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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Well, I just read this in one sitting. š There were some problematic character flaws (mainly any and all forgiveness of terrible people), but Grace is just so kick-ass that she smooths over most of them for me. I very much enjoyed the final altercation and was glad that Grace continued standing up for herself.
I liked this book. I liked the alternating narrators and believed in the voices of each character. I thought the parents of the narrators were also well-written. The school atmosphere feels realistic for the most part, as well. The best part of the novel is the way characters misunderstand each other-that is beautifully rendered and feels honest. The ending is what kept me from loving this book. Even though I (and probably everyone) hopes for a happy ending with a story like this, it felt rushed and ultimately a little too happy too quickly. Still, good read and definitely worth it for the treatment of rape culture.
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really liked Some Boys, and it's the first book in a while that I've been excited about reviewing!
Some Boys made me sad and angry...sometimes at the same time. I HATED how everyone treated Grace after her rape, and how everyone thought it was her fault, and that she deserved it, because she was drunk and because of how she dresses. I hated how everyone turned against her because no one wanted to believe that the town golden boy was capable of rape.
It really made me so sad for Grace, who had no one on her side- except for her mom. She really seemed like a good kid, and she really doesn't deserve anything that happened to her. It just made no sense to me that no one believed her or was willing to stand up for her. I liked that she didn't leave school and study abroad and I liked that she stayed strong, and didn't give up hope that things would get better.
I thought Some Boys really highlighted rape culture, and how we still see women as deserving it and how people believe someone like Zac isn't capable of it. It's nothing new, but I liked that you felt for Grace, and it really came through that she went through something horrible.
I also loved that part of the book was narrated by Ian, who is Zac's best friend. There were times when I hated Ian, because he just stood by and let people say horrible things about Grace, even though he was the only person talking to her willingly. He really struggled with doing the right thing, but in the end, he did the right thing. There were hints at a potential romance between Grace and Ian, and I'm sure some people will dislike the fact that he's why everyone eventually believed Grace's story. I wasn't bothered by it because he was Zac's best friend, and because I feel like he really did change, and that he wanted to change.
The only thing that I didn't like about the book was the ending. I just didn't like that Grace was so forgiving of everyone else, and that it was as though the last few weeks didn't happen. It was just too nice and neat, and I felt like Grace was way too forgiving of a town that put her through hell. Maybe she wanted things to go back to normal, and maybe people were on her side, but were too scared to speak up, but I felt like it didn't fit with the rest of the book. I'm glad everyone finally believed her but I wish she didn't forgive so easily.
Let's Rate It: Overall, I really liked Some Boys, and how it highlights how ridiculous and horrible people can be when it comes to rape. I didn't care for the ending, and unfortunately, I thought the book was great up until that point. I still highly recommend this book! Some Boys gets 4 stars.
Some Boys made me sad and angry...sometimes at the same time. I HATED how everyone treated Grace after her rape, and how everyone thought it was her fault, and that she deserved it, because she was drunk and because of how she dresses. I hated how everyone turned against her because no one wanted to believe that the town golden boy was capable of rape.
It really made me so sad for Grace, who had no one on her side- except for her mom. She really seemed like a good kid, and she really doesn't deserve anything that happened to her. It just made no sense to me that no one believed her or was willing to stand up for her. I liked that she didn't leave school and study abroad and I liked that she stayed strong, and didn't give up hope that things would get better.
I thought Some Boys really highlighted rape culture, and how we still see women as deserving it and how people believe someone like Zac isn't capable of it. It's nothing new, but I liked that you felt for Grace, and it really came through that she went through something horrible.
I also loved that part of the book was narrated by Ian, who is Zac's best friend. There were times when I hated Ian, because he just stood by and let people say horrible things about Grace, even though he was the only person talking to her willingly. He really struggled with doing the right thing, but in the end, he did the right thing. There were hints at a potential romance between Grace and Ian, and I'm sure some people will dislike the fact that he's why everyone eventually believed Grace's story. I wasn't bothered by it because he was Zac's best friend, and because I feel like he really did change, and that he wanted to change.
The only thing that I didn't like about the book was the ending. I just didn't like that Grace was so forgiving of everyone else, and that it was as though the last few weeks didn't happen. It was just too nice and neat, and I felt like Grace was way too forgiving of a town that put her through hell. Maybe she wanted things to go back to normal, and maybe people were on her side, but were too scared to speak up, but I felt like it didn't fit with the rest of the book. I'm glad everyone finally believed her but I wish she didn't forgive so easily.
Let's Rate It: Overall, I really liked Some Boys, and how it highlights how ridiculous and horrible people can be when it comes to rape. I didn't care for the ending, and unfortunately, I thought the book was great up until that point. I still highly recommend this book! Some Boys gets 4 stars.
If a girlās attacked in the forest and no oneās around to see it or hear it, did it really happen?
Out of all the books Iāve read that deal with rape and sexual assault(which I admit is not many) I think Some Boys is my favorite. At first I thought it was strange that a book which centered around rape and itās aftermath had a title and tagline that focused on the boys in the story instead of the main character, Grace, but after reading, I get it(even if that tag line is still infuriating). I think what makes Some Boys work is that it simultaneously gives a close look at Grace and her thought process while also pushing the camera angle on the entire situation back a little and giving someone elseās point of view.
This book is told in a split POV between Grace and Ian. A few weeks before the book starts, Grace is sexually assaulted at a party and identifies Zac, a popular Lacrosse player, as her rapist. Zac claims that Grace was into it and let him film them, and now thereās a video up on Facebook with hundreds of likes and Graceās peers start hurtling insults and slurs her way. Ian is Zacās best friend who happened to miss most of the party and ended up finding Grace and taking her to the hospital, though based upon what he knows of his friend he doesnāt believe that Zac is capable of such a thing. As their luck turns out, both of them get in trouble at school and get sentenced to the same punishment to gain back privileges: cleaning out the lockers at the school over spring break.
As the book progresses, Ian and Grace start slowly interacting with each other. Most of Graceās chapters include her dealing with what has happened and being ostracized by her former friends. Ian realizes that Grace believe sheās telling the truth, but he also thinks that Zac is telling the truth as well. He finds himself in between the contradicting stories and wondering where the real truth lies, as well as dealing with some lies of his own.
The story of Some Boys isnāt newāitās in the news every day. What makes this book stand out, however, is it takes all the excuses and sound bytes that are often given to pardon the guilty and blame the victim when the crime is of a sexual nature and dismantles them piece by piece. This is why I came to appreciate Ianās point of view, even when he frustrated me. Ian isnāt a ābad guyā, and neither are his friends, but the narrative still shows how they can be complicit in these crimes even while never condoning them.
Because itās not just about what happened to Graceāitās also about what happened after that. About how pervasive victim blaming in, how so many cultural things play into that, how Grace is ostracized, how nobody believes her in the game of āhe said she saidā until a guy speaks up. Itās infuriating, but all that parts of Some Boys rang incredibly true. There were a good deal of quotes I highlighted:
āDo the laws against sexual assault not apply to strippers? To girlfriends? I donāt get that.ā
āItās my face. Itās my body. I can dress it up or down however I want. Why is that such a hard concept for guys to accept?ā
āBeing noticed is fine. But being noticed isnāt the same as being ridiculed, insulted, ostracized, shamed. Being noticed isnāt an open invitation to guys to do whatever they want to me.ā
The one thing I didnāt like about Some Boys was the ending. There were parts I thought make sense, but in the end it seemed a little too neatly resolved to really resonate with the novel I had been reading up to that point. I think if the book had ended a little sooner that it did, it would have made more of an impression on me and I would have found it more realistic. That being said, I definitely read Some Boys in one sitting and itās one of my favorite books Iāve read that have touched on these issues.
This review first appeared on Book.Blog.Bake.
Out of all the books Iāve read that deal with rape and sexual assault(which I admit is not many) I think Some Boys is my favorite. At first I thought it was strange that a book which centered around rape and itās aftermath had a title and tagline that focused on the boys in the story instead of the main character, Grace, but after reading, I get it(even if that tag line is still infuriating). I think what makes Some Boys work is that it simultaneously gives a close look at Grace and her thought process while also pushing the camera angle on the entire situation back a little and giving someone elseās point of view.
This book is told in a split POV between Grace and Ian. A few weeks before the book starts, Grace is sexually assaulted at a party and identifies Zac, a popular Lacrosse player, as her rapist. Zac claims that Grace was into it and let him film them, and now thereās a video up on Facebook with hundreds of likes and Graceās peers start hurtling insults and slurs her way. Ian is Zacās best friend who happened to miss most of the party and ended up finding Grace and taking her to the hospital, though based upon what he knows of his friend he doesnāt believe that Zac is capable of such a thing. As their luck turns out, both of them get in trouble at school and get sentenced to the same punishment to gain back privileges: cleaning out the lockers at the school over spring break.
As the book progresses, Ian and Grace start slowly interacting with each other. Most of Graceās chapters include her dealing with what has happened and being ostracized by her former friends. Ian realizes that Grace believe sheās telling the truth, but he also thinks that Zac is telling the truth as well. He finds himself in between the contradicting stories and wondering where the real truth lies, as well as dealing with some lies of his own.
The story of Some Boys isnāt newāitās in the news every day. What makes this book stand out, however, is it takes all the excuses and sound bytes that are often given to pardon the guilty and blame the victim when the crime is of a sexual nature and dismantles them piece by piece. This is why I came to appreciate Ianās point of view, even when he frustrated me. Ian isnāt a ābad guyā, and neither are his friends, but the narrative still shows how they can be complicit in these crimes even while never condoning them.
Because itās not just about what happened to Graceāitās also about what happened after that. About how pervasive victim blaming in, how so many cultural things play into that, how Grace is ostracized, how nobody believes her in the game of āhe said she saidā until a guy speaks up. Itās infuriating, but all that parts of Some Boys rang incredibly true. There were a good deal of quotes I highlighted:
āDo the laws against sexual assault not apply to strippers? To girlfriends? I donāt get that.ā
āItās my face. Itās my body. I can dress it up or down however I want. Why is that such a hard concept for guys to accept?ā
āBeing noticed is fine. But being noticed isnāt the same as being ridiculed, insulted, ostracized, shamed. Being noticed isnāt an open invitation to guys to do whatever they want to me.ā
The one thing I didnāt like about Some Boys was the ending. There were parts I thought make sense, but in the end it seemed a little too neatly resolved to really resonate with the novel I had been reading up to that point. I think if the book had ended a little sooner that it did, it would have made more of an impression on me and I would have found it more realistic. That being said, I definitely read Some Boys in one sitting and itās one of my favorite books Iāve read that have touched on these issues.
This review first appeared on Book.Blog.Bake.
This book talks about some very important topics. Grace is assaulted at a party and then no one believes her. The police don't have enough information to act. Everyone is quick to blame Grace because of the way she dressed and the amount she drank. The story follows her as she deals with the aftermath of the situation. It also has a dual perspective from Ian, who struggles then learns to overcome his preconceived perceptions.
This is such an important topic to put into people's minds, situations like this happen all too often. Because these situations often take place in private situations they can come down to 'he said, she said' scenarios with little concrete evidence. Which results in people taking sides and victims often getting re-victimised and ostracised. Which is wrong. And something needs to change in society and how we place blame for these situations occurring. It shouldn't matter how girls dress. I liked the scene where she covers herself in the pink cloth and says 'you're welcome' to all the boys as they pass, highlighting the ingrained prejudices.
I enjoyed the struggle that Ian went through. It seemed to paint a realistic picture of what would happen to someone who is struggling to come to terms with his friend assaulting someone and changing his beliefs from trusting to forsaking. His dad was an important role model who kick started this process by presenting another similar story and recommending he check for other sides of the story. I enjoyed seeing their relationship change as Ian himself changed.
An important story, that I felt accurately portrayed a too common situation.
This is such an important topic to put into people's minds, situations like this happen all too often. Because these situations often take place in private situations they can come down to 'he said, she said' scenarios with little concrete evidence. Which results in people taking sides and victims often getting re-victimised and ostracised. Which is wrong. And something needs to change in society and how we place blame for these situations occurring. It shouldn't matter how girls dress. I liked the scene where she covers herself in the pink cloth and says 'you're welcome' to all the boys as they pass, highlighting the ingrained prejudices.
I enjoyed the struggle that Ian went through. It seemed to paint a realistic picture of what would happen to someone who is struggling to come to terms with his friend assaulting someone and changing his beliefs from trusting to forsaking. His dad was an important role model who kick started this process by presenting another similar story and recommending he check for other sides of the story. I enjoyed seeing their relationship change as Ian himself changed.
An important story, that I felt accurately portrayed a too common situation.
I'm torn with this book. In some ways it is fantastic. But there are some problems with it, too.
The Good:
Great portrayal of what rape victims face. This book definitely shines a light on rape culture in our society. There are some really important messages here. I really loved Grace's analysis of The Taming of the Shrew in het literature class!
I liked that Grace refuses to run, though as others have pointed out, that's not an option for most victims.
I like the way this book shows how the rape of someone you love can really affect other people. Family and friends don't always react well. They have their own issues to come to terms with. Who wants to believe that their best friend is a rapist? What girl wants to face the fact that they could just as easily have been the victim? It's easier to try to find a reason why it was her, to assign blame.
Ian's dad was amazing! Grace's mom was incredibly supportive. It's good to see that parents in YA books can be positively involved in their children's lives.
The Bad:
Let's start with the tag line: "But one boy can mend it." Ugh!!!! So the wrong message! Grace doesn't need a boy to mend it. Unlike what Ian says, she does not need a guy who "get's her." She needs people who believe in her and support her. I get that authors don't always have a say over the tag lines and descriptions. But -
Why the focus on the romance? OK, so rape victims don't somehow lose a desire for a loving relationship. But it feels like she needs the romance to truly heal. I think the scene where two of the girls in school said they believed her and thought she was fierce was much more realistic and effective.
The end! No way this blew over that much that quickly. Many people would still have blamed her for ruining the golden boy's future, for sabotaging the lacrosse team. But things wrap up much too neatly and we get a happy ever after ending when we should get a sense that she is just starting to come out the worst of her crisis and move on with her life.
All in all, 3.5 stars. It certainly has the potential to lead to some powerful discussions.
The Good:
Great portrayal of what rape victims face. This book definitely shines a light on rape culture in our society. There are some really important messages here. I really loved Grace's analysis of The Taming of the Shrew in het literature class!
I liked that Grace refuses to run, though as others have pointed out, that's not an option for most victims.
I like the way this book shows how the rape of someone you love can really affect other people. Family and friends don't always react well. They have their own issues to come to terms with. Who wants to believe that their best friend is a rapist? What girl wants to face the fact that they could just as easily have been the victim? It's easier to try to find a reason why it was her, to assign blame.
Ian's dad was amazing! Grace's mom was incredibly supportive. It's good to see that parents in YA books can be positively involved in their children's lives.
The Bad:
Let's start with the tag line: "But one boy can mend it." Ugh!!!! So the wrong message! Grace doesn't need a boy to mend it. Unlike what Ian says, she does not need a guy who "get's her." She needs people who believe in her and support her. I get that authors don't always have a say over the tag lines and descriptions. But -
Why the focus on the romance? OK, so rape victims don't somehow lose a desire for a loving relationship. But it feels like she needs the romance to truly heal. I think the scene where two of the girls in school said they believed her and thought she was fierce was much more realistic and effective.
The end! No way this blew over that much that quickly. Many people would still have blamed her for ruining the golden boy's future, for sabotaging the lacrosse team. But things wrap up much too neatly and we get a happy ever after ending when we should get a sense that she is just starting to come out the worst of her crisis and move on with her life.
All in all, 3.5 stars. It certainly has the potential to lead to some powerful discussions.
I dug the first half of this book, but the more I read of Ian's perspective the more I really started to dislike it. He was THE WORST. Reading his chapters was like watching Finn in the first season of Glee; each episode Finn was learning the same lesson about not being a jerk and befriend the glee club members. Ian and Grace's relationship is pretty similar. Ian kept realizing Grace was a human being and then immediately forgetting so that his character development would need to start from square one all over again. I cannot state how much I hate him.
Grace's parents were also inconsistent in their behavior. At first, her mom seemed really great and supportive. Then, she would be saying Grace tried to steal her friend's boyfriend and would sound tired when Grace was having another panic attack. It didn't feel like she was a character with many facets, but like the author couldn't decide how Grace's mother felt about the situation.
Limiting the story to only Grace's perspective would have helped a lot with the plot. Outside of Ian's stupidity, there were just too many story threads that took away from the main plot. There wasn't any real sense of urgency as to what was going to happen to Grace. Was there no investigation going on? Why were the lacrosse players not suspended or benched for underage drinking? What about the pictures Zac took (and shared!) of Grace's friends? I'm was much more interested in these details than the romance developing between Ian and Grace (and seriously, why does Grace even like him?).
Grace as a character was okay, but her reasoning for her actions felt very half-assed. With as much as she experienced, I don't know why she would think a picture of Zac with his game-face would prove anything. Her idea of dressing in a burqa (or niqab, really, though it's never described) was in such bad taste, to say the least. There are so many issues with that scene, in terms of cultural appropriation, stereotyping, and Islamaphobia. If her plan is to 'cover up,' why not get a floor length skirt and a turtleneck?
Beyond these issues, I felt like the author didn't properly deal with rape culture and slut-shaming. Ian frequently comments about how Grace (and his sisters) would look better without her makeup and is constantly objectifying her He becomes upset when Grace's friends are making out and having sex with Zac and his friends. These are some perfect situations where Blount could have challenged that kind of thinking, but she doesn't. It's just sort of happens and is then ignored. This is part of why Ian's perspective was so frustrating to read.
It's one thing to have a character who is ignorant, but what's the point if they're never really challenged? He supposedly learns his 'lesson' in the end, but it feels shallow and unearned. I also feel like the ending was a bit of a cop-out. What if Zac didn't have that video? It seemed to be the actual tipping point for Ian. What if he hadn't seen it? Would he continue to waffle about the situation? Only believing that a rape happened because of literally seeing a video of the act is NOT really character development or redemption.
If reading this book gets people thinking about rape culture, including slut-shaming then that's fantastic. I would, however, strongly suggest All the Rage by Courtney Summers, The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis, Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E. K. Johnston, and, of course, Speak Laurie Halse Anderson for better handling of such difficult topics.
Grace's parents were also inconsistent in their behavior. At first, her mom seemed really great and supportive. Then, she would be saying Grace tried to steal her friend's boyfriend and would sound tired when Grace was having another panic attack. It didn't feel like she was a character with many facets, but like the author couldn't decide how Grace's mother felt about the situation.
Limiting the story to only Grace's perspective would have helped a lot with the plot. Outside of Ian's stupidity, there were just too many story threads that took away from the main plot. There wasn't any real sense of urgency as to what was going to happen to Grace. Was there no investigation going on? Why were the lacrosse players not suspended or benched for underage drinking? What about the pictures Zac took (and shared!) of Grace's friends? I'm was much more interested in these details than the romance developing between Ian and Grace (and seriously, why does Grace even like him?).
Grace as a character was okay, but her reasoning for her actions felt very half-assed. With as much as she experienced, I don't know why she would think a picture of Zac with his game-face would prove anything. Her idea of dressing in a burqa (or niqab, really, though it's never described) was in such bad taste, to say the least. There are so many issues with that scene, in terms of cultural appropriation, stereotyping, and Islamaphobia. If her plan is to 'cover up,' why not get a floor length skirt and a turtleneck?
Beyond these issues, I felt like the author didn't properly deal with rape culture and slut-shaming. Ian frequently comments about how Grace (and his sisters) would look better without her makeup and is constantly objectifying her He becomes upset when Grace's friends are making out and having sex with Zac and his friends. These are some perfect situations where Blount could have challenged that kind of thinking, but she doesn't. It's just sort of happens and is then ignored. This is part of why Ian's perspective was so frustrating to read.
It's one thing to have a character who is ignorant, but what's the point if they're never really challenged? He supposedly learns his 'lesson' in the end, but it feels shallow and unearned. I also feel like the ending was a bit of a cop-out. What if Zac didn't have that video? It seemed to be the actual tipping point for Ian. What if he hadn't seen it? Would he continue to waffle about the situation? Only believing that a rape happened because of literally seeing a video of the act is NOT really character development or redemption.
If reading this book gets people thinking about rape culture, including slut-shaming then that's fantastic. I would, however, strongly suggest All the Rage by Courtney Summers, The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis, Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E. K. Johnston, and, of course, Speak Laurie Halse Anderson for better handling of such difficult topics.
What a gripping story. Grace, a high school senior, is raped at a party and no one is talking. The star of the lacrosse team is the boy she accuses. Of course he denies it and the school is divided. All of them against Grace. She finds her strength although her free flowing mouth gets her in trouble. She is sentenced to a spring break of cleaning out lockers with the boy she was crushing on, before his friend had his way with her.
In spite of all that they find a common ground and Grace starts slowly letting out her grief. Itās only when he lets her down that she spirals out of control. What she doesnāt know is Ian, the boy she really likes, knows the truth. He let her down by insulting her in front of his friends, now he has to make it right.
Now Iām not going to promise you the ending you want, only because I never give away an ending. But this book should be recommended to all rape victims. Being a rape survivor myself, I would have felt better having this book as my friend. People can tell you they understand, or how to cope, but if youāve never been raped, how can you be so sure? Iām happy I found a way to deal, but not everyone does. This book helped me find a little more peace with my rape, and that took place 13 years ago!
Please pick up this book and read it, it is well worth the time and brings a very refreshing writing style to a touchy subject! I loved this book and know you will too.
In spite of all that they find a common ground and Grace starts slowly letting out her grief. Itās only when he lets her down that she spirals out of control. What she doesnāt know is Ian, the boy she really likes, knows the truth. He let her down by insulting her in front of his friends, now he has to make it right.
Now Iām not going to promise you the ending you want, only because I never give away an ending. But this book should be recommended to all rape victims. Being a rape survivor myself, I would have felt better having this book as my friend. People can tell you they understand, or how to cope, but if youāve never been raped, how can you be so sure? Iām happy I found a way to deal, but not everyone does. This book helped me find a little more peace with my rape, and that took place 13 years ago!
Please pick up this book and read it, it is well worth the time and brings a very refreshing writing style to a touchy subject! I loved this book and know you will too.