The Black Flamingo by: Dean Atta

 Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Poetry 

Published: August 8, 2019 by: Hodder Children's Books

Pages: 360 

Rating: 4/5 stars 

CW: racism, homophobia 

Michael is a mixed-race teen who has always been told he is not enough. He's not Black enough. He's not Greek enough. Michael also knows that he is gay, and he is struggling with how to accept all of his unique qualities that make him special. But, soon he finds solace in The Black Flamingo. The Black Flamingo gives Michael the opportunity to be unique, to be unapologetically queer. This story is told in verse, and spans  from Michael's young childhood, to his journey into a confident drag artist. 

I am loving novels in verse. They are always so impactful, so easy to get through, and so beautifully written. "The Black Flamingo" was no exception. I have never read a YA book about drag before, so I was excited to see how this book would handle it. I just loved how Atta wrote of the deep symbolism of drag. It is about being bold and beautiful. But, it is also about forming an identity that helps the person out of drag as well. 

I loved Michael as a character. I appreciated that Atta wrote this story from Michael's childhood and then into his teen and young adult life. Through this extensive timespan, I was able to get a clear picture about Michael's identity and some of his confidence issues. I think this timespan really makes Michael's character progression all the more impactful. 

I loved the symbol of the flamingo. And more importantly, the Black Flamingo. Through this symbolism, Atta explains that Michael is a unique individual made up of a lot of moving parts. He is Black, he is Greek, he is queer. He is also bold, like a flamingo. I really loved that this was the name that Michael picked for his drag and I thought it really added to the discussion of race within the text. 

I will say, I do wish we got a bit more drag in this novel. I was expecting that this novel would go deeper into Michael's journey as a drag artist. But because the story also talks about his childhood, drag comes very late into the story. I did love hearing of Michael's childhood as well, but if anything, I think this story could have been made longer. I would have loved more detail on the drag part of Michael's life, and I would have had no problem reading more of Michael's story. I think overall, it did wrap up a little too quickly for me. 

That being said, this was a great addition to my novels in verse collection. I have yet to find a novel in verse that I didn't like, and I think the format is such a powerful way to tell stories of marginalized people. I am excited to see what Atta writes next. 

Have you read "The Black Flamingo?" What did you think? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Clap When You Land by: Elizabeth Acevedo

 Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Poetry, Contemporary 

Published: May 5, 2020 by: Hot Key Books 

Pages: 417 

Rating: 5/5 stars 

CW: grief, loss of a parent, predatory behaviour, emotional manipulation 

Camino lives in the Dominican Republic, and every summer, her father returns home from working in the States to stay with her. However, one summer, when he is supposed to land, Camino finds out that his plane crashed, killing everyone on board. Camino is devastated, but things get even more shocking when she discovers that her father not only had a life in the Dominican Republic, but also in the States. 

When Yahaira finds out that her father has died in a plane crash, she is struck with grief. But soon, secrets of her father come out. Now she is being sent to the Dominican Republic to meet a sister she never knew existed. Together, both girls grapple with the grief of losing their father, but also with the lies that he fed them all these years. 

This was my first of Acevedo's verse novels. I absolutely loved "With the Fire on High," and I know most people rave about Acevedo's novels in verse as well. So, I knew I had to give this book a shot. This novel was heartbreaking, though beautifully written, and so emotionally gripping. The characters were extremely well-written, and this was definitely a story to remember. 

First off, I loved that I could still connect with these characters despite the novel being in verse. I was scared that this book wouldn't have too much description in it due to the poetic structure, and I would be left guessing how to imagine the characters. But, Acevedo still does a fantastic job at developing both Camino and Yahaira. If anything, I got to know their inner thoughts better through the verse. I really think that the poetic structure allowed for me to get an in-depth look into each of these character's minds. This novel felt really personal, and I loved that. 

I also loved that this book dealt with a number of unique topics. Yes, the girls are grieving the loss of a parent. But, they are also dealing with the fact that their father was lying to them all their lives. This struggle of wanting to grieve, but also wanting to be mad at their father was handled very well. I think Acevedo portrayed the duality between grief and anger really well. It is something that makes this book about grief very unique. 

I flew through this book. The verse style gave it a stream of consciousness feeling. I couldn't put it down, in fact I read it in one sitting. I loved how we got both perspectives of the girls throughout the text, so I could learn how each girl was dealing separately. I think this novel deals with many complex topics that are handled very well. Overall, this book gave me a love for novels in verse, and now I will pretty much read any novel in verse. Acevedo writes so well. 

Have you read Clap When You Land? What did you think? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Great Goddesses: Life Lessons from Myths and Monsters by: Nikita Gill

Genre: Mythology, Poetry
Published: September 5, 2019 by: Ebury Press
Pages: 256
Rating: 5/5 stars
Content warnings: sexual assault, misogyny, violence related to war. I will also briefly discuss transphobia at the end of this review.

We've heard of the infamous stories of Greek female figures such as Medusa and Athena, but do we really know their perspectives? In this powerful poetry collection, Nikita Gill retells the myths of the most famous women in Greek mythology, but through a feminist perspective. Gill explores not only the traditional versions of the myths, but she also places these characters inside a more modern setting in order to display their struggles as if they were happening in real time.

I should start off by saying that I am by no means, a poetry person. I can't write it to save a life, I don't really read a lot of it, and sometimes the meanings of poems can just go way over my head. I can respect it, but a poetry book is definitely not my first choice for reading. That being said, I absolutely ADORED this collection.

I was willing to give this book a shot because of the Greek mythology premise. I am a complete mythology nerd and will pretty much give anything with the word "goddess" in the title, a shot. I also thought the cover was beautiful so I lowkey just wanted this book on my shelf. And I have to say, this was probably the best collection of poetry I have ever read.

I appreciated that Gill was accurate with the myths, while still retelling them in her own unique way. This book is ultimately a feminist retelling of myth, which is something that I can always get behind. But what made Gill's poems really stick with me, is that she not only retells the myths in the ancient setting, but she also places these characters in the real world. Suddenly Aphrodite is a badass entrepreneur having to deal with a misogynistic partner in Ares. Medusa is dealing with rape culture. Gill gives these characters a new breath of life by putting them into situations that a lot of women can relate to. It was something I have never seen done before in a mythology retelling.

Gill's writing captivated me. Like I said before, me and poetry don't always click. But Gill has a way of writing that just completely pulls you in like a magic spell. Her poems are easy to get through and easy to grasp, but not at all lacking in meaning. I think Gill is very talented at what she does. If I were to write poetry, this is how I would want to write it.

I think this book taught me that sometimes reading outside of your comfort zone can pay off. I was worried to go into a poetry book. But it ended up being a standout book of my summer. I think any woman, whether they are into mythology or not, can find something in this collection that resonates with them. I know I did.

A note:

Something I was thinking about a lot when reviewing this piece is that we should be critically examining the feminist works of media that we consume, to make sure that they are intersectional. This book was great considering it was written by a WOC who also vocally expresses support for the trans community, and there is also LGBT representation, as well as characters who do not conform to the gender binary. However, given the current rise in women who like to call themselves "feminists" but who actively exclude trans women and others in the LGBTQ+ community, I feel that it is important that we look into how the authors of the feminist works we read treat the trans community. And remember, if your feminism excludes trans women, then it is not feminism.

Have you read Great Goddesses? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Poetry Review: Secrets of a Broken Heart by: Lee Martens

*Please note, I received a copy of this poetry collection from the author in exchange for an honest review*

Genre: Poetry
Published: October 26, 2018 by: Secret Midnight Press
Pages: 216
Rating: 4/5 stars

In this poetry collection, Lee Martens explores themes of love, heartbreak, mental health and healing. Using poems of varying lengths, Martens uses her past experiences of journeying into adulthood to guide the reader along a path of healing after a heartbreak. Her poems each tell a different journey, but all stem from the same goal: sometimes when you have a broken heart, you need to learn to pick up the pieces and heal yourself.

I'll be honest, I don't read a lot of poetry. I will pretty much always pick up the standard book over a poetry collection in a book store. I think I've also harboured some resentment towards it in the past because I have never been able to write it myself haha! However, I usually find that when I do read it, it is extremely easy to get through and easy to get lost in. That is exactly what I found with this collection.

I loved the themes in this collection, as sometimes the meanings in poetry can go straight over my head and I don't understand them. However, these poems had a sort of simplicity to them, they didn't try too hard to be overly metaphorical, instead, they spoke for themselves. And I thought that was beautiful.

I had a special appreciation for the poem, "Unrealistic Television." As an avid watcher of dating shows, particularly The Bachelor, that one really stuck with me. I also liked the poems that dealt with some sort of holiday or special event, such as "Valentine's Day," and "I Wrote this On my Birthday." I felt as if those poems really gave me the sense that the collection was moving me through a passage of time, almost a year in the life, and it was really cool.

I wasn't able to give this collection a perfect review, and that's just simply because of personal preference. Like I mentioned before, I tend to prefer regular books over poetry collections, so I don't think that poetry will ever really resonate with me as much as the average book does. That being said, I'm still really happy I gave this book a shot, and I think that if you are a regular poetry reader, it is worth checking this one out!

Emily @ Paperback Princess

The Odyssey by: Homer

Genre: Greek Epic Poem
Published: November 30, 2006 by: Penguin Classics
Pages: 541
Rating: 4/5 stars

Years after the Trojan War, the Greek hero Odysseus is making is journey back to the island of Ithaca, where he is king. Along the way, the spiteful god Poseidon will make his quest difficult, and Odysseus will gave to battle the ferocious Cyclops and rough seas to Ithaca. Meanwhile, his wife Penelope longs for his safe return, and it is only when they are reunited that all will be at peace.

I was really excited to read The Odyssey. I actually got the book way back in the summer but my mom wanted to give it to me as a Christmas present and so I waited until December to read it. While it didn't give me quite as much as the thrills from The Illiad, this poem is a classic that all lovers of mythology will love.

I always found the character of Odysseus fascinating in The Illiad, and so I loved a more in-depth look at him, as there definitely was more story to tell. I also loved the allusions to the deceased characters of The Illiad, such as Achilles' ghost. Achilles is my all time favourite Greek hero so I loved that he still made an appearance in The Odyssey. I also loved that more women got stories in The Odyssey, such as Penelope. I loved reading about her.

I don't think this "wowed" me as much as The Illiad did. The battles were just a little toned-down, and I didn't feel as emotionally invested in it as I was in The Illiad. While I obviously prefer The Illiad to the two, I do think this is a must-read for people who love Greek classics.

Have you read The Odyssey? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess