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leafblade's review against another edition
DNF @ 50 pages. It took me three days to get here and the book has over 300 pages. I'm sad for what must be the fun part (aka the drag scene) but I just can't concentrate with this writing style.
ruth24's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with an ARC copy of [b:Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens|42202063|Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens|Tanya Boteju|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1555269913s/42202063.jpg|58368657] in exchange for an honest review.
RuPaul's Drag Race introduced me to the world of drag queens, but my experience of drag kings is much more limited, which is partly why I was intrigued when I saw [b:Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens|42202063|Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens|Tanya Boteju|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1555269913s/42202063.jpg|58368657]. I've never seen a book about the drag community before, let alone read one.
17-year-old Nima feels like she's boring and wonders if that's the reason why her mom abandoned her and her dad almost a year ago. The summer seems to stretch before her, but when she stumbles upon the mystical and magical world of drag and a host of welcoming and charming characters, Nima begins to let loose and discover a whole new side of herself.
Boteju really nailed what it's like to be an awkward, unsure teenager. Nima bumbles through social interactions with sweaty hands and a trembling lip. She feels inadequate next to others, not exciting enough to be liked, and in an effort to seem cool, she often ends up making things worse for herself. I really liked her as a character because I could see her heart and how hard she was trying. She makes you want to be the Deirdre in her life and take her under your wing. Deirdre was my second favourite character, after Nima. I would love if she had her own book, a companion to this one.
I think the story between Nima and her mom needed more time/needed to be fleshed out more. It didn't get enough attention in my opinion. It felt kind of secondary and it definitely felt unfinished. Maybe Boteju wanted us to feel that way and/or maybe there's a sequel in the works. Either way, I want to know more!
RuPaul's Drag Race introduced me to the world of drag queens, but my experience of drag kings is much more limited, which is partly why I was intrigued when I saw [b:Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens|42202063|Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens|Tanya Boteju|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1555269913s/42202063.jpg|58368657]. I've never seen a book about the drag community before, let alone read one.
17-year-old Nima feels like she's boring and wonders if that's the reason why her mom abandoned her and her dad almost a year ago. The summer seems to stretch before her, but when she stumbles upon the mystical and magical world of drag and a host of welcoming and charming characters, Nima begins to let loose and discover a whole new side of herself.
Boteju really nailed what it's like to be an awkward, unsure teenager. Nima bumbles through social interactions with sweaty hands and a trembling lip. She feels inadequate next to others, not exciting enough to be liked, and in an effort to seem cool, she often ends up making things worse for herself. I really liked her as a character because I could see her heart and how hard she was trying. She makes you want to be the Deirdre in her life and take her under your wing. Deirdre was my second favourite character, after Nima. I would love if she had her own book, a companion to this one.
I think the story between Nima and her mom needed more time/needed to be fleshed out more. It didn't get enough attention in my opinion. It felt kind of secondary and it definitely felt unfinished. Maybe Boteju wanted us to feel that way and/or maybe there's a sequel in the works. Either way, I want to know more!
skyeshark1's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Hate crime, Dysphoria, Body shaming, Toxic friendship, Violence, Transphobia, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia
aliena_jackson's review against another edition
2.0
Now, you guys know that normally I’m all about LGBT books. I love them! I think that they’re great! But...I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump, in case you hadn’t noticed, and I really needed some brand new books to pull me out of it. I was hoping that this book would be one of them, but I thought that the plot was all over the place, the writing was ehh, and the characters were just not that compelling. Yes, I enjoyed the drag, but I almost wanted more. It felt like the authors was just trying to cram as much drama into the book as possible, and at times, it really felt like a fanfiction, especially during the “big” plot twist (which I saw coming from a mile away). Honestly, this wasn’t the worst book I’ve ever read, but it wasn’t the best. It’s probably gonna sit there on my Read shelf, sad and alone, and I’m gonna forget about it. On to the next book I guess. I need to go to the library. And hey, who knows, maybe this is one of those books that gets better with every read?
brittanymorgan52's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I wanted to love this book so much but it just missed the mark for me. The beginning was slow but then it picked up and I was really into it. There were some super cringey moments where I had to put the book down. And then the ending just stopped. Another chapter would’ve been nice. Or even an epilogue.
abbyandthejets's review against another edition
4.0
I LOVE THIS BOOK! I love that it was written by a Canadian, I love that it showcased queer mentorship, I love that it featured a character who made many mistakes, I LOVE that the main character was queer throughout.
Vague Spoiler:
I do wish that a certain parental subplot had been dealt with in more nuanced ways, same with the over/underage relationships. Also, they/them pronouns were only used a few times and there were no non binary character in the book. Anyway, those are nit picky, I am mostly just so thrilled to see such celebratory queer relationships in YA that I actually like! Yay yay yay!
Vague Spoiler:
I do wish that a certain parental subplot had been dealt with in more nuanced ways, same with the over/underage relationships. Also, they/them pronouns were only used a few times and there were no non binary character in the book. Anyway, those are nit picky, I am mostly just so thrilled to see such celebratory queer relationships in YA that I actually like! Yay yay yay!
kevinmccarrick's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
thereadingchallengechallenge's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
This is so queer and unique and fun and I don't know why more people haven't read it??? If you've ever wanted to read a book about a baby drag king, find yourself a copy of this!
There's a disaster lesbian, a questioning trans girl, the fiercest and friendliest of drag queens and great things to hear about the complexities of friendship, family and forgiveness. And a really cute dog.
There's a disaster lesbian, a questioning trans girl, the fiercest and friendliest of drag queens and great things to hear about the complexities of friendship, family and forgiveness. And a really cute dog.
librarygxrl's review against another edition
1.0
noooooooo i wanted to like this book so bad as the main character is a biracial queer girl and its DRAG for gods sake but the main character was so pathetic from beginning to end and ALL of her relationships with people made me uncomfortable and seemed a bit predatory and gordon's arc was completely forced and aaaahhhhh why
nat008's review
funny
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.75
A cute coming-of-age story about a 17yo lesbian girl stepping into the queer and local drag community. Very wholesome story with some cringy moments as we are dealing with a teenager exploring her own limits. I liked the quiet acceptance from all the side characters, letting Nima explore her queerness on her terms. I loved Deirdre, she was just awesome.
I did find the love story a bit questionable though, because Winnow seemed too grown-up for Nima I guess? Taking a naive, unexperienced, underage girl to parties as an 21yo seemed kind of weird to me. The storyline with her mom also felt unfinished somehow,why did she even have to show up to leave again after five minutes and still no explanation? I'm also not a fan of the "the bully is actually just repressed" storyline, but in this book it wasn't too bad I guess.
All in all a cute book with some nice representation.
I did find the love story a bit questionable though, because Winnow seemed too grown-up for Nima I guess? Taking a naive, unexperienced, underage girl to parties as an 21yo seemed kind of weird to me. The storyline with her mom also felt unfinished somehow,
All in all a cute book with some nice representation.