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A review by dreamgalaxies
Boys of Alabama by Genevieve Hudson
3.0
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Content warnings are, as always, at the bottom to avoid spoilers.
So let me start this review with the caveat that this is NOT a YA novel. It is a coming of age novel, and one that spends a lot of time on the unique tragedies of being a teenager, but I would not recommend this book necessarily to young adults.
That being said, it's fascinating to see the divide in these reviews. I see a lot of people complaining about stereotypes, and a lot of folks praising the realistic characterization and Southern Gothic atmosphere. I think there's a little bit of both here; Hudson takes Southern stereotypes and peels back the layers, creating strong characterization and humanity within these stereotypes--the foreign exchange student, the 'witch,' the jocks, etc. I appreciated the nuance with which these characters' relationships were treated for the most part.
This was an incredibly difficult book to rate because there there was so much to like in this book: compulsive readability, beautiful prose, excellent creepy **vibes**/atmosphere, depiction of literally toxic masculinity, queer Southern teen loneliness and the hunger to fit in. I can tell a book creates an especially textured/effective atmosphere when it affects my mood after I finish it, and that was definitely the case here. The matter of fact tone contrasting with the horrifying events made the depiction of the Gothic all the more effective. Teenagers can absolutely be monstrous, and that was not treated with kid gloves here.
What didn't work so well:
- The pacing. I didn't mind the meandering plot at all; it felt very true to the teen experience of time and there was enough to keep me interested. But some of the most intense thematic material of the book--and the shocking denouement--do not feel as if they are treated with the gravity and respect they deserve as the book hurtles to its conclusion.
-the central theme of "wrongness" in the South not including any analysis of race at all??? We get one sentence about how "their ancestors kept slaves" and two paper-thin Black characters. Honestly, I took a star off just for that. Having grown up in the South, I know there is so much to unpack here with an eye toward horror themes, but you just can't write a book about evangelism and prejudice in Alabama without meaningful inclusion of race.
Again, a difficult book to rate. Hudson writes beautifully and does a great job with a layered and complex narrative that seeks to unpack how 'normal' people buy into toxic cultural norms. While the characterization of Max as 'naive exchange student' may not be 100% successful, Hudson is smart to create this distance, which allows an uncertain queer outsider perspective into the hallowed halls of Southern masculinity. Despite its flaws, I enjoyed this book and I will certainly read their future work.
CWs for: homophobia, violence, rape, self harm, dead animals, Christian-based cult.
Content warnings are, as always, at the bottom to avoid spoilers.
So let me start this review with the caveat that this is NOT a YA novel. It is a coming of age novel, and one that spends a lot of time on the unique tragedies of being a teenager, but I would not recommend this book necessarily to young adults.
That being said, it's fascinating to see the divide in these reviews. I see a lot of people complaining about stereotypes, and a lot of folks praising the realistic characterization and Southern Gothic atmosphere. I think there's a little bit of both here; Hudson takes Southern stereotypes and peels back the layers, creating strong characterization and humanity within these stereotypes--the foreign exchange student, the 'witch,' the jocks, etc. I appreciated the nuance with which these characters' relationships were treated for the most part.
This was an incredibly difficult book to rate because there there was so much to like in this book: compulsive readability, beautiful prose, excellent creepy **vibes**/atmosphere, depiction of literally toxic masculinity, queer Southern teen loneliness and the hunger to fit in. I can tell a book creates an especially textured/effective atmosphere when it affects my mood after I finish it, and that was definitely the case here. The matter of fact tone contrasting with the horrifying events made the depiction of the Gothic all the more effective. Teenagers can absolutely be monstrous, and that was not treated with kid gloves here.
What didn't work so well:
- The pacing. I didn't mind the meandering plot at all; it felt very true to the teen experience of time and there was enough to keep me interested. But some of the most intense thematic material of the book--
Spoiler
Max's rape, "bible camp"-the central theme of "wrongness" in the South not including any analysis of race at all??? We get one sentence about how "their ancestors kept slaves" and two paper-thin Black characters. Honestly, I took a star off just for that. Having grown up in the South, I know there is so much to unpack here with an eye toward horror themes, but you just can't write a book about evangelism and prejudice in Alabama without meaningful inclusion of race.
Again, a difficult book to rate. Hudson writes beautifully and does a great job with a layered and complex narrative that seeks to unpack how 'normal' people buy into toxic cultural norms. While the characterization of Max as 'naive exchange student' may not be 100% successful, Hudson is smart to create this distance, which allows an uncertain queer outsider perspective into the hallowed halls of Southern masculinity. Despite its flaws, I enjoyed this book and I will certainly read their future work.
CWs for: homophobia, violence, rape, self harm, dead animals, Christian-based cult.