A review by misspalah
Unicorn: The Memoir of a Muslim Drag Queen by Amrou Al-Kadhi

challenging hopeful reflective slow-paced

3.0

 At school my sexuality was almost celebrated; at home it brought with it great peril. Like a cell undergoing mitosis, my sense of self was being severed into two opposing spaces, both of which brought with them enormous pressure. The divisions were only multiplying - over the course of my teenage years, my race was severed from my sexuality, my heritage came into conflict with my passions, and any sense of truth about who I was became completely concealed.

• Unicorn : The Memoir of a muslim drag queen by Amrou Al akadhi

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I found myself torn between appreciating the boldness of the book and wanting to discard it due to its grotesque portrayal, particularly of Amrou's disdain for his religion, culture, and heritage. While I can empathize with the pain of feeling rejected, Amrou often came across as a spoiled individual. Had he been raised in a poorer family with deep religious and cultural ties, I suspect he would have faced far harsher treatment. In the worst-case scenario, honor killing might have been considered to protect family reputation. His upbringing in the UK and attendance at Eton highlight his privileged background. Furthermore, much of his behavior seems to convey a significant disrespect towards Islam. While I respect people's choices to practice or not as Muslim, Amrou's actions felt like outright desecration, to the point of disregarding Allah and the Quran – it did feel like an insult from my POV. Some of his actions could be seen as blasphemous. Additionally, despite the title "Muslim Drag Queen," the book only addresses how Amrou reconciles his faith with his drag persona in the final 20 pages. I don't wish to gatekeep Muslim identity, but it feels disingenuous to have "Muslim" in the title when the content largely criticizes Islam which drawn mostly from Arab’s culture and customs. That said, I comprehend the motivations behind the book's creation. I believe Amrou aimed to heal from the significant trauma he experienced growing up, including racism and a fractured sense of identity that fueled his disdain for being a brown Muslim. His family often tried to ignore or hide anything related to queerness, leading to further internal conflict. The book reveals his desire to unlearn his childhood teachings about Islam and re-engage with them when he is in a better mental space. It serves as a reminder that not everyone will accept or understand him, and that's okay. It took him years to embrace his Arabic identity and Middle Eastern heritage, which ultimately shaped the person he is today. For that reason, I raised my rating from 2 stars to 3 after finishing the book.