Life as a Unicorn

Unicorn is an extremely interesting story giving insight into a world of drag queens and being a gay Muslim. I must be honest; it was quite an educational read too – I was circling words and meanings with my pencil (my little world is completely different).

The author Amrou, idolises and adores his mother but when he starts to experiment wearing women's clothes, wearing his mother's makeup, and wanting to explore his sexuality with boys and men, his family not only rejects who he really is, but blames him for their unhappiness and their bad luck. His mother believed that homosexuality was a sin and that Allah would throw them both into hell.

The author takes us with him on the highs, but manly lows of his early life. Not only being rejected by his family, but also rejecting everyone around him, including himself. He ends up on a self-destructive road of drugs, parties and one-night stands.

This book is an honest description of his inner life, the perfectionism to the brink of OCD, his education at Eton college and Cambridge university, his attempt to delete his past, his language, and his culture as he tries to be someone else.

This is a shocking, heart-breaking, educational and life enhancing read. It is a true insight of the difficulties one has as they explore who they really are, their sexuality, their mental health, how their family and friends react. Whilst fighting their own demons.

I encourage everyone to read this book, I am so glad I did.