A review by toolittletime
Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai

challenging emotional 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

5.0

A wonderful exploration of growing up queer and also one of feeling like the home you love doesn't love you back. In this case, that feeling comes from both Arjie's sexuality and his ethnicity as a Tamil in 1970-80's Sri Lanka. Each section of the book covers a different age/time period in Arjie's life, and Selvadurai did a good job of creating a different feel for those sections. Though there is also tension in Arjie's life, starting when he is 7 and his "funny" ways are starting to be noticed and stopped by his family, his knowledge and understanding of those tensions are giving more understanding as he ages. Since I was unfamiliar with Sri Lankan history, I felt like I was learning and understanding more of the rising ethnic tensions as Arjie was. 

Selvadurai's prose was wonderful and I loved watching Arjie grow into his queerness.