The Queen Bees of Tybee County is just what I needed. I’ve been itching to get back into middle grade books and this is the perfect one to start with! Keep reading this book review of The Queen Bees of Tybee County for my full thoughts.
Summary
After making the buzzer-beating shot at the Georgia basketball state championships, Derrick Chan becomes the star of Bayard Middle School, and Derrick’s single dad could not be prouder. But there are parts of Derrick that no one knows about, like the toenail polish he wears under his basketball sneakers, his secret lip-sync performances in the bathroom mirror, and the feelings he’s developing for his best friend and teammate, JJ.
As the school year comes to a close, Derrick’s dad takes an out-of-town job and ships Derrick off to spend the summer with his estranged, eccentric grandmother, Claudia. Soon, Claudia introduces Derrick to the world of small-town southern beauty pageants, and Derrick suddenly feels he’s found where he belongs. But when the opportunity arises to compete in the town pageant, Derrick is forced to decide just how much of himself he’s ready to show the world.
Can he learn to love and accept the most unique parts of himself? And what will happen if others—like his father and JJ—can’t do the same?
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
I loved The Queen Bees of Tybee County and just want to give Derrick the biggest hug. This is a story about self-acceptance, family secrets, and realizing we don’t have to live in fractured parts. It’s also a story about racism and hatred making our dreams smaller until they snuff out. About spaces and people which don’t make you feel welcome. And about what we can do to make sure we are seen, that we take up space. The Queen Bees of Tybee County is multi-faceted in this queer questioning, the discovery of drag, and the secrets revealed about our own past.
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Throughout the story, we see characters who have all been made to feel unwelcome at points in our lives. And how do we deal with those feelings? How do we deal with those who want to enforce a rigid box of femininity? Of self-expression and sexuality? Discussing racism within history, The Queens of Tybee County is a middle grade book for everyone. If you’ve ever felt like you have to portion up pieces of ourselves to be palatable, to be accepted, and to live dribbling between them – this is for you! We deserve to be around people who don’t make us pick apart ourselves.
The Queens of Tybee County is a celebration. It’s about acceptance and love in the best way possible. Find The Queens of Tybee County on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.