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A review by mauricereads
Fraternity by Andy Mientus
4.0
A queer dark academia novel set in the 90s is pretty much a dream book premise for me, so it is no surprise how much I enjoyed this.
I went in expecting the occult plot line to provide the main feeling of an impending disaster. While that aspect was as dark and engaging as I’d hoped, the thing that caused me the most anxiety was the character’s struggles. It did not take me long to connect to and fall in love with the three narrators: Zooey, Daniel, and Leo. They each go through tribulations regarding sexuality, and while it fluctuated from anger-inducing to heart-warming, it was always compelling.
The author does not shy away from discussing the AIDS epidemic and its effects on the character's perceptions of their lives. It was felt most towards the last half of the novel and examined with insight. One thing that I wish was explored more was Daniel’s experiences with intersectionality and race in general. He encountered homophobia in the novel, but despite being one of the only Black students at a private school predominantly attended by wealthy White Republicans, the racism was surprisingly all told instead of shown. However, the lack of development in that area is likely due to the story being written by a White man who (understandably) does not have enough awareness of what it was like to be Black in that time and place and analyze it further. It was not a deal-breaker, but considering how well he treated the AIDS epidemic, it was something I wished had been addressed more comprehensively.
Fraternity was both dark and touching. A book about academia and iniquitous magic, but also love, community, and perseverance from a group of people who needed it then and still do now.
I went in expecting the occult plot line to provide the main feeling of an impending disaster. While that aspect was as dark and engaging as I’d hoped, the thing that caused me the most anxiety was the character’s struggles. It did not take me long to connect to and fall in love with the three narrators: Zooey, Daniel, and Leo. They each go through tribulations regarding sexuality, and while it fluctuated from anger-inducing to heart-warming, it was always compelling.
The author does not shy away from discussing the AIDS epidemic and its effects on the character's perceptions of their lives. It was felt most towards the last half of the novel and examined with insight. One thing that I wish was explored more was Daniel’s experiences with intersectionality and race in general. He encountered homophobia in the novel, but despite being one of the only Black students at a private school predominantly attended by wealthy White Republicans, the racism was surprisingly all told instead of shown. However, the lack of development in that area is likely due to the story being written by a White man who (understandably) does not have enough awareness of what it was like to be Black in that time and place and analyze it further. It was not a deal-breaker, but considering how well he treated the AIDS epidemic, it was something I wished had been addressed more comprehensively.
Fraternity was both dark and touching. A book about academia and iniquitous magic, but also love, community, and perseverance from a group of people who needed it then and still do now.