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Boys of Alabama

Genevieve Hudson (Goodreads Author)

3.36 · Rating details · 1,016 ratings · 235 reviews

In this bewitching debut novel, a sensitive teen, newly arrived in Alabama, falls in love, questions his faith, and navigates a strange power. While his German parents don’t know what to make of a South pining for the past, shy Max thrives in the thick heat. Taken in by the football team, he learns how to catch a spiraling ball, how to point a gun, and how to hide his inne ...more

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Hardcover, 304 pages

Published May 19th 2020 by Liveright

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· 1,016 ratings · 235 reviews

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Feb 08, 2020 Eugenia rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, lgbtq, arc, lgbtqia

I loved this book! But......this is a tough book to review. Why?

First, it's a unique blend of a paranormal, a coming of age, and a cultural exchange book.

It sets our protagonist from Germany in a small town in Alabama. Back in Germany, he was nothing special, but here as a student in an Evangelical Christian school, he is very popular. Taken in by the football boys, he begins a stereotypical American teen high school indoctrination: parties. Different from other typical tales is the strong evang I loved this book! But......this is a tough book to review. Why?

First, it's a unique blend of a paranormal, a coming of age, and a cultural exchange book.

It sets our protagonist from Germany in a small town in Alabama. Back in Germany, he was nothing special, but here as a student in an Evangelical Christian school, he is very popular. Taken in by the football boys, he begins a stereotypical American teen high school indoctrination: parties. Different from other typical tales is the strong evangelical wave moving this story along. I'm not sure what to make of it. How much is playing off of stereotypes? I mean, we hear tongues. We see snakes. We see boys talking about being saved while they drink by a bonfire.

Along with this odd clash of German and Southern evangelical cultures, the author brings in a touch of the paranormal. I would not call it magical realism as the blurb decries. This is straight up magic and there is nothing realistic about it. Our protagonist can bring things--dead things--back to life.

What this talent had to do with this tale is something that I'm still pondering. Was is there only for the final scene? Was it there as another source of "otherness" in this tale? Was it there to woo his love interest? Something to confide with someone? I'm not sure, and it's for this reason that I don't know how to review the book.

It felt as if two tales were presented and they never really came together. Both storylines simply came to an abrupt end after much buildup. An end that, perhaps was inevitable, but as to what purpose I'm not sure. But maybe that's the point.

That being said, I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. It felt fresh. We saw no quotations for dialogue and after a bit of adjustment, I didn't notice their absence. The style also reflected some of the cultural clash between Germany, Alabama, and the paranormal. How, I can't really explain except to say that it felt as different as bringing these three things together could be.

My rec? If you love coming of age books, I say go for it!!

**This book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for the purposes of an unbiased review.** ...more

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Apr 29, 2020 Mimi rated it did not like it · review of another edition

I don't know what was worse, the horrendous attempt at writing a German protagonist moving to Alabama who is apparently fluent in English but would then go around saying sentences like "I will like you to come over. please yes." (like, girl, you could have at least TRIED to research common mistakes Germans make when learning a foreign language instead of making up shit like "sex butterfly") or the fact that there was an actual rape scene in this and no one thought to mention that. "Exploring you ...more

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Jun 18, 2020 Larry H rated it liked it

Well, Genevieve Hudson's Boys of Alabama definitely made me think!

Max and his family move from Germany to small-town Delilah, Alabama. It’s a far cry from what they’re used to, but Max is quickly enamored by the oppressive heat and humidity, the easy camaraderie he finds with his football teammates, and the area’s obsession with God and religion.

But Max has secrets, too. He had a relationship in Germany that scarred him, and he has a strange ability that both obsesses and frightens him. When Well, Genevieve Hudson's Boys of Alabama definitely made me think!

Max and his family move from Germany to small-town Delilah, Alabama. It’s a far cry from what they’re used to, but Max is quickly enamored by the oppressive heat and humidity, the easy camaraderie he finds with his football teammates, and the area’s obsession with God and religion.

But Max has secrets, too. He had a relationship in Germany that scarred him, and he has a strange ability that both obsesses and frightens him. When he meets Pan, a fellow student who believes he is a witch, and Pan discovers his ability, Max feels both unburdened and more frightened of discovery. But the two embark on a relationship of sorts, which fulfills the both of them, even if it makes them vulnerable at the same time.

Boys of Alabama is a beautifully written, thought-provoking book that raises questions about religion, sexuality, paranormal abilities, racism, and prejudice, but it also is a coming-of-age story at its heart. I’ll admit I read this book almost with one hand over my eyes, as I was worried something bad would happen to one of the characters. (Plus the references to animal cruelty and the depictions of dead animals were a little much for me.)

I struggled, though, with what this book meant, and as much as I enjoyed the characters I didn’t feel connected. I also found the lack of quotation marks off-putting because if a sentence didn’t say, “she said,” I couldn’t always tell it was dialogue.

This debut novel definitely shows Hudson has a true storytelling talent. It was an interesting addition to my stack of Pride Reads this month!

Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.

Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.

Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/. ...more

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Feb 27, 2020 Laxmama rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley, paranormal, ya, teen

ARC Generously provided by Netgalley

I finished this book a few days ago, this book had me thinking days after finishing yet still not an easy one to review. Writing style was unique, at the start a bit of an adjustment (no punctuation or quotation) and it took me a bit to get into but once it picked up I could not put it down.

Max , a teen moves to Alabama from Germany, he feels the cultural changes, language difficulties, figuring out where he fits in socially, and exploring his sexuality. Ther ...more

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May 21, 2020 Iris rated it did not like it

Shelves: lgbtqia, magical-realism

***edit: There are trigger warnings at the bottom of this review! I think you can enjoy this book if you are prepared for the dark themes.

I don't know what I thought I was getting into, but it definitely was not that.

This is a weird book to review, because so much is happening, and points aren't dwelled on for long. I feel like this book traumatized me, and not in any sort of cathartic way. It was written well, sure. But the characters just kept escalating the situation, and there was no cathars ...more

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Feb 12, 2020 T Madden rated it it was amazing

Phew. Obsessed with this novel and all things Genevieve Hudson. BOYS OF ALABAMA is a shapeshifting story of queer witchy love in the American deep south. This book is creeping vines and verdant desire. It’s a study of belief systems both true and terrifying. Hudson dismantles and spins a new category of fairy tale for us, one that’s equal parts dirt and splendor; a glinting, dark beauty; an incantation. This will surprise you at every turn, destroy you by its end, and make you believe in magic. ...more

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Apr 20, 2020 Erik rated it it was ok

Shelves: woman-authored, lgbt

"Boys of Alabama" is a unique take on Southern Gothic; Genevieve Hudson uses her debut novel to rewrite and queer the rules of a classic genre of American literature.

Max and his family have recently relocated to Alabama from their home in Germany. On top of the task of learning English, with a Southern twang, Max struggles to understand and control this odd power he possesses: anything he touches that has died is suddenly brought back to life. Combine these powers with his new burgeoning queer d ...more

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Apr 28, 2020 Paris (parisperusing) rated it it was amazing

Outstandingly original. Unlike anything you’ll ever read today.

RtC

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May 03, 2020 Tess rated it it was ok

I so wanted to love BOYS OF ALABAMA by Genevieve Hudson, but it just wasn't the book for me. I was completely intrigued by the premise of a high school teenage boy moving from the cosmopolitan Germany to a small town in Alabama, and how he integrates himself into the football scene while, at the same time, coming to terms with his sexuality and grieving a best friend he left behind. It has all the makings of a wonderful novel that is right up my alley, but I just couldn't fully get into the stor ...more

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Jun 05, 2020 The Nerd Daily rated it it was amazing

Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Beth Mowbray

Genevieve Hudson’s debut novel, Boys of Alabama, beautifully weaves together an authentic picture of the American South with a coming-of-age of story involving two characters who absolutely capture the reader’s heart.

Read the FULL REVIEW on The Nerd Daily

...more

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Jun 29, 2020 Allison rated it it was amazing

Shelves: novels, debut-novels, lgbtq

I finished BOYS OF ALABAMA after a weekend in the sun and this book is seriously stunning.

BOYS OF ALABAMA follows Max, who moves from Germany to Alabama for his dad’s job. He starts playing football, campaigns for a conservative Judge running for Governor, and builds an intimate relationship with Pan, the town “witch.” There’s magical realism, there’s queerness and desire, there’s shame and religion, questions of faith and of history. I loved this book. The writing is intriguing and gorgeous. Th ...more

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Jul 29, 2020 Mary rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, 2020

What a strange and wild and bold one this was! Southern noir meets coming of age meets melancholic satire meets I don't know what. I hope it gets the attention it deserves. ...more

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May 28, 2020 Lindsey rated it it was ok

Gracious, this book is a mess. As someone who enjoys literature of all stripes, is the parent of a teen and a young adult, volunteers with youth and works with college students, I read a fair amount of YA fiction. I have never enjoyed a book in the genre less than this one. There is a gruesomeness and brutality to it that remain absolutely unresolved at the end of the novel.

So many of the characters are one-dimensional straw men, including the State of Alabama itself. Why the setting about whic Gracious, this book is a mess. As someone who enjoys literature of all stripes, is the parent of a teen and a young adult, volunteers with youth and works with college students, I read a fair amount of YA fiction. I have never enjoyed a book in the genre less than this one. There is a gruesomeness and brutality to it that remain absolutely unresolved at the end of the novel.

So many of the characters are one-dimensional straw men, including the State of Alabama itself. Why the setting about which the author knows so little figures so prominently in the story (much less the title) is a mystery to me. There are too many errors to list here, but they range from minor nuances like a teenage boy offering a “cola” to someone at a party to anomalies like a cloud of mosquitos in November. There are a bewildering number of cowboy hats and crucifixes, but the most outlandish thing is that a gubernatorial candidate from the Tuscaloosa area would be making campaign calls during a University of Alabama football game. None of which is unforgivable, but the culmination of so many errors makes it hard to trust the author with the narrative.

And the narrative is all over the place. Granted, this is an electorate that ushered Roy Moore into office on multiple occasions, so I can see how Alabama feels like fair game here. But a sledgehammer is apparently the only tool at Hudson’s disposal when examining religion and politics in the Bible Belt, and it makes for an exhausting read.

Particularly puzzling is that the complexity of religion and politics in Alabama - how they interact to the point of sometimes being interchangeable, how menacing they might feel to anyone who is “a blue dot in a red state” - is rich soil, and there is much to be mined there. But rather than wrestle with the reality of it, we get an outlandish tale of cultish nonsense that is so far-fetched it actually diminishes the genuine struggles that real people face.

As an ally of the LGBTQ+ community, I am glad to see this book was well-received and well-reviewed in some circles, and that readers feel validated by it in some way. Those positive reviews were the only thing that kept me reading, in hopes that the either the errors or the darkness would be redeemed by the end of the book and that wading through it would somehow have been worthwhile. I suppose this was intended to be a psychological thriller for a queer (and/or queer-friendly) audience, but the darkness of the plot only spirals toward a wildly unsatisfying ending.

There are glimpses of thoughtful self-examination from a few of the characters that had me vacillating between two and three stars. But ultimately, I think the onus is on an author to write what they know (or at least know what they write), and I just don’t think that threshold was met here. ...more

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Dec 26, 2019 Sarah rated it it was amazing

I received an ARC from the publisher, opinions are my own. [very mild spoilers ahead]

I've been a big fan of Genevieve Hudson's writing for a while. PRETEND WE LIVE HERE is one of my all-time favorite books, as is A LITTLE IN LOVE WITH EVERYONE, and I usually make a point to track down her stories in lit mags because there's something about the style and imagery in her work that just vines around my heart and linguistic soul and blooms flowers in my chest.

BOYS OF ALABAMA does this too. It is bot I received an ARC from the publisher, opinions are my own. [very mild spoilers ahead]

I've been a big fan of Genevieve Hudson's writing for a while. PRETEND WE LIVE HERE is one of my all-time favorite books, as is A LITTLE IN LOVE WITH EVERYONE, and I usually make a point to track down her stories in lit mags because there's something about the style and imagery in her work that just vines around my heart and linguistic soul and blooms flowers in my chest.

BOYS OF ALABAMA does this too. It is both like and unlike the other writing of hers I've read, and wholly unlike any other novels I've read. It's told (in close third person) from the perspective of Max, a German teen who moves to Alabama with his parents for his father's car manufacturing job. The ways in which Max navigates the culture and landscape of this new place, which is both like and unlike his home, are explored in the halting, haunting, gorgeous prose of someone who comes to understand the language of a place -- both literal and figurative -- as an outsider. Max has histories and secrets he struggles to reckon with; the boys he befriends have the same.

Max's inner life is so engrossing, it's hard to look away from; I read this book in 2 days (for me that's really fast). As he falls in love with Pan, a goth witchy kid (and a character that shatters any early glimmers of manic pixie dream person vibes), and simultaneously feels the irresistible pull of the cult-y evangelism of both football and the Judge (an actual evangelist with political aspirations), Max becomes increasingly unsteady. He grasps for things that will ground him with growing desperation. The climax and ending of this book is so unsettling and surprising, written with such fire, that I had to sit quietly and stare into space for like 10 full minutes.

In this book, the prose is as hot and melty as an Alabama summer, an abundance of life and death at the same time. There are SO many layers that no review can do it justice. Queerness, secrets, the inheritance of evil, the burdens and sweetness of choosing life and what that even means are all major themes. I'll just leave it here and say, I am floored and I can't wait to read more Gen Hudson writing forever. Highly recommend! ...more

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Mar 20, 2020 BookChampions rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary-literature

Some reading experiences feel like a revelation, and that's exactly what reading Boys of Alabama was. I had high hopes for it, but honestly I didn't know exactly what to expect. What I got was a story I felt in my gut, that dug under my skin, rather than just "having read." If I had to compare it to something, I'd compare it to Jesmyn Ward's Salvage the Bones, both in its deft understanding of adolescent hunger and its expert, gritty representation of the American South that is both a critique a Some reading experiences feel like a revelation, and that's exactly what reading Boys of Alabama was. I had high hopes for it, but honestly I didn't know exactly what to expect. What I got was a story I felt in my gut, that dug under my skin, rather than just "having read." If I had to compare it to something, I'd compare it to Jesmyn Ward's Salvage the Bones, both in its deft understanding of adolescent hunger and its expert, gritty representation of the American South that is both a critique and a letter of promise. I remember reading Bones for the first time and thinking, damn I've not seen something quite like this before.

The prose has an energy to it that also reminds me of Ward's work, and Hudson is able to mix the literary and the experimental with a story that would appeal to teenagers as well as adults. I also really enjoyed the supernatural element; one of the teenage characters must reckon with the gift/curse of being able to bring animals (and maybe humans) back from the dead. Apart from this one element (which is still enough to intrigue scifi or fantasy fans, I think), the book explores very real concerns—the chains of masculinity that weigh boys down, the promises both mystical and false of evangelical religion, and the pain of burrowing out of the cocoon of adolescence.

Several scenes floored me—particularly one between the protagonist who has a moment of doubt about his sexuality and a female friend—a scene like nothing I've seen before. I appreciate the originality at the heart of this novel, and the way it lets the reader find magic in all the many crannies of its story.

I haven't felt this bereft at having to let go of a character in a long time. Both Pan and Max are wonderful queer characters, but oh Max, he seemed so pure and real! It reminded me of that first time I read Perks of Being a Wallflower, and I was like, damn, I feel so much for Charlie and his pain. I usually don't like sequels to books, but I make an exception for this one! I did not want to let this story end—and yet, the finale was extraordinary in its beauty and its ambiguity.

This ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Jan 16, 2021 Bryant rated it really liked it

Just a heads up since there isn't a content/trigger warning: this book does include a rape scene and references to severe child abuse. I didn't feel it was super graphic, however, and these sections are short. ...more

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Mar 02, 2021 Verónica Fleitas Solich rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I couldn't connect with the characters or the story.
I reached the end and nothing.
I really wanted to like it. ...more

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May 26, 2020 Garan rated it really liked it

This book was incredibly well written. The prose was absolutely beautiful. Helming from Alabama, I really appreciated how well she captured this place can feel sometimes. Reading in depth about how religion and football truly do run things for some people in this state was mildly difficult for me sometimes. I was also sent back to the uncomfortable mindset of growing up here as a boy who didn’t play football.

I loved what the author did with relationships in this book. How fickle love and friend ...more

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Aug 22, 2020 Caleb rated it did not like it

Shelves: lgbtq, fiction

This book is one good idea stretched to its absolute limit, filled with terrible similes and worthless descriptions of every Southern gothic setting imaginable. I was intrigued by this book because it is set in my home state, written by a fellow Alabamian, and had fantastical elements: three things I thought could lead to an interesting read. Instead, what I received was cliché after cliché, one-dimensional characters, and absolutely no plot development.

The author played into every backwoods Ala ...more

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Sep 02, 2020 noveldoll rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya, 2020, paranormal, contemporary, lgbt

2.5⭐
this was....um not the best I guess
the reason this got a 2.5 is the writing style. i loved it. BUT. the rest.
lost me at about 50% if not earlier
I'm really sad I didn't enjoy this book :(
the cover is pretty by the way ❤ ...more

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Jun 18, 2020 Audra (ouija.reads) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a weird and wonderful novel.

It features Max, a Queer teen who is not only exploring and trying to understand his sexuality, but he is doing so as a recent transplant from Germany to Alabama. There are a lot of layers there: he is trying to navigate culture shock, language barriers, grief and personal history, the extremes of religion, where he fits in at school—and he has a secret, strange power.

I listened to the audiobook of this one, and I found myself sinking deep into the lush prose ...more

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May 18, 2020 Beth M. rated it it was amazing

This is another book that is joining my collection of favorite reads this year! ❤️ Y’all! I couldn’t put this one down. Seriously. Can’t believe this is Hudson’s first novel!

Boys of Alabama beautifully weaves together an authentic picture of the American south with a coming of age of story involving two characters who will absolutely capture your heart. Max has just moved to Alabama from Germany and like any high schooler he wants to fit in. He leans into the local culture of football, fried foo ...more

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Feb 20, 2020 W. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own-it, arc-from-the-publisher, read-on-2020, read-it-on-my-kindle

Boys of Alabama is a well-written , poignant, relevant and realistic told story.

My husband is from a small town in Alabama . While reading Boys of Alabama , I pictured that town and some of the inhabitants as the perfect setting for this story.

I just reviewed Boys of Alabama by Genevieve Hudson. #BoysofAlabama #NetGalley

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May 31, 2020 Megan marked it as dropped

Shelves: qaify

Dropped at 8%. I can't do it. This book has no quotation marks for dialogue and has already had quite a bit of dialogue in the short amount I've read. I have no desire to spend the entire book trying to sort out which parts are being spoken and which parts aren't when this all could have been solved with proper punctuation. Reading an extended conversation that had non-dialogue bits thrown in throughout it was frustrating. The lack of quotation marks is just incredibly distracting. The only way ...more

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Apr 17, 2020 Brianna rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbt, arcs, 2020

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story was so strange and intriguing, I still don't really know what to think of it because it's so unique.

The novel follows a teenage boy, Max, who has moved from Berlin to Alabama. Max has the secret power of being able to heal animals and bring them back from the dead, however, Max views this power as a curse. The story follows Max's experience moving to Southern USA, his friendship with a witch at his school ...more

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Apr 24, 2020 Mairy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: southern-fiction, 2020-netgalley-reads, lgbtq, contemporary

"I love how en vogue dead bodies are around here." -Boys of Alabama, by Genevieve Hudson

This book was my introduction to Genevieve Hudson. The writing and technique were fine but I just did not click with the characters. None of them. I did not understand Max, I did not agree with him on most of his opinions and choices. This story was not enjoyable to me. The beginning of Part 3 got exciting with the ghosts, paranormal, the visiting of the haunted asylum, but it was short-lived.

The story had a ...more

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Aug 09, 2020 zac carter rated it it was amazing

this is great writing. boys of alabama is a strange, fascinating, and absorbing book. maybe i don’t know everything it tries to say, but i think that’s part of its appeal. there are many layers to consider, brief interpersonal interactions that are full and rich, moments of confusion and shame and hunger that feel like familiar elements of adolescence. i don’t think the intersections of masculinity, religion, queerness, conservatism, and immigration are looked at enough. oh and there’s some supe ...more

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Jun 13, 2020 Hayden rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya-romance, lgbt, ya-paranormal

A weird but great read. First off, there's no dialogue punctuation; no quotation marks when someone is speaking, and the monologue is written a little weird. I was thrown off at first but once I realized what was going on it was easy to understand. I honestly loved the contrast of cultures and how bizarre the rural south of the united states is to other people who don't live there. ...more

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Feb 02, 2020 Lu rated it really liked it

Shelves: in-english, earc, lgbt, love-story

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

TW: death, brainwashing, rape, homophobia, internalized and not, poisoning, violence towards people and animals

I was really excited to read this book and so happy my wish came true! Boys of Alabama is a very intense novel, a coming-of-age story.
Max's family moved from Germany to Alabama for his father's job and the sixteen years old boy has to adapt to the life here. It was interesting reading about how, slowly because of the l I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

TW: death, brainwashing, rape, homophobia, internalized and not, poisoning, violence towards people and animals

I was really excited to read this book and so happy my wish came true! Boys of Alabama is a very intense novel, a coming-of-age story.
Max's family moved from Germany to Alabama for his father's job and the sixteen years old boy has to adapt to the life here. It was interesting reading about how, slowly because of the linguistic barrier, Max starts to understand common sayings, how to fit in, or try to, with the football team he's part of, since he's a very good runner, how to make friends and so on.
A sensitive and shy boy, Max hides a secret and a painful loss and right away he finds himself attracted to the city's "witch", Pan, who is sensitive and weird, who wears lipstick, dresses and makeup. As they start an intense relationship, falling hard in love with each other, Pan discovers Max's secret and everything changes.

Boy of Alabama is a very peculiar novel. The writing style is a bit unique (For example: How can you understand? Max asked) without any inverted commas, so, it took me a while to get into the story, but, once in it, it captured me. It's a beautiful and intense novel with so many important themes, from immigration, faith, love, sexism, homophobia. It shows how Max was pressured, how any adolescent can be pressured, into accepting some things and thoughts. Living in a religious city, surrounded by religious classmates, Max finds himself involved, almost pushed, into their faith.

Interesting and cruel figure is the Judge and how, through God's word, or what he thinks it's God's word, he's violent and abusive, expecially towards his son and ideas that don't conform with his ones.
In this situation, Max is almost torn in two, between the pull of the charismatic Judge, the want to be part of the community, of the football team, and his desire and love for Pan, who is an outsider in the school and with their friends, proud of his ideas, his clothes, his sexuality.
The relationship between Pan and Max is intense and complicated by past lovers, strange powers and Max's inability to choose between Pan and the Judge's charismatic figure. Their bond is really complex and it's clear Max's attraction for Pan, his love for him, how they care for each other.
Max's coming of age, his growing, is seen, too, through snippet of conversations between his parents and his mother and aunt. His mother, suffering from the move and her inability to adapt and accept their new life, sees his changes and she's worried, while his father is open to Max experimenting things, having friends, changing his diet and so on.

It's clear, in some parts, how deep was the Judge's brainwashing in the football team (and in the city), how he was believed and followed, how they believed his lies and manipulations, above all with the poisoning and what they believe sin was and how to banish it.
There is in Lorne an internalized homophobia and his relationship with Pan, Max and his father was really interesting and I wanted to know more.

This book deals with a lot of important themes, seeing them through Max's eyes. Being from Germany, Max has to endure "Nazi" jokes, his inability, at first, to comprehend the inner meanings of the language. It shows how he adapts to his life, while struggling with a magical power, its characteristics complex and that scared him, his being gay, falling in love and how to fit his sexuality in a religious city.
I found the ending a bit abrupt and it left me wanting for more and this novel is beautiful, intense and really unique. ...more

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Aug 21, 2020 Aaron Marsh rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2020-books

Can we please please please stop doing this annoying trend in literary fiction where we do, like, a touch of magical realism? Often I feel like it is shoehorned into otherwise totally realist fiction, and that it is a clumsy, cheap way to Highlight The Themes. The fantastic needs to grow out of the characters, the reality of the situation. With this book, I would have honestly loved to have read the version of this story that was about queer, outsidery kids moving through these hyper-masculine a ...more

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