Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - The Black Flamingo

i find poetry stories easy to read but hard to stick in my head. i didnt like the dialogue - it seemed inauthentic and clunky, more meant to get a point across than sound like talking. this could be ok because it is not a traditional format book but ive seen it done before and i think it made the characters less likeable. i really didnt like mike and i didnt like any of the other characters either. the book had a great message and interesting story structure, following mike throughout his whole life, but for me the strange dialogue and unlikeable characters made the book a drag (no pun intended) to get through. also a whole lot of monologues which whilst conveying their point expertly and poetically no one speaks like that and it made the characters feel a little obnoxious. the language was lovely and all that was said great but when i imagine someone speaking like that in real life I cant help but cringe. felt a bit like those twitter posts where someone makes up something cool and intelligent they said in their completely fabricated situation. its a poetry book though so maybe shouldnt complain. just not my style

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puttingwingsonwords's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

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

4.5

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escapismforlife's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

This was a beautiful prose book that covers many essential topics. I'm glad I finally got to be able to finish it up. But also sad this young adult self discovery book has to end. I can't wait to see whatever Dean Atta comes out with next. Whenever it comes out.

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violetsonata93's review

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hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I liked the premise before I even started to read it. Gay black people doing drag rarely get visibility in books. This book was intersectional to the max. The prose needs some getting used to but I would still recommend it.

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unicornsbookshelf's review

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hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

I don't think I've ever seen a book convey so much meaning with so few words. In The Black Flamingo, no line is unnecessary. Every word is meaningful. Every page is beautiful. It's one of the best coming-of-age novels I've ever read.

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