Scan barcode
aguazales's review against another edition
4.0
Really good! The main character is a young, gay, black teen, and his descriptions of high school somehow manage to be simultaneously witty and scarily accurate. The humor is what makes the book for me. I am so sick and f***ing tired of gay coming of age stories that are one big trail of tears. "I was bullied all through high school. My boyfriend committed suicide. My parents kicked me out." Like, I lived through some of that, why the hell would I want to do it again willingly, for fun? But Blackbird takes this story and makes it seem human. Like sure, bad stuff happens, but through it all it's presented in a stoic, witty, realistic light.
Basically, I liked this book because Johnnie Ray's experiences were so similar to my own in high school and beyond, and it was not presented as a story with an unhappy ending.
Basically, I liked this book because Johnnie Ray's experiences were so similar to my own in high school and beyond, and it was not presented as a story with an unhappy ending.
biancarose88's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this book. It was written very simply and eloquently. It covers a variety of issues as well as homosexuality & racism which are spoken about in the blurb. I don't want to ruin the story for anyone so won't go into too much detail. I did enjoy the book and would recommend it as a good read. That said, I would caution that there are a few chapters that contain quite graphic sexual scenes so if that bothers you, this may not be the best book to read.
One criticism I will voice is that I found that the main character seemed to sexualise every male character in the book which I do question. Is this realistic? Does it perpetuate the old myth that homosexuals find all members of the same sex attractive? Having never been a 17 year old boy or read any of Larry Duplechan's other works, I really can't comment on whether this is realistic or is Duplechan's style of writing. I had expected that the sexualisation of all male characters would diminish once Johnnie Ray found other homosexual men that he could connect with and felt more confident in his own sense of self that the sexualisation would decrease. It did reduce slightly just not to the extent that I expected.
One criticism I will voice is that I found that the main character seemed to sexualise every male character in the book which I do question. Is this realistic? Does it perpetuate the old myth that homosexuals find all members of the same sex attractive? Having never been a 17 year old boy or read any of Larry Duplechan's other works, I really can't comment on whether this is realistic or is Duplechan's style of writing. I had expected that the sexualisation of all male characters would diminish once Johnnie Ray found other homosexual men that he could connect with and felt more confident in his own sense of self that the sexualisation would decrease. It did reduce slightly just not to the extent that I expected.
darmich's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
emilyknott's review against another edition
5.0
loved this so much, an incredible blend between comedy and seriousness - addressing the issues of being a gay black teen in the 70s, whilst telling a humorous yet heart wrenching story of a religious small town. really really enjoyed, an amazing piece of queer literature.
"how could i cause this kind of pain, just by being what i am? i wasn't trying to hurt anybody. god, i was just trying to be"
"even before i knew there was a word (several words, in fact) for a boy like me, who finds that his love light shines brightest on other boys, i knew i was different"
"how could i cause this kind of pain, just by being what i am? i wasn't trying to hurt anybody. god, i was just trying to be"
"even before i knew there was a word (several words, in fact) for a boy like me, who finds that his love light shines brightest on other boys, i knew i was different"
megatsunami's review against another edition
4.0
I read this after watching the recent movie adaptation (which was quite different but also enjoyable).
estmcphee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.75
friendofhayley's review against another edition
challenging
lighthearted
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? No
4.5
I understand why this book is considered a gay classic. It was harrowing following Johnny Ray's journey along with his youth community and the repercussions of church fear and gossip. If you're gay and have religious trauma this book is sure going to bring stuff up for you.
e323's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
More...