Anna-Marie McLemore

Dark and Deepest Red is a gorgeous and smart magical realist remix of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Red Shoes" that flits back and forth in time (the present day vs the early 16th century) to weave a lyrical fairy tale about generational trauma, the pressure to "pass"/inexpressible identities (Romani, Mexican, and trans, respectively), and the powers of love, empathy, and self-acceptance. As usual, McLemore's lush prose and sophisticated understanding of magic and monstrosity (and their roles in the histories of queer communities, especially those of color) put her work head and shoulders above most YA fairy tale retellings.

I'm presently writing a dissertation on positive reclamations of monstrosity in queer YA (including a chapter on witches/witchcraft) and was desperately looking for more novels with representation of communities of color and/or trans representation, and Dark and Deepest Red absolutely did not disappoint. I'll absolutely be discussing it in one of my chapters... which means I have to restructure my outline! ....yay? It'll definitely be worth it, though, as I cannot recommend this book enough.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.… (meer)