You Exist Too Much

A wonderfully written queer coming-of-age story * i newapaper *
Navigating queerness, bisexuality, love, and addiction, this captivating story takes readers on a journey to find two of the things we all long for the most: love, and a place we can call home. If you're looking for a captivating, first-person read, this really is one you don't to want to miss * Happiful *
Switching between New York, Beirut, Florence, Washington DC and the West Bank, You Exist Too Much takes you on a dizzying tour of love addiction, rehab, homophobia, betrayal, obsession and the aching need for a mother's unconditional love. At different times throughout, you'll find the protagonist needy, reckless and selfish but also smart, intuitive and trapped between two cultures - because as we all know, humans are nothing if not complicated. Roxane is right: this deserves five stars * Stylist *
The first-person narrator has a distinctive voice and is a magnetic presence on the page; the scenes with her mother are electric . . . A nuanced, sparky debut * Observer *
Powerful . . . With You Exist Too Much, Arafat announces herself as a provocative and insightful writer * Irish Times *
A wonderful illustration of how our most significant formative relationships can be simultaneously the most positive and negative force in our lives -- The Arts Desk
Real, non-fetishised bisexual characters can be few and far between in literature, but You Exist Too Much isn't just worth reading for its efforts in representation. It's a stunning debut . . . It's a devastating portrayal of what it's like to feel as though you never fit in - both in terms of the narrator's sexuality and racial identity. Arafat handles these weighty topics with real compassion * Press Association *
Arafat's writing is fresh, witty and packs a heavy punch * The Skinny *
An elegantly written debut . . . a thought-provoking exploration of love and belonging, and how the two come together to create a sense of self * New European *
A stunning debut . . . Arafat handles . . . weighty topics with real compassion * Scotsman *
You Exist Too Much is a first novel that is exquisitely written and crafted with a compelling lightness of touch * Living Magazine *