The House of Rural Realness

by Curtis Campbell

Peter Thompkin is in need of a public image overhaul after his vicious clapback against the most popular gay in school goes viral. When his best friend Alan, aka teen drag queen Aggie Culture, announces the first public drag performance by The House of Rural Realness, Peter steps forward as their producer. It might be the only way he can escape the rumors following him everywhere in his small country town. Peter leads the queens as they survive bigoted backlash and survive one another. But will Mason County' s Drag Extravaganza drop dead before they make their first death drop? And will Peter and Alan' s friendship even survive past curtain call? Touching, sharply funny and a little absurd, The House of Rural Realness explores the pains and pleasures of queer community through one teen' s stumbling journey towards self-acceptance.

Genres: Young Adult, LGBT, Queer, Contemporary, Audiobook, Fiction, Gay

275 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 4, 2025

About the author

CURTIS CAMPBELL is a writer, comedian, and theater artist. His plays are mainstays of the Toronto indie theater scene, and he is the winner of the inaugural Comedy Bar and Second City Award for Best Comedy at the 2022 Toronto Fringe. NOW Toronto has described Curtis’s work as “razor sharp,” the Toronto Star called it “pitch perfect satire,” and Curtis’s mother has described it as “just not my cup of tea.” Curtis grew up in rural Ontario and now lives in Toronto with an artist named Kevin and their dog, Pip. Dragging Mason County is his debut novel.

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an AMAZING YA debut!! This queer coming of age story takes place in a rural small town over the summer and features the complicated relationship between two gay best friends. I absolutely LOVED that the main character, Peter is so utterly flawed but relatable!!

Fat with acne and stuck in a small town with parents that are not super supportive, Peter has a lot of anger issues and trouble controlling what comes out of his mouth. When he attacks another gay student and a video of it goes viral, he finds himself in need of serious damage control.

Enter Alan (aka Aggie Culture), his best friend, who is unapologetically out and a proud drag aficionado. Alan's big idea to help Peter (with admittedly some self-serving motives too) is to put on the First Mason County Drag Extravaganza with Peter as producer.

What follows is a series of hilariously embarrassing antics, some expected small town homophobia but what really struck me was the way that Peter realized there were more true allies and fellow queer people in his small town than he had known and they show up in lovely and heartwarming ways to help Peter and his friends pull off their Drag show.

Full of heart, this should be must read material for high schoolers. There's something for everyone in this story and I couldn't put it down!! Witty and real and with the BEST rural themed Drag names ever, this is one you don't want to miss!

HIGHLY recommended for fans of books like Pumpkin by Julie Murphy or The Black flamingo by Dean Atta. Many thanks to NetGalley and Annick Press for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! (Also that cover?? FANTASTIC!!)

Favorite quote:
"Maybe we're just pretty dummies in corsets. But it makes being born in the wrong place, with the wrong people, feel bearable for a little while when you can show them how fucking good you are at being you. Or, you know, this painted-for-the-gods version of you."

[Lee [Bibliophile Tings] · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Annick Press for sending me a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*disclaimer: this may be my most emotional review out there
the bias is undeniable but the feelings are valid

The more time I spend thinking about Dragging Mason County, the more I dislike it.

This book failed because of one reason and one reason only: the main character, Peter. Choosing Peter to be the main character was a mistake. Peter and his mean girl attitude ruined the book for me.

Peter has the ugliest personality. He’s bitter and backstabbing and judgmental. Calling his interactions with other people a “tense confrontation” is an understatement. Peter is hostile to everyone.

“Small-town boy who hates his town, drag-show producer who hates drag, gay guy who hates men.”

These exact words were used to describe Peter and they are too accurate.

Plus…

Peter is the fakest friend ever. Peter isn’t nice to Alan even when they’re together. But when they’re apart it’s worse. He talks trash about his “best friend” behind his back. Peter constantly says he’s being supportive but nowhere did I see that support.

“He’s my best friend, but Alan is a ridiculous person. Everything with him is a total pageant. And if he can’t reach pageant he’ll settle for a parade.”

The way I see it, Alan is living his best life and Peter is just dead weight.

To top it all off…

Peter’s redemption arc was laughable. He treated everyone like trash for 200 pages. I kept waiting and waiting for him to apologize. Then, right before the book ended, Peter decides to start making amends. Honestly, it felt random and rushed, like he apologized simply so the book wouldn’t end on a bad note.

“You’re all probably going to leave Mason County and go live wonderful lives where you get to be yourself…but some people stay here, for a lot of different reasons. And it’s not so easy from them.”

The only reason I didn’t dnfDragging Mason County was because of The House of Rural Realness. The queens brought life and laughter to the story.

Bottom line: The House of Rural Realness and I deserve better than Peter.

──✒ pre review initial thoughts
the more time I spend thinking about this book, the more I dislike it

⸻ᥫ᭡
my blog!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received a copy of Dragging Mason County in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and the author, Curtis Campbell, for an opportunity to review this book.

Honestly, Curtis Campbell hooked me in the first paragraph, first page, first chapter of this book. I couldn’t wait to read the rest of this story!

As a drag ally, the snark, the banter, the rivalries, the ins and outs of putting on an awesome drag show in a small, rural town provided a consistent pace through this oh-so-short, rooting-for-the-underdogs and overcoming adversity story.

Anyone who has ever been:

•the victim of, or witness to, a hate crime,

•in situations where they felt like they didn’t fit in,

•in love with someone “out of your league”

•plagued by self-esteem and/or body image issues,

•out with friends who adopted brave and crazy stunts that nearly got you punched or attacked by livestock and/or farmers, and

•a fan of sneaking into off-limits pools for naughty late-night swimming or skinny dipping,

•forced to call out bigots and haters

can relate to this heartwarming story.

And, can we talk about this gorgeous, bright, glittery cover? Swoon.

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the plot here...
Small town, teen queers of all types, drag queens putting on a show, dicks protesting said show, finding love, finding yourself, social media, friendships and bullying.
So many amazing things wrapped up in one story!
So why did I give it 3 stars?

There was a lot of shaming, queer shaming and body shaming.
Internally and externally, it was not cool.
Talking about insecurities from time to time is normal. Forcing someone to do things they aren't comfortable with and constantly fat shaming? Even less cool.
Talking about these things in such a degrading way, and so often that I was physically uncomfortable.
Not my thing.

I wish it didn't have so much negative space about figures and how to be more queer, because everything else in here is amazing!
I would still recommend this for adults, but probably not teens.
I don't feel comfortable putting this in the hands of impressionable kids who already feel weird in their own skin.
Referring to anyone's body as "disgusting", because it has (very common) imperfections, is harsh.
Not turning it into a conversation about body positivity?
Missed opportunity.
Trying to force someone to be more feminine because they "aren't gay enough" is bananas.
Not turning that into a conversation about how being queer is different for everyone and there's no wrong way to be queer as long as your kind (to yourself and others)?
Another missed opportunity.
I would not want to put this in the hands of kids who already have insecurities running wild knowing it could damage them more.
Thank you NetGalley & Annick Press Ltd. for my ARC.

[K.C. Norton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ripped right through this book, and I'm not going to say that it singlehandedly got me out of a reading slump, but it DEFINITELY helped.

Here's the thing: I am intimately familiar with the YA genre, and I know that the extreme quippiness of the book fits the genre well, but there were times where I wished that the quippiness could have been reined in just a *little bit* more to let us sit with some of the heavier emotions. The end also felt very... tidy. Again, this book is YA, it's heavily slanted toward comedy, and it treats the character's emotional development the way a drag show treats gender. DRAGGING MASON COUNTY is actually doing a lot of emotional work under the glitz-meets-rural veneer, and I appreciate that. Sometimes the emotional bits just got a bit bogged down in Drag Race-esque patter.

That said, did I cry while reading this book? Yes. Is the narrator's voice impeccable? Definitely. And the villains of the story, such as they were, were over-the-top enough to make me laugh rather than just make me mad, which is how I feel about the behaviors of the people this book is calling out. By the end, Peter (our narrator) is able to extend some grace to people who mean well but are, let's say, still finding themselves. I love this book for serving so much Rural Realness, and I can't wait for it to find its audience. Its energy is somewhere between SIMON VS. THE HOMOSAPIEN AGENDA and ALWAYS THE ALMOST.

Thank you to NetGalley for granting me access to the ARC in exchange for a voluntary and honest review.

[Lindsay · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am less than halfway through this book and have no intent of finishing it. Not only is Peter (MC) unlikeable with a severe inferiority-victim complex, the dialogue between the characters is horrifyingly unrealistic (and kinda gross). No good book should include the word “tiddies”, and this one says it five times in the first five chapters. Author completely misused the term “compulsory heterosexuality” somehow?? And the phrase “chaotic bisexual energy” was enough for me to physically close this novel in embarrassment. If someone told me this book was originally a wattpad fan fiction written by a thirteen year old straight girl who’s weirdly obsessed with the queer community, I’d believe you with no hesitation. Call me a snob, but this is arguably the worst book I have ever had the misfortune of reading. Do not waste your time.

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me laughing and crying! I loved the characters and the relationships they all had with each other. I will say it does bring up the issues that still persist in not only small towns but over the world that the LGBTQ community has to face. I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Goodreads and Annick Press for the ARC of this YA novel. I was so excited to get a copy of this book given the topic; love the idea of teens putting on the first ever drag show in their tiny rural community.

Will update with review once I've finished!

***********

I just finished reading this novel. I struggled to get into it at first given that I really disliked the main character Peter. That said, I found that as the story progressed, I was able to become so much more invested with the secondary characters who added so much to the story.

As a YA book, I think it hits a lot of important issues in a fun and engaging way. In terms of individual dynamics, I thought the contrast between Peter and Alan was effective, especially in terms of exploring the growth and conflict between these main characters.

The second half of the book was so much fun and I really loved how so many pieces came together for the characters and demonstrated the impact the drag show had on the community. A great read! Im rounding up to a 4 stars :)

[Join the Penguin Resistance! · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this unabashedly Queer YA novel from the very beginning; in fact, I fell in love with these characters on Page One! This novel had me chuckling, chortling, laughing aloud, singing praises....the characters are so relatable!! Throughout the novel I kept thinking about how each of us, no matter our age, has so much internally we keep hidden from others [and from ourselves] and so often "transparency" and "accountability" are just empty terms without definition.

DRAGGING MASON COUNTY also brought home to me how all too often, the Queer Community and Queer individuals are endangered, and how essential it is to find cohesiveness, to avoid divisions and wedges among each other. Stick together! Grow together! Thrive together! Be as one!

[Isaiah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got an ARC.

Another toxic bitchy gay MC. I am not for this being this season's thing, but it is happening a lot with the books I have been getting. I stopped when the MC yelled that someone should kill themself, especially since the rumor was that character's dad had killed themself. It just...wow..and I am supposed to root for this guy?

[Lillie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Checked this out from the library app on audiobook because it kept appearing at the top of my page and looked fun.

The story is definitely fun, but you have to wade through so much self-hate and negative language from the narrator to get there. EVERYTHING (the narrator included) has to be dissed :(

I suppose that was a plot point, but it made it less enjoyable to read for me.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know when you're watching a drag roast and most of the queens are witty and sharp and it's actually funny? But then there's the one queen that comes on and is simply mean, and they often just use fat jokes or comments on someone's body to bring another queen down?

Peter is that person. It was hard to sympathize for a main character that constantly dragged everyone down with him.

There was a lot to love about the plot and overarching themes of the book, but it left a lot to be desired for me. I think the audience for this book is definitely out there, but I can see this one being hit or miss with folks.

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this should be mandatory reading for all queer teens!!!

This book had me laughing out loud on multiple occasions and made me feel like I was in high school again in the most uncomfy and silly ways. Every line is clever and meaningful. I didn’t want it to end. I can’t wait to read the next work from this author.

[Jeremy Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

DRAG HAS NEVER LOOKED BETTER!

Dragging Mason County does something that many books cannot, it makes you feel all of the emotions that the main character expresses. When they were upset, I was upset, When they were mad, so was I! I think I felt the emotional impact of this book most of all, making it something that I absolutely loved.

This story follows Peter Thompkins, a queer kid whose best friend just so happens to be a Drag Queen. A famous Drag Queen, Aggie Culture (great name). When Peter's reputation takes a large hit after an offhand insult, public relations are needed to rectify the issue. The solution? A drag show in the county town hall. This story is so adorable and it deals, I personally think, with all the emotions that many young queer kids feel. There is so much anger and resentment from the bigotry that exists. Especially after the assault on drag in the media lately. This book gives a voice to that in many positive ways.

This story is short, sweet, but powerful and I think readers everywhere are going to love it!

[Scarlett Raczycki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, it brought me right back to highschool and healed my inner lil’ freak child. Every time I put it down I was thinking about when I got to pick it back up, I laughed I cried, I could smell my own hometown town hall. I even had dreams about working front of house for the Mason County Drag Extravaganza bc I just couldn’t wait to get to that part of the book!!!

Can’t wait to read everything this author writes forever.

[Sam Fleagle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like if Holden Claufield went a little too deep in the Tik tok hole, a whiny and mean protagonist clouds an interesting idea. Almost made me cry on a plane (+1 star for that)

[mika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Annick Press Ltd for sending me this book for review consideration! All opinions are my own.

(3.25/5)

in a small southern town, a group of queer teens comes together to make a drag show. peter, the main character, argues with someone and in the heat of the moment says hurtful things. unfortunately, it was all filmed and uploaded online, and peter’s reputation is in shambles. to support his best friend (a teen drag queen), impress the new guy in town, and mostly, fix his reputation, peter offers to produce Mason County’s debut Drag Extravaganza!

i really like the dialogue in this book! a lot of it feels like conversations that i would have with my friends. the characters are witty and funny, and they aren’t afraid of teasing each other. you could sense that peter and alan have been friends for a while just from the way they talk to each other.

at the beginning of the book, i liked how supportive alan and peter are for each other, they had a united front. peter may criticize alan to his face, but the moment someone else says something, he will defend him like alan did nothing wrong. however, because of a long miscommunication, it started to feel awkward at times. their friendship has a lot of ups and downs throughout the book, and you can’t help but love their silly actions.

the main character’s thought process is so interesting! he says a lot of out-of-pocket things and keeps hurting people, but it makes the book a lot more entertaining. as you see his backstory, you learn to love him despite his attitude.

i also really enjoyed the idea of the book. trying to make a name for yourself while still dealing with a town that doesn't like you is difficult, and i appreciated that the author used comedy to describe these moments that so many people can relate to. the characters were brave and loveable, and i was rooting for their cause. the book showed that people can change and grow and that it's okay to become someone else. it was very comforting to see change as good rather than something to be scared of.

however, i didn’t really like how people said peter wasn’t "gay enough" because he didn’t want to act feminine, and how his friends keep pushing him to do things he isn’t interested in. i also don’t like how people kept saying that he didn’t do enough or doesn’t care about the show. yes, he decided to produce it for selfish reasons, but that doesn’t mean that he didn’t do something wonderful. no one else even attempted to make their town a safe space, so the fact that he even took the role means so much. it felt as though the other characters were too harsh towards peter, rather than offering advice.

despite the important storyline, interesting characters, and funny plot, i kept putting the book down. i’m not exactly sure why, but i had to take breaks from the book. i think peter was a bit dense at times which led to some difficult-to-read moments, and the drama from the beginning of the book kept dragging on rather than developing other plot lines.

overall, i enjoyed this fast-paced, fun book! you would love the characters and the over-the-top storyline.

[Ren · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think I'd have less of an issue with this if it didn't feel like the author was taking an opportunity to throw around slurs every five minutes, and I know that to each their own and reclaimation but it got exhausting after a while. There's also a lot of weird body shaming that felt super uncomfortable, especially for the age group, and while I get that not everyone is comfortable or has dysphoria, it felt like Peter was so against himself the entire time. The one thing that hit for me was the humour, Peter and Alan are both funny and despite how hugely petty everything was they were an interesting friendship. This isn't one I'd really say I enjoyed, at the end of the day, and that might just be due to my personal relationship with queerness and dysphoria.

[Rosina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible. One of the worst ive ever read. Literally terrible. Nobody who likes this book has ever talked to a gay person in their life. I feel fucking embarrassed by this book.

[Frank Socha (franksforeword) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh y'all wanted a twist, eh?? Come on Curtis Campbell, let's get sickeninggggg okurrrrrr! IYKYK. But for real, this book was sickening :)

The first thing about this book: THE HUMOR!!! THE CACKLE WAS CACKLING! THE HOOTS WERE HOOTING! "I'm a look queen." "Yeah, a look fucking dumb queen!" That shit is pure gold! The humor alone kept me so invested in this book! Amongst it's many other elements. But it very much gave me the type of humor from The Extraordinaries series by TJ Klune. Just witty af, non-stop, and heated! Like a good lay. Know what I'm saying??

It's so cool reading a story about a teenager finding their niche for the first time! Imagine being in a small-minded, small-town community trying to contain your creativeness and vilify your uniqueness. Having to opt to Youtube to express your art, as your community just won't accept it. Dreaming big while watching RuPaul but feeling so small because it seems like an impossible dream. But then all of a sudden you're putting on a drag show for the first time to CLAP at them haters! The GAG! Meanwhile, your own mother suggests doing it online instead of in-person. The venue for the show asking that you "show patience" to the homophobes that are trying to shut you down! But letting none of that deter you and putting on a show for the GAWDS henny! Ugh loved it! Get your girls, side by side, don't you hold it in, CLAP BACK!

This is especially important today, as the drag community and those that aspire to be apart of it are under heavy heat from these basic ass peasants that have no business running their mouths. "I'm getting really bored of telling you to fuck off." First off, deceased! Second, it really is boring at this point. The haters are a broken record at this point. You sound stupid. Move on. I just love a statement piece, and this is that :) Drag is art. Drag is a protest. It's powerful. I've never done it but child I've put a pair of heels on before and I FELT SO POWERFUL! Super Saiyan 17 henny because I came through STOMPIN that stomp.

Moral of the story, amazing debut Curtis Campbell :) And so appreciative of the ARC from Annick Press!

[Daniel Krolik · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book we all needed when we were fifteen. Peter is a totally unlikable protagonist with whom it is impossible not to fall in love. And it's so refreshing to read a gay story that values community over finding love, and that takes place in farm country instead of the suburbs or the city. This stuff shouldn't feel revolutionary in 2023, but it kind of is.

[Barbara McVeigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters, especially Peter, grew on me more and more as I read the book. Funny, sweet…Alice Munro would be proud!

[Katey B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun book. Related to it a lot as someone who is queer and grew up in a rural area. Also it is the first book I've read fully centred around drag queens and I would highly recommend it.

[Sarah T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic audiobook--the narrator was great!

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC! Thought this was a great read, laughed out loud many times.

[Hannah Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the first 20% of this book, I wasn't sure if was going to like it. After finishing it, I liked it a lot. I loved how long the book spent at the actual drag show, since I've read other books with a similar big event that essentially just glosses over the actual event. I loved Peter's grand gesture and the growth of his community. Bailey is my favorite character and she almost makes me want to do drag to have a drag mother like her. I also loved the creativity of Peter's internal monologue, even when it was self-deprecating. There are some things in the book that chaffed at me a little. The book definitely highlights the selfishness of teenagers in a realistic way, but I frequently found myself thinking that neither Peter nor Alan were particularly good people. But again, they are teenagers. The thing I really didn't like was the gratuitous use of the F word, and I don't mean fuck. It is well within Campbell's right to use it, but I wish I had known how frequently it would appear. Overall, I greatly enjoyed the story and Campbell's writing style. 

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dragging Mason County is getting it's first drag show. Mason County could have been written about the town I live in. This book is funny, inclusive and deals with real issues teens face.

Alan is a larger-than-life character. He's very comfortable with himself and has goals he wants to meet. He kind of bulldozes the people around him to get what he wants. He's the type of character you want to love and strangle at the same time.

I really sympathized with Peter... to an extent. To his friends, he's not gay enough; to his parents, he's too gay; to his peers, he's a heartless villain. He reaches his emotional threshold because of all of these circumstances, this new guy crush Lorne and Peter's uncomfortableness in his own skin. But Peter also has a lot of growing up to do.

I wasn't a fan of the "enlightened" Lorne, but there always needs to be a douchebag you can roll your eyes at. Bailey, Tilley and Cora are great secondary characters.

I feel this is an excellent time for a book like this to be published in our current social and political climate. Alan said it best: "We are agents of change, are we not?
Being an agent of change means painting a target on your back sometimes and
hoping that what lands is social advancement." Dragging Mason County is just the book this country needs.

Thank you NetGalley and the Annick Press for providing an advanced reader copy of the book for an honest review. Any quote(s) used in my review have been uncorrected.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading this book because I enjoy YA fiction and I love Drag Race. Unfortunately, I struggled to get through it. I disliked many of the characters, and the friendship between Peter and Alan felt toxic. However, in the last quarter of the book, I started to really like some of the characters. Even thought the storyline appealed to me, I kept putting the book down and leaving it for periods of time before picking it back up.

There were some funny scenes and nice moments, such as the second half of the extravaganza. I also liked how the author incorporated the comments from social media throughout. And I loved the ending of the book. Overall, this book wasn’t for me, mostly because I really disliked the dynamic between Peter and Alan. I rate it 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ebook copy of Dragging Mason County which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Nat Hanson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this. I really did. I liked the idea of putting on a drag show in a small town. I strongly feel like we need these stories and experiences out there.

I could deal with the antihero and his laughable redemption arc, almost. But the characters seemed all over the place, one minute being kids, the next throwing around diversity catch phrases like they were part of a diversity seminar. The quips were sometimes funny, sometimes came up as if they were trying too hard. The dialogue felt forced and contrived. It was like an adult trying to write teens — and he didn’t quite pull it off. (2.5/5)

[Lizanne Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this book turned out to be less than I was expecting/hoping for. I had a hard time liking the main character Peter. He definitely has a lot of growing up to do. I was glad that he was on his way to a stronger self knowledge by the end of the book, but the negative drama that it took to get there was wearing. I loved the House of Rural Realness and the characters involved. I can see purchasing this for my high school library.

Thanks to Publisher’s Weekly Grab-a-Galley and NetGalley for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.