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theskyboi's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Craig Womack manages to craft a timeless tale set across many shared lifetimes in this queer chronicle of magic realism. Drowning in Fire illuminates the stories often cast aside and left in the shadows, allowing them to glisten with a relevance and an urgency that is stamped with just as much regional flair as universal appeal. Josh and Lucille skillfully switch between owning the responsibility of the novel's narration with such a distaste for chronological storytelling that readers can't help but immerse themselves into a family portrait so rich with vibrant history.
Arresting and enchanting, Lucille anchors the plot to the details of a time much forgotten by the writers of history books yet integral to the fabric of contemporary American society; her antics and musings have just as much to say about her own family as they do about the intertwined histories of all the continent's families. Josh, a dreamer and a spiritual being, levitates above the din of small-town mediocrity to find the best of himself and those who he admires. His apprehension toward other boys his age will no doubt strike a chord with gay readers, but he edifies the sincerity of his Oklahoma upbringing as much as he questions its limitations. Both narrators rewrite the narratives handed to them by others in favor of images of Creek, queer, and feminist identities that set the stepping stones in place for a future worth claiming.
Arresting and enchanting, Lucille anchors the plot to the details of a time much forgotten by the writers of history books yet integral to the fabric of contemporary American society; her antics and musings have just as much to say about her own family as they do about the intertwined histories of all the continent's families. Josh, a dreamer and a spiritual being, levitates above the din of small-town mediocrity to find the best of himself and those who he admires. His apprehension toward other boys his age will no doubt strike a chord with gay readers, but he edifies the sincerity of his Oklahoma upbringing as much as he questions its limitations. Both narrators rewrite the narratives handed to them by others in favor of images of Creek, queer, and feminist identities that set the stepping stones in place for a future worth claiming.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Colonisation, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Homophobia, Medical content, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Violence, and Terminal illness
Minor: Alcohol, Biphobia, and Cultural appropriation
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