A review by andthebeanstalk
Shy by Max Porter

challenging dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Max Porter turns his remarkable writing skills to the story of Shy - a young man struggling to control the anger and impulses bubbling inside him while also desperate to find a place for himself in the world. The present scene is one night in Shy’s stay at a ‘Last Chance’ home, but from there the narration shifts and glides between moments in his past and the voices of those around him repeating in his head. While reading we, like Shy, feel the weight of those experiences, the confusion of mistakes made, the presence of the past.

Porter is a master of blending poetry into his prose, finding the beauty in contemporary, everyday speech. In Shy he plays with the sounds and rhythms of rap and 90’s Jungle music to draw us in to his protagonist’s mind - like dancing you simply have to let yourself go with the flow.

This book is much like its hero - insightful, funny, incredibly tender, and packs a powerful punch.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings