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A review by mxsallybend
Drag Queen Dino Fighters by M.P. Johnson
5.0
When your story opens with a baby triceratops being birthed from the ingrown chest hair of an otherwise depilated and exfoliated bingo-calling drag queen, you know you're in for a wild ride.
While I do not dabble in the bizarro genre very often, MP Johnson (Emma to her friends) is a writer I absolutely adore, and Drag Queen Dino Fighters is exactly what I was hoping for. It is a weird tale, well-told, that indulges in the surreal nature of the story, but never forces it to be strange simply for the sake of being strange.
Emma throws a lot into the mix here (drag queens, dinosaurs, aliens, firemen, skeletons, mad scientists, and more), but does it all within the context of a family drama, and that is what pulled me in. Family is at heart of the story, and it is their struggles that pull it all together, with Steven juggling a home life with his boyfriend, his son, his ex-wife, and her father. His baby triceratops may very well be his ticket to drag queen stardom, but it threatens to come at the cost of everyone who loves him.
There are so many little moments here that I loved, not the least of which is the way Ivanna's drag queen rivals continue to read each other, despite having the flesh dissolved from their bones, their heads removed from their bodies, or their eyes harvested. Yes, it is as weird as it sounds, but somehow not as gross. I thought Ivanna's crawl through a drag king's subterranean lair might be the height of absurdity, but the final dance-off between Ivanna and Dragosaurus Rex makes for a truly epic finale. I know, it sounds absurd - and it is - but it is also fabulous with a capital F!
Drag Queen Dino Fighters is far more than just another sci-fi flavored slice of bizarro - it is a story about love, family, and finding one's self. It's not a heavy-handed message, so please do not let that put you off, but that heart is what makes the weirdness work.
As reviewed by Sally at Bending the Bookshelf
While I do not dabble in the bizarro genre very often, MP Johnson (Emma to her friends) is a writer I absolutely adore, and Drag Queen Dino Fighters is exactly what I was hoping for. It is a weird tale, well-told, that indulges in the surreal nature of the story, but never forces it to be strange simply for the sake of being strange.
Emma throws a lot into the mix here (drag queens, dinosaurs, aliens, firemen, skeletons, mad scientists, and more), but does it all within the context of a family drama, and that is what pulled me in. Family is at heart of the story, and it is their struggles that pull it all together, with Steven juggling a home life with his boyfriend, his son, his ex-wife, and her father. His baby triceratops may very well be his ticket to drag queen stardom, but it threatens to come at the cost of everyone who loves him.
There are so many little moments here that I loved, not the least of which is the way Ivanna's drag queen rivals continue to read each other, despite having the flesh dissolved from their bones, their heads removed from their bodies, or their eyes harvested. Yes, it is as weird as it sounds, but somehow not as gross. I thought Ivanna's crawl through a drag king's subterranean lair might be the height of absurdity, but the final dance-off between Ivanna and Dragosaurus Rex makes for a truly epic finale. I know, it sounds absurd - and it is - but it is also fabulous with a capital F!
Drag Queen Dino Fighters is far more than just another sci-fi flavored slice of bizarro - it is a story about love, family, and finding one's self. It's not a heavy-handed message, so please do not let that put you off, but that heart is what makes the weirdness work.
As reviewed by Sally at Bending the Bookshelf