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A review by travelseatsreads
Boys Don't Cry by Fíona Scarlett
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
Boys Don't Cry is the stunning debut novel from Fiona Scarlett. It tells the story of Joe and Finn, two young brothers living in the flats in inner city Dublin and follows their struggles as they learn to live with a father who is heavily involved in the local crime gang, a mother who is trying to hold it all together and a shocking cancer diagnosis that has devastating effects.
This heartbreakingly beautiful and tender story is told with alternating chapters from each of the boys perspectives. This was so affective as it allows the reader to see the varied themes (poverty, crime, domestic violence, cancer & grief) through each of the boys eyes.
The writing is tender yet captivating. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down and had to finish it in one sitting. Fiona beautifully portrays the unbreakable bond between Joe and Finn and just how besotted they are with each other.
I also really enjoyed the female characters within this book, each one appeared to be trying to cope with the hand they had been dealt and made often hard choices to try to better themselves and those around them.
This is a gorgeous story, brimming with equal amounts of love and sorrow that will stay with me for a long time to come.
This heartbreakingly beautiful and tender story is told with alternating chapters from each of the boys perspectives. This was so affective as it allows the reader to see the varied themes (poverty, crime, domestic violence, cancer & grief) through each of the boys eyes.
The writing is tender yet captivating. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down and had to finish it in one sitting. Fiona beautifully portrays the unbreakable bond between Joe and Finn and just how besotted they are with each other.
I also really enjoyed the female characters within this book, each one appeared to be trying to cope with the hand they had been dealt and made often hard choices to try to better themselves and those around them.
This is a gorgeous story, brimming with equal amounts of love and sorrow that will stay with me for a long time to come.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, and Violence