Books › King and the Dragonflies
King and the Dragonflies
272 pages
A tender, atmospheric exploration of grief, identity, and the secrets we keep hidden in the bayou.
What it feels like
Set against the humid, atmospheric backdrop of a Louisiana bayou, this middle-grade novel offers a tender and deeply introspective reading experience. The narrative moves at a steady, reflective pace, allowing the heavy, melancholic weight of grief to sit alongside the quiet hope of self-discovery. The prose feels grounded yet touched by the magical thinking of childhood loss, wrapping the reader in a world of whispered secrets and hidden backyard sanctuaries. It is an earnest and compassionate exploration of identity, friendship, and the painful but necessary journey toward accepting reality. Readers who appreciate emotionally resonant, character-driven stories about young people finding the courage to embrace who they are will find themselves deeply moved by this poignant tale.
- Mood
- melancholic
- atmospheric
- hopeful
- introspective
- Tone
- earnest
- tender
- reflective
- compassionate
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- navigating grief and loss · coming of age · sexual identity and acceptance · complex family dynamics · power of friendship
- The writing
- Atmospheric and emotionally resonant, grounding magical thinking in the humid reality of the Louisiana bayou.
- The arc
- Moves from the heavy, isolating weight of secret grief to a tentative, courageous acceptance of self and reality.
- Who it's for
- Readers seeking a tender, character-driven middle grade story about navigating profound loss and discovering one's true identity.
Content notes
- grief and loss of a sibling
- child abuse
- homophobia
About the book
Twelve-year-old Kingston James is sure his brother Khalid has turned into a dragonfly. When Khalid unexpectedly passed away, he shed what was his first skin for another to live down by the bayou in their small Louisiana town. Khalid still visits in dreams, and King must keep these secrets to himself as he watches grief transform his family.
It would be easier if King could talk with his best friend, Sandy Sanders. But just days before he died, Khalid told King to end their friendship, after overhearing a secret about Sandy-that he thinks he might be gay. "You don't want anyone to think you're gay too, do you?"
But when Sandy goes missing, sparking a town-wide search, and King finds his former best friend hiding in a tent in his backyard, he agrees to help Sandy escape from his abusive father, and the two begin an adventure as they build their own private paradise down by the bayou and among the dragonflies. As King's friendship with Sandy is reignited, he's forced to confront questions about himself and the reality of his brother's death.
Description from Open Library.
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