Black Flamingo

Black Flamingo is written by Dean Atta, has a front cover by Anshika Khullar, and is published by Hodder.

A beautiful book with a beautiful message. It’s a triple threat; I love the cover, the book and the author.

Black Flamingo is about Michael Angeli, a black, queer, beautiful, eternal, iconic, futuristic, black flamingo …all by his own admission. And this is the story of how he comes to this freedom, of being himself – from a closeted misfit to a fierce drag queen.

So, this book could probably be described as an “awe inspiring anthem to queer black kids” or something like that, however I feel like a bit of an idiot saying that, which is why I don’t usually say things like that about other books either, even if they deserve it, because I think I sounds silly (however true it might be!). Instead, I will say this book was amazing, it gives me a perspective I physically couldn’t experience (as I am neither male, gay, a drag queen, or black), without going to an alternate universe, and it’s a really strong perspective – real and honest, and shares the highs and lows of what a person like Michael might have to go through.

Pretty impressively, Michael is definitely my favourite character in the book, where usually it’s the sassy sidekick or something.

So I actually got this book at YALC (Young Adult Literature Convention – check my last post), where I also got to meet Dean Atta the author and hear him speak on a panel, and I have to say he is funny and fabulous just like his character. He also managed to do something near impossible… which is to make me like poetry because, honestly usually I hate poetry (Sorry poetry lovers everywhere), I just find it really hard to get into – but this poetry wasn’t bad, in fact I enjoyed it.

So, well done Dean! Everyone should buy this book. It is an amazing, eye opening, read, and I’d say that schools desperately need it in their libraries, as most schools seriously lack diversity in their books.