Review – The Black Flamingo

The Black Flamingoby Dean AttaGenres: Verse Novel, Poetry, Young Adult Pages: 416 Rating: Synopsis: 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. I’m not a big one for YA or for verse novels, in general, but I decided to give Dean Atta’s The Black Flamingo a try after discussing verse novels semi-recently on my blog as part of the Let’s Talk Bookish discussion linkup. I remember hearing a lot about it when it first came out, because it’s basically a British queer coming of age story informed by the author’s Jamaican and…