This book was too many things at once. At first, this was a book about a gay teen coming to terms with his gender expression and new romance, then it transforms into a story of grief and recognizing the flaws of a loved one. It was so powerful and raw and beautiful and then transforms again into a jarring combination of the two. It's hard for me to accurately review because this feels like two different stories hastily combined into one. There is amazing writing here by Clay, and powerful messages, but sometimes, the pacing was off and I had to push myself to the end. Overall, it is a powerful read, a needed one for some.

I didn’t expect this book to absolutely crush my heart, but here we are.

Mark is a teen boy who likes wearing dresses from time to time. His last boyfriend dumped him because of this, but Mark would rather be true to himself than keep a romantic partner.

While Mark’s desire to explore the world of drag is a major facet of the book, this theme is paired with family turmoil that culminates in tragedy.

This is a poignant reflection on grief, and finding hope after a shocking loss. Mark is able to channel his feelings into realizing his passion.

I would absolutely recommend Becoming a Queen. I feel like I’ve been saying this a lot lately, but this is a stunning debut. Debuts have no business being so good, but that’s exactly what this book is– if this is the level of talent in a debut, how good are Clay’s subsequent books going to be?



I received a digital ARC of this book from Macmillan/NetGalley.

It took me a very long time to read this because of the emotional rollercoaster it had me on. Asa sister of a gay man trying to figure out his way in this life I felt like I was looking into my brothers eyes through most of this book. The way the book was broken up into halves was amazing allowing us to get to know our character and feel with them. Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to read this incredible book!

This was a nice story of self-discovery, but from the cover and title, I thought it would be more about the artsy side of drag. Very interesting to explore the transphobia in the LGBTQ community.

This is truly a love story to the drag community and how important it is to find your tribe. Loved the debut and look forward to more by this author.

An interesting read and great YA book. Much more than I was expecting and love the book for reminding us to "Be Yourself".

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC copy.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I cannot recommend this book enough! It is wonderful to see drag as a joy when more recently there have been attacks on queer folks and drag as an art form.

Dan does such an excellent job of making wonderful and flawed characters. They are funny relatable and memorable. There is loss and grief but the end leaves me hopeful for tomorrow!

Thank you to NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A book that will break your heart in the best way possible. Everything about it was tender and there were many moments where I just wanted to cry. There's so many wonderful themes in this that were just hit so perfectly and written with such care. I honestly didn't expect it to go in the directions it did, but im so thankful for that because it made me appreciate it all the more. This book is so raw and the characters really only enhanced that feeling. I felt like my heart was being carved open reading this as it deals so heftily with grief. Despite that, there is an air of hope that is felt throughout that is nothing short of beautiful.

In this fresh young adult novel about accepting one's identity, Dan Clay creates an emotional coming-of-age story about a young man who finds his courage after experiencing a devastating loss. 
Mark Davis is out and proud. His family supports his gay identity, he's popular at school, and he loves musicals. Except, there's always been one thing he's been afraid to want. Afraid to express to anyone. When he and friends wear dresses as part of a talent show, Mark knows that he'll never be able to forget the majesty and confidence he feels when he wears a beautiful dress. His brother, who has always had his back, only encourages him to remain true to his authentic self. However, Mark learns that even those who are strong have weaknesses. When tragedy strikes, he'll have to use his love for his brother and love for himself to move forward. 
I paused a few chapters in during my first read-through because I suspected I knew who would be the source of the tragedy and I mentally wasn't ready. Barely invested in the plot, yet I was so sure of the inevitable sadness and heartbreak I would feel as a reader. I finally made myself sit and read the entire story. In the end, the heartbreak unfolded and I felt so deeply for Mark and his family. These are the kinds of stories that should be told. The author presents such a wonderful cast of characters, but especially Mark as the lead gives so much life to this story. Many teens don't get their stories told until an author bravely writes one down. I hope someone out there finds this one and sees themselves as someone capable of being loved and cherished.

This book didn't follow the patterns I was expecting. It's far more about grief and the disconnect between public perception and actual self than about self-acceptance. While some elements are over-telegraphed overall it's a solid read.

Dan Clay truly has created a masterpiece in LGBTQIA+ books however, I can quickly see this book becoming a banned book almost as soon as it is released. I absolutely loved the writing and character development in this book. The power of acceptance is something that is amazing and should never be taken for granted. This will be put in my classroom library.

I loved this book so much!! It was so unexpectedly good, and I wish there was a part two because I want so much more from these characters that I came to love!

I really thought I knew what to expect from this book. I'd laugh, I'd cry and I'd enjoy a nice light read. Oh, how very wrong I was!

My weekend with the Davis Family (yes, I devoured this!) was spent giggling at Dan Clay's specific nods at midwestern upbringing (that you can typically only ever share in knowing glances with a very best friend) and doubled-over heaving with deep, sympathetic grief.

Yes, it is all the things others have shared -- fabulous and funny and unexpected. But never has a book so wound me in its prose that I felt it possible to empathize and understand experiences that I have never actually lived through. This book deepened an emotional education in me that I did not expect.

Becoming A Queen is beautiful, bright and I would highly recommend this to any reader

While I will admit I struggled in the third part of the book to finish it, the first half and ending more than made up for the part that dragged (pun unintended) for me.

This book is absolutely marvelous. I went from laughing out loud to hurting along with the main character and that emotional swinging felt genuine to the story and to the characters. I love Mark and his journey to deconstructing heteronormativity and understanding the dynamics and world of Drag. Lovely!

This book was beautiful and also so heartbreaking. This book deals a lot with grief and loss. The characters are beautifully written and this book feels so raw. I loved reading this book.

Mark is gay and he also likes to dress up and look beautiful, but not everyone appreciates when he wears dresses. His old boyfriend thought it was embarrassing, but his brother Eric always told him to be himself and to wear as many dresses and sequins as he wants. Since Eric is away at college, Mark struggles a bit to find confidence to truly be himself. But his new bf Ezra is super supportive and loves Mark just like he is. When tragedy strikes, Mark has to rely on his family, friends, and himself to come out the other side. The trick is not losing himself in the process.


Cw: death, grief, alcoholism, minor homophobic comments

At times I was little confused as to which character was talking.
This book unfolds quickly - definite teenage tone, distress and every detail has the ability to make or break. Poignant. Loved the group of friends.
Mark Davis is such a great character - heart, heartbreaking moments, on the edge of the start of his life and despair. You can see, feel and taste this book.

An absolutely brilliant exploration of what it is to be a queer teenager discovering themselves when everything is happening around them. There were a lot of aspects to this book, grief, substance abuse, becoming a drag queen. And the inclusion of all of these different aspects helped the reader to better understand Mark as a character. While it is a lot to take in, it better reflects the reality of queer teenagers. Life isn't just about trying to find yourself. There's a whole lot going on around you that impacts you every single day.

Gorgeous. Would recommend.

A really fun and sweet book. It made me really see things from their perspective in ways I would normally not.
I really loved that the book was more than just his journey to be a drag queen. There is so so much more to it, the emotions and struggle of finding who you are and loving yourself.

This is not at all what I expected. I thought this was just going to be a nice, coming of age queer story. But LOLJK! This took a SHARP TURN about halfway through and then just didn’t let up for the rest of the book.

This was really incredible in terms of grief. As someone who is always looking for stories that focus on grief and done WELL, this one really hit home for me.