Playing a Part

Gr 9 Up—Grisha has grown up in the Moscow puppet theater, nurtured by its eccentric mix of seasoned actors, animated puppets, and secret passageways. But outside the theater, Grisha's lack of machismo makes him a target for bullying, and homophobia is driving his favorite actor away from the country. This title focuses on the dreamy world of the puppet theater, but the poetic styling that is supposed to evoke its otherworldly nature does not fully come through in translation, instead leaving a disjointed narrative that reads far younger than the readership who might be interested in gay Russian youth. The translation also stays faithful to traditional Russian naming and nicknaming, which can be confusing to those not familiar with it, as every major character seems to have three or four names. While it's wonderful that this book avoids being an "issue novel" by emphasizing the inner workings of the puppet theater, the conflicts within it fall flat and the characters' struggles with homophobia and gender policing are not integrated smoothly.