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nicole_reads_everything 's review for:
Funny Boy
by Shyam Selvadurai
Around the World Reading Challenge: SRI LANKA
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This book focuses on Arjie, a young boy in 1980s Sri Lanka who's discovering his sexuality and how "funny" he's considered in a very heteronormative society. The book takes place during the growing tensions and conflict, and eventual deadly riots, between the Tamil and Sinhalese people. I thought it made for a super fascinating backdrop and I really appreciated getting to learn a bit more about this time in Sri Lankan history. We learn alongside Arjie as he starts growing up and understanding the actions and deeper meaning behind those actions of the adults around him. I thought the build was great, though the ending did feel somewhat rushed and abrupt. We get to see the build up between Arjie and his first relationship with another boy, but then suddenly we're skipping to the end and are being told that they've been together a lot without actually seeing it. I wish the last 20% or so had been a lot more fleshed out, as a *lot* is happening in the story politically, which I enjoyed, but the author ends up sacrificing the personal story to convey the impacts of the political stuff, and it ultimately felt a little rushed/unsatisfying. I still really enjoyed it overall, though, and would recommend!
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This book focuses on Arjie, a young boy in 1980s Sri Lanka who's discovering his sexuality and how "funny" he's considered in a very heteronormative society. The book takes place during the growing tensions and conflict, and eventual deadly riots, between the Tamil and Sinhalese people. I thought it made for a super fascinating backdrop and I really appreciated getting to learn a bit more about this time in Sri Lankan history. We learn alongside Arjie as he starts growing up and understanding the actions and deeper meaning behind those actions of the adults around him. I thought the build was great, though the ending did feel somewhat rushed and abrupt. We get to see the build up between Arjie and his first relationship with another boy, but then suddenly we're skipping to the end and are being told that they've been together a lot without actually seeing it. I wish the last 20% or so had been a lot more fleshed out, as a *lot* is happening in the story politically, which I enjoyed, but the author ends up sacrificing the personal story to convey the impacts of the political stuff, and it ultimately felt a little rushed/unsatisfying. I still really enjoyed it overall, though, and would recommend!