Grey Boy

by Denise Mathew

It takes one second to detonate a bomb, one week to discover your father is a murderer and one brutal beating to know your life will never be the same again. This is the story of what comes after.
Len George knows from personal experience what society does to the son of murderer, he has the scars to prove it. So in the six years after his father’s death, Len, now eighteen, has worked hard to stay on the fringe of society and away from the shadows of his father’s actions.
When Maddy Kelley's mother died of a brain tumor she wanted to throw herself into the grave too, because ten-year-old girls aren’t supposed to watch their mother die from cancer. Years later, and after many personal struggles, Maddy finally seems to have a handle on her life.
When Len and Maddy’s paths cross, they surprisingly find a mutual connection, and love that begins to heal the scars of their painful pasts. But when their personal tragedies are forced back into the open and all their secrets are revealed, Len and Maddy have a choice to make, move forward into the future, or drown in the past.
Grey Boy is a story about the unheard victims, the people who are left behind when a member of their family commits an unspeakable crime.

212 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 20, 2012

About the author

I love good chocolate, lots of coffee, my kids, when they behave, and of course writing stories. I believe that housework should be banned and wish that potato chips were the most healthy and nutritious food on the planet.
My garden is a mix of many colors and plants, I steer clear of uniform and the same holds true for my books. I don't believe in writing only one type of genre since I don't like to limit my creativity and so I write contemporary, dystopian and paranormal. I plan on writing until the stories run out, which I hope never happens.


Today is life - the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today. Dale Carnegie

Reviews

[Scarlett Janeway-keck · Rating 3 out of 5]

These two characters had such tragic and awful childhoods I'm so glad they were able to find each other and comfort and love each other after all the heartache they went though.

[Lisa Rooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very touching. It is one of those books that makes you sit back and look at the other side of things. I've discussed it with other readers and they feel it is dark, I really don't I think it is a book with big topics, that may not be all rosy but are real, and really it is about rising and growing through lives issues and how everyone can find happiness. It is a deep message and one that everyone should read. As humans we are always pointing our fingers at others, even when they are not directly involved, any family of a murderer are condemned as if they were the ones that did the murder when they are just as shocked and as much of victims as the family of the individual(s) that were murdered.
It was a look inside how it effects these family members, then on top of all of that there are a ton of other twists and hope for the characters.

[Sandra Hould · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading "Grey Boy" because the focus on the emotions that the main characters was so focused that I could literally feel in my being what the characters were feeling all throughout this book. Also, there were some twists and turns in the story plot that I really did not expect, but found totaly awesome. I highly recommend this book for all those who want to discover how a person who is suffering so much from a tragic event in his or her past that can still make it in one piece in life and be happy.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book! :)

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have some mixed feelings about this book.

The story idea is fabulous, deep, dark and intense. It shows the lives of the ones left in the wake of a crime. Not the direct victims that have been killed, but the family of the killer. How their life changes, how devastating it is to find out that the person you loved and thought you knew is capable of a horrific crime. How the hate and judgements of other people ruin the people left behind. How they question themselves.
Len, the son of a man who killed 16 people and himself when detonating a bomb on a bus has to go through all of this. He doesn't think he deserves a good life, being the son of a murderer. At the same time he can't stop hoping that his father was innocent. His mother succumbed to alcohol and is now dying. This is when he meets Maddy. A girl that makes him feel loved and cared for. But he can't open up to her, fearing that he will lose her or worse, that he will get hurt because of him.

Denise Mathew does an incredibly good job describing Len's tortured soul. It is realistic and raw. Painful even. It makes you realize that the families of the people committing horrendous crimes are just as much a victim as the victims themselves.

What really irritated me about this story was Maddy though. Yes, she had her own pain and her own demons but oh my dear God she was incredibly self-centered, shallow and terribly irritating. Especially her behaviour towards her father wanted me to slap her and slap her hard. Her father might have his faults, but often enough he was showing nothing but care and concern for her or for Len and she snapped at him and treated him like trash. Made my blood boil.

Another thing that really ruined the read for me a bit was the twist at the end. I thought it would have made the story stronger, if it would have been left at Len's father being the murderer. Instead it turned out it was his uncle who was in love with his mother and wanted to have her for herself. That was absolutely unnecessary and made the whole thing unbelievable and striving too much for a happy ending.

All in all it was a good read with a very interesting plot and worth the read.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that this book had me torn in a couple of ways and I actually had a hard time figuring out how to rate it. I decided on a 4 star review for a couple of reasons. One, the things that had me thinking weren't really bad things as I will explain further into the review. Two, I think there are a lot of issues included in this book that we, as people, really should stop to think about when we insist on casting stones at others. Three, the story between Maddy and Len was real, sweet and heartfelt. Honestly, the only reason I decided not to go with a 5 star is that I think the story could be fleshed out just a bit more to make the reader really fall in love with Maddy and Len as they move through their relationship. What made me think with this book? It seemed like an unrealistic situation at first, but then I started to think and I realized that there are thousands of people out there who are affected in much the same way. So many people are treated terribly because of what a parent did, what they look like, or simply because of who they are-maybe not to the same degree, but they still face mistreatment from others and I can see how this could lead to a lot of anxiety and panic. I also think that the book makes me stop and think about my own actions as well. Have you ever treated someone in a negative way due to an assumption? Why do we sometimes do this and how and why do we justify it? Additionally, I looked at secrets in a whole new way. I really felt like the relationship between Maddy and Len was exactly as I already stated and it said a lot about unconditional love, how the secrets of the past affect relationships, acceptance, and standing next to someone at all times. Yes, they probably dealt with bigger issues than most of us do in our lives, but that doesn't keep the story from being realistic. I am once again impressed that Denise Mathew can write so many different styles of book in such an incredible way. Her ability to weave any tale is incredible and I am so glad that I found her books.

*I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Len is having a panic attack when Maddy approaches him. Usually Len keeps to himself, but Maddy seems oddly interested in him. Soon they develop a cautious relationship, made more difficult by the tough life circumstances on both sides. Maddy still doesn't know Len's big secret... a secret that could split them apart...

This book is split between two points of view: the first person narrative of Len, whose mother is dying of cancer and whose father died in a bus bombing - a bombing his father was accused of perpetrating; and the third-person narrative of Maddy, whose single father is a cop. Len and Maddy are two kids with shitty lives trying to make it on their own, and they are drawn to each other, but still afraid to reveal the awful things they've experienced.

I liked that Len's race wasn't an issue between him and Maddy - and wasn't brought up as an issue even though one could throw around words like "terrorist" in regards to his father. There seemed to be no end to the awful things happening to these two young people, through no fault of their own, so naturally they had a hard time trusting each other. When they did get together the chemistry was there, but still they had awkward moments and misunderstandings as in real life.

I hated Uncle Sandy from the moment he showed up - I almost wished he had some redeeming qualities to explain his behavior and make me understand, but in the end he gets what he deserves. Len's mother was also basically dying of her own guilt. I wasn't necessarily surprised that Len avoids visiting her at the hospital, especially since her own sister abandons her.

While this wasn't exactly a "feel-good" kind of book, there was a positive outcome, and I was rooting for Maddy and Len to work it out the whole time.

[Selina Liaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grey Boy is a touching story because it made me think of human nature.
There is no doubt that people will judge you in ways you can't imagine, especially if you're the son of a suspected murderer.
I was moved by both major characters in the story because they're background is almost the same and the way Denise collided both of their worlds was so unique that you can't help but fall in love with the characters, settings and plot.

Both characters have a tragic past but somehow they helped each other to overcome the challenges.

Grey Boy is definitely a book filled with a suspense, love, hate and betrayal.
I love love love this book.

Thank you Denise for allowing me to review your book. It was absolutely touching and it taught me something new about life.

Sincerely,
Selina.
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