Review: The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

I originally picked this book up when looking to expand my reading to include queer characters of color. During my initial searching, I found this spreadsheet that contains a list of queer YA books by black writers. One of the first books I saw on the list was The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta, and I was immediately interested.

Summary

Michael is a mixed-race gay teen trying to find his place in the world; trying to discover where he fits in. From a very young age, Michael knew he was different, preferring to play with Barbie’s instead of Ninja Turtles, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to fit in. During his first year at university, he finds an outlet to expression and becomes a drag artist, The Black Flamingo.

Review

When looking for a fast-paced read, I always seem to gravitate towards novels-in-verse, which is exactly what The Black Flamingo is. They may seem daunting at first, especially when just looking at page count. My copy of this book is just over 400 pages, but each page contains poetry, so the word count is much smaller than your average novel, making it feel like you’re flying through the book as you flip through page after page. Beyond just the speed of reading, novels-in-verse are also a new way to experience a story. Because poetry has limited lines and words, some details that you would find in a normal novel are left out. We don’t always get to find out what a room or person look like in detail, but rather, we learn if the character feels safe in a room or with a person; we see how the a place, person, or experience make the main character feel and react, and so for me, these stories are driven by the main character and focused on their growth and development.

This story stares directly at the queer experience and shares aspects of it that I haven’t seen depicted in quite the same artistic way. I remember sitting at my desk thinking, “I can’t cry here, I can’t cry now!” as I read poem after poem about trying to find your group, about exploring your identity. Even though Michael and I have so many differences, I’m still able to relate to his experiences, and sympathize with those I don’t experience. The reason so many moments seem to hit home for me and others who have read this book is because of the way Atta describes the shared LGBTQ+ experience.

In addition to exploring queer identity, Michael struggles with his racial identity. Michael is half Jamaican and half Cypriot-Greek, and despite having relationships with both sides of his extended family, he has never quite felt at home with either side. Last Friday, one of the podcasts that I regularly listen to, Today Explained, published an episode about Milwaukee Bucks player Giannis Antetokounmpo. Admittedly, I’m not a huge sports person, so I didn’t expect to be too invested in the episode, but as I listened, I continued to be reminded of this book, drawing similarities between Michael and Antetokounmpo. It just served to remind me how relatable this experience can be for so many people and why it is so important to continue representing it in the literature we consume.

The episode is titled “An MVP for the world” and was reported by Mirin Fader and Sean Rameswaram.

Final Thoughts

I have not been able to stop talking about this book since I picked it up. I’ve recommended it to almost everyone I talk to about books. I even convinced my partner, who constantly refers to herself as “Jared, 19,” to read it. She read it in a day, while we were at the park. Like many novels-in-verse, it is a quick read, but beyond that, for me, I didn’t want to stop reading until I had finished. There are so many incredible moments that I wouldn’t be able to mention them all in this one review. Each one pulls you in, building Michael’s character and building the relationship between Michael and the reader.

This book is best for high school readers and older, as it does have some serious conversations about sex, racism, and alcohol.

I read the 2020 US hardcover edition of The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta. The book was originally published in Great Britain in 2019.

If you’d like to pick up a copy for yourself or a friend, check out the following links:
Bookstore Link: Link
Barnes & Noble: Link
Amazon: Link