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A review by xangemtheelibrarian
Becoming a Queen by Dan Clay
emotional
funny
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"The world can't handle a tragedy without a lesson, so here I sit, with my broken heart in my hands, waiting for my lesson." (Paraphrased, Dan Clay)
This line that I quoted above broke me. Because I understand so hard it hurts. 287 days ago, I lost my dad to cancer. The way Dan Clay narrates his own book is visceral in it's pain and grief. Either he is a very good actor, or he knows something about grief.
I adore this story. I adore these characters. Drinking, partying, and a generous amount of cussing isn't really my style, so I didn't find that I really liked a lot of what Mark does in the story, but I like Mark. I like Ezra. I like Eric. (Apologies if any of these names are misspelled). These teens are front and center on that struggle bus called Life. But you know what? By the end of the story, they're using the middle aisle of the struggle bus as a catwalk.
And side note: my god! The way Dan Clay narrated Mark's swoony moments over flirting and abs and kissing and sexual tension is right on par with a romance novel. Whoo! Do not listen at work if you are prone to blushing! (For the curious: there's no explicit sexual content. Just a lot of flirting, visible abs, a very particular spot of chest hair Mark often focuses on, eyes you fall into, and very strong, tense, when-are-they-gonna-DO-it feelings. I'm personally not used to listening to romantic banter and innuendos on audio, so I tended to feel my face getting warm at work lol)
This line that I quoted above broke me. Because I understand so hard it hurts. 287 days ago, I lost my dad to cancer. The way Dan Clay narrates his own book is visceral in it's pain and grief. Either he is a very good actor, or he knows something about grief.
I adore this story. I adore these characters. Drinking, partying, and a generous amount of cussing isn't really my style, so I didn't find that I really liked a lot of what Mark does in the story, but I like Mark. I like Ezra. I like Eric. (Apologies if any of these names are misspelled). These teens are front and center on that struggle bus called Life. But you know what? By the end of the story, they're using the middle aisle of the struggle bus as a catwalk.
And side note: my god! The way Dan Clay narrated Mark's swoony moments over flirting and abs and kissing and sexual tension is right on par with a romance novel. Whoo! Do not listen at work if you are prone to blushing! (For the curious: there's no explicit sexual content. Just a lot of flirting, visible abs, a very particular spot of chest hair Mark often focuses on, eyes you fall into, and very strong, tense, when-are-they-gonna-DO-it feelings. I'm personally not used to listening to romantic banter and innuendos on audio, so I tended to feel my face getting warm at work lol)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Homophobia, and Grief