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Boys don’t cry
They say boys don't cry.
But Finn's seen his Da do it when he thinks no one's looking, so that's not true.
And isn't it OK to be sad, when bad things happen?
They say boys don't cry, but you might . . .
But Finn's seen his Da do it when he thinks no one's looking, so that's not true.
And isn't it OK to be sad, when bad things happen?
They say boys don't cry, but you might . . .
243 pages, Paperback
First published April 20, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,397 reviews
March 23, 2022
A Beautifully observed Irish story and a confident and emotional debut novel. The beauty of this one is that its packs such an emotional punch in only a couple of hundred pages.
I would never have picked up this one had it not been for our real life sit in book club read. I had passed it by in book shops on numerous occasions. The cover did not appeal to me enough to even pick it up and read the premise. I can’t help wondering just how many wonderful books I have missed out on because I judge a book by its cover.
Set in the heart of working-class Dublin. They say boys don’t cry, but Finn’s seen his Da do it when he thinks no one’s looking so that’s not true. Joe and Finn grow up in the flats and want a better life than their Da’s. When Joe is offered a scholarship to a prestigious School things look like they are on the up and he may escape the criminal gangs and have a chance in life. But when an unexpected turn in family life occurs how will Joe cope with the choices he is faced with.
I think best books are those that you can’t stop thinking about long after you have finished reading and this is defiantly one of those. Strong and vivid characters, great story telling and dialogue so realistic and raw that you feel you are a part of this tale taking place in the heart of Dublin. However, towards the end of the novel . This was a 5-star read for me until this point and while I loved everything else about this novel, this scene in the story just left me totally confused. Perhaps someone can explain it to me and put me out of my misery before our group discussion. I read and had an audio of this one and the Narrator was just excellent and had the most beautiful Dublin accent. A joy to listen to.
Just a word of warning. This book contains lots of profanity, but it is in keeping with the time and place and while offensive to some readers this is a reality of Intercity gangs and Dublin. So, you have been warned.
I would never have picked up this one had it not been for our real life sit in book club read. I had passed it by in book shops on numerous occasions. The cover did not appeal to me enough to even pick it up and read the premise. I can’t help wondering just how many wonderful books I have missed out on because I judge a book by its cover.
Set in the heart of working-class Dublin. They say boys don’t cry, but Finn’s seen his Da do it when he thinks no one’s looking so that’s not true. Joe and Finn grow up in the flats and want a better life than their Da’s. When Joe is offered a scholarship to a prestigious School things look like they are on the up and he may escape the criminal gangs and have a chance in life. But when an unexpected turn in family life occurs how will Joe cope with the choices he is faced with.
I think best books are those that you can’t stop thinking about long after you have finished reading and this is defiantly one of those. Strong and vivid characters, great story telling and dialogue so realistic and raw that you feel you are a part of this tale taking place in the heart of Dublin. However, towards the end of the novel . This was a 5-star read for me until this point and while I loved everything else about this novel, this scene in the story just left me totally confused. Perhaps someone can explain it to me and put me out of my misery before our group discussion. I read and had an audio of this one and the Narrator was just excellent and had the most beautiful Dublin accent. A joy to listen to.
Just a word of warning. This book contains lots of profanity, but it is in keeping with the time and place and while offensive to some readers this is a reality of Intercity gangs and Dublin. So, you have been warned.
August 11, 2022
forgot to write a review on this!
so sad, i deffo cried :(( it reminded me of young mungo which i also loved
finn was so sweet and innocent and joes circumstances were very complicated it was hard to see him struggle
was a bit confused at the end, not sure where all the characters end up fully but maybe that’s a good thing
so sad, i deffo cried :(( it reminded me of young mungo which i also loved
finn was so sweet and innocent and joes circumstances were very complicated it was hard to see him struggle
was a bit confused at the end, not sure where all the characters end up fully but maybe that’s a good thing
January 19, 2022
Finn, you’ll always have a little piece of my heart!
A beautiful gem about life, loss, and love. Raw and gritty. Pure and hopeful. So incredibly touching. Better than Shuggie Bain!
Boys don’t cry? I bet everyone does while reading this impressive debut—even the tough ones. This story doesn’t need a lot of words. A dual narrative. Two brothers. Joe, seventeen, a talented artist. Finn, a sweet twelve-year-old. Living in Dublin. Their dad, working for a gang. Eventually, in prison. And Finn gets sick. I’ve never seen Da cry. He tells us that crying is a sign of weakness. That boys don’t cry. That boys should never cry. So we don’t. Ever. Unless we’re in private, when nobody sees. I loved this magnificent novel; I was hooked from the first page. Reading the second page, my chest already tightened. And that ending ...
Even though the story is harsh, the writing is tender and sometimes even humorous. The (brotherly) love shown throughout this book is beautiful, and I want to scream out loud: PLEASE READ THIS! I received an ARC from Faber and Faber and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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A beautiful gem about life, loss, and love. Raw and gritty. Pure and hopeful. So incredibly touching. Better than Shuggie Bain!
Boys don’t cry? I bet everyone does while reading this impressive debut—even the tough ones. This story doesn’t need a lot of words. A dual narrative. Two brothers. Joe, seventeen, a talented artist. Finn, a sweet twelve-year-old. Living in Dublin. Their dad, working for a gang. Eventually, in prison. And Finn gets sick. I’ve never seen Da cry. He tells us that crying is a sign of weakness. That boys don’t cry. That boys should never cry. So we don’t. Ever. Unless we’re in private, when nobody sees. I loved this magnificent novel; I was hooked from the first page. Reading the second page, my chest already tightened. And that ending ...
Even though the story is harsh, the writing is tender and sometimes even humorous. The (brotherly) love shown throughout this book is beautiful, and I want to scream out loud: PLEASE READ THIS! I received an ARC from Faber and Faber and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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October 10, 2022
A moving and heartfelt story.
Told in two POVs by two brothers. We have Finn the younger brother and Joe the older brother.
You are told early on part of how the story ends, so rather than it being unfurled, you are just waiting to see how it all happens.
Their dad is part of a shady gang culture that ultimately sends him to prison. Joe is desperate not to fall into that world, but it is very difficult when you are surrounded by it.
Set in a poor area of Dublin, I was gripped by the two boys and their struggles. Keep the tissues nearby!
Told in two POVs by two brothers. We have Finn the younger brother and Joe the older brother.
You are told early on part of how the story ends, so rather than it being unfurled, you are just waiting to see how it all happens.
Their dad is part of a shady gang culture that ultimately sends him to prison. Joe is desperate not to fall into that world, but it is very difficult when you are surrounded by it.
Set in a poor area of Dublin, I was gripped by the two boys and their struggles. Keep the tissues nearby!
April 18, 2024
“ I’ve never seen Da cry. He tells us that crying is a sign of weakness. That boys don’t cry. That boy’s should never cry. So we don’t. Ever. Unless we’re in private, when nobody sees.”
I just love sad books 😭💔
May 17, 2021
The title of Fíona Scarlett's debut novel has a deeper meaning beyond the traditional notion of masculinity where men don't show their feelings. It also has to do with expectations placed upon boys to grow into a certain mould and fulfil a particular role in their families and communities. These pressures are difficult to overcome and often lead to violent or rebellious behaviour especially for two brothers growing up as the sons of a drug dealer/muscle man for a local Dublin gang. Joe is an artistically-gifted seventeen year old who has a promising scholarship to a private school. Although he's determined not to be like his father he finds himself falling into the same traps out of financial necessity and a desire to help his friend who is indebted to the gang. His frustrations and sense of dissolution are compounded by his younger brother Finn's serious illness which drives everyone in the family to grief. The novel alternates between Joe and Finn's perspective as we follow their heartrending journey. It's a bold and sensitive portrayal of how these bright young lads must wrangle with the circumstances they are born into and the power of familial love to grant much-needed compassion when we're at our most desperate.
Read my full review of Boys Don't Cry by Fíona Scarlett on LonesomeReader
Read my full review of Boys Don't Cry by Fíona Scarlett on LonesomeReader
June 4, 2021
A gritty story set in a rough area of Dublin,
Boys Don’t Cry
had potential but ultimately didn’t quite deliver. It’s tricky business for an author to create a credible child cancer patient, and Scarlett mostly succeeds with 12-year-old Finn, but I found that the novel’s end edged too close to maudlin. Furthermore, a critical scene late in the book—involving the boy’s elder brother and protector, Joe, who is hovering on the precipice of a life of crime—is sketched in strokes too scant. It left me confused as to what had actually occurred, apart from knowing that someone was dead.
This was a book I wanted to like . . . but couldn’t. Having said this, I’m aware from reviews here and elsewhere that many others take a different view.
This was a book I wanted to like . . . but couldn’t. Having said this, I’m aware from reviews here and elsewhere that many others take a different view.
December 21, 2020
If, as many believe, all stories are ultimately about love, you would be hard pressed to find a stronger proof than in Fiona Scarlett’s devastating debut Boys Don’t Cry. A dual narrative, set amidst the turbulent urban landscape of Dublin, it follows the fortunes of two brothers, Finn and Joe, as they navigate the shadowy spaces in-between what it means to be male amongst the working class patriarchy. Though a smaller, sparer novel than its most obvious comparison, the Booker prize winning Shuggie Bain, the narrowness of its focus works entirely in its favour, producing a work of pure and intimate beauty.
Twelve-year-old Finn is happily poised on the cusp of adolescence when tragedy strikes; a crucible of perfect magnitude to illuminate both the loss and longing for childhood in a world where the window for innocence is marginal at best. His older brother Joe, long past such innocence, is meanwhile tasked with not only dealing with the fallout, but with the wider loyalty to friends and family, a pressure that comes to bear on all aspects of his life. As the normal rites of passage become transformed into petty indulgences for both boys, so the theme of free-will takes centre stage. How much choice do we really have over our lives, the novel asks, and ultimately the answer is quite a lot. For even if choice is not to be found in our circumstance, our mindset, it tells us, holds the key to freedom.
In the midst of such dark story territory, what impresses so deeply in this novel is its lightness of touch, and the absolute joy with which Scarlett renders her landscape and its people. You get the impression reading that this is not some virtue signalling for the working class but a genuine lived experience of community in all its glory. Details leap from its pages, from the slapstick of wheelchairs in the doorways of pub toilets to the devastating pathos of concealment demonstrated by a victim of domestic abuse. And it is the unstinting gaze of these details, in their colloquial and unsanitised prose, that makes this novel feel ironically so affectionate and humble towards its subject matter, and ultimately so authentic.
What is so interesting, too, is that given the gender identities of its two protagonists, it is the feminine sensibility that has the biggest influence on the story, and which gives it its greatest power. Behind every act of violence and male bravado is a woman holding it all together, nurturing the men almost without their notice, and guiding them towards better decisions and greater dignity through both their visible and invisible intercessions. It is not true that boys don’t and can’t cry in the novel, but they need a woman’s example to tell them how to.
Scarlett has a considerable gift for dialogue, capturing not merely the nuances and musicality of her exchanges, but the intertextual silences and physical reactions that live within them. The subtlety of difference between the two main voices - a fault in other books - only heightens the fingerprint of a family here, especially in terms of outlook, changing when it matters to become something that oh so cleverly turns the direction of the emotional plot.
I remain cynical as to the existence of a perfect book, and if there is a small niggle to be found here it is in one element of crisis towards the end of the novel that doesn’t seem to reach a complete, dramatised conclusion. Perhaps to linger on this aspect, however, would be to shift focus from the power of the story’s denouement which is, quite rightly, given the full attention of emotional and narrative force, and moved this hardened cynical reader at least, to tears. It takes skill to be manipulated in this manner by a work of fiction; the slightest tip into sentimentality and the moment is lost, and it is testament to Scarlett’s raw power as a novelist that she is able to avoid this pitfall and create something which feels quite so real.
Or perhaps it is simply that the story nags at something at the very heart of us all: that eternal dilemma between sacrificing ourselves for some greater purpose and wanting to embrace life selfishly because we can and should. Existence, as this life-affirming and fearless novel demonstrates, is rarely as binary, but Love can take us a long way towards a state of no regrets. A five star triumph.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Faber, for an advanced reading copy in return for an unbiased review.
Twelve-year-old Finn is happily poised on the cusp of adolescence when tragedy strikes; a crucible of perfect magnitude to illuminate both the loss and longing for childhood in a world where the window for innocence is marginal at best. His older brother Joe, long past such innocence, is meanwhile tasked with not only dealing with the fallout, but with the wider loyalty to friends and family, a pressure that comes to bear on all aspects of his life. As the normal rites of passage become transformed into petty indulgences for both boys, so the theme of free-will takes centre stage. How much choice do we really have over our lives, the novel asks, and ultimately the answer is quite a lot. For even if choice is not to be found in our circumstance, our mindset, it tells us, holds the key to freedom.
In the midst of such dark story territory, what impresses so deeply in this novel is its lightness of touch, and the absolute joy with which Scarlett renders her landscape and its people. You get the impression reading that this is not some virtue signalling for the working class but a genuine lived experience of community in all its glory. Details leap from its pages, from the slapstick of wheelchairs in the doorways of pub toilets to the devastating pathos of concealment demonstrated by a victim of domestic abuse. And it is the unstinting gaze of these details, in their colloquial and unsanitised prose, that makes this novel feel ironically so affectionate and humble towards its subject matter, and ultimately so authentic.
What is so interesting, too, is that given the gender identities of its two protagonists, it is the feminine sensibility that has the biggest influence on the story, and which gives it its greatest power. Behind every act of violence and male bravado is a woman holding it all together, nurturing the men almost without their notice, and guiding them towards better decisions and greater dignity through both their visible and invisible intercessions. It is not true that boys don’t and can’t cry in the novel, but they need a woman’s example to tell them how to.
Scarlett has a considerable gift for dialogue, capturing not merely the nuances and musicality of her exchanges, but the intertextual silences and physical reactions that live within them. The subtlety of difference between the two main voices - a fault in other books - only heightens the fingerprint of a family here, especially in terms of outlook, changing when it matters to become something that oh so cleverly turns the direction of the emotional plot.
I remain cynical as to the existence of a perfect book, and if there is a small niggle to be found here it is in one element of crisis towards the end of the novel that doesn’t seem to reach a complete, dramatised conclusion. Perhaps to linger on this aspect, however, would be to shift focus from the power of the story’s denouement which is, quite rightly, given the full attention of emotional and narrative force, and moved this hardened cynical reader at least, to tears. It takes skill to be manipulated in this manner by a work of fiction; the slightest tip into sentimentality and the moment is lost, and it is testament to Scarlett’s raw power as a novelist that she is able to avoid this pitfall and create something which feels quite so real.
Or perhaps it is simply that the story nags at something at the very heart of us all: that eternal dilemma between sacrificing ourselves for some greater purpose and wanting to embrace life selfishly because we can and should. Existence, as this life-affirming and fearless novel demonstrates, is rarely as binary, but Love can take us a long way towards a state of no regrets. A five star triumph.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Faber, for an advanced reading copy in return for an unbiased review.
Read
March 8, 2024“A relação entre estes dois irmãos é mesmo muito bonita e está explorada com uma honestidade comovente, do mesmo modo que a autora numa descreve os pais ou as restantes personagens com julgamento. Todas são extremamente reais, estão apenas a tentar fazer o melhor que podem dado o contexto em que estão.”
Review completa em: https://ritadanova.blogs.sapo.pt/boys....
Review completa em: https://ritadanova.blogs.sapo.pt/boys....
October 7, 2024
pensé que por ser cortito no iba a llegar a tocarme mucho pero me hizo pelota
February 14, 2025
My Rating: 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Broke my heart and broke it more when it put it back together!!!
They say boys don’t cry. But Finn’s seen his Da do it when he thinks no one’s looking, so thats not true. And isn’t it ok to be sad, when bad things happen? They say boys don’t cry, but you might…
OMG, I was like pfft I wont cry, I read reviews they were all like I cried my eyes out… humph I thought no way I wont… welllllll guess who cried like a little baby at the end of this. Patch of tears soaking into my pillow as I closed my kindle… yeah me thats who 😭
I loved this book, it was actually so sad, but also funny and just really well written. I was engaged the whole time and I didn’t want to put it down. It is an Irish novel and this is actually the author’s debut work… well I wouldn’t have known that. It is set in a town that is seemingly on the poverty line. Where crime and being poor is just part of life.
There are two POV throughout the book and one of Finn our MC who is only 12 and one is his brother Joe who is a few years older. You might go ugh I don’t like YA, its not. And you might go ugh I don’t like pov from kids… ok I get that but this is different well to me it was. It was raw and real and it as punch you in the guts sad.
Finn will forever live in my heart the poor little thing and Joe’s anger and sadness just ripped me apart… the chapters are short and they are written with very Irish slang and ways of speech. So for those of you who aren’t exposed to that you might have some quizzical moments with some of the lingo but you will be ok, google has your back!!
I would like to shout out Rosh again I think you would like this (I hope I get it right). I would love to hear your thoughts. I think this might actually be right up your alley (prepare to cry) but I think your review would be great either way.
Overall, I loved it but don’t go into it expecting a happy story or a happy ending… it is sad. I did cry but it was so well written and so well told that I just loved it. I would read this one again.
They say boys don’t cry. But Finn’s seen his Da do it when he thinks no one’s looking, so thats not true. And isn’t it ok to be sad, when bad things happen? They say boys don’t cry, but you might…
OMG, I was like pfft I wont cry, I read reviews they were all like I cried my eyes out… humph I thought no way I wont… welllllll guess who cried like a little baby at the end of this. Patch of tears soaking into my pillow as I closed my kindle… yeah me thats who 😭
I loved this book, it was actually so sad, but also funny and just really well written. I was engaged the whole time and I didn’t want to put it down. It is an Irish novel and this is actually the author’s debut work… well I wouldn’t have known that. It is set in a town that is seemingly on the poverty line. Where crime and being poor is just part of life.
There are two POV throughout the book and one of Finn our MC who is only 12 and one is his brother Joe who is a few years older. You might go ugh I don’t like YA, its not. And you might go ugh I don’t like pov from kids… ok I get that but this is different well to me it was. It was raw and real and it as punch you in the guts sad.
Finn will forever live in my heart the poor little thing and Joe’s anger and sadness just ripped me apart… the chapters are short and they are written with very Irish slang and ways of speech. So for those of you who aren’t exposed to that you might have some quizzical moments with some of the lingo but you will be ok, google has your back!!
I would like to shout out Rosh again I think you would like this (I hope I get it right). I would love to hear your thoughts. I think this might actually be right up your alley (prepare to cry) but I think your review would be great either way.
Overall, I loved it but don’t go into it expecting a happy story or a happy ending… it is sad. I did cry but it was so well written and so well told that I just loved it. I would read this one again.
April 17, 2021
Books like this are the reason that not all good reads can be 5 stars - because we need to be able to signify that THIS book is top of the range, out of this world, awesome. Fíona Scarlett has produced a stunning debut. "Boys Don't Cry" is humorous and heartbreaking. The characters are vibrant, the towers on the estate almost tangible. Through a tale of two brothers, Scarlett explores various themes including poverty and living hand to mouth, grief, domestic violence and family ties. As the title suggests, we see what happens when emotions are suppressed and concealed. Through Joe's experience of education, Scarlett illustrates how equality of opportunity doesn't always mean equal treatment, especially by peers.
I also want to point out that "Boys Don't Cry" is an ideal length and I cannot tell you what a welcome relief that is, at a time when concentration is hard won. How wonderful it is to be able to read a book in a few hours, as opposed to days/weeks! Surely it's the mark of a truly gifted writer, to be able to package a story perfectly using fewer words? I loved every moment and read it in one sitting. An exciting new writer. Highly recommend!
I also want to point out that "Boys Don't Cry" is an ideal length and I cannot tell you what a welcome relief that is, at a time when concentration is hard won. How wonderful it is to be able to read a book in a few hours, as opposed to days/weeks! Surely it's the mark of a truly gifted writer, to be able to package a story perfectly using fewer words? I loved every moment and read it in one sitting. An exciting new writer. Highly recommend!
March 7, 2021
I’ve loved reading all my life, but I sometimes feel sad that I’m not always able to read with the kind of indestructible wholeheartedness that I used to when I was a teenager. It’s more difficult to summon that kind of immersion now, the kind that’s unburdened by distraction or responsibility, when there was nowhere else to be, and nothing else to do. But the experience of reading Fíona Scarlett’s novel ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ has brought me back to a time in my own life when the pleasure of reading felt new, intense and bright, bringing me into a world that felt as real to me as my own.
Written in two time frames, it's about Joe - now in a state of great loss and grief - and Finn, only twelve, but facing the terribleness of his own terminal illness. These boys and the cast of characters around them are so believable and so well-drawn that I’m still dreaming about them all.
There are so many themes packed into the novel – the relentlessness of disadvantage, the obliviousness of privilege, the need for very sick children not to be defined by their illness, the impact of this kind of illness on a family, the huge power that medical specialists hold without always realising it.
The subject matter might make it sound like a harrowing read but it really is not. There’s humour and courage and beauty and love coursing through this beautiful book. It made me cry a lot, but it also filled me with hope. We all experience terrible losses in our lives. This book made me rage at the unfairness and randomness of life cut short by illness but it reminded me, for those left behind, that loss can be borne, that the loved ones ‘come bursting through, refusing to be forgotten or ignored,'; that the vividness of them remains, which is a soothing, magical, wonderful thing to remember.
Written in two time frames, it's about Joe - now in a state of great loss and grief - and Finn, only twelve, but facing the terribleness of his own terminal illness. These boys and the cast of characters around them are so believable and so well-drawn that I’m still dreaming about them all.
There are so many themes packed into the novel – the relentlessness of disadvantage, the obliviousness of privilege, the need for very sick children not to be defined by their illness, the impact of this kind of illness on a family, the huge power that medical specialists hold without always realising it.
The subject matter might make it sound like a harrowing read but it really is not. There’s humour and courage and beauty and love coursing through this beautiful book. It made me cry a lot, but it also filled me with hope. We all experience terrible losses in our lives. This book made me rage at the unfairness and randomness of life cut short by illness but it reminded me, for those left behind, that loss can be borne, that the loved ones ‘come bursting through, refusing to be forgotten or ignored,'; that the vividness of them remains, which is a soothing, magical, wonderful thing to remember.
May 30, 2023
A mi gusto, no funcionó.
En este libro se nos cuenta la historia de Joe, un joven de diecisiete años que vive los suburbios de Dublín cuidando de su hermano menor, Finn.
Esto es algo nuevo para mí: la novela se hizo difícil de entender. Pero dificil al punto de que no entendía lo que estaba pasando en 3/4 de libro. Es como que se hubieran borrado partes de la trama en un proceso de edición (en un capítulo el papá estaba en la cárcel, después ya no ¿? / tengo más ejemplos pero no quiero hacer spoilers) o quizás hubo problemas en la traducción.
Además, se presentan muchos (muchos) personajes que no se desarrollan del todo, y cuyas acciones parecen salir de la nada. No logré conectar con ninguno. (Dessie y Carthy para mi quedaron en una nebulosa - no sabría decir qué estaban haciendo la mayor parte del tiempo, y nunca entendí el subplot de Sabine - que además se me confundía con otras mujeres del libro).
Todo esto hizo que la lectura se me hiciera lenta, pesada. Lo único que me mantenía enganchada eran los capítulos del hermano menor, emotivos y los que justifican - por completo - estas 2 estrellas (aunque ni eso, para mí, logró rescatar a este libro del hoyo profundo).
Si el libro hubiera tenido más de 224 páginas, le habría dado 1 estrella.
Veo tantos comentarios positivos del libro que me pregunto si fue mi culpa lo poco que disfruté la novela. Aunque, si les soy sincera, estaba con disposición a amarla y nunca esperé que me decepcionara tanto.
En este libro se nos cuenta la historia de Joe, un joven de diecisiete años que vive los suburbios de Dublín cuidando de su hermano menor, Finn.
Esto es algo nuevo para mí: la novela se hizo difícil de entender. Pero dificil al punto de que no entendía lo que estaba pasando en 3/4 de libro. Es como que se hubieran borrado partes de la trama en un proceso de edición (en un capítulo el papá estaba en la cárcel, después ya no ¿? / tengo más ejemplos pero no quiero hacer spoilers) o quizás hubo problemas en la traducción.
Además, se presentan muchos (muchos) personajes que no se desarrollan del todo, y cuyas acciones parecen salir de la nada. No logré conectar con ninguno. (Dessie y Carthy para mi quedaron en una nebulosa - no sabría decir qué estaban haciendo la mayor parte del tiempo, y nunca entendí el subplot de Sabine - que además se me confundía con otras mujeres del libro).
Todo esto hizo que la lectura se me hiciera lenta, pesada. Lo único que me mantenía enganchada eran los capítulos del hermano menor, emotivos y los que justifican - por completo - estas 2 estrellas (aunque ni eso, para mí, logró rescatar a este libro del hoyo profundo).
Si el libro hubiera tenido más de 224 páginas, le habría dado 1 estrella.
Veo tantos comentarios positivos del libro que me pregunto si fue mi culpa lo poco que disfruté la novela. Aunque, si les soy sincera, estaba con disposición a amarla y nunca esperé que me decepcionara tanto.
February 25, 2021
This short debut novel by Fíona Scarlett, due to be published in April, is a dual narrative by two brothers, Joe and Finn, growing up in the flats in inner city Dublin. Their father is a henchman for a notorious gang leader; their mother is trying to hold it all together.
Finn is 12 and on the brink of adolescence when tragedy strikes. Joe is 17. A gifted artist with a scholarship to a private school, Joe is determined to avoid the path his father took before him and which everyone around him expects him to take. But as events unfold, will he take the path of least resistance?
It’s a gritty working class tragedy, and a tale of brotherly love, with humanity and a despair/hope dichotomy at its core.
The dialogue is light, comic and colloquial, but emotion runs deep and I found myself fully invested in the characters and the story. I loved the strong female characters, urging the men in the story to do better. You’ll need to have the tissues handy for this one 😭. The final chapter is totally devastating.
The drama at the climax of the book was for me not executed as cleanly or clearly as it could have been but otherwise, a stunning debut and I would recommend seeking this out when it’s published in April. It has tv/film adaptation written all over it too. A stellar 4.5/5 ⭐️
**This book will be published on 22 April 2021. It’s available to pre-order from all good booksellers. I was grateful to read an advance digital copy courtesy of the publisher @Faberbooks via @NetGalley. As always, this is an honest review.**
Finn is 12 and on the brink of adolescence when tragedy strikes. Joe is 17. A gifted artist with a scholarship to a private school, Joe is determined to avoid the path his father took before him and which everyone around him expects him to take. But as events unfold, will he take the path of least resistance?
It’s a gritty working class tragedy, and a tale of brotherly love, with humanity and a despair/hope dichotomy at its core.
The dialogue is light, comic and colloquial, but emotion runs deep and I found myself fully invested in the characters and the story. I loved the strong female characters, urging the men in the story to do better. You’ll need to have the tissues handy for this one 😭. The final chapter is totally devastating.
The drama at the climax of the book was for me not executed as cleanly or clearly as it could have been but otherwise, a stunning debut and I would recommend seeking this out when it’s published in April. It has tv/film adaptation written all over it too. A stellar 4.5/5 ⭐️
**This book will be published on 22 April 2021. It’s available to pre-order from all good booksellers. I was grateful to read an advance digital copy courtesy of the publisher @Faberbooks via @NetGalley. As always, this is an honest review.**
November 17, 2024
3.5 stars 🌟
I really liked this one. It was pretty impactful and made me think a lot. It explores quite a lot of themes pretty well. A great read. Would recommend!
Content/ Trigger Warnings- nosebleed, domestic violence, sexual harassment, grief, death of a sibling, death of a child, alcohol, drugs, bruises, prison, attempt at sexual assault, touching people without their consent, cancer, chemotherapy, child abuse, physical abuse, coma, gunshot, death by gunshot, murder
Review written on 17th November, 2024.
DISCLAIMER-All opinions on books I’ve read and reviewed are my own, and are with no intention to offend anyone. If you feel offended by my reviews, let me know how I can fix it.
How I Rate-
1 star- Hardly liked anything/was disappointed
2 star- Had potential but did not deliver/was disappointed
3 stars- Was ok but could have been better/was average/Enjoyed a lot but something was missing
4 stars- Loved a lot but something was missing
5 stars- Loved it/new favourite
I really liked this one. It was pretty impactful and made me think a lot. It explores quite a lot of themes pretty well. A great read. Would recommend!
Content/ Trigger Warnings- nosebleed, domestic violence, sexual harassment, grief, death of a sibling, death of a child, alcohol, drugs, bruises, prison, attempt at sexual assault, touching people without their consent, cancer, chemotherapy, child abuse, physical abuse, coma, gunshot, death by gunshot, murder
Review written on 17th November, 2024.
DISCLAIMER-All opinions on books I’ve read and reviewed are my own, and are with no intention to offend anyone. If you feel offended by my reviews, let me know how I can fix it.
How I Rate-
1 star- Hardly liked anything/was disappointed
2 star- Had potential but did not deliver/was disappointed
3 stars- Was ok but could have been better/was average/Enjoyed a lot but something was missing
4 stars- Loved a lot but something was missing
5 stars- Loved it/new favourite
August 8, 2025
boys don’t cry, but i sure fucking do.
December 30, 2023
No estic bé🥺 com es pot plorar tant amb un llibre? Quina història, bf.
May 18, 2021
A very moving story, told through the eyes of two brothers living in difficult social circumstances in Dublin. Finn, the younger one at 12, tells his story of the time leading to his death (which we're told about from the start), while Joe (17) tells his story from the time shortly after. As the title suggests, much of the theme is about perceptions of masculinity, in the different forms portrayed here, when dealing with tough, emotional circumstances.
The story is emotive, and certainly moved this boy to tears, but also life affirming. The language is authentic and creates clear pictures. I'm not a Dubliner, but could clearly hear the accents and cadences, and the feelings behind the dialogue.
The climax of the drama in Joe's story was the exception, in that I still don't really understand what happened, either then or subsequently in the novel, and his story concludes as if it had never happened. That accounts for the missing star in my rating.
I'm glad I read this.
The story is emotive, and certainly moved this boy to tears, but also life affirming. The language is authentic and creates clear pictures. I'm not a Dubliner, but could clearly hear the accents and cadences, and the feelings behind the dialogue.
The climax of the drama in Joe's story was the exception, in that I still don't really understand what happened, either then or subsequently in the novel, and his story concludes as if it had never happened. That accounts for the missing star in my rating.
I'm glad I read this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2022
4.75 rounded to 5
bro. i sobbed. BRING FINN BACK RIGHT NOW. WHY DID THEY HAVE TO DO THAT.
bro. i sobbed. BRING FINN BACK RIGHT NOW. WHY DID THEY HAVE TO DO THAT.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2023
I know this is a very good sad story. It’s just that I couldn’t cope with how the characters were in pain.
The writing might take a while when you start but you will get used to it by the third chapter.
It just breaks my heart so I would not tell the story or talk about the characters. It’s painful.
*grief, losing someone young, terminal illness
I started this book on the first day of 2023. I knew what was coming when the character started showing signs of illness in the very first few chapters. I stopped reading and couldn’t read for the next two days. I picked it up again on 4th January but no, I just couldn’t take it. It’s too painful to read.
The writing might take a while when you start but you will get used to it by the third chapter.
It just breaks my heart so I would not tell the story or talk about the characters. It’s painful.
*grief, losing someone young, terminal illness
I started this book on the first day of 2023. I knew what was coming when the character started showing signs of illness in the very first few chapters. I stopped reading and couldn’t read for the next two days. I picked it up again on 4th January but no, I just couldn’t take it. It’s too painful to read.
July 19, 2024
oh, look, I finished a book that is neither book-club nor buddy-read related
July 28, 2025
Fíona Scarlett's "Boys Don't Cry" serves up a raw, unflinching glimpse into a Dublin existence, where youthful innocence battles the grim realities of life in the Jax towers. The novel places us in Finn's world, a child whose simple joys, like ice cream screwballs and roaring down Captains Hill on Joe's handlebars, belie an increasingly fragile body, punctuated by incessant nosebleeds that worry his Ma into frantic doctor visits, culminating in the chilling revelation of a diagnosis that reshapes everything.
Concurrently, Joe, Finn's older brother and fierce protector, grapples with the fallout of their Da's incarceration, navigating a precarious adolescence marked by a scholarship to St Augustine’s and the ever-present shadow of his family's reputation.
One tense encounter at school sees Joe, usually composed, snap at a peer, pushing him to the ground in a visceral outburst that he grimly recognizes as his Da's own temper. His burgeoning artistic talent, once a source of pride, now feels like a burden, a reminder of what has been irrevocably altered: "How can I draw any more, when it was all for him?".
A tentative friendship with Johnny Mitchell, a seemingly kind classmate, quickly curdles when Johnny attempts to solicit drugs from Joe for his friends, a jarring reminder of the social chasm between them. Later, a harrowing incident at Johnny's party forces Joe to confront the dire consequences of his choices, as Naoise, Johnny's girlfriend, overdoses, and Joe is the one to induce vomiting and call for help.
His father's presence looms large, as Joe receives a letter from him, opened and stamped by the prison, a stark reminder of their fractured world. Despite his initial reluctance, Joe visits his Da in prison, a meeting thick with unspoken tensions and a desperate attempt to grasp the truth about their circumstances.
The dual perspectives reveal how quickly childhood can shatter, replacing sandcastles with medical charts, and carefree bike rides with crushing responsibilities. Finn's world shrinks to hospital rooms and the fluctuating hope of chemotherapy treatments, counting down moments with family: "We did a countdown and all... But we didn’t care. We didn’t mind starting over at all". His contemplation of his own mortality, questioning where he goes when he is "gone", contrasts sharply with Joe’s bitter struggle to maintain some semblance of normalcy, including handling Ma’s increasing reliance on drink and his own attempts to keep their flat functional.
The weight of their shared trauma presses down, especially as Ned, a neighbor, spouts ludicrous conspiracy theories about Finn’s illness, adding a layer of darkly comic absurdity to their grief. A visit to a local pub, The Tavern, exposes the murky undercurrents of the community, where Dessie Murphy's influence dictates unspoken rules and David Carthy's unsavory presence signals trouble.
Even Sabine, Joe’s loyal friend, finds herself caught in the crosshairs, her fear palpable as Joe faces down Carthy, a moment where loyalties are tested and innocence is irrevocably compromised.
The conclusion sees Joe and Ma finding a poignant way to honor Finn, a bittersweet act that suggests life's cruel jokes rarely come with a punchline, just a lingering echo.
This book offers a compelling, if unvarnished, journey into the grit of urban existence and the raw ache of familial love. It possesses the emotional heft of a lead balloon and the disarming charm of a rogue wave; expect to be thoroughly soaked.
This short novel provides an intimate acquaintance with despair, yet it manages to sprinkle humor like unexpected confetti over life's grimmer celebrations. Prepare for a story that makes you question the very concept of "happily ever after," opting instead for a "survive at all costs" mantra. This is a reading experience that leaves you with both a heartache and an odd sense of clarity.
Concurrently, Joe, Finn's older brother and fierce protector, grapples with the fallout of their Da's incarceration, navigating a precarious adolescence marked by a scholarship to St Augustine’s and the ever-present shadow of his family's reputation.
One tense encounter at school sees Joe, usually composed, snap at a peer, pushing him to the ground in a visceral outburst that he grimly recognizes as his Da's own temper. His burgeoning artistic talent, once a source of pride, now feels like a burden, a reminder of what has been irrevocably altered: "How can I draw any more, when it was all for him?".
A tentative friendship with Johnny Mitchell, a seemingly kind classmate, quickly curdles when Johnny attempts to solicit drugs from Joe for his friends, a jarring reminder of the social chasm between them. Later, a harrowing incident at Johnny's party forces Joe to confront the dire consequences of his choices, as Naoise, Johnny's girlfriend, overdoses, and Joe is the one to induce vomiting and call for help.
His father's presence looms large, as Joe receives a letter from him, opened and stamped by the prison, a stark reminder of their fractured world. Despite his initial reluctance, Joe visits his Da in prison, a meeting thick with unspoken tensions and a desperate attempt to grasp the truth about their circumstances.
The dual perspectives reveal how quickly childhood can shatter, replacing sandcastles with medical charts, and carefree bike rides with crushing responsibilities. Finn's world shrinks to hospital rooms and the fluctuating hope of chemotherapy treatments, counting down moments with family: "We did a countdown and all... But we didn’t care. We didn’t mind starting over at all". His contemplation of his own mortality, questioning where he goes when he is "gone", contrasts sharply with Joe’s bitter struggle to maintain some semblance of normalcy, including handling Ma’s increasing reliance on drink and his own attempts to keep their flat functional.
The weight of their shared trauma presses down, especially as Ned, a neighbor, spouts ludicrous conspiracy theories about Finn’s illness, adding a layer of darkly comic absurdity to their grief. A visit to a local pub, The Tavern, exposes the murky undercurrents of the community, where Dessie Murphy's influence dictates unspoken rules and David Carthy's unsavory presence signals trouble.
Even Sabine, Joe’s loyal friend, finds herself caught in the crosshairs, her fear palpable as Joe faces down Carthy, a moment where loyalties are tested and innocence is irrevocably compromised.
The conclusion sees Joe and Ma finding a poignant way to honor Finn, a bittersweet act that suggests life's cruel jokes rarely come with a punchline, just a lingering echo.
This book offers a compelling, if unvarnished, journey into the grit of urban existence and the raw ache of familial love. It possesses the emotional heft of a lead balloon and the disarming charm of a rogue wave; expect to be thoroughly soaked.
This short novel provides an intimate acquaintance with despair, yet it manages to sprinkle humor like unexpected confetti over life's grimmer celebrations. Prepare for a story that makes you question the very concept of "happily ever after," opting instead for a "survive at all costs" mantra. This is a reading experience that leaves you with both a heartache and an odd sense of clarity.
April 30, 2021
Well, this book broke me and lifted me in equal measure.
I can honestly say that every single paragraph moved me. I was angry, sad, frustrated, and ultimately bereft.
The characters were wonderful- Finn's naivety and worry for his family was staggering considering the situation he was facing, and this was just confounded by the humour he managed to emit through his pain. The funny lines were certainly needed to lighten the story throughout. Joe was an amazing big brother, not making the best decisions but always with the best of intentions. Even Da, who made me angry frequently by Scarlett does a fantastic job of explaining his actions, and ultimately leaving the reader sympathetic towards him.
I adored this book, and the relationship between Finn and Joe was written beautifully. After recently suffering the loss of my own sister last year, this was extremely poignant to me.
Absolutely stunning. I'd give it more stars if I could.
I can honestly say that every single paragraph moved me. I was angry, sad, frustrated, and ultimately bereft.
The characters were wonderful- Finn's naivety and worry for his family was staggering considering the situation he was facing, and this was just confounded by the humour he managed to emit through his pain. The funny lines were certainly needed to lighten the story throughout. Joe was an amazing big brother, not making the best decisions but always with the best of intentions. Even Da, who made me angry frequently by Scarlett does a fantastic job of explaining his actions, and ultimately leaving the reader sympathetic towards him.
I adored this book, and the relationship between Finn and Joe was written beautifully. After recently suffering the loss of my own sister last year, this was extremely poignant to me.
Absolutely stunning. I'd give it more stars if I could.
September 4, 2022
They say boys don’t cry but isn’t it ok to be sad when bad things happen?
What a masterpiece, I’m still crying my eyes out for the first time reading a book. It’ll stay with me for a long time.
All you can know about this book is that Finn is Joe’s brother the sweetest 12 year old I’ve read, gives the battle of his life and Joe is right there by his side.
Sometimes bad things happen, sometimes no matter how much you fight you can’t win, and sometimes you just make the wrong choices.
If you want to feel that your heart is being squeezed, go ahead and dive in, you’ll feel the pain, as it was ever rarely so well written.
What a masterpiece, I’m still crying my eyes out for the first time reading a book. It’ll stay with me for a long time.
All you can know about this book is that Finn is Joe’s brother the sweetest 12 year old I’ve read, gives the battle of his life and Joe is right there by his side.
Sometimes bad things happen, sometimes no matter how much you fight you can’t win, and sometimes you just make the wrong choices.
If you want to feel that your heart is being squeezed, go ahead and dive in, you’ll feel the pain, as it was ever rarely so well written.
April 30, 2023
Recomendado 100%. Es una historia de dos hermanos y cómo cada uno vive una situación dramática a su manera. Finn y Joe se han quedado conmigo para siempre.
Creo que la autora consigue desde el primer momento que se conecte con los protagonistas y que suframos con cada contratiempo que viven a lo largo del libro.
Me parece un gran nivel para ser su primera novela. Consigue enganchar con capítulos cortos y con personajes muy reales.
La lucha de Joe por no convertirse en la deshonra que todos esperan que sea es muy interesante.
Creo que la autora consigue desde el primer momento que se conecte con los protagonistas y que suframos con cada contratiempo que viven a lo largo del libro.
Me parece un gran nivel para ser su primera novela. Consigue enganchar con capítulos cortos y con personajes muy reales.
La lucha de Joe por no convertirse en la deshonra que todos esperan que sea es muy interesante.
May 30, 2021
3.5 stars.
This book is an emotional one, and I did cry, but I felt like something was missing. I wish it was grittier, it would have suited the plot more. The beginning was slower and then a rushed end that left me a little confused. With the dual POV I felt it was predictable, and if you placed everything in chronological order I’m not sure there’s much story there.
Hard to rate this one. Some parts are very beautifully written, the complexities of this family are touched on but left a little unexplored. I rooted for Joe and adored Finn and enjoyed reading it but wouldn’t rush to read it again.
This book is an emotional one, and I did cry, but I felt like something was missing. I wish it was grittier, it would have suited the plot more. The beginning was slower and then a rushed end that left me a little confused. With the dual POV I felt it was predictable, and if you placed everything in chronological order I’m not sure there’s much story there.
Hard to rate this one. Some parts are very beautifully written, the complexities of this family are touched on but left a little unexplored. I rooted for Joe and adored Finn and enjoyed reading it but wouldn’t rush to read it again.
April 24, 2023
yo bro who got you crying like that…
May 3, 2021
Astonishing! Must read! You will cry but you will marvel at the extraordinary prose brought to us by Fiona Scarlett in Boys Don't Cry.
This is a beautiful, breathtaking, but emotionally devastating exploration of brotherly love. The bonds between Joe and Finn, fierce, protective and compassionate, enable the pair to face a less than easy life with a Ma who does not intervene and a Da who is in prison.
The story weaves in and out of the present day and recent past, painting a moving picture, an unforgettable one, of hardship, pain, betrayal, sacrifice and loss. But above all it is about love. A love so pure and innocent, it will catch in your throat, make your heart thump and your tears run freely.
Impossible to add detail, as the plot would be ruined, you have to read this immensely intimate and sensitive poetry, because every line, every word is a gem, sparkling with humanity, the power of memories and the strength to carry on.
I fell in love with Joe and Finn, a maternal longing to take care of the boys and prevent tragedy from striking this already beleaguered family, had me hanging on to every dialogue, every development and every hope.
Boys Don't Cry but they should.
If I could give this book a million stars I would, so read it, be swept away and decide for yourself why I believe this book shines with so much polished promise.
Thank you to the exceptionally talented Fiona Scarlett, her publisher and the Pigeonhole team for a 2021 Top Read.
This is a beautiful, breathtaking, but emotionally devastating exploration of brotherly love. The bonds between Joe and Finn, fierce, protective and compassionate, enable the pair to face a less than easy life with a Ma who does not intervene and a Da who is in prison.
The story weaves in and out of the present day and recent past, painting a moving picture, an unforgettable one, of hardship, pain, betrayal, sacrifice and loss. But above all it is about love. A love so pure and innocent, it will catch in your throat, make your heart thump and your tears run freely.
Impossible to add detail, as the plot would be ruined, you have to read this immensely intimate and sensitive poetry, because every line, every word is a gem, sparkling with humanity, the power of memories and the strength to carry on.
I fell in love with Joe and Finn, a maternal longing to take care of the boys and prevent tragedy from striking this already beleaguered family, had me hanging on to every dialogue, every development and every hope.
Boys Don't Cry but they should.
If I could give this book a million stars I would, so read it, be swept away and decide for yourself why I believe this book shines with so much polished promise.
Thank you to the exceptionally talented Fiona Scarlett, her publisher and the Pigeonhole team for a 2021 Top Read.
April 30, 2021
This is a debut novel for Fiona Scarlett but you'd be forgiven for thinking this is the writing of a seasoned, well established author. The story is short and punchy and poignant and heartbreaking. The setting is Dublin on a council estate where brother Joe(older) and Finn(12) live with their Ma and Da. The author paints a picture of life in these surroundings of drug running, the locals, the school and at its heart is the shock of sickness and loss. You will not come away from this story untouched or in my case a blubbering mess after reading from the two brothers' points of view. Both boys express themselves according to what they see. In the case of Joe it is setbacks, frustration and desperation. In the case of young Finn it is spunky and humorous. And, both viewpoints are highly understandable. The seriousness of the story is interspersed with humour which despite making one sad also fills one with hope. 5 Stars. Congratulations to this talented author!
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