Review Detail

My Fairy Godfather is a coming-of-age graphic novel that is thought-provoking and moving. The story is centered around a teenager named Billie who tragically loses her parents in a car accident and is sent to live with her Godfather. Set in Liberal, Kansas, known for its traditional values, Billie faces prejudice not only as a newcomer but also due to her gay guardian, Adam. Liberal Kansas is not as liberal as it sounds. Adam aka the fairy Godfather owns a local movie theater that is a target for the homophobic townspeople. Billie's life is quite chaotic with a crush on a boy, grieving the loss of her parents, and a conservative aunt and uncle who want her to live with them. Despite this, Billie's story is full of beauty and growth as she stays true to herself and learns to navigate her new life.

What I Liked: Billie's character seems wise beyond her years. It may be that losing your parents makes you grow up faster, but Billie was mature and insightful for a teenager. Her direct approach to resolving the misunderstanding with her best friend was refreshing. From the beginning of the book, I was rooting for Billie to be happy. I knew she would have moments of sadness, but I was glad to see her embrace her new family as well. Her Godfather took his role as guardian seriously, and it was nice to see him be vulnerable with his partner Steven about how he felt he was failing at parenting. For me, Steven was the star of the book. He had a great sense of humor but also provided the support system Adam and Billie needed.

The story showed the struggle of the LGBTQ community from a few different perspectives. Readers can see that even adults are trying to figure out who they are.

The graphic novel's realistic illustrations draw readers into the story and the world the characters inhabit.

My Fairy Godfather is an intriguing story, especially for those who want to read a realistic portrayal of the LQBTQ struggles from the teen and adult perspective.