King and the Dragonflies

 King's family has been in a grief spiral since his older brother unexpectedly died.  His parents aren't talking to each other or to him, and he's left to work things out on his own.  He believes Khalid has been reincarnated as a dragonfly, so he makes his way out to the bayou as often as possible to try to find his brother again.  

King is also missing his best friend Sandy.  Even though they shouldn't be friends, the two boys bonded over anime.  King is black, and Sandy's father is an openly racist Sherrif.  Despite this, they had a close relationship until the day they didn't.  They were camping in the tent in King's backyard when Sandy confessed his biggest secret.  Sandy is gay.  Khalid overheard this conversation and told King to stop being friends with Sandy because, "What if people think you're gay, too?"

Unfortunately, this is one of the last things Khalid said to King, so it carries extra weight.  Now King is struggling with grief and guilt.  He knows he hurt Sandy, but Khalid hurt him, too.  What if he is gay?  He's not sure, but he does know he doesn't like girls the way his friends do.  

When Sandy disappears, King is worried but afraid to get too involved.  What if Sandy's father thinks King is somehow involved?  Plus, he feels guilty for dropping their friendship after Sandy's confession.  

Then he finds Sandy hiding in that same backyard tent.  When Sandy confesses the truth about his abusive father, King agrees to help him.  Their friendship is rekindled, but this new life can't go on forever.  What will happen when someone discovers the truth about Sandy?

Kacen Callendar's new book is a sweet story about a black queer boy living in small-town Louisiana.  Callendar handles the subject matter deftly, and readers will feel King's struggle to just be himself especially when the person he loves most makes a homophobic statement.  The struggles of King's family as they process their grief and the ever-present pressure of racism are realistically portrayed. There are readers who will see themselves reflected in King's story and others who will build empathy by experiencing the story with him. Highly recommended.