LGBTQ Archives - Matt gets LIT-erary

Our Share of Night

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez
Published by Random House Publishing Group on February 7, 2023
Genres: Fiction, Gothic, Hispanic & Latino, Horror, LGBTQ
Pages: 608

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez is THE book you need to read this upcoming spooky season. While its size is intimidating, no page is wasted and there are multiple memorable horror scenes. Many of my favorite literary things are featured: a generational family saga, trauma and its aftermath, cults, Stephen King vibes, dark academia and loads of queerness.

The novel spans decades and focuses on the Argentinian sect of a cult called The Order. The cult members worship a dark power they hope will grant them immortality. The Order is run by a messy, wealthy family that performs heinous acts to appease the dark power. Juan is a medium taken into The Order at a young age. After enduring a twisted, abusive childhood he flees The Order with his son Gasper who may have inherited Juan’s medium abilities. Juan is determined to keep his son safely out of The Order’s grasp. The story is split into six parts, all written in a different style, and presented out of order. The mysteries of the Order are revealed slowly for the reader. Do not expect to understand everything that happens early in the novel. The slow parceling out of information gives this book a high reread potential. Second time readers will likely come across many things that were missed initially.

I felt that each part of the novel had its own flavor, inspired by well-known horror writers or sub-genres. The first part reads like a classic gothic horror story. Part three (my favorite) deals with many child characters and is reminiscent of Stephen King’s IT. Fans of dark academia will enjoy part four where young adults within The Order progress through school. The final part of the novel is quieter than I expected. I was surprised that the novel ended with a slow and reflective tone. Thanks to Enriquez’s great talent Our Share of Night is written in many distinct styles without the story feeling disjointed.

Enriquez flawlessly weaves multiple themes throughout the story. The Order represents the dangers of capitalism. There are many references to Argentinian politics that readers well versed in Argentinian history will pick up on (most these moments went over my head). I appreciate that female characters were pulling the strings behind The Order. While The Order is the worst, I always enjoy reading about a badass matriarchy. I was also thrilled with all of the queer characters and relationships in the story.

My sole critique for this fantastic novel is it desperately needs a family tree at the front of the book. I love family trees, character lists and maps in speculative fiction novels. There are so many characters in Our Share of Night that it’s challenging to keep track of how everyone is related.

Beyond the Gender Binary

Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon
Published by Penguin on June 2, 2020
Genres: Biography & Autobiography, LGBTQ, Social Activists, Transgender
Pages: 64
Format: Paperback

Beyond the Gender Binary, by Alok Vaid-Menon, is an essential and informative book that can easily be read in one sitting. The 64-page book is published by the Pocket Change Collection, which puts out concise books that propose solutions to create needed change in our communities. Alok Vaid-Menon is a gender non-conforming writer who eloquently explains how our society lives under a fabricated gender binary that is harmful to gender non-conforming people.

The first half of the book covers Alok Vaid-Menon’s experiences with accepting their gender non-conforming identity. The second half of the story features rebuttals to common dismissals and arguments used by people who refuse to acknowledge gender non-conforming people. Vaid-Menon’s writing is so clear and logical, and their wording is perfection! They poke holes in the “gender binary” fallacy that our society constructs and upholds. I want to include some of my favorite quotes. There are quotable lines from every page in this book, so selecting my favorites was challenging.

“How are you supposed to be believed about the harm you experience when people don’t even believe that you exist?” (p. 17)

“I learned about gender through shame. In so many ways they became inseparable for me.” (p. 19)

These two quotes make me so sad.

“I remember the first day I wore a dress in public. I was twenty years old, but I had never felt more giddy and carefree when I walked out of my front door. I stopped thinking about my body and focused on the things around me. It felt like a reunification of my mind, my body, and my spirit—for the first time in a long time, I was able to be completely present with myself and the world. I had so much more energy and motivation. There was a quiet there, a sense of peace in my body, which had for so long been full of anxiety.” (p. 25)

I haven’t had the experience of feeling or being gender non-conforming. But this quote is the closest I’ve gotten to understand how damaging the gender binary is to trans or gender non-conforming people.

“That’s the thing about being an LGBTQIA+ kid—you often don’t have the luxury to come into yourself on your own terms because other people have made up their minds for you.” (p. 23)

I relate to this. Growing up as a boy I learned what things I was supposed to like. Any interests that could be labelled as gay or feminine I had to hide or suppress. Even now in my late 20’s I am learning to be comfortable enjoying the music, books, and movies that I actually enjoy.

“We divide billions of people into one of two categories and tell them that this is the way things are. We emphasize and exaggerate the differences between these categories and minimize the differences that exist within them. We forget that there is more variety within the categories of women and men than between them. We forget the ways in which we once deviated from the norm. We forget that humans have never perfectly aligned with these norms.” (p. 31)

This quote really opened my eyes to how absurd the gender binary is.

“Using gender neutral language isn’t about being politically correct, it’s just being correct.” (p. 47)

Yes! I wish more people understood this.

“They used to define sex as what was reflected on an individual’s birth certificate. Once that was changeable, they made the definition our genitalia. Once we could change those, the definition switched to chromosomes. Now that there is increasing evidence that chromosomes do not always necessarily align with sex, they are suggesting genetic testing. This is not about science—this is about targeted prejudice.” (p. 51)

We’re now in a time where high school athletes will have to undergo genetic testing to define their sex. We are living in a dystopian novel.

This book should be read by everyone. It is a great gift for anyone with an open mind or willing to learn about gender non-conforming people. The rebuttal section has inspired me with so many excellent counterpoints for the next time someone says something inaccurate or harmful concerning gender. Reading this book makes me hopeful for a future where a child’s toys are not selected based on gender, pronouns are used correctly, and gender reveal parties don’t exist.

Afterparties: Stories

Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So
Published by HarperCollins on August 3, 2021
Genres: Asian American, Fiction, Literary, LGBTQ, Short Stories
Pages: 272

Hey, you! Stop reading this and go add Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So to the top of your TBR…Welcome back! This short story collection is perfection. These nine stories center on Cambodian American characters living in California. Many of these stories feature queer characters, which was my main motivation to read it. I learned a lot about Cambodian history and culture and was blown away by So’s writing talent. So has mastered bringing out a range of emotions in his readers. A few times, while reading a single page, I found myself laughing and then suddenly heartbroken.

The stories feature Cambodian Americans that are the children of refugees. One story focuses on two daughters and their mom running a doughnut shop. Each night a mysterious man visits, only to buy an apple fritter and sit in silence, leaving the pastry uneaten. Another story features a down on his luck high school badminton coach and struggling grocery store owner trying to get a much-needed win by beating his star player. The story that inspired the collection’s title takes place at a drunken wedding afterparty where two brothers try to expose their dubious uncle for neglecting to gift money to the bride and groom. In my favorite story, The Shop, a gay son works at his dad’s car shop after failing to find a job after college.

So does a great job of creating a cohesive collection with many overlapping themes. The most prominent commonality I noticed was every character had inherited trauma from their parents. From 1975 to 1979 between 1.5 and 2 million Cambodians were killed in a genocide under the communist leadership. The number of people killed equaled about a quarter of Cambodia’s population. The characters in So’s stories are the children of the refugees that escaped to America to avoid losing their lives. Even though the children were not present at the genocide their lives are heavily impacted by the events. Another part of Cambodian culture that is featured in the stories Maly, Maly, Maly and Somaly, Serey Somaly is the Buddhist belief in reincarnation. The queer characters in this collection have the added pressure of seeking acceptance from their families. The Shop was my favorite story, not just because the main character is gay, but So perfectly captured the loss of direction some young adults experience after college. All of So’s characters are flawed. I found some, especially the main character in Human Development (what a prick)to be highly unlikeable. But these unlikeable characters felt authentically human, so the stories were still a pleasure to read.

Unfortunately, I am going to end this review on a sad note. Anthony Veasna So tragically passed away at the age of 28, due to an accidental drug overdose. The literary community has lost a great talent too soon. While it is sad that So will not get a chance to share more beautifully written stories with the world, I am comforted that his voice will live on through this magnificent short story collection. Do your self a favor and read Afterparties.

The Vanishing Half

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Published by Penguin on February 1, 2022
Genres: Coming of Age, Fiction, Literary, Women, African American & Black, LGBTQ
Pages: 400

I was fortunate to begin 2022 with the wonderful The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. This is a beautiful multi-generational drama focusing on race, family, and identity. Bennett is a skilled storyteller. I was fully immersed in her prose and found myself absorbed in the story. This is one of those rare stories that has universal appeal.

The story centers on the Vignes twins Stella and Desiree. The twins are from Mallard, Louisiana a town where many light-skinned Black people reside. The twins have a traumatic childhood after seeing their father get horrifically lynched by White men. At the age of 16 the two sisters run away from their mother’s home to start new lives in New Orleans. However, Stella soon makes a dangerous and shocking decision to leave her sister to go live as a White woman. The book is written from multiple perspectives and takes place from the 1940s to the 1990s. The daughters of the twins are also featured main characters.

While The Vanishing Half is arguably a slow burn the writing is so good that it reads quickly. The major characters are well developed. No perspectives felt weaker than the others. I really enjoyed how the story was told out of order. In the end a complete story of the family was revealed. There is a character that suffers from Alzheimer’s. I found these scenes to be well written, but tough to read as they reminded me of my grandma who suffered from the same disease.

The major theme of the novel is choosing one’s identity. Desiree and Stella who are physically identical, decide to live under different racial identities. Desiree’s trans boyfriend, Reese, struggles feeling comfort with his body that opposes his male identity. The difference is Reese’s gender expression is authentic while Stella’s racial expression is based on a lie. I was deeply saddened that Stella had to deny her Blackness and family in exchange for the privilege and security of life as a White woman. The vastly differing experiences of Desiree and Stella show that racial identity is more than just the color of one’s skin. Unfortunately, one’s presenting racial identity results in vastly differing levels of privilege and wealth in the United States.

The Vanishing Half is worthy of becoming a modern classic. Between the gorgeous writing and complex themes of family, identity, and race there are a lot of discussions to be had surrounding the book. And above all Brit Bennett is a skilled storyteller.

Trigger Warnings: Alzheimer’s, Racial Violence

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Published by Hodder & Stoughton on March 16, 2015
Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, LGBTQ
Pages: 608

My reading preferences have always favored character driven stories over plot driven. Becky Chamber’s The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet introduced me to some new favorite literary characters. The crew members of the Wayfarer are so loveable. The diversity of the characters and differences in their cultures drives many of the book’s conflicts and interactions.

The story begins with the arrival of Rosemary Harper, a newly hired clerk with a mysterious past, to the Wayfarer. The Wayfarer is a ship that tunnels for wormholes throughout the galaxy. The ship has a multi species crew that is highly diverse. They are led by the human captain Ashby Santoso. The three other humans on the crew are Artis, an algaeist, and Kizzy Shao and Jenks, both technicians. Dr. Chef, the ship’s cook and physician is a Grum, which is a species that starts life female, becomes male in the midlife, and ends as something in between. Ohan the navigator, is a Sianat pair, which is a Sian infected with a virus that gives them navigational abilities in the sublayer where wormholes are made. The ship’s communications are run by Lovelace, or Lovey, the ship’s AI. And my favorite character is the pilot Sissix, an Aandrisk. Aandrisks are reptilian and are not monogamous, very casual with sex. The crew is offered a job in a new region of the galaxy with a high price point. The journey will be dangerous because the area is known for high conflict.

All my favorite things about Becky Chambers book have to do with the amazing characters and their relationships. The crew of the Wayfarer is a tight knight found family. I appreciated how Becky Chambers includes characters with a range of pronouns. For example, Ohan is referred to as “they”, because with their virus they are a pair. This is a queer friendly book because it takes place in a future where use of non-binary pronouns is the norm. My favorite part of the story was falling in love with the members of Wayfarer’s crew. Different types of relationships are featured including inter-species romance and some brilliantly written friendships.

My one complaint about the novel was the main plot was a bit simplistic. There was nothing about the main story that was unique. Luckily, I loved the characters so much the plot didn’t really matter.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet was a fun adventure. I’m happy to see there are more installments in the series. I am eager to get find a copy of the next book to see what’s in store for the delightful Wayfarer crew.

The City We Became

The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin
Published by Orbit on March 24, 2020
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Magical Realism, LGBTQ
Pages: 448

My favorite fantasy series to this day is the Broken Earth Trilogy, by the prolific N. K. Jemisin. I was eager to read Jemisin’s newest book The City We Became, but perhaps my expectations were set too high. In this urban fantasy, cities are living beings and are represented by human avatars. After New York City’s primary avatar falls into a coma, five new avatars, one for each New York City borough, are awakened. The novel contains plenty of social commentary, highlighting each of the boroughs and including Lovecraftian references. Jemisin’s story is a tribute to New York, which she clearly loves.

Jemisin is the queen of worldbuilding, and here she has crafted an interesting world where cities are living beings. Each city is defended by an avatar, a human embodiment of the city. Some cities reach a point in their growth where they begin to awaken. The time of awakening is crucial, and the city will either come alive or fail (like Atlantis). Once a city dies, so does its avatar. A sinister outside force is threatening New York City because it is close to waking up. This enemy appears in multiple pale, white-colored forms, including Lovecraftian inspired monsters. At the start of the novel, the avatar of New York City, assisted by the avatar of San Paulo bests the enemy in a fight. But the primary avatar overexerts himself in the battle and goes into a coma in an unknown location. Once he goes missing five new avatars come into power, one representing each of New York’s boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island (Jemisin is clearly not a Staten Island fan). The novel focuses on the avatars finding each other and working together to battle the enemy. This is the first book in a planned trilogy by Jemisin.

There were many things I loved in The City We Became. Jemisin’s writing is exceptionally vivid. The action scenes played out clearly in my mind. I also appreciated the diversity of the characters, with plenty characters of color and from the LGBTQ+ community. For me, the best and most developed character was the Lenape lesbian woman, Bronca, AKA the Bronx. Bronca’s art curating career was fascinating. I could have easily read an entire novel focused on her character. Jemisin includes lots of creative details that made the novel so much fun. One clever example is that Manhattan fights enemies by throwing money at them, because one of the borough’s biggest industries is Wall Street. I also enjoyed how Jemisin reworked Lovecraftian monsters. If you are not aware, H.P. Lovecraft has made a huge impact in science fiction and fantasy, but he held largely disgusting racist ideals. Having the “pale” Lovecraftian monsters empower white racists in NYC was a way of giving a nod to the beloved Lovecraftian monsters, while also pointing out their creator’s flaws. This reminded me of the excellent HBO show Lovecraft Country (based off the novel I have yet to read). The ending of The City We Became, was not what I expected. Without spoiling anything, I feel that Jemisin made a bold statement, clearly defining her own version of New York. I imagine New Yorkers will be strongly polarized in their reactions to the book’s conclusion.

I really wanted to love The City We Became more than I did. Unfortunately, there are some flaws that prevent me from strongly recommending this to fellow readers. While Bronca was great, most characters were not fully developed. For me, the book almost reads as a movie script, more than a novel. The action scenes are well described and ready for the big screen, but character development is lacking. The New York avatars are like a more diverse version of The Avengers. The end of the story felt rushed, and some character motivations were not clear. Hopefully Jemisin will provide more explanation in the subsequent books. If you are a fan of Jemisin, or you are looking for a fun, quick-reading fantasy novel, this is worth the read. If you have yet to read Jemisin’s masterpiece: The Broken Earth trilogy, I strongly suggest you start there instead.

Lot

Lot by Bryan Washington
Published by Penguin on March 17, 2020
Genres: African American & Black, Fiction, General, Boys & Men, Coming of Age, LGBTQ, Short Stories
Pages: 240

Bryan Washington’s short story collection, Lot, focuses on queer characters living in Houston. Minor characters in other stories become the focus of others, creating connections across the collection. One bi-racial male, Nicolás, is the focus of many of the stories. He struggles with coming to terms with his sexuality, his absent father, his homophobic brother, and helping his mom keep her restaurant afloat. I was excited to read this collection after enjoying Washington’s novel Memorial, which I also recommend.

My favorite story was Bayou, where two friends find what they believe to be a Chupacabra. The potential Chupacabra added whimsey to the story that ended up focusing on a close male friendship. This being the only story with fantasy elements (and even a reference to Dune), of course it became my favorite. Another standout was Waugh, where a group of male sex workers sharing a home deal with their house father contracting HIV. This story reminded me of the excellent tv show Pose because of its focus on found families. Many members of the LGBT community, less fortunate than myself, are rejected by their families because of their queer identity. Thus, they find and create their own families. Themes present in these stories include families (biological and found), friendship, intersectionality, and the concept of home. Bryan Washington is a Houston native, and it shows in his writing. The city of Houston can be considered a main character that ties this collection together. This is an honest, depiction of Houston where many of the characters are struggling to make ends meet, especially after the damage of Hurricane Harvey in 2017. I have never visited Houston, but I feel like I have a sense of the city after reading Lot.

I would recommend this short story collection to anyone. If you are more in the mood for a longer story format, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of his novel Memorial. I will definitely be reading anything Bryan Washington writes in the future.

Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark

Yours Cruelly, Elvira by Cassandra Peterson
Published by Hachette Books on September 21, 2021
Genres: Biography & Autobiography, Comedy, Film, Horror, LGBTQ, Memoir
Pages: 272

“How’s your head?” “I haven’t had any complaints yet”.

This is one of the many hilarious quotable lines spoken by the legendary Cassandra Peterson, better known as Elvira. I’ve always known who Elvira was, but other than associating her with horror and sex I honestly did not know much about her. Upon seeing many positive reactions for her newly released memoir and after watching her wonderfully campy film, Elvira Mistress of the Dark, my interest was piqued. I made my first book purchase request at the library and was thrilled when a copy of Elvira’s memoir was ready for me to pick up a few weeks later (reminder to take advantage of your local libraries). Elvira is a queer icon. She embraces spooky weirdness, has great wit, and is resilient as hell.

Yours Cruelly covers Cassandra’s story from childbirth in Manhattan, Colorado up until present day. When she was 18 months old Cassandra was badly burned from a pot of boiling water, leaving her covered with scars. Cassandra was embarrassed of the scars and felt like a misfit, which drew her to all things spooky and weird. Most of her childhood took place in Colorado Springs, Colorado. As a teenager, Cassandra was obsessed with music, which led to some hilarious encounters while stalking famous musicians. Immediately after completing high school, she became a show girl in Las Vegas, eventually travelling to perform in Italy. Cassandra then relentlessly pursued a career in acting, hoping to land her first major role. Eventually Cassandra was offered a job, hosting horror movies on television. Thus, Elvira was born. Elvira became a household name, mainly by straight men. Eventually Cassandra’s sultry, spooky character was featured in two films. The later parts of the memoir describe Elvira’s experiences with motherhood, living in an actual haunted house, and her first marriage, which led to divorce. Elvira then finds love with her current partner of sixteen years, T, a woman. This book is Elvira’s coming out to the world.

I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir. Elvira is extremely witty and a great storyteller. Her stories feature plenty of shocks, including many famous names. On top of that, Elvira is one tough cookie. She never gave up on her Hollywood dreams, even when in trying times. I believe this book would be inspiring for anyone pursuing an unconventional career. While the book is full of humor, there are some sad, heartbreaking moments as well. Cassandra was raised by an abusive mother and endured multiple sexual assaults and a verbally abusive marriage. Yet she never lost her plucky, go-getter attitude. Even before coming out, Elvira had close ties with the gay community. She was inspired by drag queens while working as a go-go dancer in high school and toured with The Groundlings, a gay, male comedy troupe throughout the US. Elvira was hesitant to come out earlier because she feared losing support from straight men, who make up a large portion of her fanbase. But I believe Elvira won’t ever struggle for lack of fans. The LGBTQ community will celebrate Elvira for the icon she is, especially with her brand of campy humor and love of Halloween.

Normally I am not a fan of celebrity memoirs, but Yours Cruelly is truly special. Few books can make me laugh aloud, but Cassandra succeeded several times in her memoir. Hopefully this book will kickstart a new era in Elvira’s career. I am here for any future movies, tv shows or books!

Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies

by Deesha Philyaw
Published by Pushkin Press Genres: African American & Black, Collections & Anthologies, Fiction, Gay, LGBTQ, Short Stories
Format: Paperback

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies is an excellent collection of nine short stories written by Deesha Philyaw. The stories feature black women that are attempting to fulfill desires and passions that are at odds with their Christian beliefs and standards. This National Book Award Finalist is a delight to read and features excellent writing and many queer characters. Readers will meet the daughter of a woman having an affair with a pastor, a mistress’ humorous set of guidelines for her married lovers, and a teenager who has a crush on the preacher’s wife. These stories cover women from multiple generations, sexualities, and relationship statuses. I chose to read this book when I discovered my Deesha Philyaw would be speaking at my favorite bookstore, People Get Ready in New Haven, CT.

My favorite story is Peach Cobbler. This story focuses on a complex mother-daughter relationship. Olivia’s mom is having an affair with the preacher. Her mom cooks peach cobbler for the preacher, but never allows her daughter to enjoy her legendary desert. Olivia decides to replicate her mom’s peach cobbler for herself. Peach cobbler is one of my favorite deserts, so the vivid descriptions of the food in this story had my mouth watering. How to Make Love to a Physicist was a charming romance. The main conflict was not between the protagonist and her love interest. Instead, the conflict revolved around the protagonist learning to love herself. By the time I reached the end of the story in the back of my mind I heard Ru Paul’s legendary words of wisdom: “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else?” In Dear Sister the strong bond between the sisters and their different personalities reminded me of my mom and her three sisters. Deesha perfectly captures the loving, yet brutally honest interactions within an adult sisterhood. Deesha’s characters feel authentic and believable, and her writing is a joy to read.

I was so fortunate to hear Deesha Philyaw speak at the Elm City LIT Fest in New Haven, CT this past September. I really enjoyed listening to Deesha describe her writing process and the inspiration behind the stories in the collection. She explained how food played a large role in the stories. Her grandma would never say the words “I love you”, but she’d cook her family delicious food to show love. She highlighted the use of food in her favorite story in the collection, How to Make Love to a Physicist. Deesha wanted to make sure the protagonist’s quest for self-love included cooking whole, non-processed foods. She wanted mother-daughter relationships to be a focus of the collection. Deesha explained how mothers pass down the church’s culture to their daughters, both the good and bad parts. One of my favorite moments was when Deesha told us that envisioned that Olivia from Peach Cobbler grew up to be the serial mistress in Instructions for Married Christian Husbands. When the authors were discussing the process for selecting character names, Deesha explained the biblical significance of Jael’s name, which is key to that story. This was my first time hearing attending a talk by an author and I had so much fun! I appreciated the collection even more after hearing Deesha speak.

I can’t recommend The Secret Lives of Church Ladies enough! I implore you to put this at the top of your TBR immediately! This is one of my favorite reads of the year, and a reminder for me to read more short stories. This cohesive collection has excellent writing and unforgettable characters. I’m looking forward to seeing Tessa Thompson’s adaptation of this anthology on HBO, what a great pairing of artists!

Please check out People Get Ready in New Haven, CT!

Flamer

Flamer by Mike Curato
Published by Henry Holt and Company (BYR) on September 1, 2020
Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels, Coming of Age, LGBTQ, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 368
five-stars

In Mike Curato’s excellent graphic novel Flamer, Aiden Navarro, a queer Filipino-American teen, comes to terms with his sexuality while at a Scout summer camp. Aiden is attending camp between the end of middle school and the start of high school, a critical time for any teen. During the week Aiden grapples with fitting in, a peer crush, and bullying. Aiden becomes progressively isolated during summer camp leading to the novel’s dramatic conclusion. Curato’s graphic novel focuses on themes related to the intersectionality among queerness, race, body image, and religion.

The fantastic artwork in Curato’s novel is mainly sketched in black and white, but fiery pops of color are used to evoke emotional moments in the story. Curato perfectly captures the brutal and gross words of adolescent boys. Throughout the story at summer camp, Curato expertly weaves in key moments of Aiden’s childhood throughout the narrative. Aiden is given a strong character arc that leads to a well-deserved development at the story’s conclusion.

I devoured this graphic novel in one sitting, because of how engrossing and relatable the story was. I am a gay male who is also an Eagle Scout, like the author. The story makes me nostalgic for the fun of scout summer camp, but Aiden’s story also reminds me of situations I had in Scouting where I felt different than my heterosexual peers. Aiden goes days without showering to avoid being naked around any of his fellow campers, until he is noticeably smelly. While I didn’t abstain from showering, I remember waiting to shower when fewer people would be around. Removing clothes around my fellow scouts made me anxious. I’m sure being naked around same-sex peers is stressful for most adolescents, but for queer boys there is added stress because they may also need to face their burgeoning attraction towards other boys. I also remember conversations about girls starting around that time amongst fellow scouts. I distinctly recall feeling different from my fellow scouts. I didn’t feel the same way as them when talking about girls and sex, but I learned to join the conversations and fake the same feelings for the sake of fitting in. At that time being called gay was one of the worst possible insults, hence everyone using the phrase “no homo” to defend their “straightness”. Unfortunately, Aiden can’t blend in with his fellow scouts and he is bullied for simply being himself.

The book is immensely helpful for young teens. Curato’s book has the power to save lives of at-risk queer teens grappling with their identity, as well as building tolerance in straight readers. I wish this was taught in middle school English classes instead of the typical dated, heteronormative “classics”.

Trigger Warning: Self-harm, Bullying