⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars
The Black Flamingo is a story about Michael, who comes to terms with his identity as s mixed-raced gay person.

“Remember, you have the right to be proud; remember, you have the right to be you.”

I got this book as a present and haven’t really been in the mood until now to read it, during Pride. It may also have to do with this book being a verse novel, as I've never before read verse novels and didn't know how I would feel about that or how well I could connect to the story.

The book is wonderfully written and very easy to read and very quick as well. I do believe it is better to take your time reading this book and really soaking all the words in and their meaning. Personally, I listened to the audiobook. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the voice actor, but his delivery of the lines and feelings was really on point. I did think the audiobook doesn’t give you the full effect of reading it. At first, I didn’t have my physical copy in front of me, so I listened to the first part and noticed it was different from other books. Later I listened and read at the same time and it became much more impactful.
While it was way more impactful when reading as well, I couldn’t connect to the story as much as I wanted because it was written in verse. It has nothing to do with the writing style being “bad”, just that I personally prefer books not written in that way. it is written beautifully and lyrical, but that sometimes made it harder for me to connect to what was happening in the book.

The story itself was beautifully crafted and showed Michael’s life. From the moment he was born, the milestones in his life and the moments he found more of himself. That combined with the representation and the other characters, such as Michael’s family and friends, really tied this whole story together.

Overall, it is an empowering story about finding your identity and embracing whoever you are and what makes you unique. It is an experience reading this book and I would really recommend picking this book up!