Blue Boy by Rakesh Satyal (FRIDAY book club)

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Blue Boy is a bittersweet, humorous, story about Kiran, a 12-year-old queer Indian-American adolescent growing up in Ohio, discovering how different he is from everyone while dealing with his differences with the aplomb, dignity, and life-joy of someone with an amazing sense of self despite the scorn he is subjected to from the Indian community, his classmates, and parents. In Kiran’s vision, he is simply fabulous.

Some of the story is based author, Rakesh Satyal’s own life and experience. At
the end of the book, there is a Q&A where he is asked what he would like
people to take away from the book. He summarizes:

"Most importantly, I want them to have laughed good-heartedly. And I want them to have seen the world somewhat differently--to understand how hard childhood can be for the culturally and sexually marginalized but also how such isolation affords a child a very strong sense of self."