Boy Kills Man

by Matt Whyman

In the South American town of Medellin, where drug dealers rule and hope is scarce, young assassins are in large supply. Take Shorty and Alberto: two hardened best friends from poor homes whose biggest dream is to see a live soccer match. These boys understand that the one true power they will ever possess comes in the form of a fully loaded Smith & Wesson. Pulling the trigger may not be a way out . . . but it's the only way to the top.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Crime, Drama, Contemporary, Childrens

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 13, 2005

About the author

Matt Whyman is an award-winning novelist and non-fiction writer. He has co-written bestselling books with some of the world’s leading figures in sport, high performance and popular culture including Gareth Southgate, Matthew Syed, Billy Connolly and Sir David Attenborough as well as the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team.

Reviews

[R U D Y · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. The main character is Sonney a 12 year old boy who is just trying to live the streets of Medellin, Colombia. Sonney always tried to keep out of trouble but he saw that his friend Alberto was living the life, he wanted to do it but later on he realizes that is was a mistake.

[Fullerton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boy Kills Man was a book that I hvae never read befor. It is an autobiogaphy about a 12 year old boy named Sonney. This story is about Sonney's life, though his eyes, of dugs, drinking, gangs, and him living in the getteo of Mexico. He has some money problems so decides to become an assassine.
He lives with his Mom and his Uncle Jario, and also lives next to his bestfriend Alberto. Alberto is also a kid assassine that kill people for a living.
Sonney and Alberto and Sonney are just like normal kids, playing soccer and haveing dreams being on a professional, and running around the city for fun, the onlything diffrent is that they have guns.
I think that this book is 3/5 stars because it is boring in the beggining and your really need your full devoted attention to understand this book. On the other have it wasn't very long but has small print so it seems like it is longer than it really is. Another up side tothis book is that it gets alot better during the end of the book.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great cover! Probably predictable if you do a lot of reading but with a very discussable ending, and a discussable trip along the way.

[Fernando Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it because it was interesting. There was lots of turns and twists to it.

[Sandra Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

Violent and gruesome, but likely a true depiction of organized crime in Columbia. Definitely not for the faint of heart.

[Mattt Bevacqua · Rating 2 out of 5]

This marking period, I decided to read Boy Kills Man by Matt Whyman. The book follows the story of Sonny and his friend Alberto who struggle to survive in the violent streets of Medellin, Colombia. Initially the boys try to stay out of crime but eventually Alberto is hired by a local crime boss as an assassin. Sonny is afraid of Alberto and his lifestyle at first but once he sees the power Alberto’s new job gives him Sonny is determined to work for the boss. However, Sonny quickly regrets this when Alberto goes missing and he realizes how expendable he is to his boss. Overall I would give this book a ⅖ rating. I liked the setting and characters it created but I thought that it was way too short and didn't go into enough detail about any of the events or how they affected the characters.
One element of fiction that was important in this book was its setting. The setting of this book is the crime filled streets of modern day Columbia. An example of this setting being important is when before he kills a man, Sonny is told “Just make it clean for the boss, and you can earn yourself that season ticket he’s been promising” (Whyman, 76). This shows the setting to be important because it shows how much soccer is valued in Colombian culture to the point that it is used as incentive to kill. Another time the setting is important is when the boys are talking about Pablo Escobar and say “He was a complicated man from a complicated place.” (Whyman, 65). This is an important part of the setting because it shows how the boys glorify Pablo Escobar to justify their criminal actions.
Another important element of fiction in this book was the characters. The two main characters of the book are Sonny and Alberto. In the book Alberto is shown to be caring. An example of this is when he Sonny needs help and Alberto says “You need money, right? How many times do I have to say it, Sonny? You only have to ask.” (Whyman, 86). This shows Alberto to be caring because he is very insistent on helping his friend. Another example of this is how Sonny is shown to be cautious. An example of this is when he is talking to Alberto and says “You can't wear a gun and hope nobody’s going to notice” (Whyman, 80). That is how the characters are important in Boy Kills Man.

[kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book on sale for 50 cents in a bargain bin at my local Goodwill. I have to admit that the title drew me in, or perhaps it was the haunting picture of the kid with the angel wing tattoo on the cover. Unfortunately, it sat on my shelf for about a year before I finally pulled it to read over the holidays.

"Boy Kills Man" opens with 12-year-old Sonny and his friend, Alberto growing up in a poor section of Medellin, Colombia in the mid 1990's, where poverty is the norm and violence is fairly routine, with drug lords actively waging war against one another through kidnappings and assassinations. Sonny's father is dead and he lives with his mother and his uncle, who is violent and abusive toward him. Sonny and Alberto do not go to school, preferring to hang out and smoke cigarettes, listen to the rock band Nirvana, talk about soccer, and do odd jobs for cash. Things change when Sonny observes his friend being picked up by a strange man named El Fantasma, guarding with a gun and wads of cash. Sonny grows curious about his friend's activities until he is eventually drawn into them, becoming a hired assassin for the drug lord.

All in all, I thought this book could have been a lot better. For a novel of only about 150 pages, 120 of them were dedicated to Sonny's life before he became an assassin. While I thought it did a pretty good job of showing how guns empower the powerless, 75% was way too much exposition for me. The ending was also really weird.

Three stars. I'd recommend for reluctant younger readers.

[Annika Sigvardsdotter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect book for boys who dont like to read

[Jia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel that this book was really good and touched real life issues. Although it ended wayyy to early, WHAT HAPPENED AFTER SONNY KILLED JAIRO? I NEED ANSWERSSSS!

[Bastian Rung-Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was interesting and provided an alternative perspective on society.

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Child abuse
Underage sex work mentioned
Forced suicide
Alcohol consumption
Forced recreational drug use
Murder
Torture

[Matina]

After a few pages it’s pretty evident that the story wasn’t written by a local, but it still touched me with its bittersweetness.

[Eke]

pole vist päris minu teema. meh.

[Amjid Mohammed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boy Kills Man

I stumbled across this book in a closing down sale at an independent bookshop.

For a quick read I really enjoyed it, I can see it working really well as a film, the equivalent of 'City of God'. I think if this book was given to the right director it has the potential to be a blockbuster.

The story takes you through the lives of two best friends documenting their daily struggle growing up on the streets. It gives you an insight into a different world where the innocence of children is taken away far to early and they are made to grow up into a reality that some of us can not bare to visualise as fiction let alone in the real world.

I think this is one of those little gems that gives you the excitement and action you need very quickly and in a very enjoyable manner.

I give this a deserving 3 out of 5 stars.

[Melissa Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Believe me, nothing is more unsettling in this world than a kid with a gun." Sonny and Alberto, 12 year olds, best friends, and dreamers, have no intention of getting caught up in the gangs that haunt their small Columbian town. But they soon notice that people with guns demand respect. They quickly take the step from being small-time cigarette runners to hired assassins for the notorious La Fantasma. It doesn't take long for them to see that guns and money don't add up to the lifestyle they dreamed of.
This quick read will appeal to teens who are caught up with the violence of the world around them.

[John M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this is supposed to be a book for young people. Well, I don't know what they'd make of it but I was pretty disappointed. There is the kernel of a good story here but it never really gets going: there's a touch of the "TV movie" about it with thinly drawn characters, observations about the town and living environment that could have been made using a National Geographic guide and "La Bamba" by somebody who may have visited the place but is guessing too much about what it's realy like. Little of it felt real to me and I was simply left feeling that this was the perfect example of a missed opportunity.

[Aaron Hong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, let me start with a brief summary: BoyKillsMan is a interesting book that talks about a boy named 'Shorty'. He lost his friend and has 1 objective - kill Jairo and show his true power. Before that, he has some obstacles. In order to accomplish them, he has to locate his friend, but locate new ones too. At the end of the book, I was dissapointed that the author left me hanging by saying 'Let's finish this' and ending the story...

Time for a recommendation :)
I'd reccomend this book to any action lover with a couple twists. I'm pretty sure the musketeers would love this.

Umm. I'd give this book 4/5 stars. It was pretty interesting :)

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sonny,dose not have an education because he dont go to school, he spends his days doing odd jobs on the dangerous streets of Medellín, Colombia, South America. He and his best friend Alberto are running cigarettes for a store owner, and in this line of work Alberto meets El Fantasma, a soft-spoken crime leader with a reputation for being merciless.When sonny and his friend stops hanging out for a while sonny one day comes around with a gun and fifty American dollars. Sonny friend is woundering where he gets it from and why is he walking around with a gun.

[Jessie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an unsettling look at life in a poor Colombian town where the only people who get respect are the drug dealers. The books' narrator, Shorty, (only 12 years old) cares only about soccer, Jesus, his family, and the music of Kurt Cobain. He longs to escape the life of poverty he knows. When he is hired as an assassin for El Fantasma, the local drug lord, everything changes. Fascinating look at how weapons can empower the powerless--but only to do harm to others and themselves.

[bjneary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains all the hoplessness of young boys growing up in Medillin, where there is only drugs, guns and a stupid honor code. Alberto and Shorty are the best of friends who are drawn into a short life of money, drugs and guns---there is no hope in this book, but I realize it speaks volumes about life (or the lack of it) in this Latin American town. A good fiction book to tie in a study of cartels or Colombia.

[Abel]

This book is very interesting. Its about how two friends Shorty and Alberto have eachothers back but something begins to go wrong. When Shorty gets into some business with a man called El Fantasma. Alberto right away starts suspecting something may be wrong. His suspisions soon come true when one night Shorty doesnt come home. Alberto goes out looking for him and gets into the business with El Fantasma to try and find out what happened to his friend Shorty.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

disturbing but enlightening...the events are more fallout from world demand for drugs and persistant poverty and misgovernment, in my opinion. I am still learning Italian so this was a challenge but worth the effort. Also, I have been to Colombia (Cartagena) for work and liked it and the people, and I know Colombians here in the USA, so it was good to learn some more about one of their great cities.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think that I really got this book. I think most of it went over my head. But it did horrify me, what people were willing to do just to make a living. It also made me thankful that I live in the US and I don't have to worry about growing up too fast like the kids in the book.

*This was written after I read the book - Teen's Top Ten review in 2005.

[Patricia]

i think that this book is good because i talks about how a guy who quits school because one of his friends did the same thing. he started changing alot he started working with some guy named el fantasma he was a very dangerous man. what i learned about this book is that you should think first before you do anything .

[Bernard Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the South American town of Medellín, where drug dealers rule and hope is scarce, young assassins are in large supply. Take Shorty and Alberto: two hardened best friends from poor homes whose biggest dream is to see a live soccer match. These boys understand that the one true power they will ever possess comes in the form of a fully loaded Smith & Wesson

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of my students were really into this book, so I decided to read it... It's really interesting and engaging, though I find the authorial perspective/identity relative to the subject matter of the book problematic... In general, a compelling young adult read!

[Geoff Lynas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had its moments. Not sure it was entirely successful. Ending was a bit 'neat' and unexplained. Maybe the set up for it wasn't strong enough. There was too little emotional engagement for me but perhaps that was deliberate given the subject matter and the target age group.

[Muntaswir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twelve-year-old Sonny and his friend Alberto sell cigarettes on the streets of Medellin, Colombia, until a run-in with a burglar earns Alberto a "recommendation" to the local boss. Kids make useful assassins since they cant

[dp · Rating 5 out of 5]

an amazingly written look at adolescent assassins in columbia.

[Teisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

was okay