www.ambiente.us APRIL | ABRIL 2009
Blue Boy |(Kensington, 2009)| by Rakesh Satyal
review by Charlie Vázquez
Rakesh Satyal’s debut novel Blue Boy is a hilarious and upsetting tale of a young
queer boy’s relationship with his suburban Cincinnati Indian-American family and
his rite of passage into adolescence, where fascinations with MTV pop stars shift
to nocturnal obsessions with sex and the painful genesis of queer identity; a
second, and more spiritual, birth. The fault-line between Kiran’s enchanted inner-
world and the pressures thrust upon him by his well-to-do family is an endless
source of frustration, humor and heartbreak. Blue Boy will resonate strongly with
those of us who have made such parallel journeys ourselves—to those of us who
shook off the shackles of convention to create our own unusual space in the
world.
While visiting with other Indian kids in other suburban homes, Kiran realizes that
he is not like them (save for his appearance) and that their interests and pursuits
seem, if anything, ludicrous and dull. As these boys and girls flesh out their roles
as hetero-normative suburbanites, Kiran dives into a world of porn magazines
and the simultaneously frightful and fascinating emotions they stir. When he
accidentally witnesses a teenage three-way in a park at night, Kiran’s passage
Blue Boy |(Kensington, 2009)| by Rakesh Satyal
review by Charlie Vázquez
Rakesh Satyal’s debut novel Blue Boy is a hilarious and upsetting tale of a young
queer boy’s relationship with his suburban Cincinnati Indian-American family and
his rite of passage into adolescence, where fascinations with MTV pop stars shift
to nocturnal obsessions with sex and the painful genesis of queer identity; a
second, and more spiritual, birth. The fault-line between Kiran’s enchanted inner-
world and the pressures thrust upon him by his well-to-do family is an endless
source of frustration, humor and heartbreak. Blue Boy will resonate strongly with
those of us who have made such parallel journeys ourselves—to those of us who
shook off the shackles of convention to create our own unusual space in the
world.
While visiting with other Indian kids in other suburban homes, Kiran realizes that
he is not like them (save for his appearance) and that their interests and pursuits
seem, if anything, ludicrous and dull. As these boys and girls flesh out their roles
as hetero-normative suburbanites, Kiran dives into a world of porn magazines
and the simultaneously frightful and fascinating emotions they stir. When he
accidentally witnesses a teenage three-way in a park at night, Kiran’s passage
| . |
into the realm of sensual delights peaks, as he is forced to acknowledge his own
desire against the heterosexual world of smut he has unearthed. A friendly park
ranger, Rodney, discovers him and assumes the role of macho fantasy archetype.
But Satyal’s most impressive achievement is his connecting queerness with deity.
Kiran aspires to become Krishna, the most beautiful of all Indian gods—with his
blue skin, thickly applied kajol (eyeliner) and magical flute. As the date of a
school talent show creeps closer, Kiran choreographs a routine which stars him
as his favorite god, complete with blue cosmetics, a recorder (flute) purchased
at a garage sale, and clothing retrofitted from Indian garments stolen from his
mother’s closet. When his parents forbid him from participating in the talent
show, Kiran deftly sneaks around them and manages to take his act to the stage
anyway, where the text reveals unspoken family truths and secrets; where Kiran is
relieved of the boulder of emotions he has been carrying on his shoulders.
CLICK HERE for more Charlie Vázquez
Copyright 2009|Ambiente. Do not reproduce without prior authorization.
desire against the heterosexual world of smut he has unearthed. A friendly park
ranger, Rodney, discovers him and assumes the role of macho fantasy archetype.
But Satyal’s most impressive achievement is his connecting queerness with deity.
Kiran aspires to become Krishna, the most beautiful of all Indian gods—with his
blue skin, thickly applied kajol (eyeliner) and magical flute. As the date of a
school talent show creeps closer, Kiran choreographs a routine which stars him
as his favorite god, complete with blue cosmetics, a recorder (flute) purchased
at a garage sale, and clothing retrofitted from Indian garments stolen from his
mother’s closet. When his parents forbid him from participating in the talent
show, Kiran deftly sneaks around them and manages to take his act to the stage
anyway, where the text reveals unspoken family truths and secrets; where Kiran is
relieved of the boulder of emotions he has been carrying on his shoulders.
CLICK HERE for more Charlie Vázquez
Copyright 2009|Ambiente. Do not reproduce without prior authorization.
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