Reviews with content warning for Outing - En King i les libèl·lules

Reviews tagging 'Outing'

En King i les libèl·lules by Kacen Callender, Kacen Callender

23 reviews

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 write 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, but they still made the 2nd lead a white boy.
Not just any white boy, but the son of the racist white sheriff and the brother of the racist young man that killed 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 only young Black boy that speaks, besides the lead, is a misogynistic bigot. Meanwhile the young white boy in group in thought to be understanding and open.

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.

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taleofabibliophile's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

3.75

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cats33's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Beautiful story about growing up and figuring out who you are, despite all the hindrances the world throws at you.

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citrus_seasalt's review against another edition

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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.

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therealmsroth's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Sweet book about a young black boy questioning and accepting his own sexuality, while also dealing heavily with grief. Lots of conversations with friends and family that I found healing to my inner child. King finds love and acceptance, even if getting there is complicated and hard and scary and sad and sometimes shameful.

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kxc319's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

A very emotional and moving story that covers a lot of ground - death of a family member, homophobia, child abuse at the hands of a parent, and racism. Even with all that, the story reads smoothly and your love for the characters helps you empathize with all these topics. I can’t wait to read more by Kacen Callender!

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