Being gay isn’t a choice, people can not help who they like and they should not have to hide who they are. Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens is a story following the life of Nima Kumara-Clark. Nima is a young teenager with an average life, she lives with just her dad after her mom left with unusual circumstances. Nima has two main friends Charles and Ginny who Nima has a crush on. After Nima’s failed attempt to tell Ginny her feelings she goes through a downward spiral until the carnival comes around. Nima goes to a show called punk poetry where she is captivated by the performer. Nima’s sleepy life suddenly changes when she finds herself at a drag show at the carnival which ends up leading her into what seems to be a whole new world.“But I told myself if I could just get past my house and hammock without being sucked in by the guaranteed comfort, something else might be waiting for me on the other side, something that might color me outside the lines and flow into other parts of my life.” As the story progresses we see Nima struggle to keep her normal life and her new exciting life together along with finding out the real reason her mom left. I was really surprised at the characters of the book each one was so different from anything I had ever read and it made them feel real. I have never read a book that was about characters struggling with their identity and being exposed to the LGBTQ community. I thought that the LGBTQ community was accurately interpreted without over- exaggerating the whole community. It surprised me how much I related to Nima as a character, her anxiety really made sense to me because of the drastic changes her life takes. Gordon Grant’s character development surprised me because, in the beginning, I thought he was the typical bad guy with no character ark. As the story progresses we see him change his views and even learn that he is struggling with his self-identity. It was really refreshing to read a book that accurately presented the LGBTQ in a positive, not over the top way. This reading without walls was supposed to be about finding stories with characters who you don’t relate to, however, while I relate to some aspects of Nima there are other aspects of her life I don’t. Nima had never known how big the LGBTQ community was, I on the other hand knew how big the community was and how for the most part they are very welcoming and friendly. Throughout the book, I saw Nimas’ way of thinking change. In the beginning, she was fine about her sleepy life but after the drag show, she began to want to explore more of the world she thought was small. I also really enjoyed reading about the character Gordon Grant, I felt like he represented people who don’t feel comfortable in their own skin but they aren’t able to explore who they are without judgment from their peers. Overall this story was a great book to read and it really captivates the reader. I would recommend this story to anyone who is struggling with their identity or anyone who wants to read a good book. by Olivia S.
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AuthorSTenth grade students at Decorah High School share how they're reading outside of their own experiences and how it has changed them. Categories
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November 2022
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