The Black Flamingo

by Dean Atta

Anshika Khullar (Illustrator)

'I loved every word' - Malorie Blackman

'Atta's bold verse novel calls to its readers to find their own blazing, performative inner truth' - Guardian

WINNER OF THE STONEWALL BOOK AWARD

A boy comes to terms with his identity as a mixed-race gay teen - then at university he finds his wings as a drag artist, The Black Flamingo. A bold story about the power of embracing your uniqueness. Sometimes, we need to take charge, to stand up wearing pink feathers - to show ourselves to the world in bold colour.

'I masquerade in makeup and feathers and I am applauded.'

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKS ARE MY BAG READER AWARDS 2019

• ISBN10: 144494858X
• ISBN13: 9781444948585
• Publish Date: 8 August 2019
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 15 November 2024
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Hachette Children's Group
• Imprint: Hodder Children's Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 176
• Language: English

Reviews

[Leigha]

Michael struggles with his identity in this impactful and poignant coming-of-age verse novel.

Very rarely do I read novels written in verse, but The Black Flamingo drew me into the story immediately. The focus on all of the moments, people, and societal norms that shape and inform our identity is relatable. While this search for self is universal, Michael’s particularly identity story is utterly compelling – is he black enough, Greek enough, gay enough to identify with any one group or is he something completely different?

Michael isn’t just searching for his identity, he is search for his tribe. He is looking for supportive and loving relationships, for the people who will accept him as he is and as he is to become. Another absolutely universal story, and yet the story utterly unique because of him. His bravery to try new things and to welcome new people in his life (whether they disappoint him or build him up) is something everyone needs to read.

tl;dr A story for everyone with universal themes of identity and acceptance along with unique themes of racial identity, gender non-conformity, and LGBTQ.

[Angie]

I was super excited for The Black Flamingo. First, the title. I've always felt a kinship with flamingos, probably because my last name sounds similar. Also pink, awkwardness! Second, I'm always excited for new verse novels. Third, and most importantly, it's about a biracial boy exploring his race, sexuality, and self expression. All of which, ultimately brings him to drag! Yes, please!

The Black Flamingo follows Michael from being a young boy, playing with Barbie, to a college student performing in his first drag show. Michael has always known he's different. His family has always known he's different. His peers have always known he's different. He never really had any major events that made him feel badly for his differences, but he was always aware of them. Being biracial, he wasn't Black enough for the Black crowd, nor did he quite fit in with his Greek family. He was also gay, and didn't know any other Black gay men.

Michael tells his story in verse, which I loved. It makes this an extremely quick and pleasant read. It's a mix of narration in verse and the poems he writes throughout his adolescence. Poetry was his original way of working through his feelings surrounding identity before he discovers drag at the start of college.

I highly recommend giving The Black Flamingo a try even if it's not your usual type of read. Michael is fantastic and his story is so relatable. We've all questioned where we belong among our family and friends and society in general. I was 100% invested in his story from the early pages of him asking his mother for a Barbie doll, all the way until his epic performance at the end.

[readingwithwrin]

We get to see him grow up in a single-parent home in England and we see his mom try to protect him from the outside world when he is younger and still do that as time goes on all while accepting him for who he is. I also really loved the little bit of the relationship we saw with his sister. Siblings are such an important part and I loved how she was involved a normal amount for being a younger sister, and how accepting she was of everything.
My favorite part though hands down was his friendship with his best friend, we got to see them both grow up together and all the struggles that come with growing up in today's day and age.

Overall I liked this book and enjoyed it. Michael is comfortable with who he is and isn't afraid to show it to a certain extent. Obviously he's more cautious at times depending on who he is around as the vast majority of people are. Michael was that person that while he knew what he wanted to be he still was learning what being LGBT was to him and others around him, and finding a place he truly could fit in and find himself and grow as a person. That's what this book is. I loved the imagery that Atta was able to create and how he was able to express all the different emotions through verse. I loved getting to see and learn about Drag through Michael and how we were both learning about it at the same time and what it meant to do drag and how it is so different for each person who does it.
I learned a lot from this book and I know it's one that when I do re-read it I'm going to discover things I missed the first time.


Dean Atta's collaboration with the Tate London Schools here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UdejBoQ1v8

An interview with Dean Atta by The Royal Bookshelf here.
https://theroyalbookshelf.wordpress.com/2020/06/08/lgbtqmonth-author-interview-dean-atta/

[Laurie]

Note: I've read this book as a straight, white, female reader.
Rep: BiPOC, queer
Triggers: Homophobia

In The Black Flamingo, we follow Michael, who already notices he's different at the age of six. He wants a barbie for his birthday, the same doll as his best friend at the time has. He didn't pay real attention to this, but he keeps noticing things. In secondary school, he find himself crushing on several guys and he finds out that he is gay. With outing himself, he learns about the existence of homophobia and that it could come from people you don't expect it from.

We follow Michael all the way into his first year at university. He is still struggling, still figuring out where he belongs. That all changes when he stumbles upon a poster about the drag society. He decides to go and take a look and immediately it feels like home to him. The Black Flamingo is a coming of age story about discovering who you are, figuring out where you belong and about coming to terms with and accepting yourself.

In my opinion, the representations in this book is done well. However, I'm not an own voices reviewer, so I am not the one to neither criticize, nor judge it. Michael is biracial/BiPOC. His father is from Jamaican descent, while his mother is Greek-Cypriot. Furthermore, there are many queer characters in this book. There are gay, lesbian, transgender and non-binary characters represented in this story.

I just want to recommend you guys to either read or listen to The Black Flamingo. This is such an important story that many struggling people could identify with. It helps you discover who you are and where you belong. Furthermore, it's about learning to accept yourself and loving yourself. The final chapter of this book deals with outing yourself and how and when to do this. It learns you that you should do it on your own terms.

I listened to the audiobook myself and I have no regrets. I find the audiobook very suitable for this story, especially as it involves poetry. The Black Flamingo is a straight 5-star read for me.

[lauriesbookshelf]

Note: I've read this book as a straight, white, female reader.
Rep: BiPOC, queer
Triggers: Homophobia

In The Black Flamingo, we follow Michael, who already notices he's different at the age of six. He wants a barbie for his birthday, the same doll as his best friend at the time has. He didn't pay real attention to this, but he keeps noticing things. In secondary school, he find himself crushing on several guys and he finds out that he is gay. With outing himself, he learns about the existence of homophobia and that it could come from people you don't expect it from.

We follow Michael all the way into his first year at university. He is still struggling, still figuring out where he belongs. That all changes when he stumbles upon a poster about the drag society. He decides to go and take a look and immediately it feels like home to him. The Black Flamingo is a coming of age story about discovering who you are, figuring out where you belong and about coming to terms with and accepting yourself.

In my opinion, the representations in this book is done well. However, I'm not an own voices reviewer, so I am not the one to neither criticize, nor judge it. Michael is biracial/BiPOC. His father is from Jamaican descent, while his mother is Greek-Cypriot. Furthermore, there are many queer characters in this book. There are gay, lesbian, transgender and non-binary characters represented in this story.

I just want to recommend you guys to either read or listen to The Black Flamingo. This is such an important story that many struggling people could identify with. It helps you discover who you are and where you belong. Furthermore, it's about learning to accept yourself and loving yourself. The final chapter of this book deals with outing yourself and how and when to do this. It learns you that you should do it on your own terms.

I listened to the audiobook myself and I have no regrets. I find the audiobook very suitable for this story, especially as it involves poetry. The Black Flamingo is a straight 5-star read for me.

[inlibrisveritas]

So good! I really wish I had books like this growing up. So often I needed books to help me with my identity both in being biracial and in being bi/pan, and reading these now as an adult is like a balm for all the years that left me raw.

This is such a beautifully written coming of age story and I blazed through it in a few hours.