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A review by chubby_little_butter_books
Different for Boys by Patrick Ness
challenging
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“Are there degrees of virginity?”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Are things different for boys who like boys? This is the central question of Patrick Ness’ short novel Different for Boys. Ant knows he’s done a lot, sexually speaking, but he’s not confident he’s not a virgin; after all, how can he tell when everything he’s done has been with a boy? As Ant begins a new school year, his friendship with best mate and occasional homophobe Charlie is tested and Ant has to start making decisions about who he wants to be. As friendship, masculinity, sex and vulnerability combine, intersect and sometimes clash, this novel tackles queer existence and becoming.
I honestly love this book, I tabbed the heck out of it. There is incredible impact in Patrick Ness’ writing and I really feel like this novel sings in several sections. One of the unique features of this book is the black bar redactions, used to censor language most teenagers use daily, but which is not present in most media about or for teenagers. These redactions are used to great effect to show what in this book is considered distasteful and what is permissible. I’ve spoken more about this in the pinned stories on my Instagram account (@chubby_little_butter_books). Overall I would highly recommend this book, particularly for those in the LGBTQIA community, as I think this is a really unique piece of writing and, ultimately, art about queer experience.
CW - homobobia, LGBTQIA+
Thank you to The Tandem Collective and Walker Books for the opportunity to be a part of the readalong for Different for Boys.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Are things different for boys who like boys? This is the central question of Patrick Ness’ short novel Different for Boys. Ant knows he’s done a lot, sexually speaking, but he’s not confident he’s not a virgin; after all, how can he tell when everything he’s done has been with a boy? As Ant begins a new school year, his friendship with best mate and occasional homophobe Charlie is tested and Ant has to start making decisions about who he wants to be. As friendship, masculinity, sex and vulnerability combine, intersect and sometimes clash, this novel tackles queer existence and becoming.
I honestly love this book, I tabbed the heck out of it. There is incredible impact in Patrick Ness’ writing and I really feel like this novel sings in several sections. One of the unique features of this book is the black bar redactions, used to censor language most teenagers use daily, but which is not present in most media about or for teenagers. These redactions are used to great effect to show what in this book is considered distasteful and what is permissible. I’ve spoken more about this in the pinned stories on my Instagram account (@chubby_little_butter_books). Overall I would highly recommend this book, particularly for those in the LGBTQIA community, as I think this is a really unique piece of writing and, ultimately, art about queer experience.
CW - homobobia, LGBTQIA+
Thank you to The Tandem Collective and Walker Books for the opportunity to be a part of the readalong for Different for Boys.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia