DRAGGING MASON COUNTY

A small-town gay kid tries to survive.

Peter’s strategy has been to keep his head down until he can leave this Podunk place. The problem is that when pushed, he explodes in verbal assaults that draw far too much attention. When one such outburst—targeting another gay kid in a way that’s personally cruel—is caught on camera and posted to social media, people respond with outraged comments. Alan, Peter’s much more out-and-proud (not to mention confidently fat) best friend, has a YouTube channel for his drag persona, Aggie Culture. After they meet Lorne, a cute visitor to town, both boys try to impress him, and in the process, they accidentally pledge to hold Mason County’s first-ever drag show. Peter finds himself in the role of producing the event. Will the show save his reputation? It might lead to his first kiss, ruin his friendship, and destroy his carefully cultivated safe existence. Peter’s narration is fueled by resentment—for his surroundings, his emotionally evasive parents, and his own appearance (“think of me as a middle-aged man-baby”). The verbal swordplay from the drag queens plus the generally cutting remarks from the other high schoolers give the novel an edge; many of the characters’ defenses will feel relatable for some readers. The narrative could have been tightened in places, but it offers a worthwhile message of acceptance. Main characters are cued white.

Fabulously acerbic.