It's only halfway through the year, but I know that this is going to be one of my favourite reads. Amrou/Glamrou's honest and unflinching account of his life growing up as a queer Muslim who eventually finds drag as a career and outlet captivated me from the very first page. It feels like an important story to tell, and I appreciated Amrou's (what felt like) faithful retelling of his experiences growing up, his relationship with his family (particularly his mother) and his exploration of gender, faith, race and drag. His is a unique life story, and like anyone's life story is filled with nuance, which is displayed openly upon the page; at times, you will be heartbroken by his family's inability to accept Amrou for who he truly is, and at other times, you will be touched by their attempts to connect with him. There is so much to this book that I can't do it justice with this review, but I would urge everyone to read it!

The biggest take away for me after finishing this book is what an important story this is to tell. I can't help but imagine vulnerable young people in a similar situation or mindset to Amrou finding great comfort and acceptance in the pages of this book. I will be recommending this book to as many people as possible as true and insightful stories such as this one play such an important role in educating people and promoting inclusion.

The memoir is told in anecdotes which weave together to tell Amrou's life story so far, discovering their gender identity and sexuality and the challanges of reconciling these with their faith and upbringing. Full of humour and self-awareness, the author's voice leapt off the page and did an excellent job of enabling the reader to understand their thought processes and reasoning at the various stages of their life, particularly with their struggle to find acceptance and a sense of belonging. The story was heartbreaking and uplifting at its different moments and I am so glad to have read it.

Thank you to Netgalley and 4th Estate for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to Amrou for sharing the story of your life with all its ups and downs in such an honest, open and sincere way.

This was a really interesting memoir that offers a perspective that is not often spoken about. I'm definitely glad I read it. There were a few pacing issues so this took me longer to get through than I would have expected. I liked it but this book did not blow me away

I'm not sure 'enjoy' is quite the right words for this book, as it's subject matter is often pretty heavy, and treated as such, but I read it fast, compulsively, and was left thinking about it for days afterwards. It made me recalibrate my approach to a lot of the subjects tackled, and rethink my own privilege.

I felt that this was a really unique read and I loved it. Amrou spent their early years living in Bahrain and then moved to London as a teenager. Unicorn tackles stereotypes and expectations of growing up in a Muslim family and trying to hide their sexuality and femininity. Amrou formed a drag troupe while studying in Cambridge and this is when they truly came into themselves. I loved the portrayal of family dynamics and thought it was a very unique and enjoyable insight into a world I know very little about.

This is a brilliant book. It's heartbreaking, funny and beautifully written. Following the story of Amrou (or Glamrou when in drag), the memoir an exploration of conflicting identities: Muslim, queer, non-binary, Arab, drag queen. With an unflinching gaze, Amrou examines their life from childhood until the present, focusing particularly on their relationship with Mama (role model and inspiration) and with friends and partners.

The book's title is eye-catching by any standards. It certainly got my attention because of the immediate contrast suggested by the words 'Muslim' and 'drag queen'. It's fascinating how Amrou goes on a journey which finally reconciles their Islamic faith with queerness, after fearing going to hell for being gay and then voicing Islamophobic views in an attempt to fit in with white, British, Christian peers. Amrou's experience of moving from the Middle East to Britain did allow more freedom but it also emphasised their outsider status.

Amrou was under heavy parental pressure to conform, both to the standard of a good Muslim son and society's standard of what a man is. This manifested as OCD in academic success. I liked that this was included in the book, as I think it's important to communicate that when parents deny children's self-expression, this is harmful and can have devastating effects on mental health. There was so much sadness in this book. Most upsetting was how Amrou's parents reacted with such emotional cruelty. They're not bad people but their cultural background and respectable position in society encouraged them to reject their son's way of life. On a positive note, Mama in particular is not distant at all by the end. Elements of wry humour throughout the book mean you won't always have tears in your eyes, but really this is as much a painful story as it is an empowering one. However, I enjoyed reading it and I loved the writing style.

I know that unicorns are very on trend - you might cynically say that the title of this book is exploiting that - but there's a good reason why they appear in this book.

NB - this review will be published on my blog on 3rd September.

Funny emotional moving a Muslim boy who grows up to be a drag queen,This is an entertaining. Real at times hilarious at times moving eye opening journey.Highly entertaining.#netgalley #4th estate books.