The Adventures of DeeBug

"My name's DeeShawn. I'm seventeen years old. My friends call me DeeBug. Or they would-if I had friends."

That's how the narrator of this tragi-comic tale introduces himself. He's staying at Mrs B's place, an unofficial shelter for queer youth in Los Angeles. DeeBug's a runaway. He's Black, but he's not black-he's albino, meaning his skin is white. He's bisexual, and he's earning a sketchy living as a street hustler. But his ambition is to write and publish his life story because, he says, "Today's hot market is all about losers." By that measure, DeeBug is well-qualified to write a bestseller-if only he could write.

Misfortunes have dogged DeeBug since the day he was born. When his father saw the pale-skinned baby, he accused DeeBug's mom of having sex with a White guy, and he walked out. At school, DeeBug was bullied on account of his skin color. His mother died of a drug overdose. He was expelled from albino camp. His foster parents rejected him. His fumbling attempts at sexual fulfillment ended in public humiliation. But now he's falling in love . . .