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Benjamin Dean's first YA title, The King Is Dead, is a scandalous and thrilling mystery written with biracial, Black, male, and queer teens in mind. Dean (The Secret Sunshine Project) presents 17-year-old James, who struggles with accepting his role as the first Black English king while also protecting his family's secrets.
One thing is for sure: James doesn't want to be the new King of England. His extroverted twin brother, Eddie, is better suited for the job. But only days after his father's death, James is thrust into the role. While his white father was alive, the media focused their attacks on James's Black mother, saying she was "infiltrating" and "destroying the monarchy." With his father's death, a new assault begins: James's sexuality is questioned, his secret boyfriend goes missing, and the Royal Family's secrets are displayed on the front pages of every newspaper. Will James reveal the mole, find his boyfriend, and accept the crown--or will the weight of it be too heavy to bear?
James's first-person point of view makes this twisty mystery particularly evocative as it grounds readers in the realities of James's family's heartbreak, shame, and anger with each new revelation. Dean's approach to discussions of identity, grief, sexuality, and systemic racism is sensitive and nuanced; he creates a space where queer Black young men can see themselves while also offering a window for readers who identify differently than James. This coming-of-age novel about a kind, youthful protagonist trying to stay afloat in the sordid world of royal secrets should be perfect for fans of "ripped-from-the-headlines" dramas. --Natasha Harris, freelance reviewer