Flamer

GODWIN BOOKS, HENRY HOLT BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS, MACMILLAN

I KNOW I'M NOT GAY. Gay boys like other boys. I hate boys. They’re mean, and scary, and they’re always destroying something or saying something dumb or both. I hate that word. Gay. It makes me feel . . . unsafe.

​It's the summer between middle school and high school, and Aiden Navarro is away at camp. Everyone's going through changes―but for Aiden, the stakes feel higher. As he navigates friendships, deals with bullies, and spends time with Elias (a boy he can't stop thinking about), he finds himself on a path of self-discovery and acceptance.​

Award-winning author and artist Mike Curato draws on his own experiences in Flamer, his debut graphic novel, telling a difficult story with humor, compassion, and love. Recommended reading age 14+ or with adult guidance.

Learn more about why I made Flamer here.

Reviews

  • "This is a story that will be read and reread, and for some, it will be the defining book of their adolescence."

    Kirkus 
    starred review

  • "Masterfully nuanced and stunningly told, this is visual storytelling at its finest."

    Booklist 
    starred review

  • "An essential book that shows readers that they are never alone in their struggles."

    School Library Journal
    starred review

  • "Both heartbreaking and joyous, Flamer acknowledges the brutal weight of hatred, yet inspires the courage to live."

    Shelf Awareness 
    starred review

  • "...emotionally powerful, proudly and extravagantly spiritual..."

    Horn Book
    starred review

  • "Emotional and raw"

    Publishers Weekly

Awards & Accolades

  • Eleanor Roosevelt Award for
    Bravery in Literature
    The Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill

  • 2021 Golden Kite Award Honor
    Illustrated Book for Older Readers
    Society of Children's Books Writers
    and Illustrators

  • Fanfare 2020 Booklist
    The Horn Book 

  • Best Books for Teens 2020
    New York Public Library

  • Best Teen Graphic Novels and Manga of 2020
    Chicago Public Library

  • 2021 Award for LGBTQ Young Adult Lambda Literary Awards

  • Middle Grade/Young Adult Award
    21st Annual Massachusetts Book Awards

  • Best Books of 2020
    NPR

  • Best Graphic YA Books of 2020
    Kirkus Reviews

  • Best Graphic Novels of 2020
    School Library Journal

Press