Raziel, and Atom Books, you both have some explaining to do. Why on earth has this book been making waves across the pond for years, but only just graced us Brits with its presence? Well, the Guardian children’s books site was kind enough to have Atom send me a copy, and I now consider it consolation for how long it’s taken for it to be published here. I wish I was joking that I feel deprived of this book, but I’m not.
Jude is called Judy by the kids at school, but he knows that he wears the heels better than the girls and the boys secretly want him. He believes that his school is basically a movie set. Everyone’s just playing their part, with the Crew working behind the scenes trying to make everything work.
Jude doesn’t fit into any of these groups, but he knows that he’s a star. And everyone wanted to break Jude, but stars don’t break, they explode. And Jude “was the ultimate supernova.”
Raziel’s book has been making waves across the Atlantic, but the story crucially is based on a true story, that of Larry Fobes King. Larry was 15 when he asked another student at his school to be his Valentine – another male student. Larry was openly gay, and started wearing make-up and high heels in the eighth grade at his California school. The next day, his ‘Valentine’ came to class and shot him. Brandon McInerney graduated high school in prison, where he is still serving his 21 year sentence.
I’ve got plenty of books in my possession that feature LGBTQ+ characters, but I’d chance it and say this one is wildly unlike any others, simply because this is real. From the email sent to the teachers at Jude’s school in the book (which was an actual email sent round Larry’s teachers) to the tragic ending (spoilers!), it’s a bittersweet novel that tells a shocking tale, but one that deserves to be heard, and most importantly, listened to.
It’s a book that will shock you. Make no mistake about that. The book is incredibly open about the characters and what they get up to ‘behind the scenes’, if you’ll excuse my attempt at humour by using a pun there. This is not a sugarcoated story, it’s raw and it’s gritty, but it’s down to earth and that’s something I think we need more of in YA.
I’m struggling to find the right words to put alongside this book for a review, because I’m not entirely sure I can fathom the words required to really do this book justice. It’s incomparable, and it’s completely unlike anything you’ve ever read before. It’s not a long novel, but rather than focus on what it’s not, let’s look at what it is: a retelling of a tragic tale that, at the end of the day, deserves to be, and needs to be, heard and more importantly, listened to.
Larry’s story can easily be found online. You could probably get the gist of the book just by reading a Wikipedia page. The ending is pretty predictable, and you get the main idea. But you’re not there just for the story, you’re there for the way that story has been told. Raziel’s writing style is again one of those things which I’ve never seen the like of before, and if he’s not already on your one to watch list for this year, then make sure he is really soon.
It will shock, but in the best way possible.
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop
