I’m not of the mind that survivors of trauma or those with mental illness must “love themselves before loving other people.” But because of Evan’s traumatic past and the fact that Henry is Evan’s only source of support, beyond a father who fails to act time and again, there is a power imbalance between them. But the fact is, it’s pretty hard to separate Henry and Evan’s changing relationship from the trauma Evan experiences at home. Blurbs compare it to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. If it weren’t for the abuse storyline, The Dangerous Art of Blending In would be a love story. I’m happy to report that though there are hardships, this novel does ultimately show an escape from darkness. I couldn’t help hoping Evan would regain agency and begin a better life. Evan’s interpersonal and inner conflicts drew me in and had me rushing through the pages. Tension builds quickly as Evan grows closer to Henry and his mother’s abuse escalates. (Note: I am neither gay nor a survivor of abuse, so there are limits to my understanding in these matters.) I think that this contributes to the rawness and realism of Evan’s narration in moments of stress and isolation. Surmelis based the novel on his own childhood. And beyond his sketchbook, Evan has no real outlets. Evan’s home life is heartbreaking and disturbing to read, a fact amplified by the inertia displayed by Evan’s father. His mother is a true terror, prone to violent outbursts in private, but almost sickeningly sweet in public.
He’s trying to balance school, the abuse at home, and his new attraction to Henry. Evan is in a precarious position when the reader first meets him. Though I read the book’s description, I wasn’t quite prepared for how dark this novel is. So when his attraction to his best friend Henry grows, the different parts of his world threaten to collide. His mother is also abusing him both physically and verbally.
He’s gay, a realization that he’s come to terms with after a kiss at church camp. In the novel, seventeen-year-old Greek immigrant Evan Panos struggles to keep all the different aspects of his life separate. So, a book about a boy coming to terms with his sexuality despite a disapproving mother seemed like something I would be into. I’m a sucker for a good coming of age story and for self-acceptance narratives. I’ve been trying to read more LGBTQIA books lately, so when the opportunity arose to read The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis for Bookmarked, I took it.
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