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A review by ditten
Fraternity by Andy Mientus
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.75
Fraternity is a queer dark academia book set in an all-boys boarding school in the 90s. We follow three boys, Zooey, Daniel, and Leo as they start their sophomore year at Blackfriars which will turn out to change all of their lives for good.
The book basically has two storylines/narratives that run concurrently and are linked: a search for and struggle with identity and the paranormal. The POV shifts between Zooey, Daniel, and Leo throughout the book as they tell the story of what happened at Blackfriars.
Heads up: Make sure you read the author's note and content/trigger warnings as this is set in the early 1990s and the vocabulary and setting reflect this.
All three boys are members of the Blackfriar secret gay society The Viscious Circle, and they're all trying to keep their sexuality hidden from most of their peers as being out isn't a feasible option in a school in the 90s where most students appear homophobic and/or racist. They all are attempting, with various levels of success, to fly below the radar and just get through school unscathed and mostly unnoticed.
Zooey is a recent transfer student who had to leave his previous school after he wasgroomed by his male teacher and afterwards was relentlessly bullied. He carries great shame about what happened, thinking he was at fault and he is also struggling with figuring out and coming to terms with his sexuality, as well as being half Asian and white-passing.
Daniel is a black student jock whose family is "new money" in a school of mainly white kids who think "old money" is the only acceptable way of being rich. His father especially has always put a lot of pressure on Daniel to remember that average or decent isn't ever good enough, and Daniel fears he can never tell his family he's secretly in love with his roommate.
Leo, Daniel's roommate and boyfriend, is too flamboyant to be able to hide from the school bullies. Leo only got into Blackfriars because his father was a legacy as his family isn't rich or influential. He was raised by a single mother, his father having passed away before Leo was born, and while not growing up with wealth, Leo did grow up with a loving and supporting mother. He's generally confident in his skin but when the verbal taunts turn to physical beatings, he knows something needs to change.
This is where the paranormal comes in. They find a book that's supposedly magic and try a spell that makes Leo "invisible" and thus stops the bullying and harassment he's been facing. The boys quickly learn that doing magic has consequences but when Leo's past is discovered by the school bullies, they have to figure out if the risks that come with using the book are maybe worth dealing with one more time.
From here the plot unravels a little but it also gets even harder to put the book down (or in my case, turn off the audiobook) and I found Fraternity a really intriguing read.
The audiobook is great, different narrators are used for each boy so the dual POV works really well.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The book basically has two storylines/narratives that run concurrently and are linked: a search for and struggle with identity and the paranormal. The POV shifts between Zooey, Daniel, and Leo throughout the book as they tell the story of what happened at Blackfriars.
Heads up: Make sure you read the author's note and content/trigger warnings as this is set in the early 1990s and the vocabulary and setting reflect this.
All three boys are members of the Blackfriar secret gay society The Viscious Circle, and they're all trying to keep their sexuality hidden from most of their peers as being out isn't a feasible option in a school in the 90s where most students appear homophobic and/or racist. They all are attempting, with various levels of success, to fly below the radar and just get through school unscathed and mostly unnoticed.
Zooey is a recent transfer student who had to leave his previous school after he was
Daniel is a black student jock whose family is "new money" in a school of mainly white kids who think "old money" is the only acceptable way of being rich. His father especially has always put a lot of pressure on Daniel to remember that average or decent isn't ever good enough, and Daniel fears he can never tell his family he's secretly in love with his roommate.
Leo, Daniel's roommate and boyfriend, is too flamboyant to be able to hide from the school bullies. Leo only got into Blackfriars because his father was a legacy as his family isn't rich or influential. He was raised by a single mother, his father having passed away before Leo was born, and while not growing up with wealth, Leo did grow up with a loving and supporting mother. He's generally confident in his skin but when the verbal taunts turn to physical beatings, he knows something needs to change.
This is where the paranormal comes in. They find a book that's supposedly magic and try a spell that makes Leo "invisible" and thus stops the bullying and harassment he's been facing. The boys quickly learn that doing magic has consequences but when Leo's past is discovered by the school bullies, they have to figure out if the risks that come with using the book are maybe worth dealing with one more time.
From here the plot unravels a little but it also gets even harder to put the book down (or in my case, turn off the audiobook) and I found Fraternity a really intriguing read.
The audiobook is great, different narrators are used for each boy so the dual POV works really well.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse and Death