A review by caitcoy
Baby Be-Bop by Francesca Lia Block

4.0

Baby Be-Bop is the story of Dirk McDonald, a young man in L.A. who has always known that he was gay but has to hide that part of himself. Having been orphaned at a young age, he lives with his grandmother Fifi but fears that she will judge him for loving boys if he ever revealed his secret. Dirk arms himself by adopting the punk culture. When he shaves his hair into a blue mohawk, dons the leather jacket and hits the clubs, he looks too tough to mess with, even if someone did guess his secret. But even the punk culture isn't safe and a run-in with some Aryan boys with swastikas lands Dirk in trouble he doesn't know how to deal with. Tied in with all this harsh reality is some of the best magic realism I've ever read. Block breathes magic into everything, whether it's descriptions of Dirk's grandmothers garden, her pets Kit and Kaboodle or even in its most obvious sense, with the family heirloom, a lamp with its very own genie. Whether the reader chooses to believe them hallucinations or an actual magical journey, Dirk comes to reexamine himself and his world through the stories of his family. Dirk's voice feels so raw and real that I couldn't help but enjoy seeing the way he viewed the world and I loved the ending. It's a story of hope and acceptance and magic throughout. I very much enjoyed it and I think that fans of young adult lit who are more interested in urban culture in L.A. will love it!