The Black Flamingo

4.5 Great audio performed by Atta himself, I'll have to look at the book for the illustrations! Enjoyable novel-in-verse on finding yourself and your identity when you feel between/not enough in so many of your identities. UK setting will be a nice window for US teen readers. Loved the ending and freedom of the drag performance and how Atta took some time to give thoughtful explanations for what drag is and can be.

Read for Bookoplathon 2021 - 48 hour round

I wanted to love this book so much more than I did. I still enjoyed my time with this book especially the end, but this just didn't connect with me. As a biracial, queer human myself I just feel like that experience and emotions are so nuance and complex. This book glossed over everything because it was so quick. It didn't go into Michael's emotions as much as I would have liked and because of the way the writing is done. This book will be incredibly invaluable for young mixed race, queer teenagers and also white people but for me, it didn't do much. It's not even that I didn't connect but that I felt that there wasn't enough substance to even connect to.

I appreciate this book for what it is, and I will recommend it to others, but I think there are other YA books that explore these ideas a bit better and more in-depth.

FAVE BOOK OF 2020!!!! i love the art of drag & books written in verse so i knew i would love this one, but i didn't expect it to make me feel as much as i did. i just wanna give michael a hug. I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK. PLEASE READ IT.

“your ignorance may be innocent but your racism is real” -Dean Atta

Terrific read. Told in free verse – I think, not up on poetry terms – and the story really flows. The language is lovely. The heart is apparent. I would say you forget the poetry, but that's not it. The poetry feels natural, and keeps the story moving, gets to the core of what the author seeks to get across.

This was as good a every has been saying it is and more than I could have ever imagined. This book follows the coming-of-age of a gay black man from London. I didn't expect to relate to so much of this, as I was unaware it talks on race and identity. This was a powerful read due to the topics it discussed being eloquently woven into the narrative of his life. In addition, you fall in love with Mike and enjoy watching him blossom. I would encourage everyone to read this book as it was just amazing. At the end I wished it was real for me to go and see the performance!

Also, I loved that this was based in the UK as I could relate to the setting and the experiences of those places that I have had.

It was so gooood! I read it in one sitting and I loved it. I don't even remember how I found it. On the common wall of my friends and followers on Goodreads? Well, I'm glad I did and gave this YA a chance! That's officially the first YA I liked since I was a young adult. It was just so sweet and satisfying. Got all the romance and the drama. The diverse set of characters and the reality checks. And the ending was just right. Not too long, not too short, didn't drag on. I really had a good time reading this book.

About a brown queer teen growing up in London and going to Uni studying English and performing at a drag show.

Read and reviewed: 2021-06-13

The messages are absolutely relevant and I loved that the main protagonist has flaws and isn't perfect all the time. Unfortunately I struggle with books written in verses because they click less with me and I don't feel the same connection with the cast of characters , but that is absolutely personal

This novel in verse was a quick read, but gives readers a lot to think about. You don't usually see YA novels spend this much time in a character's childhood but it was nice to see things that had shaped Michael's life. I like the messiness of this, that no character really acts perfectly but they're all allowed some kind of grace. And I think the way that Michael learns more about gender and sexuality and race as he starts college is very organic and something that will make this text useful and reflective for a lot of teen readers.

At first I was not a huge fan of the way it's all written in verses, it meant that I felt that I couldn't really get enough detail to connect with the main character, but by the end it sort of worked as he was a huge fan of poetry and it all tied in with his drag act.
This book taught me a lot about being who you want to and understanding how other people want to be.

I enjoy novels in verse a lot. Sometimes I wasn't totally sure it needed to be a book in verse? But then the relevant (standalone) poems would say something brilliant, or the way the character of Michael would turn a phrase, and I'm like ahhh, I see what you're doing here, Atta! The second half was definitely stronger than the first, but overall a great YA read about race, sexuality, identity, and growing up and into yourself.

Sometimes poetry can just be beautiful. Or painful. Or just dull. Dean Atta not only had me laughing a lot, but they provided me with a comfort I didn't know I needed. I cannot say thank you enough to the author for sharing their stories in verse. I can definitely raise my hand and say I hear you.

I got this book from my library. I love my local library and you should check out yours too. Request LGBTQ+ books and they will stock them! #freethebooks