Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Golden Boy” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Golden Boy

Abigail Tarttelin (Goodreads Author)

4.08 · Rating details · 7,064 ratings · 1,492 reviews

The Walker family is good at keeping secrets from the world. They are even better at keeping them from each other. Max Walker is a golden boy, with a secret that the world may not be ready for. This novel is a riveting tale of a family in crisis, a fascinating exploration of identity, and a coming-of-age story like no other.

Get A Copy

Or buy for

Hardcover, 347 pages

Published May 21st 2013 by Atria Books (first published May 9th 2013)

More Details... edit details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Golden Boy, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Hermaphrodite & Intersex Main Characters

74 books — 90 voters

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kirstin Cronn-Mills

Booklist for Trans Teens

309 books — 430 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

4.08 ·

Rating details

· 7,064 ratings · 1,492 reviews

Filter

Sort order

Mar 09, 2015 Raeleen Lemay rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Raeleen by: Lindsey Rey

Shelves: lgbtqia, own, favorites, adult-fiction, 2019-tbr, to-re-read

MY FEELINGS.

flag 199 likes · Like · see review

Sep 17, 2016 Whitney Atkinson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2016, lgbtqiap, feminism, made-me-cry

This is one of my new favorite books of all time. I am astounded by it, and I started crying as soon as I began typing this review. This topic is so important and I learned so much throughout this book, and it was told in such a gripping and tragic way that I was nearly sobbing throughout the last half of this book. It deals with seriously tragic and infuriating topics, so trigger warning for rape. this is an unforgettable read and I recommend it to anyone who breathes!

flag 152 likes · Like · see review

Jun 02, 2013 karen rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, sshh-family-secrets

max is an intersex teenager who identifies as male. when he becomes the victim of a sexual assault, the consequences are both physically and emotionally devastating and wayyy too much for a sixteen-year-old to deal with, especially one who has until then led such a charmed life.

despite having to carry this secret his whole life, max was remarkably well-adjusted before the attack. he is an accomplished athlete and student, his home life is fairly stable, despite two overachieving parents and wha ...more

flag 143 likes · Like · see review

Jul 06, 2016 Petra CigareX rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2016-150-reviews, 2016-read, fiction, reviewed

Top fiction. I had to cut down the GR description of it because it gave too much away. If you think you might read this book, only read really short reviews, try and avoid knowing anything about it Everything you know will take away from the interest and surprise. There is nothing in this review that will take away from the surprises and I hope only increase the interest in it.

This would make a really fantastic film. Intersex fascinates everyone and the book is extremely visual. I don't want to ...more

flag 81 likes · Like · see review

Jul 28, 2015 Aj the Ravenous Reader rated it liked it

Recommended to Aj the Ravenous Reader by: Vanessa J.

Shelves: young-adult

I read this as a birthday gift for the smart and beautiful, Vane who is celebrating her birthday on September 19. Happy birthday, hun!<3 Don't forget to greet her!^^Originally, she unreasonably asked me to read books two to four of the Monstrumologist series before her birthday. (Girl is dreaming! Lol). Instead, I read this standalone which she recommended perhaps a little halfheartedly. Lol.

This is a story about a unique 15 year old named Max, a perfect golden boy who everyone adores but wh ...more

flag 71 likes · Like · see review

Aug 26, 2013 Nina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: gender-and-sexuality, ya-realistic, read-in-2014, 5-star

This book broke me.

I think it might be the best thing I've read in the last couple years, and I'm not good at choosing favourites. Still, a book that makes me sob my heart out - silently, in the middle of the night - is not something I encounter everyday. An emotional impact this powerful is something to commend, and it's not the only exceptional thing about this novel.

I tricked myself a little bit when I started this book. Both covers are colourful and simply nice-looking, so even though I knew This book broke me.

I think it might be the best thing I've read in the last couple years, and I'm not good at choosing favourites. Still, a book that makes me sob my heart out - silently, in the middle of the night - is not something I encounter everyday. An emotional impact this powerful is something to commend, and it's not the only exceptional thing about this novel.

I tricked myself a little bit when I started this book. Both covers are colourful and simply nice-looking, so even though I knew what the book was about I let myself think I was in for a pleasant ride through teenage-problems-ville with a sprinkle of gender identity issues. I was not prepared for what I was about to read, but I was too curious to resist.
Boy, was I wrong.
This novel is full of pain. It starts out with a rape (not a spoiler) and then, in between moments of apparent tranquility, the blows just keep coming, and the pressure builds up until you find yourself trying to choke back sobs at 1 AM, reading on your phone so as not to wake up people. I don't think that's just me.

The characters are unbelievably real, starting with Max.
He really is a perfect golden boy, but that's not because he's athletic and attractive and smart; it's because he has a big heart, a sweet disposition and an ability to live with what people would see as an issue as if it were nothing. He's remarkably well-adjusted and kind, and it's no surprise everyone loves him. He could never be the character who's too perfect to love, because you can see inside his mind and get to know him, and you find youself loving him just like that, naturally. It's refreshing and heartwarming like nothing I've read before.
That's not to say he doesn't have flaws, but they all have reasons to exist - that, weirdly, don't feel like excuses.
As for the secondary characters, they're almost as much protagonists as Max. Daniel, the little brother I'd love to have, though I'd probably throttle him twice a day if I actually did have him as a brother; Sylvie, the kooky, sexy wonder of a girl who's not weird enough to be annoying, like many YA characters are these days, but enough to be pleasantly eccentric and open-minded; Steve, who discovers family again; and Karen. Karen, the mother of this little lopsided family, a woman I understood, sympatised with, blamed, hated and not quite forgave.

There's probably a specific reason I could relate to Max and his family so much. I know what it's like to be poked and prodded by doctors and have to make decisions. The problems I have or have had are nothing like Max's - they're of a whole different nature and will be much less impactful on my future, hopefully - but I know what it's like to feel alienated and like you have no one to talk to, and I know how this impacts family relationships.
What I did realise last night is that, hell, there's nothing to angst about. It sounds simplistic and like a bit of a weird conclusion to come to after reading such a book, but that's what this novel gave me: there's nothing to worry about. Life is a horrid bitch, and it's going to try to beat you down and make things as difficult as possible, but you can get past and over it. There's always something on the other side of the hill.

It's a novel with a big heart that taught me a few interesting facts about intersex people in England on top of telling an amazing story in the best possible way; it's a series of snapshots of relationships falling apart and being knitted back together from several diametrally different points of view; it's a love story, or several love stories.

I have a hardcore book hangover and am running on five hours of sleep and a cup of coffee. This review might not be the best I've written, but it's all raw emotion. So whether we know each other or we're complete strangers, trust me on this one and give this book a shot. ...more

flag 68 likes · Like · see review

Mar 27, 2013 Elyse Walters rated it it was amazing

Phenomenal!!!! I highly recommend this go to the TOP of people's "want-to-read" list.

Here's one small quote... Then I won't say anything more, other than this is an engaging page turning unforgettable important book.

"If we don't listen to him, if we take away his right to his own choices, his own body, then he ceases to be an autonomous being and becomes a thing."

flag 65 likes · Like · see review

Oct 23, 2014 Suzanne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: library-penrith, owned, favourites

Why have I not I heard of this book before now? Why isn't the entire reading community talking about this?

Abigail Tarttelin has written an amazing story of her Max, who is intersex - it is a topic that I have not really thought of much before now, not a lot of us would have I suspect. I feel like I am lost for words right now, I don't want to retell the story, this is one that must be read and understood by all that are lucky to come across this fabulous book.

Max's story comes to us from the p ...more

flag 74 likes · Like · see review

Aug 01, 2013 Carol rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, ebook, contemporary, read-2015, favorites

"If you love someone, you love them. It doesn't matter where they came from or if they're a boy or a girl, or if you fight, or if they're weird, or if they find it difficult to communicate with you; you just fucking love them."

Max is an intersex child. (previously called hermaphrodite) His story is not an easy read. It begins in a rather shocking manner and continues in a sometimes disturbing and often unsettling direction.

When I first started reading GOLDEN BOY, I wasn't quite sure where the au

...more

flag 64 likes · Like · see review

May 24, 2013 Nancy rated it liked it

Recommended to Nancy by: Dana

Shelves: lgbt, fiction, library-books, kids-and-teens, outlaw-reviews, shelf-inflicted, award-winners

Cross-posted at Outlaw Reviews and at Shelf Inflicted

I feel like a big old meany for not liking this book as much as my friends did.

It is wordy and repetitive, the multiple viewpoints drove me nuts, and the characters lacked substance and authenticity. Though I really admire Max’s parents’ decision not to make their child undergo surgery to correct his intersex condition, I could strangle them for being so secretive about it and allowing Max to grow up and navigate the difficult world of adolesc Cross-posted at Outlaw Reviews and at Shelf Inflicted

I feel like a big old meany for not liking this book as much as my friends did.

It is wordy and repetitive, the multiple viewpoints drove me nuts, and the characters lacked substance and authenticity. Though I really admire Max’s parents’ decision not to make their child undergo surgery to correct his intersex condition, I could strangle them for being so secretive about it and allowing Max to grow up and navigate the difficult world of adolescence without any discussion or guidance about sex, relationships, pregnancy, or gender identity. The thing is, when parents don’t talk about this stuff with their kids, they will learn from their friends, or the media, and likely pick up all kinds of incorrect information. What I didn’t understand about Max, particularly in this age of information, was why he showed very little curiosity, didn’t access the internet, or read books. And how does he manage to be the perfect son, the perfect brother, the perfect student, and the perfect boyfriend without any “issues”?

Yet, he is not. Very early on, a childhood friend sexually assaults 16-year-old Max. It is the consequences of that disturbing incident and the fact that his father is running for political office and doesn’t need any negative publicity that make things very complicated for Max.

“I am a normal guy. I am a normal guy who would never have a problem like this. Like what? Like nothing. It doesn’t exist. I am a normal sixteen-year-old. I listen to music. I wear my iPod. I laugh with my friends. I dream about kissing Sylvie Clark. I kiss Sylvie Clark. I am a brother. I am not a sister. I am not an everything. I am not a nothing. I have no big choices to make. I am a teenager, and my biggest job is to be normal. I can’t look at myself in the mirror anymore, or at any reflection of mine in glass. And I don’t know why.”

What I did like about this book, in comparison to Annabel, is that it tackles the issues of gender identity with more sensitivity and compassion. I just wish that the author’s research about intersexuality was presented throughout the novel organically and not solely through the voice of Max’s doctor, which made it feel like forced teaching moments.

As I mentioned earlier, there were problems with characterization. The story was narrated by Max, as well as his parents, his younger brother, Daniel, his girlfriend, Sylvie, and his doctor. Max’s parents were caricatures rather than real people. His brother was way too clever for his 10 years and had more sophisticated vocabulary than anyone else. And Sylvie, who was quite an interesting character and very supportive of Max, didn’t get nearly enough page time.

This book made me think and made me feel, but the prose lacked the grace and elegance of Annabel. I’m still waiting for the perfect book about intersexuality.

...more

flag 59 likes · Like · see review

Jan 21, 2017 Mayra Sigwalt rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbtq

Eu sei que daqui a pouco vou falar desse livro no meu resumão do mês, mas acho que aqui consigo elaborar um pouco mais sobre essa leitura.
Acho que meu erro principal ao pegar esse livro pra ler, foi falta de informação. O que eu sabia: Temos 1 personagem intersexual (YAY!), todas as pessoas falando "esse livro é muito bom!" e "olha que capa colorida, deve ser um livro feliz!" (HA HA).
O que todas as pessoas que me recomendaram esse livro esqueceram de mencionar, é que ele precisa de um TRIGGER W Eu sei que daqui a pouco vou falar desse livro no meu resumão do mês, mas acho que aqui consigo elaborar um pouco mais sobre essa leitura.
Acho que meu erro principal ao pegar esse livro pra ler, foi falta de informação. O que eu sabia: Temos 1 personagem intersexual (YAY!), todas as pessoas falando "esse livro é muito bom!" e "olha que capa colorida, deve ser um livro feliz!" (HA HA).
O que todas as pessoas que me recomendaram esse livro esqueceram de mencionar, é que ele precisa de um TRIGGER WARNING. Logo no começo do livro tem uma cena de estupro de 8 páginas. Se vc não se importa com isso, é apenas bem desconfortável. Se isso é um trigger pra vc, você vai passar mal e ficar sem dormir. O que foi o meu caso. Eu não sei se isso é uma responsabilidade da editora, mas nós que falamos sobre livros, temos que avisar. Talvez eu não lesse o livro (o que seria uma pena), ou talvez eu lesse em outro momento, ou talvez eu estivesse mais preparada para lidar com o que estava por vir. Mas ninguém me preparou pra isso. E isso claro, teve um impacto na minha leitura.
Eu não acho que a autora usou esse acontecimento gratuitamente. É uma cena bem descrita, que mostra bem o sentimento de impotência de uma pessoa que passa por isso. A forma como o personagem vai lidar com isso também é muito respeitosa e verdadeira. É muito angustiante, mas infelizmente bem real.
O que fez esse livro ser muito bom pra mim, é a importância dele e como ele dá um nó na sua cabeça. Mesmo que você seja desconstruído e não acredite em gênero, o automático puxa você pra colocar tudo em cada casinha. Então foi um exercício maravilhoso e muito doido se questionar sobre isso. Porque a maior desculpa para rejeitar as identidades LGBTQ+ é a questão biológica. Mas e se você nasceu com o potencial genético pra ser os dois? O que realmente define o que você é? Ser capaz de carregar um filho te define como mulher?
A dinâmica familiar do Max também é muito interessante e a autora mostra que a limitação do outro (que foi criado a vida inteira em um quadradinho) não faz necessariamente dele um vilão. A mãe do Max, por amor à ele e por querer protegê-lo, falha em de fato entendê-lo. Porque a sociedade não está pronta e ele vai sofrer menos se se encaixar, né? Apesar desse pensamento ser desesperador pra mim e a gente sabe o quanto ficar no armário pode ser nocivo, estar na cabeça da personagem me fez ver melhor essa lógica.
Minha única questão em relação à qualidade da história é o personagem do Daniel, irmão do Max. Daniel é uma criança peculiar. Ele tem acessos de raiva e parece não saber se comunicar bem com os professores e amigos da escola. Ele por vezes é agressivo e mal educado, mas a maior parte do tempo parece viver em um mundo particular. O meu problema é ter que ler o ponto de vista do Daniel e nunca entender porque ele é assim. Ele é só um garoto mimado? Ele tem algum tipo de autismo? Talvez, mas eu não sou a pessoa responsável por diagnosticar. Não é algo que eu acho justo inferir. E não é falado em nenhum momento, nem mesmo depois nas notas da autora.
É provável que a autora não tivesse a intenção de trabalhar mais uma questão complicada no livro, mas na minha opinião, se você não vai desenvolver isso, melhor não colocar então. Sem uma justificativa clara pro comportamento dele, só parecia uma criança insuportável.

Resumindo, essa é uma leitura muito importante e necessária, no entanto, não se engane pela capa. Esse é um livro muito pesado. Tanto que tive que ir intercalando outras leituras. Uma capa como a de A Little Life teria sido mais honesta. hahaha ...more

flag 65 likes · Like · see review

Aug 02, 2016 Jaidee rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: under-two-stars-books

1.5 "thirty nine children playing violins very loudly for the very first time" stars.

1. Suzanne so sorry that this book did not work for me the way it did for you.

2. Two thumbs up for the education provided around intersexuality. I hope with time that this group will be represented more in all areas of life with dignity and respect.

3. However, I hated this as a novel. The book was like a three ring circus. Histrionic, overly affective and completely unbelievable. The voices of the characters wer ...more

flag 47 likes · Like · see review

Jun 13, 2013 Debbie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: all-time-favorites, 2013-best-reads, secret-gems, debuts, kids-teens-good-bad, blew-my-mind, lgbt

Omg this is the best book I’ve read in ages! A real page-turner! Can’t believe the author is just 25! She is such a rising star.
I am recommending it to everyone. Like “We Need to Talk About Kevin” (by Lionel Shriver), there is no way I will ever forget this story.
The intersex (previously called hermaphrodite) hero is incredibly well drawn and sympathetic. The story is bizarre, thoughtful, intense, well-written, and fast-moving. I couldn’t put it down. There is a disturbing scene in the beginnin ...more

flag 44 likes · Like · see review

Mar 29, 2014 Debbie "DJ" rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, lgbt

WARNING, WARNING, Do not start this book if you have anything you need to do during the day, or need to sleep at night. This book literally rocked my world. It is brilliant.

This is a story of an intersex child named Max. Nothing has been done to change Max since Max was a baby, so Max grows up identifying as a male, but is really both male and female. (That may seem some awkward wording, but it just shows how intrenched we are at labeling anyone a he or a she right from the beginning.) So, this ...more

flag 39 likes · Like · see review

Apr 21, 2015 Vanessa J. rated it really liked it

Recommended to Vanessa by: Leah

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult, lgbtqia, 2015, humans-are-scary

4.5 out of 5 stars

Max is what people call a “golden boy”: He has perfect grades, he's good-looking, all girls have a crush with him, he's everyone's favorite, etc. He's also an intersex. But that's no problem – not even to him. That is, until he's sexually assaulted and he starts to question himself and people around him.

This book evokes so many feelings, but joy is not one of them. In general, it's depressing and painful to read, but I also got really, really angry at some points. This is highl ...more

flag 32 likes · Like · see review

May 04, 2013 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Christina (A Reader of Fictions) by: Jenni Arndt

Shelves: audiobook, favorites-contemps, favorites-audio, quiltbag, right-in-the-feels, needs-more-hype, finishedreviewcopy, on-my-shelves

This is one of those times where I'm incredibly glad that I'm a book blogger. You see, were I not blogging, I would not have the reader friends I do, and I would miss out on books like Golden Boy. I never would have picked this up in the store, because the cover is weird and doesn't really convey the subject matter. Thankfully, a couple days after I got an email with Golden Boy as one of the audiobooks available for review, my dear friend Jenni of Alluring Reads told me that she felt certain I w This is one of those times where I'm incredibly glad that I'm a book blogger. You see, were I not blogging, I would not have the reader friends I do, and I would miss out on books like Golden Boy. I never would have picked this up in the store, because the cover is weird and doesn't really convey the subject matter. Thankfully, a couple days after I got an email with Golden Boy as one of the audiobooks available for review, my dear friend Jenni of Alluring Reads told me that she felt certain I would love this book. Jenni was right.

This cover is a strange one, and, once I knew what the book was about, I can see what they're doing, subtly calling out the gender issues with the two bikes, one intended for males and one for females. Why moving a bar from straight to slanted suddenly makes a bike girly or changes it in any practical way, I can't say. Still, I do think it's a shame there's nothing on the cover to speak to the subject matter, because I seek out books about different sorts of sexuality/gender and would have missed this.

Golden Boy tells the story of Max, a handsome boy who seems perfect in every respect, popular, athletic and intelligent. Max has a secret, though: he's not actually a boy. Nor is he a girl. Max is intersex, the new politically correct term that replaced hermaphrodite. Because Max has both a penis and a vagina, he's avoided serious relationships, though he has developed a reputation because he makes out with a lot of different girls. His being intersex didn't really impact his life.

Until it did. At a family party, Hunter, Max's best friend growing up, rapes Max. The scene is rather graphic and intensely emotional. Max has always felt like a boy, and not really questioned that. With this incident, Max has to truly face that he's not a regular boy, and, in the fallout, so does his family. What follows is an honest, beautiful, heart-wrenching look at Max's journey to become comfortable with who he is and to decide who he wants to be as an adult.

The subject matter in Golden Boy is quite dark and unflinching at times. The discussion of the issues of being intersex is frank and honest. However, Tarttelin makes the brilliant storytelling move of including more than just Max's perspective, which cuts on the melodrama. She does six separate perspectives: Max, his family (mother, father, little brother), his girlfriend Sylvie, and his doctor Archie (a woman). Since I listened to the audiobook, I can't say how individual they felt in print, but in the audiobook they were all brilliantly performed, with a narrator for each perspective.

In some books with multiple perspectives, characters are added for no discernible reason at all, not adding anything to the narrative, or particular perspectives are incredibly boring, to be suffered through while the reader waits impatiently for the main character to return. Not so with Golden Boy. Each perspective brought something to the table, even Max's father's, which only appears twice. Max is so confused and lost and depressed that it's wonderful to see him from an outside perspective. Daniel, for instance, hero-worships his brother. Sylvie thinks he's hot. Neither of them know, of course, but we get a true look at the golden boy. Then there's his parents, who love him and do the best they can, but, through their perspectives, the reader really gets a sense of how uncomfortable they are with his intersexuality now that it's known he's actually of age for sex.

Archie's point of view adds a whole other dimension. As a doctor, when Max comes in, he really lights a fire in her when she realizes how little she knows about being intersex. Her medical schooling included almost nothing on the subject. She begins to really research, because she very much wants to help Max, who comes to her office the day after his rape for a morning after pill. Archie's perspective really drives home how little attention the medical community is paying to such gender issues and how much they push to "normalize" with surgery.

Since there's a lot I would spoil if I went any more into the plot, I'm going to speak in general terms. The way Tarttelin wrapped everything up is incredibly touching and what convinced me this book deserved the full five stars. Some of the choices Tarttelin made surprised me, but they were just right. I'll leave it at that.

If you're going to read this book, which I really think you should, the audiobook is an excellent choice. With six talented narrators giving voice to the six perspectives, there's a strong sense of voice. The narrators for Max and Sylvie are particularly compelling. I've listened to quite a few full cast narrations, but this one is I think the best I've read so far.

LGBT (I know this doesn't cover everything, but the term QUILTBAG looks a bit silly - I intend this as all-encompassing) issues have not been covered nearly enough in fiction and I love Golden Boy merely for existing. However, Golden Boy is not just wonderful for covering a tricky, sensitive topic, but for doing so with heart, honesty and compassion. Abigail Tarttelin, welcome to my auto-read list. ...more

flag 30 likes · Like · see review

Mar 14, 2015 Karen rated it it was amazing

Thank you Elyse for this recommendation...
I really could not put this book down for long..it's about an intersex boy named Max and struggles he's going through, one especially terrible, kept me up all night reading because I had to know what happened to him, the story is told from a few different peoples POV.

flag 31 likes · Like · see review

Nov 03, 2014 ☼♄Jülie  rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: All

Recommended to ☼♄Jülie  by: Suzanne

Shelves: highly-recommended, gift-from-gr-friend, 2014-release, young-adult, coming-of-age, intersex, keepers

What a moving and heartfelt story!

Max Walker is truly a golden boy.
A gorgeous blonde haired, blue eyed teen who is the envy of his peers and the one all the young girls dream about going out with.
He is great at school and is the captain of the football team.
And as well as all that, he is a beautiful soul who shares a close and loving relationship with his parents and his brother.

But Max has a big secret, he was born intersex and until now everything has been ok with him. He has long since come ...more

flag 28 likes · Like · see review

Feb 14, 2018 Bianca rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Bianca by: Debbie

Shelves: british-author, debut-novel, general-fiction, female-author, lgbtiq, multiple-povs, young-adult, 2018

3.5 stars

This was still beckoning me on the library shelf, so I ended up checking it out despite its very small font. I managed to finish it in two days, which is quite the accomplishment given how wordy it is.

I'm just going to write down some thoughts before I hit the pillow.

Golden Boy was quite gripping, I kept reading and turning the page to find out what happens next. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides was the only other book I read about an intersex/hermaphrodite person. This was quite differen ...more

flag 27 likes · Like · see review

Jun 16, 2017 Kyle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Not my normal read but still interesting.

So Max Walker is what most people would call the perfect teen boy. The perfect son, perfect athlete, perfect friend, perfect boyfriend, perfect date, and perfect big brother. But under it all Max has a secret. A secret no one wants to talk about. A secret that his family has hidden all his life. Max is intersex. But when his oldest and closest friend betrays him in the worst way possible, Max's perfect life begins to unravel.

The story is definitely an em

...more

flag 26 likes · Like · see review

Oct 15, 2012 Chinelo rated it it was amazing

Shelves: giveaway-wins, contemporary

I received a copy of Golden Boy from the Goodreads Giveaway.

Wow. Just wow. This book hits you hard from the beginning, and doesn't let go until you've read the last word on the last page. I wouldn't recommend letting younger people or those easily offended/sensitive to touchy subject matters read this book, but that's just my opinion. I read the general summary of the plot on the Internet, but OH MY GOSH that did not prepare for the roller-coaster that is this book. But I say that with absolutel ...more

flag 25 likes · Like · see review

May 12, 2015 Kelli rated it really liked it

I honestly don't know what to say about this one. Dealing with the topic of intersex (something I have never considered or read about,) this story touches on so many truly important life issues: secrets, trust, betrayal, gender ambiguity, parental responsibility, sexuality, hormones, development, the actual medical information, surgical options, self-acceptance, identity and the many challenges of being a teenager. There are other pieces to this story that add significantly(!!!) to this list but ...more

flag 23 likes · Like · see review

Jul 30, 2015 Bill rated it really liked it

Prologue – In my view some key elements of this story are simply implausible. YA can be that way. Either the plot lines are hard to believe or the young adults speak with the language and communication skills and the knowledge of an older adult with many years of life experiences. That being said, my thoughts about this story look past the implausibility factor.

4 STARS!

“The scariest thing is a secret,” he says very slowly and sort of rhythmically. “Secrets are like invisible maggots,” Max says s ...more

flag 20 likes · Like · see review

Jul 19, 2014 Emily M rated it it was amazing

Shelves: literary-fic, lgbt-and-gender, 2015, coming-of-age, feels, debuts

This is a brilliantly-written coming-of-age story about a boy named Max, who was born intersex. I added this one to my list when it first came out, but I must have read only a partial synopsis; this subject is a very enlightening one -- one that lets you see into the life of somebody dealing with something you have perhaps considered only briefly in your life -- and I would have had a look at it sooner if I had known more.

Through the use of multiple characters' perspectives -- and the empathy we ...more

flag 19 likes · Like · see review

Apr 21, 2015 shady boots | #WatchPOSE rated it it was amazing

Recommended to shady boots | #WatchPOSE by: Leah

Shelves: all-time-faves, 2013-faves, heroines-i-adore, heroes-i-adore, i-just-have-a-lot-of-feelings, masterpiece, oh-my-god-marry-me, the-gay-agenda

This was literally the first book I bothered to touch in months.

Part of it was because I spiraled back into my video game obsession, plus spending my entire summer vacation watching a bunch of shows I've always wanted to watch but never did until then. But really, another reason is that whenever I look at the young adult books of today, it feels... exhausting, in a way. Because honestly a huge majority of it is still the same shit. A huge chunk of YA is still as uninspired and trope-infested as This was literally the first book I bothered to touch in months.

Part of it was because I spiraled back into my video game obsession, plus spending my entire summer vacation watching a bunch of shows I've always wanted to watch but never did until then. But really, another reason is that whenever I look at the young adult books of today, it feels... exhausting, in a way. Because honestly a huge majority of it is still the same shit. A huge chunk of YA is still as uninspired and trope-infested as ever, and that just really turned me off from it completely. I've become very selective and picky because of this.

So as you can imagine, it was pretty tough sifting through my TBR pile to find a book that I could deem to be worth my time after so long not reading anything. But man, did I make the right decision.

This book was brought to my attention by the incomparable Leah Raeder. At the time I was reading None of the Above, another book that explores intersexuality. That book was just as powerful and moving, but Golden Boy intrigued me due to the fact that it was from the perspective of a seemingly perfect popular jock guy. I didn't really know what I was expecting going into it, but that ended up being a good thing because this book really did a number on me in the feels department.

I really appreciated how the book had so many different perspectives, all in first person: Max himself, his mother, father and younger brother, as well as the girl he falls in love with and the doctor that he sees. It was wonderful to see first-hand how all of these characters truly felt about Max, and the way they deal with various situations.

One particular scene in the book I would never, ever willingly read again. I don't think anything in ANY book has ever affected me the way that scene did. It was an extremely heart-wrenching thing to sit through; my throat was choked up and my breaths were shallow. I hadn't been prepared to witness that, wasn't expecting it, and for a moment I even contemplated putting the book down, thinking that perhaps I wasn't ready to read something that... real. But I kept reading anyway since I knew that it would be worth it. And as you can tell by that rating up there, it sure as hell was.

YA needs more books like this. It makes me really sad that the gems are always pushed to the sidelines most of the time to make room for the basic shit that for some reason makes the cash flow. If you guys have any recommendations for me then feel free to let me know, but please just know that I no longer have even a sliver of patience for the generic stuff anymore. It's 20-fucking-15. That's all I have to say for now.

Oh yeah, and get this book. Read it. Or I will murder yo face. ...more

flag 18 likes · Like · see review

Jul 27, 2015 Ylenia rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Ylenia by: Lindsey Rey

Shelves: 2015-reads, owned-read

*3.5 stars*

Ugh, I really really wanted to love this book but there was just toooooo much stuff that happened it left me unsatisfied.

This book is really important. Top-priority-important. But the author tried to talk about so many things it was just too much to handle at some point.

flag 18 likes · Like · see review

Nov 12, 2012 John Wood rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, first-reads

Max Walker seems to have a wonderful life. He is popular, athletic and does well academically. What few people know, is that he is a hermaphrodite or using the modern term intersex. This book does an excellent job of explaining the problems and feelings that he must overcome. This isn't something that you can easily share with people and makes it nearly impossible to be intimate with anyone. Instead of chapters the book is divided by sections headed by the name of the character narrating that pa ...more

flag 16 likes · Like · see review

Jan 15, 2013 Lou rated it it was amazing

Shelves: literature

Imagine...
Imagine.. There is not only Adam and Eve but a person caught in between.
Yes like that John Lennon song goes
Imagine...but with a new sentence,
finding out your life is different and that you're not only one....
That your not just male but also female, the emotion and feelings behind this, something one won't grasp or quite understand unless they have these two genders.
Gender may have never been more in your mind, in your face until you read this tale from a first person perspective, hol Imagine...
Imagine.. There is not only Adam and Eve but a person caught in between.
Yes like that John Lennon song goes
Imagine...but with a new sentence,
finding out your life is different and that you're not only one....
That your not just male but also female, the emotion and feelings behind this, something one won't grasp or quite understand unless they have these two genders.
Gender may have never been more in your mind, in your face until you read this tale from a first person perspective, hold on, you may have some reaction to unfolding events in this tale, your emotion, your mind reacts, your heart feels something for this very personal journey,
the life of Max,
the golden boy,
the sixteen year old in this story,
a tale of finding oneself,
Max the girls just love and can't keep their hands off, has a tale to tell a very great tale that will have you captivated from the beginning, i have noticed since this novel release recently, many readers have reacted to this dilemma, you will possibly have some facial reaction like tears and this may haunt your sleep, the shock, the horror, for more what happens against Max than who Max is, unfortunate, but the more you read this you will understand its not just something that remains in fiction but something that it is out there in our world, on which maybe we need to have some knowledge about not matter how different Max may be, he has needs, love is one of them, a place in this world is another, and a voice of which the author has given successfully Max one.
The author has really done a great job in showing and having you feel his dilemma, his condition and the unending battle he has between the tugs of the two pulling forces within him, in his chromosomes.
A unforgettable story that will have you reading in one or two sittings, immersed for the need to have a dilemma solved, an identity found, and some resolution for Max, a memorable character crafted by this author.

Excerpt
"Sometimes I still feel that there are two of me: one clean, flawless picture, the other imperfect and cracked; one boy, one girl; one voice that speaks aloud and one that whispers in my ear; one publicly known to have been troubled but be on the mend, the other who has privately lost something to do with innocence and gained something to do with knowledge and adulthood that can never be undone. I reel sometimes there are things that tear me in two directions, that there are two sets of thoughts that grow side by side. But then I realize that I am whole, whatever that means and does not mean; I am complete without the need for additions or alteration." ...more

flag 15 likes · Like · see review

Feb 16, 2017 Kaitlin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favourite-non-sff

This was the latest #BookBuddyBox book and I am so happy it was becuase I'd never heard of it before ti turned up in the post, and yet it was such an important and brilliant read that it kept me up way past bedtime and made me cry.

This is the story of Max, and Intersex young child who identifies as male and, by all outward appearances, who has the 'golden' life. He's top in his classes, popular, and filled with happiness and life. However, all of this changes when Max is assaulted by someone de This was the latest #BookBuddyBox book and I am so happy it was becuase I'd never heard of it before ti turned up in the post, and yet it was such an important and brilliant read that it kept me up way past bedtime and made me cry.

This is the story of Max, and Intersex young child who identifies as male and, by all outward appearances, who has the 'golden' life. He's top in his classes, popular, and filled with happiness and life. However, all of this changes when Max is assaulted by someone dear to him, and his whole existence and everything he's never thought about too much gets called into question.

This book is important and I say that becuase we need stories about people who aren't us. Intersex is a condition that affects a lot more people than you may think, and we can't continue to label people just as male/female now becuase people identify as all sorts of genders and gender is no longer binary.

This book is told from multiple viewpoints. We follow Max, Max's little brother Daniel, Max's mum Karen, Max's Dad Steve, Max's friend Sylvie and a Doctor called Archie. All of these characters have different understanding of what's really going on with Max, and they judge some of the things that happen based on their own biases and prejudices (just like they would in reality) so it give us a very rounded story and look at Max's situation.

What I found most fun in the book were the scenes between Max and Daniel as I felt like these were so playful, genuine and honest. Max doesn't really feel like he can open up to anyone about what it means to be Intersex or how it feels not to know exactly who or what you are/should be. Daniel, being 6 years younger than Max, doesn't fully 'get' what Max deals with, but he tries to understand and he loves max just because Max is Max :)

In the end this book really was gripping and although there's some tragic scenes I think there was a lot of information about Intersex within the book that I'd never known or even thought about before. A really eye-opening and wonderful read, and one I would hugely recommend everyone checks out. 4.5*s ...more

flag 15 likes · Like · see review

Jun 16, 2013 Dianne rated it really liked it

I. COULD. NOT. PUT. THIS. BOOK. DOWN!!!! Mesmerizing story. I had my heart in my throat most of the time, worrying about what was going to happen to Max. The writing was somewhat juvenile in places and the book could have used a tougher editor, but pretty minor stuff. Don't miss this one.

flag 15 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Our Marginalized ...: Golden Boy Quotes	2	6	Nov 14, 2018 07:30AM
YA LGBT Books: * October 2016 BotM - LBTQ+ #2- Golden Boy (note trigger warnings)	9	142	Jan 10, 2017 11:50AM
YA LGBT Books: August 2013 BotM - Golden Boy spoilers - trigger warnings for rape, gender dysphoria	8	225	Sep 19, 2016 06:26PM
The Socratic Salon : Golden Boy	1	15	Sep 21, 2015 12:19PM
Movie adaption?	2	25	Sep 10, 2015 06:06AM

Readers Also Enjoyed

Videos About This Book

Add a comment

Add a comment

Genres

Fiction

246 users

Young Adult

219 users

Contemporary

217 users

Lgbt

207 users

See top shelves…

About Abigail Tarttelin

Abigail Tarttelin

314 followers

Hello! I'm Abby.

I'm the author of Dead Girls, a deeply girl-power-y book about Thera Wilde, a young girl coming to terms with the death of her best friend at the hands of a sexual predator.

"Enid Blyton meets Stephen King." - Harmless Like You author Rowan Hisayo Buchanan

I also wrote Golden Boy, about intersex teen, Max Walker. Golden Boy won a 2014 American Library Association ALEX Award for Bes ...more

Books by Abigail Tarttelin

The Atria Summer 2013 Beach-Read Bag: A Free Collection of Excerpts from Some of Our Favorite Writers

More…

Trivia About Golden Boy

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Golden Boy

“It takes strength to be proud of yourself and to accept yourself when you know that you have something out of the ordinary about you.” — 55 likes

“Sometimes I still feel that there are two of me: one clean, flawless picture, the other imperfect and cracked; one boy, one girl; one voice that speaks aloud and one that whispers in my ear; one publicly known to have been troubled but be on the mend, the other who has privately lost something to do with innocence and gained something to do with knowledge and adulthood that can never be undone. I feel sometimes there are things that tear me in two directions, that there are two sets of thoughts that grow side by side. But then I realize that I am whole, whatever that means and does not mean; I am complete without the need for additions or alteration.” — 37 likes

More quotes…