
July 8, 2023
A moving story of a young gay man facing tragedy and despair from disappointing parents, bullied in school and a survivor of the Pulse Nightclub where 49 people were killed by a crazed gunmen wounding 53 more, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
February 11, 2023
I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley and Little A in exchange for an honest review.
This book was both honest and heartbreaking.
Wolf uses this platform to speak his truth and share parts of his life with the reader in order to fully immerse yourself in his life.
From the very first chapter I was enamoured with Wolf. His intelligence and personality shone through in this memoir and I felt as though I knew him personally.
Opening with a detailed recount into his childhood, the reader gets to know Wolf as a young child as he navigates and transitions from loosing his mother to feeling like an outsider in his own family. As we read on we grow with Wolf as he discovers his sexuality and tries to find his place within the world.
Wolf also goes through many traumatic events within his childhood and also adolescence. We all remember the Pulse Nightclub shooting of June 2016 and the tragedy surrounding it. Within this memoir, we dive in head first, reliving the trauma and grief through Wolf. We also see how the trauma lives on, but how Wolf takes this awful event and advocates for those who experienced the shooting but also those who have been in similar situations.
This book was extremely eye opening and is written beautifully.
I would recommend this memoir to anyone!
This book was both honest and heartbreaking.
Wolf uses this platform to speak his truth and share parts of his life with the reader in order to fully immerse yourself in his life.
From the very first chapter I was enamoured with Wolf. His intelligence and personality shone through in this memoir and I felt as though I knew him personally.
Opening with a detailed recount into his childhood, the reader gets to know Wolf as a young child as he navigates and transitions from loosing his mother to feeling like an outsider in his own family. As we read on we grow with Wolf as he discovers his sexuality and tries to find his place within the world.
Wolf also goes through many traumatic events within his childhood and also adolescence. We all remember the Pulse Nightclub shooting of June 2016 and the tragedy surrounding it. Within this memoir, we dive in head first, reliving the trauma and grief through Wolf. We also see how the trauma lives on, but how Wolf takes this awful event and advocates for those who experienced the shooting but also those who have been in similar situations.
This book was extremely eye opening and is written beautifully.
I would recommend this memoir to anyone!
January 21, 2023
This book was incredibly inspirational, heartbreaking, and eye opening.
Wolf captures the events and aftermath of the Pulse Nightclub Shooting in details that make your heart ache in pain, but that is not what makes the book. A Place for Us beautifully captures the LGBTQ community and the struggles they face to find a place to be themselves. Wolf shares his own struggles and the struggles of those around him to show why Pulse was once a safe haven for them and why the aftermath of the tragedy tore deep.
I cannot recommend this book enough.
Wolf captures the events and aftermath of the Pulse Nightclub Shooting in details that make your heart ache in pain, but that is not what makes the book. A Place for Us beautifully captures the LGBTQ community and the struggles they face to find a place to be themselves. Wolf shares his own struggles and the struggles of those around him to show why Pulse was once a safe haven for them and why the aftermath of the tragedy tore deep.
I cannot recommend this book enough.
June 12, 2023
4.5. “These days, the term safe space has been used as a cudgel against marginalized communities, a callous jab suggesting that those who need such spaces are not tough enough to handle the world as it is. But for people like me, people navigating the perilous crossroads of identity, safe spaces are shelters in a dangerous reality. They’re carefully crafted hideouts we carve for ourselves, sacred cubbyholes hidden from the harsh glare of a violent world that wants to devalue us.”
The author grew up in a small town in Oregon, a biracial child who was targeted for the color of his skin and sensitivity during his school years. His mother was his greatest supporter while his stepfather was the opposite. When his mother died from cancer and feeling misunderstood and ostracized by his community (even though he had not officially come out as gay publicly), he packed up and moved to Florida. He worked at Starbucks and then transitioned to being a character at Disney World. Adjusting to the independent life coupled with a terrifying encounter of racial profiling by the local police left him questioning his life opportunities. However, he eventually discovered life-affirming friendships with other queer people and settled into a more comfortable life. His best friend Drew helped draw the author out of his shell and start to both appreciate and enjoy the life he was establishing. One fateful night, he and his friends went to the Pulse night club in Orlando, where his life would shatter again where a lone gunman killed Drew and dozens of other club attendees. Feeling profound fear and guilt for having survived the massacre and having initiated the invitation to come to Pulse that night, he struggled mightily. Yet, he was able to adjust the context of this horrific act into activism for those in the queer community. He established the Dru Project in honor of his deceased friend, a group dedicated to creating safe spaces for all queer youth.
This heartfelt book will appeal not only to LGBTQ+ readers, but to anyone committed to the fight for social justice for any marginalized community. A poignant, inspiring, sincere, genuine, and meaningful look at how the author was able to find his purpose as an advocate and activist and move forward in life. It should be noted that I had no idea he was part of the Pulse situation, which made the revelation that much more shocking. Bravo to this book!
The author grew up in a small town in Oregon, a biracial child who was targeted for the color of his skin and sensitivity during his school years. His mother was his greatest supporter while his stepfather was the opposite. When his mother died from cancer and feeling misunderstood and ostracized by his community (even though he had not officially come out as gay publicly), he packed up and moved to Florida. He worked at Starbucks and then transitioned to being a character at Disney World. Adjusting to the independent life coupled with a terrifying encounter of racial profiling by the local police left him questioning his life opportunities. However, he eventually discovered life-affirming friendships with other queer people and settled into a more comfortable life. His best friend Drew helped draw the author out of his shell and start to both appreciate and enjoy the life he was establishing. One fateful night, he and his friends went to the Pulse night club in Orlando, where his life would shatter again where a lone gunman killed Drew and dozens of other club attendees. Feeling profound fear and guilt for having survived the massacre and having initiated the invitation to come to Pulse that night, he struggled mightily. Yet, he was able to adjust the context of this horrific act into activism for those in the queer community. He established the Dru Project in honor of his deceased friend, a group dedicated to creating safe spaces for all queer youth.
This heartfelt book will appeal not only to LGBTQ+ readers, but to anyone committed to the fight for social justice for any marginalized community. A poignant, inspiring, sincere, genuine, and meaningful look at how the author was able to find his purpose as an advocate and activist and move forward in life. It should be noted that I had no idea he was part of the Pulse situation, which made the revelation that much more shocking. Bravo to this book!
September 1, 2024
5🌟 one of the most powerful memoirs i’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. a story about finding yourself, finding your community, finding the love we all so desperately crave, and finding the strength and fortitude to keep going after being confronted with heartache, pain, loss, and adversity.
Brandon’s story is deeply emotional, raw, heartbreaking, astonishing, and utterly remarkable. but also coupled with that is a plethora of beauty, love, comfort, and especially resilience, poured into every page of his memoir. he’s vividly detailed in how he portrays each moment, each feeling, and each place. every experience he describes, whether good or bad, is a marvel to read. i could picture everything so clearly in my mind as i read, and i think that’s a testament to how proficient of a writer, and a storyteller, the author is.
the way he speaks about his best friends Drew and Juan, their shared experiences, emotions, etc. was so beautiful to read yet equally devastating knowing the time they were meant to have together was horrifically cut short.
i read a significant chunk of this book with a lump in my throat that could give way to full blown tears at any moment. this is for sure in the top 3 books that have made me cry like a baby, with both happy and sad tears. maybe it’s because this book highlights one of the most devastating, heart-shattering things to ever happen to the LGBTQ community, which resonates with me as a queer person, but this is hands down one of the most powerful, unforgettable memoirs ever written. highly highly highly recommend.
Brandon’s story is deeply emotional, raw, heartbreaking, astonishing, and utterly remarkable. but also coupled with that is a plethora of beauty, love, comfort, and especially resilience, poured into every page of his memoir. he’s vividly detailed in how he portrays each moment, each feeling, and each place. every experience he describes, whether good or bad, is a marvel to read. i could picture everything so clearly in my mind as i read, and i think that’s a testament to how proficient of a writer, and a storyteller, the author is.
the way he speaks about his best friends Drew and Juan, their shared experiences, emotions, etc. was so beautiful to read yet equally devastating knowing the time they were meant to have together was horrifically cut short.
i read a significant chunk of this book with a lump in my throat that could give way to full blown tears at any moment. this is for sure in the top 3 books that have made me cry like a baby, with both happy and sad tears. maybe it’s because this book highlights one of the most devastating, heart-shattering things to ever happen to the LGBTQ community, which resonates with me as a queer person, but this is hands down one of the most powerful, unforgettable memoirs ever written. highly highly highly recommend.
June 14, 2023
A Place for Us is a short read, but very impactful. Brandon starts the novel off by detailing his growing up and the early experiences he went to that began to shape the person he is today. It was tough reading a few of his memories from dealing with his mother's death then to an assault. He had to grow up with the struggles of racism and homophobia and I empathized with him. Mid-way through the book he journeys to Orlando and there is the hope of his life getting better and you see the light shine on him through the wonderful friendships he develops. His finding of a community and love from others gives others hope. Then there is the tragic night of the Pulse Shooting that was quite rough to read through. It is a necessary story to tell and I was quite impressed by how he did self-realization leading through personal forgiveness. I cannot imagine those emotions he had to go through dealing with guilt and loss. He is such an amazing person and his moving speeches and interviews give hope for a better future. The story had a general structure through divided parts, but each chapter occasionally had short stories out of order. I had to rewind my mind to remember what year it was through the jumping back and forth. It was the perfect read for Pride Month and while I had already preordered the hard copy, I rushed to read it once it was on Amazon First Reads.
4.5
4.5
June 6, 2023
I am not entirely sure where to start, I find it very difficult to give a memoir or biography a star rating because the story is deeply personal and is someone's life so it doesn't feel up to me to assign stars. Though, I know it is necessary for the book and for those deciding whether or not to read it, so, if any book deserves above and beyond 5 stars it is this one given that it is a story I will never forget. I would also add that if you are deciding whether or not to read this book in particular, definitely read it. A Place for Us is a must read, though, sad and heartbreaking in a way that had me crying more often than not. It provides a lot of perspective and very important lessons.
Brandon is a Pulse nightclub survivor and takes us through his childhood and growing up in a world and (even more so) a geographical location that is not very kind and welcoming to anyone who might be different especially those with intersectional identities that often experience some of the most discrimination. We go through the tragedy of the Pulse nightclub attack and the aftermath Brandon experiences, all the way though the grieving and his path of doing the work in hopes of bringing change.
Brandon is a Pulse nightclub survivor and takes us through his childhood and growing up in a world and (even more so) a geographical location that is not very kind and welcoming to anyone who might be different especially those with intersectional identities that often experience some of the most discrimination. We go through the tragedy of the Pulse nightclub attack and the aftermath Brandon experiences, all the way though the grieving and his path of doing the work in hopes of bringing change.
June 20, 2023
This was an amazing story. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to read it. Growing up in Central Florida, I knew a lot about Orlando, and paid particular attention to the news when the Pulse Night Club attack happened. Another needless tragedy to a people who didn't deserve it, by someone evil in intentions and actions. However, living so far from Orlando now, I didn't follow the story for long since there always seems to be another story coming right behind.
Through his personal experiences both before, during and after the tragedy, Brandon is able to bring us all into the event. I say this a lot about the books I read, but reading books by people that aren't in your social circles or about groups to which you don't belong can help you understand their views of the world so much better. I am not black. I am not gay. I have never been through a tragedy such as this, but reading Brandon's story can help me empathize in a way just watching the news or reading articles on the internet never will.
I highly recommend this book for everyone. It is not overly political, nor does it try and tell anyone what to do or how to think. Brandon just tells his story, from his perspective. He is real, and vulnerable, and exactly the person we should be listening to about this particular event.
Through his personal experiences both before, during and after the tragedy, Brandon is able to bring us all into the event. I say this a lot about the books I read, but reading books by people that aren't in your social circles or about groups to which you don't belong can help you understand their views of the world so much better. I am not black. I am not gay. I have never been through a tragedy such as this, but reading Brandon's story can help me empathize in a way just watching the news or reading articles on the internet never will.
I highly recommend this book for everyone. It is not overly political, nor does it try and tell anyone what to do or how to think. Brandon just tells his story, from his perspective. He is real, and vulnerable, and exactly the person we should be listening to about this particular event.
December 8, 2023
“There’s something special about the people with whom you can enjoy silence. Something necessary. So much of our time is spent filling the silence with noise. We play background music and incessantly murmur among ourselves. Some of it has value. But much of it is to ward off our dread of silence. Our darkest thoughts live there. Our fear of inadequacy lurk in the shadows of quiet reflection, a truth we avoid by filling the world with sound and distraction. We live petrified that if our thoughts are allowed to come into clear focus, we won’t be able to stomach how they appear. But occasionally you meet someone with whom you can traverse the treacherous waters of silence. Someone with whom you can sit, content in stillness, and simply be. Someone with whom the world needs no distraction or white noise. This is a relationship to cherish.”
Wow!!! Brandon is such a wonderful writer. For wanting his readers to find a safe space, I undoubtably felt safe and at home reading his words. There is such a power to be able to write on a topic so heartbreaking yet leave us feeling so hopeful and loved.
10/10!
Wow!!! Brandon is such a wonderful writer. For wanting his readers to find a safe space, I undoubtably felt safe and at home reading his words. There is such a power to be able to write on a topic so heartbreaking yet leave us feeling so hopeful and loved.
10/10!
June 10, 2023
Mr. Wolf has a beautiful way of expressing himself. I could not put this book down. I found myself liking him very, very much. He is sincere and honest and has a very unique talent of drawing you directly into his heart. I'm not usually a fan of memoirs, but this one completely blindsided me. It is brilliant.
On a personal note, I found myself feeling a bit hopeless when finished. I'm white, somewhat conservative, Christian, and live in the Midwest. As much as I like Mr. Wolf, I fear he would immediately call me enemy. I wish that as a country, we would stop labeling people, assuming everyone is the same, and hating those we don't agree with. White men aren't all bad. Republicans aren't all racist. Police aren't all brutal. Until we stop looking at groups of people as a whole and start making individuals answer for their evils, we have no chance of being united. I hope someday Mr. Wolf will see us all as individuals and not as this party or that race. He was able to do that with the Muslim religion, and it touched me. He then immediately went on to blame white media for verbally attacking Muslims. Not media in general, just white media. Our country is a mess, and it just makes me feel hopeless. Our government and media encourage this divide, and we fall right in line. Peace to all, and may we all learn how to love better.
On a personal note, I found myself feeling a bit hopeless when finished. I'm white, somewhat conservative, Christian, and live in the Midwest. As much as I like Mr. Wolf, I fear he would immediately call me enemy. I wish that as a country, we would stop labeling people, assuming everyone is the same, and hating those we don't agree with. White men aren't all bad. Republicans aren't all racist. Police aren't all brutal. Until we stop looking at groups of people as a whole and start making individuals answer for their evils, we have no chance of being united. I hope someday Mr. Wolf will see us all as individuals and not as this party or that race. He was able to do that with the Muslim religion, and it touched me. He then immediately went on to blame white media for verbally attacking Muslims. Not media in general, just white media. Our country is a mess, and it just makes me feel hopeless. Our government and media encourage this divide, and we fall right in line. Peace to all, and may we all learn how to love better.
June 4, 2023
I got this book free from Amazon First Reads. I chose it because I find memoirs interesting and I was interested to read the memoir of a member of an oft excluded background. I had not heard of the tragedy at Pulse before reading this. I may well of seen it pop up in the news at the time, but to be brutally honest, as a European, news from the US seems to just cause an eye roll and a sigh and doesn't register much on a lot of our radars. I found Brandon's writing about his loss of his mother, his problems with fitting in, regardless of what he did - too black, not black enough, too gay, etc very heart rendering. I enjoyed his style of writing and how he explained things. When he got to the part of the mass shooting, his reactions and life after that, very moving - though some of it did seem to be get a bit disjointed at times. However I particularly liked his writing about his feelings of guilt, having to prove to himself that he deserved to be happy, hanging on to feelings of not deserving to be happy and finally coming to terms with having to forgive himself and others. I felt this was very powerful and something, I suspect haunt so many people. I am glad I read this book.
July 14, 2023
This was a very difficult book to read but a very important one. Brandon writes about his struggles of growing up as a queer person of color and definitely helps convey some of the difficulties he encountered through his high school and college years in terms of prejudice. The book then went into his friendship with his friend Drew and the impact he left on his life and then horrific night that occured during the Pulse nightclub shooting masscare. Brandon writes a solid and heartful memoir and really helps show his passion for activism for LGBT rights and keeping the memory of his friends who he lost alive.
August 6, 2025
A Place for Us, A Memoir, is written by Brandon J. Wolf, a survivor of the 2016 terror attack at Pulse nightclub in Orlando.
I generally don't choose a) sad books and b) memoirs written by people I haven't heard of, but I read this for a work book club and I'm glad I did.
Wolf recounts his lived experiences from childhood all through present day with such thoughtful, introspective writing, teasing through themes of identity and belonging, of grief, guilt, and healing. While obviously a tough read, Wolf artfully invites us into his world without teetering even close to being trauma porn.
A deeply moving and incredibly well written book.
I generally don't choose a) sad books and b) memoirs written by people I haven't heard of, but I read this for a work book club and I'm glad I did.
Wolf recounts his lived experiences from childhood all through present day with such thoughtful, introspective writing, teasing through themes of identity and belonging, of grief, guilt, and healing. While obviously a tough read, Wolf artfully invites us into his world without teetering even close to being trauma porn.
A deeply moving and incredibly well written book.
June 22, 2023
Found family, recovering from trauma, gun violence, LGBTQ+ issues - these are all still topical discussions in today's world. The book did have a few clunky transitions that weren't separated by chapters or sections. In a few places, the text felt very free form thoughts going to the page with minor editing. Overall though, this is a good read for anyone whether you are familiar with the Pulse Nightclub shooting/ terrorism.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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