Reviews with content warning for Lesbophobia - The Black Flamingo

Reviews tagging 'Lesbophobia'

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

40 reviews

devynreadsnovels's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

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solnit_and_sebastian's review

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted 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? No

5.0

Beautifully written in prose, Dean Atta's The Black Flamingo is the story of a young, queer, Jamaican and Greek Cypriot boy from London. The story carries through his first year at university, wherein Michael continues his journey of self-discovery, and learns more about new and old friends that challenges some aspects of his worldview. The intersection of Michael's identities, and how he relates to his family, friends, and the world through various lenses, are a primary focus of the book. Accessible, eloquent, and cathartic, I unreservedly recommend it.

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andyourstruly's review

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hopeful inspiring

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

4.0

I am not usually into coming-of-age novels and am especially cautious of queer coming-of-age novels because it usually spends so much time wrestling with self-loathing and/or whether or not they are queer.

Black Flamingo is really refreshing in having a protaganist who is very assured in himself and has a strong support system at home. Rather than man vs self, it's man vs society and the main character deciding how he will approach the world as someone whose identity lies at so many intersections, which is a journey I feel like we usually only catch characters like him in the "after" phase of, as the side character or inspiration in someone else's story instead of as their own protaganist.

The other thing I really like is how concise it feels. Many CoA stories make us walk through a bunch of fumbles and trauma and awkward mistakes before the protaganist is allowed to Become, and Black Flamingo doesn't make this a prominent part of Michael's journey. He makes mistakes, but the story is about Michael's coming to understand his multiple identities and how to meet a world that wants to fit him into a box, rather than the world teaching him some humility for any misplaced pride.

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