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Boy21

Matthew Quick (Goodreads Author)

3.98 · Rating details · 9,359 ratings · 1,713 reviews

You can lose yourself in repetition--quiet your thoughts; I learned the value of this at a very young age.

Basketball has always been an escape for Finley. He lives in broken-down Bellmont, a town ruled by the Irish mob, drugs, violence, and racially charged rivalries. At home, his dad works nights, and Finley is left to take care of his disabled grandfather alone. He's al ...more

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Paperback, 272 pages

Published June 18th 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (first published January 1st 2012)

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Lists with This Book

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

2016 Abraham Lincoln Award High School Reading List

20 books — 10 voters

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39 books — 11 voters

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May 06, 2011 Tatiana rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Tatiana by: Kirkus

Shelves: 2012, ya

As seen on The Readventurer

There is not nearly enough YA books about friendships. For some strange reason, romantic relationships are promoted as more important. While I agree that at some point in life you do meet that special person who becomes your partner in everything, up until that point it is friends that help you out, support you, accompany you through life.

Friendship, the healing, supporting, non-judgmental type of friendship, is what Boy21 is about. Or is supposed to be about.

I love th As seen on The Readventurer

There is not nearly enough YA books about friendships. For some strange reason, romantic relationships are promoted as more important. While I agree that at some point in life you do meet that special person who becomes your partner in everything, up until that point it is friends that help you out, support you, accompany you through life.

Friendship, the healing, supporting, non-judgmental type of friendship, is what Boy21 is about. Or is supposed to be about.

I love the idea of this novel. Imagine Finley, a reserved high school senior with some serious darkness in his past, whose only friend is his girlfriend/soulmate Erin. Finley's most favorite occupation, his therapy of sorts, is basketball. His goal for his last school year is just to be on the team and play well. Enter Boy21, another damaged young boy, a rising basketball star, who suffers from a mental breakdown after the death of his parents. Finley is entrusted to guard and partner with Boy21 in school. And also guide him back into playing basketball, because, among other things, what Boy21 had lost is his passion for the game.

There is a very interesting conflict here: Should Finley encourage Boy21 to play, knowing that he will for sure take his place on the team? Should he sacrifice his own dreams in order to save his new friend, because maybe basketball indeed has a power to heal Boy21, bring him back from the imaginary escape world he exists in now? What is more important - your friend's well-being or your own ?

To my disappointment, this conflict never really comes to the front of this novel, never develops to its full potential, never impacts the characters as strongly as it could and should have. The book that was supposed to be about Boy21 (you would assume, judging by the title) and about the friendship bonds between the two boys is diluted and often overshadowed by the side plots - Irish mob, Finley's girlfriend and family problems. In the end, only maybe 25% of the book is about friendship, and the rest - just everything else. I feel like Boy21 is a case of the writer having his fingers in too many (idea) pots. The main point of the story is just lost.

I do not want to take away from the merits of this novel. I admire Quick and some passages in Boy21 made my eyes tingle. But I do think this books lacks clearer focus and a better overreaching story arc.

As often is with these things, I am a little baffled by the overwhelmingly positive critical reception of Boy21. It has already received some serious starred reviews from several major professional publication. His previous YA novel - Sorta Like a Rock Star is a much more accomplished work, in my opinion, and yet it went almost unnoticed.

Do I recommend Boy21? Yes, but with some reservations. However, I do wholeheartedly recommend Matthew Quick's Sorta Like a Rock Star. ...more

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Oct 06, 2019 Janete rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Great! I read this in just one sitting!

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Jan 07, 2014 Matthew rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016, young-adult, library, audio, hoopla

I think this is now my second favorite Matthew Quick book behind Silver Linings Playbook. The last one of his I read was so weird (The Good Luck of Right Now) that I don't even remember what it was about. This one had a great story and an interesting message. If you have just finished a monotonous read and need a quick pick me up (only 5 hours unabridged audio), this is worth giving a try.

It has some light-heartedness. I has some despair. It has comedy. It has tragedy.

Side note: I finished this ...more

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Aug 25, 2011 Cara rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, realistic-fiction, whoa-that-s-heavy, male-protagonist, sports, to-re-read

What a peculiar book. I'm not saying it was necessarily too offbeat but it was different in a way I didn't expect it to be. In a good way. In an excellent way actually.

Finley is heading into his senior year. Things look good for the most part. As good as things can be with living in Belmont--a town run by the Irish mob. He's been training all summer with his girlfriend Erin for basketball season. They both are on basketball teams. Erin is a star on the girls’ team and is pinning her hopes on ge What a peculiar book. I'm not saying it was necessarily too offbeat but it was different in a way I didn't expect it to be. In a good way. In an excellent way actually.

Finley is heading into his senior year. Things look good for the most part. As good as things can be with living in Belmont--a town run by the Irish mob. He's been training all summer with his girlfriend Erin for basketball season. They both are on basketball teams. Erin is a star on the girls’ team and is pinning her hopes on getting a basketball scholarship. Finley would follow her anywhere. He is the point guard on the boys’ team, and though he's not good enough to get into a college team he needs basketball like air. One day his coach asks him a favor, to become friends from a boy out of state. Finley always listens to the coach, so he does what he says. The new guy only goes by Boy21. Boy21 used to play basketball but his parents have been murdered and real life is too hard for him right now. Together Finley and Boy21 slowly but surely become friends, and this friendship changes both of them for the better.

Quick did, quite frankly, fantastic with the characterization of each character in this story. It's a short book but I grew to love the characters fast. What also is done well is the setting. It's told through Finley's point of view so he sees his surroundings as something normal. I can only describe it as gritty but not in your face gritty. Finley has come to accept his situation and doesn't moan and groan about it. He is a quiet character and it's cool to see how much he is thinking about while everyone else is talking. Boy21 has such a great character arc in this story. He goes from being fragile to strong and becomes an important person in Finley’s life. It was interesting to see the correlation between Finley and Boy21 characters. Their friendship is odd, but it works for them. The writing style is so unique and gives the perfect atmosphere for this story.

I can see how the cover could be off putting to some people because it's not that appealing, but I would have to say it fits the story. I wouldn't change it. I was sure this book was going to become a new favorite, but the book took a turn I didn't expect. It wasn't bad, but I wish I had seen if the story had panned out another way. I know I'm being ambiguous, but I don't want to give anything away.

I think I need to re-read this, scratch that I know I should re-read this. It's a book about unlikely friendships, overcoming obstacles, and seizing hope. Most of all it’s about how the most important thing you need to hold on to is people. ...more

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Aug 22, 2013 Karlyflower *The Vampire Ninja, Luminescent Monster & Wendigo Nerd Goddess of Canada (according to The Hulk)* rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: a-to-z-challenge, books-i-loathed, all-for-love

Q, is for Quick

1.5 Stars

You can lose yourself in repetition – quiet your thoughts; I learned the value of this at a very young age.

Boy21 is my second Matthew Quick novel, and as far as comparability goes I have to say that I liked Silver Linings Playbook much more than this one.

I mentioned in a recent review (The Knife of Never Letting Go, I believe) that there is a timeframe within a story where a telegraphed secret has to be shared – a writer can either win me over or lose me entirely bas ...more

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May 24, 2013 MLE rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: yad

Going into this book I thought it was going to be a story about friendship, and how that changes each boy's life, but I was very disappointed. It felt like the friendship was never given the chance to develop, and was almost an afterthought, and not the central theme of the story like the synopsis seemed to suggest.

I liked Finley, and I felt for his struggles, and his work ethic. I liked that not being a star basketball player didn’t keep Finley from working harder than the anyone else on the te Going into this book I thought it was going to be a story about friendship, and how that changes each boy's life, but I was very disappointed. It felt like the friendship was never given the chance to develop, and was almost an afterthought, and not the central theme of the story like the synopsis seemed to suggest.

I liked Finley, and I felt for his struggles, and his work ethic. I liked that not being a star basketball player didn’t keep Finley from working harder than the anyone else on the team. I liked how basketball was his refuge, and seeing him honestly deal with his jealousy of Russ, and his desire to keep his position on the team. His family was interesting, and well developed, but I spent most of the book wondering what had traumatized him, and when it was finally revealed it felt a bit too soap opera to be believed.

I wasn't a fan of the romance either. I liked his girlfriend, but their relationship seemed to dominate the story, and overshadow the friendship plot which was a shame. I think it was how his girlfriend's family played into the mafia story that really didn't work for me.

I liked the role the Irish Mafia played in the beginning of the book. The threat Finley, and his family felt, and the fear they had felt real. Closer to the end things sort of fell apart. Nothing that happened in the ending felt natural, or honest to the story that was told so far. Like Finley’s tragedy, things just felt overdone, and the motivations of the players was unclear. They were willing to do terrible things, and that just didn’t fit with the resolution of the story. It was almost a miracle sort of ending, and I didn’t like that.

I found Russ to be very interesting, and I would have liked to see him and Finley develop a stronger bond of trust and friendship. I wanted that plot to develop, but it never really did. I wanted to see them get to know each other better, and watch their friendship grow, and I didn’t like that I felt cheated of that opportunity. I liked how Finley grew to understand Russ better, and see how the world Russ built helped him deal with the world, but I felt like that moved a bit too quickly, and was just sort of dropped.

Overall it wasn't bad, but it felt like I never got the book the synopsis promised. The plot that I found most interesting seemed to be be dropped in favor of what I felt were the weaker aspects.
...more

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Aug 25, 2011 Laura rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Laura by: Cara

Shelves: silence

4.5 Stars

“You don’t always get to pick the role you’re going to play in life, but it’s good to play whatever role you got the best way you can.”

Fate and its fun little twists can bring people together. When we need a push or hand, life seems to provide inspiration or help in one form or another. I believe with all my heart that we bump into and find people in this world when we need them the most. No matter how far we have to go—through time, land, space, or high school. In Matthew Quick’s Boy 2 ...more

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Oct 24, 2016 Chris Horsefield rated it really liked it

After reading Matthew Quick's amazing novel Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock earlier this year I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review the author's latest release in the UK, now aimed at a younger audience.

After being so impressed by the first book I read from Quick, I admit I had incredibly high expectations for this one and because of this it was hard to give it a fair shot - as it simply wasn't quite as good as Leonard Peacock. Don't get me wrong, this was still an excellent piece of writ After reading Matthew Quick's amazing novel Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock earlier this year I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review the author's latest release in the UK, now aimed at a younger audience.

After being so impressed by the first book I read from Quick, I admit I had incredibly high expectations for this one and because of this it was hard to give it a fair shot - as it simply wasn't quite as good as Leonard Peacock. Don't get me wrong, this was still an excellent piece of writing, particularly aimed at this age group, but it wasn't one of those novels I can't stop thinking about and I find myself recommending extensively to everyone who is looking for a new read.

In fact, while I was impressed by the writing whilst reading, I kept putting off publishing my review as I found it difficult to think of something defining to say about the novel. What made it stand out from other reads and why should people pick it up when dozens of new books get published each week?

The story centers on Finley, a bit of a misfit he lives for the game of basketball, a passion he shares with his one and only friend, also his girlfriend, Erin. The two are glued at the hip during off-season, though they have a rule that they take a break during b-ball season - so they can fully focus on the sport and their roles in their respective teams.

As the only white player in his team, Finley is used to being an outcast but he is okay with that because he has Erin, his dad and Pop. However, his role in the team and the fact that he's somewhat removed from his team mates make him (according to his coach) the perfect person to befriend a new kid qho is about to join the same high school, one who goes by the name of Boy21.

Boy21, formerly known as Russell, was a basketball wunderkind who hasn't played since his parents were murdered. Now having moved in with distant relatives, his family hopes that he can make a fresh start at a new school and perhaps even snap out of his obsession with outer space. They think that with a kindhearted friend like Finley this may be possible. The only problem is, that Boy21 was one of the best basketball players of his age in the country and if Finley does help him and he gets his mojo back, then they'll be competing for the same spot in the team.

With big letters, a slightly simplistic form of storytelling and a low page number this is definitely a novel aimed at a younger audience, but that doesn't make the themes of acceptance and friendship that run through it any less valid. In fact, aimed at such an impressionable audience it's even more important to show what a difference a kind word and an offer of friendship can bring to the life of someone who is traumatised and broken.

I loved seeing the dynamic between Finley and Boy21, and in a smaller way Erin, change throughout the course of the novel. Yes, there were up and downs as neither of the characters were selfless angels, but in the end they knew what was right and what was wrong, and it's their unusual bond that gets them through the toughest of times when a secret from Finley's past comes back to make his life miserable.

While Boy21 had a gentle start of hesitating friendship and loyalty, it burst into a roller-coaster ride of revelations towards the end. And it was heartwarming to read how even the most unlikeliest of people can form such meaningful relationships and change the course of another person's life. ...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Noelle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Finley's entire life is basketball and he trains tirelessly even though he's nowhere near the best player on the team. As his dad says, effort can outwork talent. Basketball consumes his every waking thought and he wouldn't have it any other way. Without basketball and the team he'd have too much time to remember all of the things he's desperate to forget. Russ is new to town, a basketball phenom who's love of the game died with his parents. Now he's calling himself Boy21, saying he's an alien l Finley's entire life is basketball and he trains tirelessly even though he's nowhere near the best player on the team. As his dad says, effort can outwork talent. Basketball consumes his every waking thought and he wouldn't have it any other way. Without basketball and the team he'd have too much time to remember all of the things he's desperate to forget. Russ is new to town, a basketball phenom who's love of the game died with his parents. Now he's calling himself Boy21, saying he's an alien life form and obsessed with outer space. Can Finley do as his coach asks and somehow help Russ, even if it means giving up his hard earned starting spot?

"Sometimes a player's greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team." --Scottie Pippen

"No matter how good one player is defensively, he's only as good as his help defense." (source)

And that is exactly what Boy21 is about---except Matthew Quick isn't talking about basketball. He's talking about life. Sure, basketball brings Finley and Russ together and at different times and in different ways it acts as a savior for both boys. But as all consuming and amazing and beautiful as it can be, both Finley and Russ are forced to experience how tragedy can make anything insignificant--even your heretofore reason for living. Sometimes it doesn't matter how much you love something. Real life has a way of changing your priorities and when it does, it's the team you have around you that counts.

All of Matthew Quick's trademarks are here: rough neighborhood, sad histories, finding (non-romantic) love in a hopeless place, unconventional friendships and support systems, a tragic event, and behind it all a hope so earnest it's almost hard to endure.

There's a shift in direction between the first and second half and I think the book suffers from some confusion with the focus of the second half. Some decisions and conclusions seem very abrupt. Still, there's much to love about Boy 21, especially the relationships between Finley, his dad and Pops and Finley and Russ. Like Sorta Like a Rock Star, the ending is a little too convenient to seem wholly realistic but by the time you get there you are so won over by the protagonists that you are willing to forgive just about anything to believe good things can happen for them.

You might not know this about me but I'm a huge basketball fan. Obviously I loved reading such a well done basketball book. It's fitting though that I finished this book the same night I watched my favorite team get eliminated in the NBA playoffs. But instead of being bummed, thanks to Matthew Quick, maybe tonight I'll go out on my porch, look at the stars and think about things bigger than basketball.

Rating: 3.5 stars with an inclination to round up.

This review originally appeared on Young Adult Anonymous. ...more

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Sep 16, 2011 Crowinator rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, booklist-review, 2011-reads, a-good-cry, genre-contemporary, arcs, gangsters-and-the-mob, school-hard

I think I have some sort of crying disorder. Seriously. The characters in this book have their tragedies and vulnerable emotional moments, both big and small, and it's all very authentic, but c'mon.

Next thing I know, I will be crying at heartwarming television commercials.

Oh wait, that's already happened. I need to read something funny, like NOW.

Real review later. This will be a good one for reluctant teen readers who want something both unusual and serious that doesn't talk down to them.

[I edi ...more

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Mar 05, 2015 Caru rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Rating: 5 Stars

My Opinion Of This Book: Absolutely stunning book!
______________________________________________

I wasn't really expecting much from this book since the blurb sounded pretty strange, but my goodness did this book blow my mind! Everything about this book was fabulous.

THE GOOD.
● Finley: Finley is our main character. Instantly, there was this connected - and when I say 'instantly', I mean from like chapter 1. I honestly feel like me and Finley are one and the same (except I'm a ...more

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May 06, 2013 Ami rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-or-new-adult

This review said EVERYTHING I wanted to say.

While I mostly thought it was a good concept of friendship, as well as personal conflict of love and basketball, alas, I was disappointed to feel that the conflict (and the idea) never really fully developed. The friendship was overshadowed. I never really got to see Finley and Russ connecting over basketball. Plus the Irish mob plot was a bit too much for me to completely enjoyed this book. Too many things at once. I am sure I will be happier if the ...more

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Mar 02, 2018 Miranda Reads rated it it was ok · review of another edition

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Jul 18, 2011 Sarah (YA Love) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: diversity, young-adult-lit, realistic-fiction, grief, contemporary-ya, 2012-release, march-2012-release, read-in-2012, favorites, recommended-summer-reading-2012

**I just finished reading this again as a read aloud. I love this book. 10/17/12**

Review originally posted at Y.A. Love

Plain and simple, Boy21 is a GREAT book. I was on the search for a quality read aloud for my freshmen English classes, so I picked up Boy21 on a whim. I wanted to read it anyway, but I kept thinking about my 3rd hour freshmen class that’s primarily boys who don’t enjoy reading. Boy21 seemed like the perfect fit for them, so I went with my hunch and started reading it. As soon as **I just finished reading this again as a read aloud. I love this book. 10/17/12**

Review originally posted at Y.A. Love

Plain and simple, Boy21 is a GREAT book. I was on the search for a quality read aloud for my freshmen English classes, so I picked up Boy21 on a whim. I wanted to read it anyway, but I kept thinking about my 3rd hour freshmen class that’s primarily boys who don’t enjoy reading. Boy21 seemed like the perfect fit for them, so I went with my hunch and started reading it. As soon as I read the first couple chapters I knew I made the right decision.

Finley’s voice really stands out on the page, which is ironic considering he doesn’t like to talk much. He actually reminds me a little bit of Lucky Linderman from Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King. Both Lucky and Finley have a sort of innocence about them. They both have trouble speaking up for themselves, and they also want what’s best for those around them. Just like Lucky, Finley is an admirable character.

One of the reasons I like Finley is because he’s so loyal to his friends, coach, and family. When his coach approaches him about helping Boy21 (Russ), Finley doesn’t hesitate to offer his help. He trusts his coach, so even though he worries that Russ could take his starting position on the basketball team, he still tries to make friends with Russ. Russ has an obsession with space and refers to himself as Boy21, but he and Finley pair up well. They’re both amazing basketball players, even though Russ doesn’t show this right away, and they both deal with unfair treatment. They’re both treated poorly for different reasons, much of which is based on race and rivalry, but it still serves as a bond. After a startling and tragic turn of events, Finley really grows as a character. His loyalties are tested and he begins to doubt what’s truly important in his life. He begins to question his life, where it’s going–if anywhere–and what really happened years ago that caused him to be such a quiet, good kid. I love being able to witness this kind of characterization, which is one of the biggest reasons I enjoyed Matthew Quick’s novel so much.

Boy21 by Matthew Quick is a novel that appeals to a variety of readers. My basketball players and sports fiction fans will enjoy the basketball scenes and references in Boy21. My fans of great contemporary realistic fiction will recognize what a superb example this is of that genre. Readers will connect with Finley, Erin, and Russ. They’ll feel the tension and suspense, they’ll laugh out loud, and they might even cry (I did). ...more

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Nov 10, 2018 tappkalina rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2-star, messed-up-books

1.75 ✰

The main plot was nice, but the end felt really random. It was a whole different story and didn't make any sence. ...more

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Jan 08, 2016 Irshad rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: great-reads, library-books

Honestly the only reason why I picked up another Matthew Quick novel was because of Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock.
It was one of my favourites back in 2015 and the brilliance of that book made me pick up another book by the same author. Thankfully I was not disappointed. I mean yeah this novel isn't as amazing as the other but still, it was good.

Boy21 follows Finely, an 18 year old boy who plays basketball and his jersey number is 21. He has a girlfriend named Erin who also plays basketball and th ...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Susana rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: my-favorites, reader-s-rally-2013-2014, male-pov, young-adult

Ella Fitzgerald-I'm beginning to see the light

WOW! This book was not what I expected it to be at all. I didn't expect to sympathize or connect to this book, because I felt like it would be JUST about basketball (Sport ,in general, are not my forte). Boy, was I wrong. This book has probably been the book I've connected to the most.

Why is it that some people are born into fantastic situations and others wait their whole lives for a break?

Friends and characters like Finley rarely exist in real li ...more

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Feb 01, 2013 Owen rated it it was ok · review of another edition

(2/1/13) My school’s book club chose this book because the author is coming to be a speaker at the annual writing conference. It was chosen I guess so we can ask him questions about it at the conference. I also have to write a small review for the school newspaper so I’m not quite sure how I’m going to do that…

Here’s the thing. I don’t like basketball. I don’t like playing it, watching it; I think it’s pretty boring. But it is a huge deal at my school. The basketball team is doing really well (s ...more

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Aug 28, 2015 Michael Tham rated it it was amazing

The book has been very thorough, its extremely detailed and only because of Matthew Quick's craft. I absolutely love it! He manages to make one verb/noun/adjective a real stand out in that particular moment, and I love that because its quick(no pun intended), filled with thought and deep with emotion. Another thing I also loved is that I could really relate to this book, since i indeed do play basketball and know all about the game. It really gave me an arousing feeling and made the book a whole ...more

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Aug 14, 2020 Alaina rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, sports, audiobook, 2020-ng, romance, fiction, young-adult

Okay, so I think this is my second book by this author? I'm honestly not sure because I'm way too lazy to look it up. Either way, I enjoyed Boy 21. It was like each page and chapter just became even more interesting and weird at the same time.

Everything about Boy 21, aka Russ, intrigued me. He moves to a new town and school district where he ends up meeting Finley. They both play basketball together and have a pretty unique friendship. Even though it started off on the wrong foot, meaning their ...more

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Jul 29, 2014 Olga Kowalska (WielkiBuk) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

It's really hard to write something that intense about this story as the story itself - it's sad but yet full of hope, full of belief that a better life is possible, that miracles might really happen. Maybe not as spectacular as in the movies or books, however little miracles of everyday life, something to be really thankful for. Simply beautiful. ...more

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Nov 28, 2016 Dave Schaafsma rated it liked it

Shelves: ya-fall-2016, ya-sports, ya-psych

My first Quick book, and it turned out far differently than I thought it would. The main character is Finley, Irish, a Philadelphia high school senior, rough neighborhood, who lives with his Dad and (legless) Grandpa. Who knows where Mom went. Finley doesn't really talk a lot, but he plays basketball and has a girlfriend he likes to make out with constantly. He's the one white kid on his black bball team.

One day his (black) coach asks (white) Finley to help him successfully help welcome a new k My first Quick book, and it turned out far differently than I thought it would. The main character is Finley, Irish, a Philadelphia high school senior, rough neighborhood, who lives with his Dad and (legless) Grandpa. Who knows where Mom went. Finley doesn't really talk a lot, but he plays basketball and has a girlfriend he likes to make out with constantly. He's the one white kid on his black bball team.

One day his (black) coach asks (white) Finley to help him successfully help welcome a new kid Russ, who is relocating from the west to the east coast, a much sought after point guard whose parents have been murdered. He was the only black kid on an all white team. He also has a 4.0 gpa and has been hospitalized for some kind of depression/breakdown. He wants to be called Boy 21 and says he will be taken into space by his parents by October. He speaks in some kind of quasi-alien cadence. He seems a little nuts, okay, but maybe you would be, too if your parents were murdered.

Finley befriends Russ at the expense of his starting position on the ball team, which helps Russ a lot, ultimately, he doesn't need that space identity anymore, he is ready to talk about his bad stuff, but Finley goes down hill fast, he's helped the coach and Russ but Finley is on the bench, his coach isn't appreciative, and then (something) happens to Erin and suddenly the book is about something (to me) completely unexpected.

How unexpected? Well, let me just say that Russ is not the only relocation project in this book. Part of it involves an explanation of why it is Finley's mother is gone, why Grandpa is legless, and so on. Something to do the Irish mob, and silence, necessary or not. It's seen by some as a book about basketball, and Quick talks bball well enough, but it is not about basketball, not really. Themes of violence and silence and voice are central, and that part works pretty well for me. This idea of relocation for mental health/new starts seems important to this story, though I am not sure what to make of it, exactly. It's maybe just a key issue with the plot, makes an issue of growing up into a kind of thriller. Family violence is central to Finley and Russ to their relationship, and finally talking.

There is an undercurrent of racial issues to my view not adequately addressed, and there's some Harry Potter story stuff--a Potter reading group, reading about a boy who lost HIS parents who has access to magic--that is not very well developed, but is a talking point. The space theme is always present throughout and not entirely convincing or evocative to me, but it is like Harry Potter, yes, a way to escape from terrible things. The whole Boy 21 space cadet stuff wasn't entirely convincing to me, though, and his shift to suddenly articulate and suddenly okay because of basketball happens too quickly and not quite convincingly to me. But I do like Finley, and the book seems to rise above predictable YA when that something happens to Erin I won't tell you about. That it surprised me made me like it better, a little. I think it's good, but I had issues with it, too.

...more

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May 18, 2017 Meliss rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: high-hopes-fell-flat, did-not-keep, pub-hbg, read-in-2017

Actual Rating: 2.5 Stars

I have no idea what happened to this book.

This book started off so incredibly. I loved the characters and their stories and complicated histories. But around the 60% point it started to move in a weird direction and the plots that had been built in the first half were wrapped up in sentence and cast aside. And the ending? It was so unrealistic and a tad ridiculous.

This novel had so much potential and it crashed in the second half. And that makes me really sad, because I' ...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Jessica rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: youngadult

Wow. Oh. Wow.

I did not know what to expect from this book. The cover didn't really appeal to me, but the gal at the Little Brown booth at IRA 2011 told me I HAD TO read it.

Wow. Oh. Wow.

She was right. This is a gorgeous book. A strange, wonderful, heartbreaking book. I read this in less than a day, I couldn't put it down. Once you start reading about Finley, and Erin, and Russ (who might be from space) you will not be able to stop.

This book comes out in March 2012, according to the back of the Ad ...more

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Jan 26, 2020 Will Ejzak rated it liked it · review of another edition

This book was unexpectedly sweet and endearing. I'm so used to YA protagonists being brash and clever and cheeky that it was refreshing to have a narrator who is...well, not very introspective, sort of quiet and reserved and simple. The downside is that Finley's averageness also makes him boring. He sees the world in very basic terms. So: not always the most riveting reading experience, but refreshing anyway.

It's a short book, but it still doesn't quite have enough ideas to fill its pages. There ...more

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May 03, 2018 Erica Brown rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reading-comp

3.5 stars

I liked it for the most part, but I hated the ending for some reason.

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Dec 26, 2013 Erin Cataldi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

I didn't even read the description, I saw it was written by Mathew Quick and I started reading. Two hours later I was crying in a bathtub and screaming at my cat. This book is intense. I was quite literally hooked from the very first sentence. I started reading it at dinner and I couldn't put it down, so naturally I took it in the tub with me to continue. An hour later I was crying in freezing cold water and yelling at the kitten to shut up and stop headbutting the door. It was so good I couldn' ...more

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Dec 29, 2018 Vicki rated it really liked it

Shelves: got-2018

I thoroughly enjoyed this story about a somewhat unlikely friendship between two boys who have some common interests but are from different sides of the track.

Boy 21 is actually Russ who moves to Bellmont and into the school district that Finley lives in and both are basketball players. Finley also has a unique nickname: White Rabbit because he's the only white boy on the basketball team. Coach of the team tells White Rabbit to basically oversee Boy 21 and make sure he makes his practices for b ...more

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Mar 11, 2014 Jenn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: youngadult, highlyrecommend

I loved "The Silver Linings Playbook" film (I've seen it several times now) and wanted to read the book, but since my sister gave me this to read, I started my Matthew Quick intro with this. And I'm glad I did! The protagonist and narrator, Finley, is intriguing: terse to the point of non-verbal, because of trauma that is only hinted at and never completely revealed in graphic detail (thank goodness!) is a lovely person with which to navigate the extremely impoverished and violent world somewher ...more

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Sep 15, 2015 Om Manghani rated it it was amazing

Shelves: grade-8

One of my favorite novels so far this year- Boy 21 really did relate to me in many ways.

Overall, I enjoyed seeing "Boy 21" develop as a person. At the start, he was trying to fit in, but as the tides turned, he ended up coaching the main character through a very tough time. It was almost as if the two characters swapped roles, and the author just changed the names at the end. This definitely made the book very interesting.

If you love basketball, or sports in general, this is amazing. Not only ...more

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About Matthew Quick

Matthew Quick

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Matthew Quick is the New York Times bestselling author of THE SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, which was made into an Oscar-winning film; THE GOOD LUCK OF RIGHT NOW; LOVE MAY FAIL; THE REASON YOU’RE ALIVE; and four young adult novels: SORTA LIKE A ROCK STAR; BOY21; FORGIVE ME, LEONARD PEACOCK; and EVERY EXQUISITE THING. His work has been translated into more than thirty languages, received a PEN/Hemingway ...more

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Quotes from Boy21

“Someday an opportunity will come. Think about Harry Potter. His life is terrible, but then a letter arrives, he gets on a train, and everything is different for him afterward. Better. Magical."
"That's just a story."
"So are we- we're stories too.” — 59 likes

“I can always look up at the cosmos and marvel, no matter what happens. And when I look up at it, I feel as though my problems are small. I don't know why, but it always makes me feel better.” — 25 likes

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