fictionaltiff's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
riamcauliffe's review against another edition
5.0
The quickest I've ever read a book; read in 1 sitting and I absolutely loved it.
Normally I would say books written in verse isn't my cup of tea but this book was outstanding! Beautiful, emotional, profound.
I want Michael to be real and I want him to be my friend.
Normally I would say books written in verse isn't my cup of tea but this book was outstanding! Beautiful, emotional, profound.
I want Michael to be real and I want him to be my friend.
xdarkthunderx's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
At first I wasn’t totally interested in reading this due to how it’s in verse. I find that with books set in verse they’re often overly flowery with their writing and focus more on beautiful words than telling a cohesive story. This, however, reads similar to Ellen Hopkins’ books that I read in middle school lol. It’s a fully fleshed out novel that’s written in verse, which makes sense cause the MC likes poetry and also makes it read faster, which I appreciate.
We start with Michael in his childhood learning about his sexuality and also his mixed race; he’s 1/2 Greek and 1/2 Jamaican, as well as gay. His father left early on but he still has a strong relationship with his mother and his relatives, who are pretty decent supporting characters. We get part of his high school experience, but also dive into university with him, which was nice as it made the story feel more mature. He’s surrounded by an interesting cast of supporting characters while figuring out his sexuality and his interest in being a drag queen.
The obvious convos about sexuality are made (questioning, acceptance, even actual sex) as well as some about race (mostly regarding the mixed experience but also focusing on his blackness), but they’re taken to a more mature level. I’m not sure if it’s due to Michael’s age that the author wanted it to be more mature, but as a 22 y/o reading this, I definitely appreciated it. The issues Michael deals with not only apply to teens, but also those in their twenties and older, even, which makes this a very widely-appealing book.
At first I wasn’t totally interested in reading this due to how it’s in verse. I find that with books set in verse they’re often overly flowery with their writing and focus more on beautiful words than telling a cohesive story. This, however, reads similar to Ellen Hopkins’ books that I read in middle school lol. It’s a fully fleshed out novel that’s written in verse, which makes sense cause the MC likes poetry and also makes it read faster, which I appreciate.
We start with Michael in his childhood learning about his sexuality and also his mixed race; he’s 1/2 Greek and 1/2 Jamaican, as well as gay. His father left early on but he still has a strong relationship with his mother and his relatives, who are pretty decent supporting characters. We get part of his high school experience, but also dive into university with him, which was nice as it made the story feel more mature. He’s surrounded by an interesting cast of supporting characters while figuring out his sexuality and his interest in being a drag queen.
The obvious convos about sexuality are made (questioning, acceptance, even actual sex) as well as some about race (mostly regarding the mixed experience but also focusing on his blackness), but they’re taken to a more mature level. I’m not sure if it’s due to Michael’s age that the author wanted it to be more mature, but as a 22 y/o reading this, I definitely appreciated it. The issues Michael deals with not only apply to teens, but also those in their twenties and older, even, which makes this a very widely-appealing book.
jameswdeav's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Incredibly accessible and enjoyable read.
cs_the_librarian's review
emotional
hopeful
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
2.0
gwensadventure's review against another edition
5.0
I think that this might be the first audiobook I ever purchase and I know that I will be recommending this book to literally everyone I know. This is the first book I have ever finished that is written in verse and I restarted it right after because I am completely obsessed and in love with this story. I want to get everything out of it that I can.
This is a queer coming of age story, but it is not sad or traumatic or anything which was so refreshing. I LOVEDDDD how the author showcased coming out and exploring gender with real reactions from loved ones, but it was done in a way that didn't make me feel sad (I know that's the reality a lot of times, but this also felt real and it didn't hurt!!). Black Flamingo is SUPER empowering and I'll let you read it and see what I mean.
As this is about an identity totally not like my own, I really enjoyed diving into Michaels world and seeing how his identities as a queer Jamaican, Greek, British man intersected. This story highlights many different topics I learned about in an academic setting, but makes really complicated realities like gender exploration and sexuality and race and the intersection of all of that super approachable and totally captivating to read about. I seriously cannot recommend this enough, EVERYONE should read this.
OH and there are drag queens, and great found family dynamics and adventures and fun times at college and it is super informative BUT ALSO so very fun to get sucked into. And it's short so seriously just read it.
This is a queer coming of age story, but it is not sad or traumatic or anything which was so refreshing. I LOVEDDDD how the author showcased coming out and exploring gender with real reactions from loved ones, but it was done in a way that didn't make me feel sad (I know that's the reality a lot of times, but this also felt real and it didn't hurt!!). Black Flamingo is SUPER empowering and I'll let you read it and see what I mean.
As this is about an identity totally not like my own, I really enjoyed diving into Michaels world and seeing how his identities as a queer Jamaican, Greek, British man intersected. This story highlights many different topics I learned about in an academic setting, but makes really complicated realities like gender exploration and sexuality and race and the intersection of all of that super approachable and totally captivating to read about. I seriously cannot recommend this enough, EVERYONE should read this.
OH and there are drag queens, and great found family dynamics and adventures and fun times at college and it is super informative BUT ALSO so very fun to get sucked into. And it's short so seriously just read it.
smthuriot's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
See my full review here:
https://sarahoverbooked.wordpress.com/2023/09/11/the-black-flamingo/
https://sarahoverbooked.wordpress.com/2023/09/11/the-black-flamingo/
cffg's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0