Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flamer | 2020 | Mike Curato | Buy |
| 2 | Gaysians | 2025 | Mike Curato | Buy |
Mike Curato’s graphic novels mark a sharp departure from his picture book work. Flamer (2020) is a semi-autobiographical story set at a Boy Scouts summer camp in the summer of 1995. The protagonist, Aiden, is a Filipino-American teen who is bullied by his peers and wrestling with feelings he does not yet fully understand. The book was widely praised for its honest depiction of adolescence and won several awards, including the Lambda Literary Award.
Curato’s follow-up graphic work, Gaysians (2025), continues his interest in LGBTQ themes and Asian-American experiences. His graphic novels use a distinctive visual style, with Flamer largely rendered in black and white with red tones marking moments of heightened emotion. Both works demonstrate Curato’s ability to handle serious subject matter with sensitivity and directness.