This Boy by Lauren Myracle

 This Boy by Lauren Myracle – Walker Books, 9781536206050, 2020

Format: First Edition Hardcover

Rating: (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 2

Genre: Realistic fiction 

What did you like about the book? This Boy is a book that focuses on the teenage male experience. It goes through Paul’s life as he navigates high school – through friendships, dating, and everything else that comes with being a teenager. Through these experiences, Paul learns about how actions can have consequences. He discovers that the choices we make cannot only affect ourselves, but others as well. 

Anything you didn’t like about it? I did not connect to this book and put it down several times throughout the reading process. I think the book lacked character development and the details that it did include were awkward and vulgar. It was hard to root for the character, which made it difficult to read as a whole. Additionally, the plot was very stilted. It stopped and started with various events and it did not seem to flow. 

Although there may be an audience for this book, I do not think it is a large one. As we are continuing to connect with readers through diverse texts, I do not think that this book offered different points of view. 

To whom would you recommend this book? I would recommend this book to any readers who have read other books by Lauren Myracle.  

Who should buy this book?  Public libraries, high schools. 

Where would you shelve it?  Fiction

Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles?  No

Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Marisa Marion, Locke Middle School, Billerica MA

Date of review: 9/27/2020