Boys: Stories and a Novella

by David T. Lloyd

The narrator of the novella, Boys, is a thirteen-year-old Chris, a member of a small gang that includes his two friends, Frank and Joey. The novella poignantly charts Chris's involvement with a girl named Lisa, his fascination with a pornographic magazine, the building of a "boys only" tree house, his traumatized relationships with Frank and Joey, and the disappearance of his sister Jenny. The twelve stories in On Monday proceed chronologically from a Monday to a Tuesday morning. Each story highlights a different character's experiences with parents, friends, teachers, the expectations of others and the expectations of a culture and an era. Characters and settings present in one story reappear in other stories, building upon and heightening the experiences of all of them.

186 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2004

About the author

David T. Lloyd, BA, MA, PhD is a Professor of English at Le Moyne College and Director of the Creative Writing Program.

Reviews

[Don]

The dark secrets of adolescence, along with its complexities and conflicts, are sensitively rendered in this cycle of twelve stories, followed by the novella Boys Only. Although set in Upstate New York in 1966, these stories have a timeless and universal quality. The author is director of the Creative Writing Program at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York.

[Aliki Barnstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was immersed in these boys' daily lives, which is full of violence and confusion, as well as wonder. I've been haunted by the way socialization distorts boy children's most vulnerable and optimistic selves. This book is a powerful critique of traditional masculinity.

[Teresa Thompson Arcangel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book awhile back, but now that I am finishing my M.Ed. I think I'll read it again. I recommend it to teachers, or to anyone who spends a lot of time with adolescent boys.