Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

Boys Don't Cry by Fíona Scarlett

7 reviews

bernard_black's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Medical content, Terminal illness, Grief, Cancer, Child death, and Domestic abuse

meeklovestoread's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I really wanted to like this book, especially considering how alluring the title was. Speaking of the title, I'd like to state that this title is quite misleading on what this book was about. Initially, I thought this book was going to explore the depths of how toxic masculinity affects the youth and how its conditioning has shaped previous generations. Although the author does displays events that depict toxic masculinity she never dives into how those principles and actions affect the main characters at all. Putting the misleading title aside, this book was actually a story about how gang culture shaped a family and its community as well as depicting the battles one faces when faced with a terminal illness.

I understand how many found this story emotional and a phenomenal piece on Dublin and the effects of gang culture and how classism plays a role. However, I felt like the issues this book was tackling were very surface-level. Joe didn't seem like a flushed-out enough character in my opinion and I don't we got enough insight into his grieving for his brother. Also, I was expecting more emotional interactions with the two brothers considering the blurb portrayed them to be very close. 

I'd also like to point out that I'm not familiar with Dublin culture so many of the phrases used were very unfamiliar to me and I just didn't vibe with the way that this book was written. And the ending of this book felt very underwhelming and inconclusive

What happened to his dad? Also, I'm confused about the shooting. Did he shoot his friend?

  I was very confused throughout a few parts of this book. Overall, the book just felt pretty surface-level and just didn't live up to what its potential in my opinion.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Cursing, Violence, Gun violence, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Classism, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, and Domestic abuse

pkc's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Achingly sad, but hopeful. A really gorgeous example of Irish literature: spare, taut and bruising. I absolutely loved it. Didn’t like feeling like I was asked to have sympathy for certain characters and it wrapped VERY quickly.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, and Cursing

roemfr's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cancer, Violence, Death, Cursing, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Child death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

ashleighvdk's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Cancer, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Medical content

Minor: Murder, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, and Gaslighting

skirteen's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

Moderate: Blood, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

isadorareads's review

dark emotional funny reflective sad

5.0

 Some stories leaves and indelible mark on you. This is one such story. Set in Dublin, it tells the tale of two brothers, Joe (17) and Finn (12). The story alternates from Finn to Joe and back again. You know from the opening that Finn is seriously unwell, and facing the end of his short life. Joe perspective is later, when he has to deal with life without his little brother. 

This is a heart breaking story, but there is so much humour too, particularly in the parts narrated by Finn. There is also love, so much love. Joe wants to protect his brother from the harsh realities of living on an estate, where their father is involved with the local gang leader. There is the love shared between friends, work colleagues and medical staff. And there is Annie, Joe and Finn’s mother, plunged into every parent’s nightmare, regardless of who you are or where you come from. 

The language is brutally honest, the family come from a tough background and their language reflects this. It is full of fantastic turns of phrase that immediately place you in the location. Close your eye and you are watching children play football on a concrete square that was meant to be a garden, or you are inside the pub where Annie serves behind the bar. 

What is the definition of a great story? One where you are no longer reading, you are experiencing. Yes, this is heart-breaking. Yes, you too may sob. Yes, you will think about Joe and Finn at random times days, even weeks and months later. It is a story that lodges itself firmly under the skin. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, and Terminal illness