Bad Queer
A luminous and romantic debut novel in verse about navigating first love as a non-binary teenager.
"Not to be missed."--Publishers Weekly starred review ⭐
"A thoughtful and nuanced take on relationships."--Kirkus starred review ⭐
I feel invincible.
Like I could run and run
and never stop for breath.
I feel a power in me
I didn't know I had.
The power to speak,
to say what I need.
Surya knows exactly who they are. Coming out as non-binary to their queer parents and best friend? A total non-event. Catching feelings for Blessing - the boy in drama club whose smile makes their heart race? That's trickier.
As their final year of school unfolds and the two of them grow closer, Surya starts to question: Does Blessing really see them? Or just a version of them that doesn't exist? They'd ask their best friend for advice, but she's busy falling in love too. . .
With gorgeous illustrations throughout, Bad Queer draws us deeply into queer friendship, family secrets, and the necessary act of loving yourself. Perfect for fans of Alice Oseman, Dean Atta, and Sarah Crossan.
This is a love letter to queer futures - tender, curious, and fiercely alive.
Note: Bad Queer has been written with young adult readers in mind. The story contains some material that may not be suitable for younger readers. We recommend that teachers or reading group facilitators read the book carefully before teaching it or recommending it to younger readers and/or seek parental guidance.
These discussion questions were provide by the publisher, Faber & Faber.
Book club questions for Bad Queer by Gayathiri Kamalakanthan
Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.
Why do you think this book is called Bad Queer? What could the title be referring to?
What is your first impression of Surya and their family? What do we learn about their family dynamic from the first chapter?
Pick one illustration for closer analysis. How does this visual representation support the poem it's related to?
Reading this book with your club?
Access these questions right on your club's meeting page on Bookclubs — no more copy-pasting into a group text.
Create My ClubHow does journaling help Surya discover yourself?
Surya reads many different writers throughout Bad Queer who influence them. Think of an artist, writer or singer who has had an impact on you. How has their work changed your thinking?
Trans characters are still too rarely found in books. What do you think increased representation in books, TV and films would do for our understanding of transness?
Why do you think the author chose to write this novel in verse form?
On page 86, a line reads, 'Language is power.' Do you agree with this statement, and why?
On page 200, a stanza reads:
'Because if all the words
are made up
then why shouldn't we
make up our own'
Spend a bit of time researching words that have been added to the dictionary in the last ten years. What do those words tell us about cultural shifts within the last decade?
Some scenes in the book deal with consent and communicating consent or non-consent. Why is it important that young adults are educated about this topic and why is it important that they read about
sex-positive relationships?
On page 244-245, Surya learns words that denote different kinds of love' in Tamil. Pick a language (other than English) and research how feelings of 'love' can be articulated. Do the words you find have a direct translation in English? If not, try to describe them anyway, like Surya does in the poem 'அன்பு' /
'Anbu'
What do you think happens at the end? And what do you hope happens next in Surya's journey? If
you want, you could write a poem about Surya's life a year from now. Who are they reading? Are they
still performing? What if you wrote a poem from Blessing's perspective?
Bad Queer Book Club Questions PDF
Download a printable PDF of these discussion questions to bring to your meeting.