This was really really sweet and enjoyable
I wanted to like it more than i did but i was kind of Tee’d up for a magical realism story and this really wasn’t that. Therefore i kept holding onto details that weren’t really relevant

for instance i was really excited about the talking kangaroo and when his skin started coming off his forehead?? And the sleep paralysis demon. None of which are part of the story at all.

It seemed very possibly autobiographical despite being a ‘novel’, about a young gay muslim man in diaspora from Lebanon living in Australia. Coming of age story fs.
It’s pretty sad but also not like devastating or anything just about the intricacies of family and religion and culture which of course are always hard. The ending is sweet and hopeful and you kind of just follow him as he grows up. 
The author’s writing style is also lovely. 
P.s. Omar Sakr is doing cool poetry/writing and stuff rn in support of Palestine and Lebanon so thats sick