CBC Books | CBC | Posted: February 8, 2017 4:34 PM | Last Updated: July 10, 2017
Raziel Reid
Image | BOOK COVER: When Everything Feels like the Movies by Raziel Reid
Raziel Reid's debut novel When Everything Feels like the Movies is the coming-of-age story of a young teen who refuses to be anything other than his flamboyant, fashion-loving self. Jude likes wearing his mother's high heels and imagining that the world around him is part of a film set, and he doesn't have it easy in high school, with its cliques and homophobes. His extravagant fantasies and irrepressible nature make Jude one of the most memorable teen characters in recent CanLit. The book won the 2014 Governor General's Literary Award for for young people's literature (text).
My mother's closet was basically a sex shop. It was full of costumes and shoes, which she wore to work. That's 'work' in the original sense, although she werked for a living.
I'd take a pair of her shoes and wear them down in the basement, pretending the cement floor was covered with a red carpet and the washer and dryer were paparazzi. I hoped the conspiracy theory that the iPhone camera lens is the all-seeing eye was true. Big Brother is watching you. Perfect! I loved an audience.
Media Audio | North by Northwest : Raziel Reid reflects on When Everything Feels Like the Movies
Caption: Canada Reads starts on Monday, and Vancouver author Raziel Reid's debut novel When Everything Feels Like the Movies is one of five contenders vying for the title.
Media Audio | As It Happens : Author Raziel Reid faces backlash over GG Literary Award-winning novel
Caption: It's got the Governor General's stamp of approval for Children's Literature, but some say the award-winning book "When Everything Feels Like the Movies" feels too "vulgar, graphic and offensive" for the honour.