The Black Flamingo

I am rarely one for rave reviews, but "The Black Flamingo" so deserves one! It is the story of Michael, son of a Cypriot mother and a Jamaican father, who lives in London and early on discovers he is gay. It is a story of estrangement but also one of acceptance. Michael's mother is highly supportive of his journey, and once he moves from London to Brighton (an interesting counterintuitive narrative choice) he finds drag as a way to explore his identity. The plot might sound like your run-of-the-mill queer coming-of-age story, but Dean Atta's background in poetry shines through. He uses poetic language for Michael to express his feelings and reflections, and while in other hands this might come off as pretentious, here it is highly successful. Sure, Michael is quite young, and while some of his ponderings show off an old inquisitive soul, others do betray his age. Still, to me this is an instant classic. Not just an instant LGBTQ classic or an instant Afro-British classic. No, "the Black Flamingo" has casually sauntered into my hall of fame of best novels ever. I hope Dean Atta would be proud for me to rank him along the greats like Toni Morrison. Personally "The Black Flamingo" moves me much more than anything James Baldwin wrote, whom Michael acknowledges as a personal influence. Kudos - or maybe yaas, slay!

The Black Flamingo is a story about finding your own identity in the world, perfect for Young Adults. A great book on gender, sexuality and race, written entirely in verse! Be prepared for lots of emotions coming your way, and have some tissues prepared!

This was so beautiful. It is written in verse and focusses on identity. It discusses sexual + racial identity, homophobia and racism. It is beautiful to watch Michael find his place and become more and more himself throughout the book. I loved the metaphor of the black flamingo.