layawaydragon
Written on Jan 6, 2020
It's a great coming of age story. There's no real finality to most plot lines because it's all up in the air still. What's changed, what the point was, is Nina. Why all of a sudden people have a problem with this when it's performing as a drag king and not prom or sex, I dunno. Well, I mean I do, but I don't get it.
I love and relate to Nina, the awkward enclosed book nerd who's just finding and exploring the queer community. Not really butch, not really girly. Just average, who's tired of being average in a town where the odds are against her doing something beyond it.
Nina's dad is great. He's so laid back and supportive. But he's wounded and isn't good at standing up for himself or making changes.
Her mom left, and Nina doesn't know why for most of the book. It's pretty fucked up honestly. I can't imagine doing that to my daughter.
From what we see, Deidre is a Drag Queen like Marsha P Johnson was a drag queen, not like RuPaul. She's the Fairy Dragmother in this Cinderella tale and a hoot.
Gordon is an asshole. One that people have every right to write off for themselves, but you can't fault other queer people for helping him out either. There isn't a band-aid or big scene to conclude his story, because it takes time to deal with body dysphoria and gender stuff.
The small town vibe is right. The drag scenes were described amazingly. There's a lot of fun, a lot of angst. An older love interest. A BFF that's even slower to bloom than Nina and one that doesn't outlast the quashed girl crush.
I can't wait to read more from this author, TBH.
