RaveNational Public RadioHijab Butch Blues is more than a must-read. It\'s also a study guide on Islam, a handbook for abolitionists, and a queer manifesto. It inspires critical thinking, upholds activist self-care, and permits the defining of one\'s own queerness. Good vs. bad Muslim, straight vs. gay: That\'s all a trap. There are third options, too.
Kevin Wilson
MixedThe Washington Independent Review of BooksThis is a quick read but hardly a simple one. It presents big ideas and asks readers to do the heavy introspective work of mulling them over ... has some compelling themes: creativity, devotion, family dysfunction, adolescent life and love, and mental illness. Nostalgia’s in there too, complete with references fellow ’90s kids will appreciate ... The \'fugitives\' phrase Frankie adds to the poster comes from Wilson’s own life as a college student in the 1990s; it was fed to him by a friend, as he explains in an author’s note. We hear it a lot in the book — like, a lot a lot. Eventually — too late, I’d argue — it’s referred to simply as “the phrase.” While it’s used to build tension (which it does, up to a point), we’re not given much of a payoff. Instead, we’re left with more questions: What makes someone a bad person? Can we control how others construe our work? Where does collaboration end and coercion begin? If you’re free, can anything truly hurt you? ... If these are the sort of matters that plague you, too, then read this novel. But do it with a friend or in a book club. Believe me, in our \'post-pandemic\' world, you won’t want to endure it alone.
