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Reviewed by: Don't Be a Drag by Skye Quinlan Natalie Berglind Quinlan, Skye Don't Be a Drag. Page Street, 2024 368p Trade ed. ISBN 9798890039507 18. 99 Reviewed from digital galleys Ad Gr. 8-12 After admitting to her parents that she's suicidal, seventeen-year-old Briar is sent to New York City to stay with her older brother Beau for the summer. The bar where Beau performs as drag queen Bow Regard has a thriving queer community compared to Briar's old town in Texas, but, despite her interest in Beau's life and friends, Briar's End Page 373 anxiety keeps her mostly closed down. However, things take a turn—for better or for worse—when one drag king puts down another for daring to compete in the Drag King of the Year competition, and an indignant Briar enters the contest out of spite, even with her aversion to being the center of attention and no experience in drag. With the help of her brother and his friends, Briar may be able to pull off a decent performance and prove to entitled Selene that drag is for everyone … if Briar doesn't fall in love with her first. Unfortunately, the pacing is choppy, and there's little actual tension as most problems are solved as soon as they arise. The two-dimensional side characters feel more like mouthpieces to educate readers about drag than real people. Still, the premise of rival drag kings falling in love is refreshing and indulgent, the insight into Briar's anxiety and depression is honest, and the freedom Briar experiences exploring her gender presentation is euphoric. The lessons imparted via dialogue can be frustratingly unsubtle, but readers looking to learn more about drag may still want to pick this one up, especially if most of their main exposure is to drag queens over kings. Copyright © 2024 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
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