Reviews

Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai

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carlottaione's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

this book beautifully encapsulates the reality of coming into queerness at a young age, while the world around you is completely in turmoil. i loved the writing from the perspective of a young child, because i felt like it was actually done really well, and didn't feel like an adult who had no idea how children were like. the writing was engaging and beautiful, and the book was a total page turner.

surbhi96's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective 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? It's complicated

4.75

derhindemith's review against another edition

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4.0

Others have written that this is a novel about a boy learning and coming to terms with the fact that he is gay. In my estimation, that is the background of the novel. This is a novel about racism. Racism so violent that it actually destroyed a country and effected a diaspora among many of its citizens. Literally every story in the novel is permeated with the fact that racism is a fact and has far reaching effects in people’s lives. Whether it be love, work, or simply existing, regardless of whether you are a member of the majority or minority, racism touches your life and colors your decisions, whether you want it to or not.
Additionally, I find it interesting that I read this so quickly after “The Women’s Courtyard”, because it many ways the two are analogues of one another. They both have as narrator, a young child (in The Women’s Courtyard, we follow her into adulthood), who have complicated relationships understanding their own romantic interests, in countries experiencing extreme political upheaval.

margztgz's review

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dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

this was good, but made me feel a sort of nagging sadness that never got resolved. there is a beautiful simplicity in the prose and tender depiction of social relations in this book, but i wish it had done more with what it had. still a good book though and definitely taught me a lot about sri lankan history that i wasn't aware of.

sagittariusreads_'s review against another edition

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emotional informative slow-paced

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

4.0

halftimelord's review

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Really enjoyed this book - it's so well written that at times it almost felt like someone was talking to me instead of reading. It explains the political landscape, racism and homophobia through the eyes of a child, then teenager very convincingly.

The contrast of the events of the last chapter with the rest of the book and the different format that it's told in works really well and effectively.