A review by jrosenstein
Blue Boy by Rakesh Satyal

3.0

The story drags in some places and maybe our young hero gets away with a bit too much in the name of retribution, but overall this is a lovely, moving book about one kid's struggle to see being different as beautiful and magical instead of a burden. Kiran is doubly outcast, an Indian kid in a mostly white Ohio school, and a gay boy who loves to dress up put on makeup and engage in wild flights of imagination. As Kiran tries to embrace and reconcile both his Indian and artistic sides, Satyal gives him some really great interior monologues and there are moments of revelation that hit just right. Satyal also finds a way to offer hope for Kiran without being unrealistic or unbelievable.