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My Fairy Godfather
A story about how music and film connects us to who we’ve loved, who we’ve been, and who we are becoming ― and that lying beneath the façade of teenage cynicism is the profound desire to be understood and loved.
Reeling from the death of her parents in a car crash, teenage Billie travels over the rainbow and under tangled concrete overpasses, from her native Austin, Texas to the improbably named Liberal, Kansas. Her plan is to live with her godfather, Adam, “a lonely, gay, film geek stuck inside a jock’s body – a jock’s world.” His partner Steven run the Starlite, a movie theater and safe haven for their eccentricities and artistic yearnings. Together, they face new challenges as they help a grieving teen find the path to her true self, while the couple themselves live with the compromises they’ve made for the sake of comfort.
Liberal, the adopted home of Oz’s Dorothy, is also home to small-town intolerance, immature adults with unsettled scores, and their children, some who resist and others who succumb to their parents’ prejudices. Along the way Billie meets Clara ― a goth, lesbian Dorothy impersonator who’s used to being an outsider ― and Dylan ― who finds himself caught between his old allegiance to rigid cliques and his magnetic attraction to this new girl who rocks Frida Kahlo tees and cowboy boots.
Reeling from the death of her parents in a car crash, teenage Billie travels over the rainbow and under tangled concrete overpasses, from her native Austin, Texas to the improbably named Liberal, Kansas. Her plan is to live with her godfather, Adam, “a lonely, gay, film geek stuck inside a jock’s body – a jock’s world.” His partner Steven run the Starlite, a movie theater and safe haven for their eccentricities and artistic yearnings. Together, they face new challenges as they help a grieving teen find the path to her true self, while the couple themselves live with the compromises they’ve made for the sake of comfort.
Liberal, the adopted home of Oz’s Dorothy, is also home to small-town intolerance, immature adults with unsettled scores, and their children, some who resist and others who succumb to their parents’ prejudices. Along the way Billie meets Clara ― a goth, lesbian Dorothy impersonator who’s used to being an outsider ― and Dylan ― who finds himself caught between his old allegiance to rigid cliques and his magnetic attraction to this new girl who rocks Frida Kahlo tees and cowboy boots.
- GenresGraphic Novels
144 pages, Paperback
Published May 21, 2024
1 person is currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Robert Mailer Anderson
6 books7 followersRobert Mailer Anderson is an American novelist.
In 2007 he co-wrote, produced, and appeared in "Pig Hunt," a punkabilly horror film set in Northern California.
In 2007 he co-wrote, produced, and appeared in "Pig Hunt," a punkabilly horror film set in Northern California.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 29, 2025
3.5
While I did enjoy this sweet and though provoking graphic novel, strongly rooted in found families and LGBTQ themes, the treatment of some of these things was slightly superficial at times, till the point it felt quite like a teenage story here and there.
Teenage angst was to be expected, as this is mostly a coming of age tale, but the main character was not always that likable, despite her circumstances. Plus the ending felt a bit too abrupt, but still a nice read, with an interesting art that fitted the bill.
However, and as a last note, I would say that, even if music and movies are present in this story, and have some weight of it, the whole thing felt more as an afterthought, even if they are used as a selling point.
While I did enjoy this sweet and though provoking graphic novel, strongly rooted in found families and LGBTQ themes, the treatment of some of these things was slightly superficial at times, till the point it felt quite like a teenage story here and there.
Teenage angst was to be expected, as this is mostly a coming of age tale, but the main character was not always that likable, despite her circumstances. Plus the ending felt a bit too abrupt, but still a nice read, with an interesting art that fitted the bill.
However, and as a last note, I would say that, even if music and movies are present in this story, and have some weight of it, the whole thing felt more as an afterthought, even if they are used as a selling point.
Want to read
April 13, 2024i know this won't be released for another month, but i'm shocked this doesn't have more heat yet based on the description. so excited to read this!
October 12, 2024
The bones of a good story, but scene transitions are so sudden I constantly thought I'd skipped pages and resolutions are far too pat.
August 11, 2024
3.8 stars
My Fairy Godfather is a coming-of-age graphic novel that is thought-provoking and moving. The story is centered around a teenager named Billie who tragically loses her parents in a car accident and is sent to live with her Godfather. Set in Liberal, Kansas, known for its traditional values, Billie faces prejudice not only as a newcomer but also due to her gay guardian, Adam. Liberal Kansas is not as liberal as it sounds. Adam aka the fairy Godfather owns a local movie theater that is a target for the homophobic townspeople. Billie's life is quite chaotic with a crush on a boy, grieving the loss of her parents, and a conservative aunt and uncle who want her to live with them. Despite this, Billie's story is full of beauty and growth as she stays true to herself and learns to navigate her new life.
What I Liked: Billie's character seems wise beyond her years. It may be that losing your parents makes you grow up faster, but Billie was mature and insightful for a teenager. Her direct approach to resolving the misunderstanding with her best friend was refreshing. From the beginning of the book, I was rooting for Billie to be happy. I knew she would have moments of sadness, but I was glad to see her embrace her new family as well. Her Godfather took his role as guardian seriously, and it was nice to see him be vulnerable with his partner Steven about how he felt he was failing at parenting. For me, Steven was the star of the book. He had a great sense of humor but also provided the support system Adam and Billie needed.
The story showed the struggle of the LGBTQ community from a few different perspectives. Readers can see that even adults are trying to figure out who they are.
The graphic novel's realistic illustrations draw readers into the story and the world the characters inhabit.
My Fairy Godfather is an intriguing story, especially for those who want to read a realistic portrayal of the LQBTQ struggles from the teen and adult perspective.
This review first appeared on YA Book Central and can be found here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/my-fai...
My Fairy Godfather is a coming-of-age graphic novel that is thought-provoking and moving. The story is centered around a teenager named Billie who tragically loses her parents in a car accident and is sent to live with her Godfather. Set in Liberal, Kansas, known for its traditional values, Billie faces prejudice not only as a newcomer but also due to her gay guardian, Adam. Liberal Kansas is not as liberal as it sounds. Adam aka the fairy Godfather owns a local movie theater that is a target for the homophobic townspeople. Billie's life is quite chaotic with a crush on a boy, grieving the loss of her parents, and a conservative aunt and uncle who want her to live with them. Despite this, Billie's story is full of beauty and growth as she stays true to herself and learns to navigate her new life.
What I Liked: Billie's character seems wise beyond her years. It may be that losing your parents makes you grow up faster, but Billie was mature and insightful for a teenager. Her direct approach to resolving the misunderstanding with her best friend was refreshing. From the beginning of the book, I was rooting for Billie to be happy. I knew she would have moments of sadness, but I was glad to see her embrace her new family as well. Her Godfather took his role as guardian seriously, and it was nice to see him be vulnerable with his partner Steven about how he felt he was failing at parenting. For me, Steven was the star of the book. He had a great sense of humor but also provided the support system Adam and Billie needed.
The story showed the struggle of the LGBTQ community from a few different perspectives. Readers can see that even adults are trying to figure out who they are.
The graphic novel's realistic illustrations draw readers into the story and the world the characters inhabit.
My Fairy Godfather is an intriguing story, especially for those who want to read a realistic portrayal of the LQBTQ struggles from the teen and adult perspective.
This review first appeared on YA Book Central and can be found here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/my-fai...
December 28, 2024
An orphaned teenage girl goes to live with her godfather and his partner, two men who run an independent movie theater in a small Texas town (which almost never seems to have anyone actually attending it, so how they make money to live on is unclear). She makes friends, confronts bigotry, rallies the forces of liberalism and queerness for a moral victory at the end. An unsurprising but very pleasant narrative.
June 3, 2024
A moving story about how families move through the world experiencing difficulties, but ultimately finding their peace in love and community. A beautiful tribute to the Castro theatre. I will be rereading this book again and again. Besides the story, the art is incredible.
October 9, 2024
A very sweet story I wouldn't be surprised to see a Netflix adaptation of in the future. The stakes are very low and everyone is nice in the end, even the bullies and bigots. I enjoyed the Adrian Tomine-style artwork, especially the atmosphere of the Kansas street scenes at dusk.
February 15, 2025
My Fairy Godfather is a sweet but obvious story about a teen moving in with her gay godfather in right wing southern America. The illustration is very accomplished but the story and dialogue are a bit pedestrian and forced.
December 6, 2024
This was cute! A bit heavy handed at times but cute.
Rep: older gay men, Black lesbian side character
spice: none
tw: homophobia, implication of a custody battle to come
Rep: older gay men, Black lesbian side character
spice: none
tw: homophobia, implication of a custody battle to come
November 19, 2025
loved the art work and story. Great to see coming of age and self acceptance of older queer people rolled into one storyline. Well thought out plot, characters and situations.
August 11, 2025
Would be 2.5, mainly based on personal enjoyment. Not a bad book but it didnt feel like it was saying anything that hasnt been said. It ended up personally being boring and in an art style that suffers from same face syndrome
July 29, 2025
Another one of those “here for the messaging, not the execution,” but with the exception that illustrations are beautifully done!
This was a very low stakes story denouncing homophobia. It had a lot of potential, but the dialogue was forced with its messaging, and there’s simply no spice factor to the plot. Overall it was a nice, predictable story that wraps up with a happy ending with everyone turning nice and learning from their bigotry.
There’s also many, many references to 80s movies, that I unfortunately didn’t get. So maybe I’m just not the target generation for this!
This was a very low stakes story denouncing homophobia. It had a lot of potential, but the dialogue was forced with its messaging, and there’s simply no spice factor to the plot. Overall it was a nice, predictable story that wraps up with a happy ending with everyone turning nice and learning from their bigotry.
There’s also many, many references to 80s movies, that I unfortunately didn’t get. So maybe I’m just not the target generation for this!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews