Rainbow Black is the perfect balance of mystery and suspense mixed with unique coming of age story and cultural commentary. Despite some of the horrific events, there were many times the dialogue and interactions genuinely made me laugh, there is a certain sense of ridiculousness to the plot even in the reality of the Satanic Panic and the perspectives of the 90s into the 00s. The story could have very easily drifted into a routine thriller or cliche pseudo self help book, but it balanced the events with Lacey / Jo’s own reflections perfectly. What results is an incredibly compelling novel that spans a wide range of subjects: queer liberation and identity, family and belonging, societal othering, mental health care, injustice in the legal system, processing of trauma, and acceptance. One of my favorites by far.