Firstly, a book about drag kings?! Yes please!! I love that we’re getting more and more books – especially YA books that depict the less mainstream aspects of the LGBTQ+ community, and in this case the queer performing arts scene.

Skye Quinlan does a great job of depicting the joy that drag can bring, and what it can mean to both performers and audience members alike. We got to see a really wide range of drag performers – kings, queens, artists, drag mothers, newbies, and everything in between. The book really felt like a love letter to drag culture.

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Just as much as the story depicts the highs of the performing life, it also looks at the mental health struggles that are a reality for so many queer people. It’s a difficult topic to cover but I thought it was sensitively done, and balanced well with the other themes and storylines.

The friendships in this book were so lovely to read, and a reminder of the importance of found family – even though, in this case, Briar’s family were really supportive of her. Having multiple generations of queer people as well is something that we so rarely see in fiction, but is so important to real-life queer communities.

Overall, this was a moving and uplifting story that has a strong emotional truth behind it.

I received a free copy for an honest review.