As with all fairytales, and make no mistake about it, I think this is a modern fairytale, it requires some belief in the unbelievable, in the happily ever after, in the power of love, that the good guys win, the boy gets his hearts desire.
My Fairy Godmother is a Drag Queen is a twist on the Cinderella story. There's a person, in this case a teenage boy named Chris, who lives with his Step-Mother and two step siblings, a boy and a girl in this telling, who does the cooking and cleaning and care taking in the household. The story even starts with a ball Chris wants to go to but can't even as the others get ready to go and hope that his Step-Sister Kimberly gets the "prince" J.J. to fall in love with her and solve all the money problems they have. There is an awesome Drag Queen-Fairy Godmother, Coco, who gets Chris to the ball...and there is a shoe left behind....
But there are some modern twists. Chris is gay, his step-mother has a drinking problem, he loves his family, in his way, and they him in their own way, and he likes to cook and stuff and they don't make him. And the run in with the prince and the left behind shoe? J.J. and Chris.
What follows is a story about learning to love the skin your in, what it means to have pride in who you are, the power of friendship and love, being fabulous, the ways we love each other and how it doesn't always look like we think it should, and sacrifice for others and when to put self first. There is also some uncomfortable moments, hiding oneself from others and how that can hurt people even if that isn't what we want to do, the Kimberly/J.J. pieces were a bit uncomfortable but sad too.
Overall this was a great twist on an old classic and I loved reading it. I felt for Chris so much. And I even felt for Iris, if she could stop drinking to hide her pain I think she would find her step-son and her kids are pretty neat people. I found the way Buck acted towards Chris and Duane a little "icky" at first but when it became clear he loved Chris and liked Duane quite a lot and was trying to in his own awkward way show his support I felt better. It may not have been the most "appropriate" way to show his love and support but it was his way. And you get the feeling both Chris and Duane are ok with Buck.
A solid 4.5 out of 5 but Goodreads doesn't do half stars. A very good read tho!!!
(Finished June 22, 2019)
No comments:
Post a Comment