Tag Archives: London

Review: The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

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The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

The Black Flamingo
Dean Atta
Balzer + Bray
Published May 26, 2020 (orig. 2019)

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Black Flamingo

A fierce coming-of-age verse novel about identity and the power of drag, from acclaimed poet and performer Dean Atta. Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo, Jason Reynolds, and Kacen Callender.

Michael is a mixed-race gay teen growing up in London. All his life, he’s navigated what it means to be Greek-Cypriot and Jamaican—but never quite feeling Greek or Black enough.

As he gets older, Michael’s coming out is only the start of learning who he is and where he fits in. When he discovers the Drag Society, he finally finds where he belongs—and the Black Flamingo is born.

Told with raw honesty, insight, and lyricism, this debut explores the layers of identity that make us who we are—and allow us to shine.

My Review

Early on in the pandemic, I placed a couple of book orders with independent bookstores, and THE BLACK FLAMINGO is one of the books I ordered. Obviously it took me a while to read it, but I’m so glad I finally did.

One of my favorite things about this book is how personal Michael’s journey is. I think part of what makes that work is that he’s a poet himself, and the novel is written in verse, too. Some of the poems are meant to be his, things he has written and performs. I felt like that made the story a lot more intimate if that makes sense?

I also loved the characters, from Michael’s mom and sister, Anna, to his best friend Daisy, to Jack, the repressed construction worker. Even the characters who only appeared for a few moments seemed rich and knowable.

The story begins when Michael is a child and runs through his early time at college, so I think it’s more of a coming-of-age story than traditional young adult fiction. I liked having that long span of time to see different moments in Michael’s life and how they affected him at the time and upon reflection.

All in all, this is a powerful story about self-discovery and courage and learning how to be true to yourself. I think fans of Elizabeth Acevedo will love THE BLACK FLAMINGO.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Michael is Greek Cypriot and Jamaican and a citizen of the UK. He’s also gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. References to sex between two boys (not shown).

Spiritual Content
A couple minor characters state their belief that being gay is a sin. (Later one person apologizes for this.)

Violent Content
Older boys bully Michael into fighting another boy. Someone leaves homophobic notes in Michael’s backpack. Girls say homophobic things to him.

Drug Content
Michael smokes pot and uses an inhalant with another boy in one scene. He smokes pot and drinks alcohol in several scenes.

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Review: Silvertongue by Charlie Fletcher

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Silvertongue (Stoneheart #3) by Charlie Fletcher
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published April 7, 2009

Amazon | Goodreads

About Silvertongue

The city of London is in the middle of one of its most destructive wars in history. And yet most of its inhabitants don’t even know it. The battle between the statues and gargoyles of London rages on. The stakes are high, with the spits engaged in a struggle against the evil taints that will determine the fate of their very souls. Twelve year old George Chapman and his friend Edie are caught in the middle. A glint with the ability to “see” the past, Edie has become a crucial asset in the ongoing war. The Gunner, a statue of a World War I soldier, continues do his part to help them in their quest. But George knows that he is the one who must play the biggest role in helping to bring an end to the war.

With the Walker intent on forcing his evil designs on London and the world, George realizes that his destiny is inextricably tied to the Walker’s destruction. In the end, the most important soul he manages to save might just be his own. Filled with intriguing suspense, invigorating action sequences, and well developed characters, SILVERTONGUE is a thrilling conclusion to the international blockbuster Stoneheart trilogy.

My Review

I listened to the audiobook version of SILVERTONGUE, which is narrated by Jim Dale. He does an amazing job bringing the characters to life. Once I’d read STONEHEART, the first book in the series, I knew I would have to read the rest of it.

This book follows George and Edie a lot more closely than the last one. As they get ready for a final battle to banish the evil that slipped into this world at the end of the second book, they rally new allies and discover new enemies. The ever faithful Gunner (my favorite character) remains by their sides.

I feel like the first two books set up the conflicts in this one really well, so that I began this book with a lot of expectations for things I hoped would happen. Lots of those expectations were met or exceeded. I loved the way some of the storylines played out, especially with some of the minor characters like Little Tragedy, and even the snippets of Edie’s mom’s life from the past.

I think the first book in the series will always be my favorite, but I loved following George and Edie all the way to the end of their story. It had an awesome ending, something I didn’t expect but loved so much anyway.

I think fans of the Percy Jackson series would love these books. They’re perfect for readers transitioning out of middle grade and into lower YA.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Both the main characters are white kids from England. Other characters are statues.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
One of the statues is wrapped in a cloth that looks like only the breeze keeps it in place. Another wears only a cape. (No descriptions of nudity.)

Spiritual Content
Statues have come alive. Some characters called Makers can create or damage statues with power in their hands. Others called Glints can sense memories of events that stones have witnessed. An evil from another world has slipped into Edie and George’s world and must be stopped.

Violent Content
Battle scenes usually involving statues. Situations of peril and some references to torture involving George and Edie.

Drug Content
Edie witnesses scenes from the past in which her mother and other adults drink a lot of alcohol.

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Review: Heartstopper: Volume 3 by Alice Oseman

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

Heartstopper: Volume 3
Alice Oseman
Hodder Children’s Books
Published February 6, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Heartstopper: Volume 3

Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. An LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and everything that happens in between: this is the third volume of HEARTSTOPPER, for fans of THE ART OF BEING NORMAL, Holly Bourne and LOVE, SIMON.

Charlie didn’t think Nick could ever like him back, but now they’re officially boyfriends. Nick’s even found the courage to come out to his mum.

But coming out isn’t just something that happens once – there’s Nick’s older brother, and a school trip to Paris, not to mention all the other friends and family – and life can be hard, even with someone who loves you by your side. As their feelings for each other get more serious, Charlie and Nick will need each other more than ever before.

HEARTSTOPPER is about love, friendship, loyalty and mental illness. It encompasses all the small stories of Nick and Charlie’s lives that together make up something larger, which speaks to all of us.

‘The queer graphic novel we wished we had at high school.’ Gay Times

This is the third volume of HEARTSTOPPER, with more to come.

My Review

I’ve really been enjoying this series so far! The first book introduced us to both Charlie and Nick, but mainly followed Charlie’s story. In the second, we got to look deeper into Nick’s story and get to know him better. This book follows the two of them on a summer trip to Paris with their classmates (and friends).

As the cover copy suggests, the story also gives us a chance to get to know some of Charlie’s friends better. I’ve been a fan of Darcy and Tara from the beginning, and I loved getting to know Tao and Elle.

The story also follows Charlie and Nick as they decide how and when to make their relationship status (and Nick’s identity) publicly known. Though that issue has come up in some of the other books that I read (like GET IT TOGETHER, DELILAH by Erin Gough and HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE by Dahlia Adler), HEARTSTOPPER: VOLUME THREE makes space to explore what it means to Charlie and Nick. It also dives deeper into what coming out individually and as a couple means to each of them. I really liked getting to see that journey and the two of them figuring out how to navigate their feelings about it.

I think fans of the series will find more of the sweet and adorable moments between Charlie and Nick that make the books so lovable. In addition to the romance, though, the author brings readers into what it might look like to come out as a couple for the first time. The story briefly touches on some other heavy issues, but mainly it’s a sweet romance with lots of love and blushing. I will definitely be reading Volume Four, and I hope to read even more by Alice Oseman.

Content Notes

Content warning for brief mentions of disordered eating and self-harm.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Charlie is gay and Nick is bisexual. Some minor characters are transgender, lesbian and/or BIPOC.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. Kissing between two girls. Also kissing between a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
A girl sneaks a bottle of vodka into her hotel room for a party. She gets drunk and sick.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: Ironhand by Charlie Fletcher

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Ironhand (Stoneheart #2)
Charlie Fletcher
Hodder Children’s Books
Published October 1, 2007

Amazon | Audible | Goodreads

About Ironhand

Now that George Chapman has upset the fragile truce between the warring statues of London, he has been drawn into a war that will test his mettle. He and Edie, a glint who can see the past, may have succeeded in their quest to find the Stoneheart, but their journey is far from over.

Edie and the Gunner, a statue of a World War I soldier, have been captured by the Walker, and it’s up to George to save them. But first he must deal with the three strange veins, made of marble, bronze and stone, that have begun to grow out of his hand and curl around his wrist. Legend has it that unless he successfully completes three challenges, the veins will continue up his forearm, and eventually pierce through his heart.

As George struggles to find the strength within to face the choice he has made, to take the Hard Way, he is determined to use his power for good—even as others wish to harness it for its great potential for evil.

My Review

It looks like IRONHAND is out of print, which is really sad, because I liked it a lot. I listened to the audiobook version, which is narrated by Jim Dale. His performance is, as always, fantastic.

The story begins with a section that kind of reminds readers what happened in the first book, which was perfect for me, since I read STONEHEART more than a year ago. I’ve thought about continuing the series a bunch of times since reading STONEHEART, which is usually a pretty good indicator that I’ll actually do it. If a book sticks with me the way this one has, I feel like it’s worth the investment.

I really enjoyed getting back into the London with living statues and following George, Edie, and the Gunner through a new adventure. I love Edie’s indomitable courage. She is fierce and never gives up. The thing that really struck me this time about George is the way he has the power to change things.

For example, he winds up befriending a gargoyle, whom he calls Spout. Only certain human statues are supposed to be George’s allies. Gargoyles should be working against him, but perhaps because he helps this one and gives it a name, it changes its allegiance. It begins trying to help and protect him. There was something about that relationship that struck deep for me. I loved both the story of the friendship between the two of them, but also then Spout’s role in the story. He helps George understand who he is and what he can do.

And, yet again, I love the Gunner. He’s loyal and protective and smart. Edie doesn’t really have anyone in her life she can count on. So, I feel like that makes her relationship with the Gunner even more incredible. He never stops fighting for her. I love his story in the book so much, too.

I might have liked IRONHAND better than the first one? I’m not sure. I liked it a lot, and I’m really excited to read the third book in the series now. If you like magical adventure stories like THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND by Catherine Doyle, you definitely need to check out this series.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
George and Edie are both white. Most other characters are statues.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Statues come to life and are either working to help George and Edie or harm them, depending on the nature of the statues. George is a Maker. He can magically create things from stone, but if he doesn’t fulfill his promises, he will die. Edie has the ability to see history or memories witnessed by stone or statues.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Brief but scary battle violence.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: Ghostcloud by Michael Mann

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Ghostcloud
Michael Mann
Peachtree
Published October 7, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Ghostcloud

Twelve-year-old Luke Smith-Sharma shovels coal under a half-bombed, blackened power station. With his best friend Ravi he keeps his head down, hoping to one day earn his freedom and return to his family, while avoiding the wrath of the evil Tabatha Margate. When he tries to help new girl Jess, Luke is punished and sent to clean the sewers of the haunted East Wing, a place from which few return.

Whilst serving his punishment, Luke realises he can see things others can’t in the power station: ghostly things. He befriends a ghost-girl called Alma, who can ride clouds through the night sky and bend their shape to her will.

But when Luke discovers the terrible truth of why Tabatha Margate is kidnapping children and forcing them to work in the power station, Alma agrees to help him and his friends escape. Will Alma convince the ghost council to help their cause? And can Luke find his voice, while trying to find a way home?

My Review

I liked the story world a lot. GHOSTCLOUD is set in London, but an alternative London, one ravaged by war and pollution. One in which children disappear. I liked Luke right away. He’s the guy who knows he should keep his head down so he can win a ticket home to his family. Instead, he risks everything to help a girl who clearly has no idea what she’s doing.

So much happens in this book. Adventures in the air with ghosts. Adventures exploring ventilation systems with Jess and a precocious cat they call Stealth. Luke is determined to win not only his own freedom, but to help Jess and Ravi and the others, too. He can’t help but care about everyone he meets, and I love that about him.

Something about the writing and the mysterious/magical story world reminded me of THE SONG FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE by A. F. Harrold. Both stories have that fantastical feel to them and kids with big hearts at their centers. I think readers who love magical realism or are looking for a story about courage will find a lot to love in GHOSTCLOUD.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Luke is half white and half Indian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
A girl kisses Luke on the cheek.

Spiritual Content
Luke meets a ghost named Alma who introduces him to other ghosts. Because he was dead for a moment at birth, he can see and interact with ghosts himself. Alma tells him this makes him “half-ghost”.

Violent Content
Luke and other children are forced to labor in a factory for a woman named Tabatha and her guards. She punishes them severely if they make mistakes or do something she doesn’t like. Brief references to torture and abuse.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy o GHOSTCLOUD in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Loophole by Naz Kutub

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , ,

The Loophole
Naz Kutub
Bloomsbury YA
Published June 21, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Loophole

Your wish is granted! This YA debut is equal parts broken-hearted love story, epic myth retelling, and a world-journey romp to find home.

Sy is a timid seventeen-year-old queer Indian-Muslim boy who placed all his bets at happiness on his boyfriend Farouk…who then left him to try and “fix the world.” Sy was too chicken to take the plunge and travel with him and is now stuck in a dead-end coffee shop job. All Sy can do is wish for another chance…. Although he never expects his wish to be granted.

When a mysterious girl slams into (and slides down, streaks of make-up in her wake) the front entrance of the coffee shop, Sy helps her up and on her way. But then the girl offers him three wishes in exchange for his help, and after proving she can grant at least one wish with a funds transfer of a million dollars into Sy’s pitifully struggling bank account, a whole new world of possibility opens up. Is she magic? Or just rich? And when his father kicks him out after he is outed, does Sy have the courage to make his way from L. A., across the Atlantic Ocean, to lands he’d never even dreamed he could ever visit? Led by his potentially otherworldly new friend, can he track down his missing Farouk for one last, desperate chance at rebuilding his life and re-finding love?

My Review

For some reason I thought this book was going to be a romcom type of story? The cover copy makes it sound like this light, fun romp around the world for love, and it is those things. But it’s also got some heavy stuff in it that I wasn’t expecting. The scene where Sy’s dad beats him with a belt. Reggie’s clear and heartbreaking alcohol addiction.

I really liked Sy. He’s messy and flailing and desperately trying to figure his life out. The one thing he knows for certain is that he loves Farouk. That love is his guiding star, and I loved that element of the story. I loved that he learns so much on his journey and finds confidence in his independence.

There are two notes the story didn’t hit that I wished it did. So, Farouk left on this glorious world-traveling trip. Sy stayed behind because he was afraid. The cover copy tells us that much. But then we learn that Sy is seventeen. And has an abusive dad. And eventually we learn the circumstances surrounding Farouk’s request for Sy to come with him, but that’s spoiler-y, so I won’t clarify that. It didn’t help how I felt.

I think I wish that Sy had paused to examine what was happening there and ask whether it was actually reasonable for Farouk to expect him to come with him. Or whether it was reasonable to lay the blame for their breakup on Sy for not going. Or whether it was more complicated than him simply being afraid.

Another thing that I wish the story addressed is Reggie’s alcohol addiction. Sy seems to think he can manage her addiction by distracting her with his friendship. I wish that there had at least been some mention of her getting professional help or recognizing that rescuing someone from addiction is not a burden that a friend can carry.

All that makes it sound like I expected every issue to be fully examined and processed by Sy before the end of the story, which I know isn’t reasonable. I guess I tend to struggle with that in the books that I read. It’s pretty realistic for some things to be left unexplored by the hero. It also leaves a lot of space for readers to examine things and draw their own conclusions.

Anyway, I still loved a lot of things about THE LOOPHOLE, especially the way Sy grows and builds his friendship with Reggie. I loved the scenes in Istanbul especially. Fans of THE MUSIC OF WHAT HAPPENS by Bill Konigsberg or ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE by Benjamin Alire Sáenz should check this one out.

Content Notes for The Loophole

Content warning for homophobia, Islamophobia and abuse.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Sy is Indian American, Muslim, and gay. Farouk is Pakistani American and gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. In one scene, they go skinny dipping together. Sy’s dad has a second family in India.

Spiritual Content
Sy visits a mosque and prays. His family believes being gay is a sin.

Violent Content
Sy’s dad beats him with a belt because Sy is gay. Sy reveals this isn’t the first time his father has done this. Sy learns of a terrorist attack in London. At an airport, officers detain Sy and threaten him with a strip search. Sy and Reggie hit an officer while trying to get through a police barricade.

Drug Content
Reggie drinks alcohol almost constantly. Sy drinks alcohol a couple of times.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE LOOPHOLE in exchange for my honest review.