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callme_tippy's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Kacen writes books that seem like they are for Black people on the outside, but in reality they are actually written for white people.
I find it very interesting that in a book where Callendar themselves sates they wanted to make a book for young Black boys that have a Black gay lead, they still made the 2nd lead a white boy.
And not just any white boy, he' the son of the racist white sheriff, and the brother of the racist young man that killed a Black man by tying him to his truck and dragging him around town.
In what world is this written for young Black boys?
Wouldn't it have made more sense to have the main character as well as the 2nd main character/"kind of love interest" also be a young Black boy?
This novel could have given so much more than what it did. I think the book would have been much more powerful and impactful had both of the leads been young Black boys struggling with being gay.
On top of that, I found Sandy very annoying, I was sad for his situation but he was not a likeable character.
And to top it off, the only other young Black boy that speaks (besides the lead), is a misogynistic bigot. Meanwhile the young white boy in group is shown to be understanding and open minded.
I think some of the authors internalized anti-blackness and need for white approval shows through this book and characterizations.
This is the second book where I have had issue with the way Callendar portrays and writes their Black characters vs non-Black characters. I will not be reading another one of their books.
I find it very interesting that in a book where Callendar themselves sates they wanted to make a book for young Black boys that have a Black gay lead, they still made the 2nd lead a white boy.
And not just any white boy, he' the son of the racist white sheriff, and the brother of the racist young man that killed a Black man by tying him to his truck and dragging him around town.
In what world is this written for young Black boys?
Wouldn't it have made more sense to have the main character as well as the 2nd main character/"kind of love interest" also be a young Black boy?
This novel could have given so much more than what it did. I think the book would have been much more powerful and impactful had both of the leads been young Black boys struggling with being gay.
On top of that, I found Sandy very annoying, I was sad for his situation but he was not a likeable character.
And to top it off, the only other young Black boy that speaks (besides the lead), is a misogynistic bigot. Meanwhile the young white boy in group is shown to be understanding and open minded.
I think some of the authors internalized anti-blackness and need for white approval shows through this book and characterizations.
This is the second book where I have had issue with the way Callendar portrays and writes their Black characters vs non-Black characters. I will not be reading another one of their books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Outing
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, and Classism
jocelynzoe's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse and Homophobia
Minor: Racism and Abandonment
chemeducator's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Racism
Minor: Bullying and Abandonment
mirandaleighhhh's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I loved this and thought it was beautiful. Love that it's a middle grade book, love books that drive home that kids are people and that their feelings are real and important. (and meant to be felt) Would have loved to have read something like this when I was younger.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Racism, and Grief
thebrainglitter's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child abuse and Racism
Minor: Medical content
taleofabibliophile's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Grief, Murder, and Outing
Minor: Sexism
citrus_seasalt's review against another edition
4.5
I’ve had mixed feelings about Kacen Callendar’s books as I read them(depends on where in their published works I am), but I’m glad I’ve come back to their writing! “King And The Dragonflies” is an example of how kidlit can (sometimes) be some of the most profound stories I’ve ever read. While this wasn’t a perfect one-to-one replica of a kid’s mindset, I liked how King was flawed, sometimes struggling to make decisions if they involved people outside of himself, and learning to keep the other perspectives of his friends in mind. His self-discovery and grief were also carefully handled, and I liked how it tied into the closure to the magical realism elements. But I was a little surprised by the direction the magical realism parts went in! (Not to say it was without buildup, though. And that part of the story was closed in a straightforward way, which was refreshing to see.)
I also appreciated the intersectionality! I feel that the different ways Sandy and King are affected by homophobia and racism (and how they aren’t always separate, in the case of King) were discussed in a way that was both respectable and easy for kids to grasp. If this ends up on classroom shelves, I think this could be a great discussion starter.
The only real issues I have were the abrupt shift in attitude King’s parents had after he was outed—it didn’t have much buildup to that point and left me confused, and the ending wrapped things up a little too quickly. Most of the story was paced somewhat realistically, and that took me aback? But I know that last creative choice was made with the target demographic in mind(and I am too old to be part of that). I also would’ve liked for King’s friends to be more memorable, the only one that really stuck with me was Jasmine and that was mostly because I liked how some of the societal pressures amplified by middle school were shown in her relationship with King. (I did also think she was a sweet kid, though.)
I wish I’d cried more reading this, but this is definitely a solid grief-centered narrative.
I also appreciated the intersectionality! I feel that the different ways Sandy and King are affected by homophobia and racism (and how they aren’t always separate, in the case of King) were discussed in a way that was both respectable and easy for kids to grasp. If this ends up on classroom shelves, I think this could be a great discussion starter.
The only real issues I have were the abrupt shift in attitude King’s parents had after he was outed—it didn’t have much buildup to that point and left me confused, and the ending wrapped things up a little too quickly. Most of the story was paced somewhat realistically, and that took me aback? But I know that last creative choice was made with the target demographic in mind(and I am too old to be part of that). I also would’ve liked for King’s friends to be more memorable, the only one that really stuck with me was Jasmine and that was mostly because I liked how some of the societal pressures amplified by middle school were shown in her relationship with King. (I did also think she was a sweet kid, though.)
I wish I’d cried more reading this, but this is definitely a solid grief-centered narrative.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Outing
Moderate: Hate crime and Racism
memydogandbooks's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Powerful story of grief, race and identity - so beautiful ❤️
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Grief
danajoy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Homophobia, and Racism
emliii's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Racism, and Grief