A review by fionag
Shy by Max Porter

emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Shy is a lyrical and reflective glance into the mind of a troubled teenage boy. Spanning one night, we follow Shy on his journey, hearing his innermost thoughts, snippets from a documentary being filmed at his residence, and conversations with his workers. The way Porter plays with words always astounds me, they cannot simply be confined to a page. This makes the reading experience so immersive, but may take some a while to get into. You really get a feel for who Shy is across the span of 120 pages. Max writes boyhood, horniness, anger, confusion and sadness so well you feel transported back to your teens. The brief glimpses we get into the relationships between Shy and his parents, workers, and friends are complex and have a brilliant dynamic. Lanny is still my favourite but I really enjoyed Shy and would pick it up again 
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