Book Review: Freak Show, by James St James

To be completely honest I checked out the book Freak Show based on the cutie patootie cover. The pink book jacket screamed 'fabulous', and the odd bizarre statue of a red headed boy dressed in some sort of pageant queen green outfit, dawning a tiara on it's head told me that this book was going to be interesting.

The name of the book Freak Show also called out to me. I considered myself an outsider in high school. A freak if you will. I figured that even though this book focused mainly on a young boy who liked to dress up in drag... I too may be able to connect with the character.

Freak Show, by James St James was pure genius, glorious, fabulous, sad, wonderful, and so vivid that I can't not recommend it.

The books main character is a young man named Billy Bloom. He just moved to Florida to live with his dad, and the new school is not to thrilled with the new student. That is because he is different. Instead of showing up to school dressed like a boy...Billy dresses like a chick. No ordinary chick though; Billy is a queen. A drag queen.

Showing up to school wearing outrageous outfits, Billy made more enemies then he did friends.
Like any closed nit community Billy the outsider is not welcomed with open arms, not by a long shot, Billy is immediately picked on, beat on, and stomped on, on a daily basis; just for being different. Just for thinking outside of the box, and being himself.

Billy is eventually beaten on so badly, that he is actually put into a coma.

Once awaken from his coma, many students feel sorry for him, and many of them are now beginning to open up more towards him. Many, but not all.

One boy named Flip (who is the schools dream boat) even takes a close liking to him, and feels the need suddenly to protect him from the wolves of students who disagree with Bill's ways.

Flip and Billy establish a close relationship, and quickly Billy takes a liking to him. One problem though, Flip believes he is sincere when he tells Bloom that he is not gay and that he does not roll that way.

Billy disagrees. He thinks Flip may be gay, but he does not want to scare him off. He however accepts Flips flirtatious ways...yet doesn't tell Flip right away that he is in love with him.

Fast forward a bit and...

The two have what we call a make-out session, as the passion begins to get a little steamy, Flip...flips out, and cannot accept that he could possibly be gay.

After Billy's little heart is broken he decides to take things into his own hands. Why wallow in ones misery?
 
He puts his mind in full motion and decides that he wants to run for Homecoming Queen.
Up against an entire school who feels that being gay is wrong, Billy has a lot of work to do, to win the hearts of those who all, seemingly hate him.

I won't ruin the book and tell you if Billy was successful or not, but I will say this. Freak Show was a marvelous read. Glamorous, heartfelt, and humorous all at the same time.

Although I myself am not gay, I was totally 100% able to relate to the main character in his quest to finding acceptance among his peers.

Freak Show ended on a fabulous note, and had me yearning for more. James St James impressed me in each and every short chapter.

Using modern pop references, and sentences that seemed to be threaded together with sheer glamor and fun. I adored the book.

I highly recommend Freak Show. Not just to anyone or any group in particular...to everyone.