Reviews

Not my favorite FLB book but still an awesome book for kids who feel like all they have is Twilight or Little House on the Prairie and nothing in between. It sucks to like reading and then hit a plateau and feel like there is nothing else around that has interesting characters or is relevant in any way. Of course there is plenty but you just need something like this to remind you.

caitcoy's review against another edition

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4.0

Baby Be-Bop is the story of Dirk McDonald, a young man in L.A. who has always known that he was gay but has to hide that part of himself. Having been orphaned at a young age, he lives with his grandmother Fifi but fears that she will judge him for loving boys if he ever revealed his secret. Dirk arms himself by adopting the punk culture. When he shaves his hair into a blue mohawk, dons the leather jacket and hits the clubs, he looks too tough to mess with, even if someone did guess his secret. But even the punk culture isn't safe and a run-in with some Aryan boys with swastikas lands Dirk in trouble he doesn't know how to deal with. Tied in with all this harsh reality is some of the best magic realism I've ever read. Block breathes magic into everything, whether it's descriptions of Dirk's grandmothers garden, her pets Kit and Kaboodle or even in its most obvious sense, with the family heirloom, a lamp with its very own genie. Whether the reader chooses to believe them hallucinations or an actual magical journey, Dirk comes to reexamine himself and his world through the stories of his family. Dirk's voice feels so raw and real that I couldn't help but enjoy seeing the way he viewed the world and I loved the ending. It's a story of hope and acceptance and magic throughout. I very much enjoyed it and I think that fans of young adult lit who are more interested in urban culture in L.A. will love it!

blueskygreentreesyellowsun's review against another edition

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3.0

Not as good as the other Weetzie Bat books. The amount of magic is jacked way up to compensate for a less developed main character, and this basically takes over and obscures the plot.

jmattbark's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

exlibrisbitsy's review against another edition

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4.0

With the three deaths that have happened recently, young people driven beyond the brink from being bullied due to their homosexuality, I was glad when I picked up the final book in the Dangerous Angels series. It gave me some hope.

Baby Be-Bop is a prequel of sorts to Weetzie Bat and tells the story of Dirk McDonald throughout his childhood and entering into adolescence. This is a coming out story of the first order. Dirk realizes from a very young age that he is different and later realizes that he is gay and the ramifications that is going to have for himself and his family.

He agonizes over telling his grandmother Fifi who he worries it will hurt. He struggles with his feelings for his best friend Pup and worries about the effect it will have on their friendship. He gets into trouble, smokes weed, gets a fake ID and sneaks into clubs, dresses as a punk rocker so that no one will mess with him, falls in love and deals with heart break. Baby Be-Bop pulls no punches as Dirk deals with everything from friends that are too afraid to come out of the closet, to finding out that others that are out were not careful and are now suffering from HIV or AIDS.

Finally Dirk ends up struggling with thoughts of suicide and has to find a reason to live, a story that will make him want to live. That's when the magic that is in all of the Dangerous Angels books comes to life and the genie in the lamp appears to give Dirk hope. Baby Be-Bop can be read as a standalone book and if you want to read a magical, fantastical GLBT story then I recommend you read this one. It's short, but to the point. It shows someone being driven to the brink by hatred and being saved by love, hope and understanding.

la_yuli's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

jackieeh's review against another edition

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3.0

I think I may be (finally) venturing into these books in a non-traditional order, but this was the only one the Chicago Public Library had for my kindle okaaaay?

There was a lot to like here. So much, in fact, that I threw my jet-lag recovery plan out the window and stayed up into the wee hours reading this in one go. It did indeed feel like a prequel to a story I hadn't read, but I didn't have any trouble sinking into this nineties-tastic world with its magic and its great names. Definitely one for hypothetical future children of mine.

I mean:

Our stories can set us free, Dirk thought. When we set them free.

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