Sunday, March 30, 2008

Freak Show by James St. James

Billy Bloom is has arrived! After his (unstable?) mother sends him to live with his father, Billy’s place as an outsider becomes more pronounced than ever. At the uber-conservative Dwight D. Eisenhower Academy, Billy is the only openly gay student, something on his first day of school he announces with style and flair that is the signature of Queen Billy.

Billy is harassed. He is abused. Eventually, he is brutally beaten in class. How can a queen survive such hostility?

With a few friends on his side, he strives to break through the hostility by running for Homecoming Queen and embrace his inner Super Freak.

Overall, I enjoyed the writing and most of the story, though at times it was predictable and a little trite. Throughout the novel, Billy’s voice is loud and true.


Why is this post green? Take a look at the cover.


This was a March book club pick.

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