King and the Dragon Flies by Kacen Callender 5 stars 259 pages Realistic
This book is the 3rd or 4th book recently that has made me cry. I believe Kacen Callender might be a new favorite author. I think this is the first book I have read by them, but now I want to read other ones written by them, such as Hurricane Child and Felix Ever After. There is a lot of intersectionality resonating in this book: race, sexuality, abuse, coming-of-age, and grief are a few of the themes. The story takes place in a small town in Louisiana. Kingston, who is 12-years-old, has just lost his older brother, Khalid; he tries to keep him close by dreaming about him and believes that Khalid has turned into a dragon fly and so visits the near-by swamp to see if he can see him. King’s former best friend Sandy is gay and Kingston has rejected him but regrets it. When he realizes that Sandy is being physically abused by his father he tries to hide and protect him. I loved this very believable and well-written story.
Mad for Books 