4.21 AVERAGE


This was one of the very best teenage coming of age stories I’ve read. I think writing teen characters is really hard, but I think Lonesborough did a fantastic job. The development of Jackson and Tomas as characters was equal measures thoughtful and tender. Maybe my favorite part about the novel is the ending: it is satisfying for sure but not every little detail is resolved, so it feels like we’re leaving these two characters on their journey and maybe, if we’re lucky, we’ll get to meet up with them again.

meggles's review

4.0
emotional hopeful medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-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

Honestly I really loved this. It’s an honest expression of a seventeen-year-old’s experiences and doesn’t shy away from practical and less-pleasant topics, giving them a raw presentation. I especially love the look into Aboriginal culture, and as an American it gripped me from the start. The intersectionality of Jackson’s experience living on the Mish and coming to terms with his queerness makes for an utterly unique read. This was a gay-awakening story that really had me rooting for the main characters and I’m so glad things resolve well.

The only qualms I had was the prose was a little repetitive with sentence structure. But the story kept its grip on me. I would definitely recommend it to older teens and YA readers!

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3.5
skatercat's profile picture

skatercat's review

5.0

What a heart warming and uplifting debut novel. I can’t stop smiling.

charmc14's review

3.5
emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-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

a powerful story that is beautifully written. this book is one of a kind and written from the perspective of an Aboriginal boy who is struggling to come to terms with his identity. there were times when i couldn’t stop smiling and there were times when i was teary-eyed. the themes of belongingness, self-acceptance, and true family make this book truly inspiring.
liliana_b's profile picture

liliana_b's review

4.5
adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

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tarynlovestoread's profile picture

tarynlovestoread's review

4.0

The Boy from the Mish is young adult fiction and is the debut novel from Indigenous author Gary Lonesborough. I was excited about this book as soon as I heard it had been published because there are not many stories available for this age group where the main characters are Indigenous. I also like to read books by new Australian authors.

The Boy from the Mish is a coming-of-age story about male Indigenous teenagers and has romantic and social/cultural elements. I really enjoyed it. It’s about 17-year-old Jackson who lives in an Aboriginal mission near a coastal town. Jackson has a girlfriend but is beginning to question his sexuality, and this becomes a major concern for Jackson when he develops an attraction to Tomas, a visitor from Sydney. Jackson believes that his family and friends would reject him if he came out as gay, and thinks he would no longer be welcome at the Mish. On top of this, Jackson is dealing with racism from people in the community and the police force, deciding whether to drop out of school, and facing peer pressure to drink and do drugs.

I was really drawn into this story and liked the main characters a lot. I empathised with Jackson, his mum and Aunty, and Tomas, and had insight into how it would feel when faced with their various situations. I recommend it for anyone aged 16 or above and give it 4 stars.

emmamannering's review

4.0

Beautiful book