Some Boys

by Patty Blount

Some boys go too far. Some boys will break your heart. But one boy can make you whole.

When Grace meets Ian she's afraid. Afraid he'll reject her like the rest of the school, like her own family. After she accuses the town golden boy of rape, everyone turns against Grace. They call her a slut and a liar. But...Ian doesn't. He's funny and kind with secrets of his own.

But how do you trust the best friend of the boy who raped you? How do you believe in love?

A gut-wrenching, powerful love story told from alternating points of view by the acclaimed author of Send.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Abuse, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, High School

352 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 2014

About the author

Patty Blount grew up quiet and a bit invisible in Queens, NY, but found her voice in books. Today, she writes smart and strong characters willing to fight for what’s right. She’s the award-winning author of edgy, realistic, gut-wrenching contemporary and young adult romance. Still a bit introverted, she gets lost often, eats way too much chocolate, and tends to develop mad, passionate crushes on fictional characters. Let’s be real; Patty’s not nearly as cool as her characters, but she is a solid supporter of women’s rights and loves delivering school presentations.

Patty is best known for her internet issues novels, SEND, a 2012 Junior Library Guild Fall Pick and TMI, a 2014 Watty winner, and her #MeToo novels, including SOME BOYS, a 2015 CLMP Firecracker winner and SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW, a 2019 double Athena Award winner. Visit her website at pattyblount.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter. She blogs at YA Outside the Lines and is also active online. She loves hearing from readers, especially when they tell her she’s cool (even though she knows it’s not true), and is easily bribed with chocolate. Never underestimate the power of chocolate.

Reviews

[Booknut 101 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book carries an important message.

If you have to read any quote from this book, it's the following:

'The cops wanted to know if I was Zac's girlfriend, if I was drinking, doing drugs, if I ever worked as a stripper, if I ever kissed Zac before that night.

What the hell does any of that have to do with what happened?

Do the laws against sexual assault not apply to strippers? To girlfriends? I don't get that. (...) He thinks because I went to the woods, drank alcohol, and dressed the way I dress, I should have expected this to happen. That I actually wanted this to happen.

(...) What the hell, just what the hell was wrong with how I looked...why does he care if I wear eye-black like the football team? It's my face. It's my body. I can dress it up or down however I want. Why is that such a hard concept for guys to accept? All that crap Jax said about dressing to be noticed - being noticed is fine. But being noticed isn't the same as being ridiculed, insulted, ostracised, shamed.

Being noticed isn't an open invitation to guys to do whatever they want to me.'

This book made me cry.

I know rape is a complex issue to discuss. I also know that although this book concentrates on a female victim, that there are also male victims of rape out there.

But what really got me was the shaming. And not the shaming from the guys - I understood the whole 'buddy' system, with the rapist's friends sticking up for him and shunning the girl who dared to speak up. But the shaming by the girls was the most painful to read about.

We girls, as a species, can be cruel.

Gossip is like a type of currency. Some girls can be more two-faced than Professor Quirrell from Harry Potter!

But we should never, ever, ostracise another person purely based on idle gossip. And especially when they may have suffered major trauma. You never know what trials a person faces in their daily lives, hidden behind the smiling mask they wear day to day. Don't judge by appearances. Stick up for one another.

The right way isn't always the easy way.

This was another valuable lesson from this book. Peer pressure VS human decency. Speaking up VS importance of friendships.

But although all these things came into conflict with one another, it was not being able to face one's self that finally brought Ian to the 'good' side. Not that Ian had actually done the deed. But he kept choosing to remain ignorant, despite knowing deep down that what was happening was wrong.

True, he ends up growing a spine for Grace. And to fix all the wrongs. But he mainly does it because he cannot stand the person he sees himself becoming. He knows he can't live with himself if he stands back and allows things to continue as they are.

So here's a challenge for us all.

Let's take a good look at ourselves. Maybe glance in the mirror, or sit alone in quiet contemplation.

And let's think: do I like the person I am? Do I like the way things are?

More importantly, it's not a matter of whether you like this or that - but do you know the person you are? Do you truly know the way things are, or are you blinded by false loyalties and excuses?

Let's open our eyes and our mouths.

Let's see what's really there - past the lies, rumours and labels. Let's speak the truth.

Let's make this world a safer, better place :)


What is right sometimes isn't easy. But it's worth it.

[s · Rating 5 out of 5]

fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck wow. what a damn book. i'm so speechless and blown away, god damn it Blount, you had me awake till 12 a.m binging this.

this is such an incredibly powerful book that educated me on how disgustingly woman are treated and the labels thrown upon them. it taught me rape is rape, doesn't matter if she was drunk, wore some type of clothes, or giving you signs. no means no and silence should NEVER be mistaken for yes. i love eye opening books like these that actually hit real deep and make me think about our society today and how I can take a step towards doing the right thing. i love books like these because they educate us on the daily horrors of the world and makes us want to do something to fix that.

I actually cried like 20 times throughout this book, wow I'm so fucking speechless holy shit.

Honestly everything in this book packs such a punch and every phrase,every sentence is so powerful and moving, shooking me to the core!!!!!

Grace, our MC is such a powerful, brave and strong character. I love how she never let others get to her and always held her head high no matter what people did or said about her. She speaks out against sexism and rape and how society has these gender roles assigned for boys and girls which is just so wrong!! The femenism rep is A++.

Literally everything about this book is perfect, omg don't touch me, I'm still sensitive.

[Paige Bookdragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Final Review

I've been holding it for almost a week and now I'm gonna give all I've got.

What can I say about this book?






It was one of those books where the story was unique,so I was like,




and to be totally honest?



I have a cornucopia of feelings for this book.



but let's not forget what this book did to me



and the book was so good sometimes that it makes me feel



There are moments when the story just hit me so hard that I just want stay in my room and rot.



then the book will give you the final twist and you're like..






and Grace...Have I told you about Grace?





she was one of the strongest heroine I've ever read.She could just easily give up, but she didn't. She hold her head high till the end and for that she deserves a standing ovation



And of course there's Ian.





I could just love you forever. He is someone who you would like your daughters/sisters/nieces to fall in love with.



But the best thing about this book? It tells us the harsh truth.

Those people who are raped?
Those who are judged because they are the victim?
Those people who never bothers to hear the other side of the story? Those who are struggling to do the right thing not the easy one?

THEY ARE REAL.

So if I were you.

[Greyson | Use Your Words · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trigger Warnings: Sexual Assault, Slut Shaming, Rape.

I still stand by my initial warning: Probably don't read this book if you're drunk and an angry feminist.
There's gonna be a lot of swearing and ranting below because for the life of me I can't figure out how the hell this book has 4.12 stars.
Maybe reading this while 2 bottles deep in wine didn't help but still, I feel like I've been duped.
I've tried to mark all spoilers, if you notice I have missed any, I'm sorry but please let me know so I can fix it.

"I'm not dunk." To prove it, I gulp down more whiskey.
"Yeah, you are."
"If I were drunk, you'd be on top of me."

Some Boys is a novel that tackles rape culture. We follow Grace who was raped by the star lacrosse player, the A student, the charming Zac. No one believes her.
Zac's best friend Ian has had a crush of Grace since before everything happened but he can't go there now because she's a slut and a liar and his friend got to her first.
Grace and Ian both get stuck cleaning lockers out over the school break. Ian just wants to get it done and get back to playing lacrosse with his mates. Grace just wants to prove that Zac isn't who everyone thinks he is and she's got a plan to do it.

I'm just a girl who got mad.
Really fucking mad.
Grace used to have friends, and a life and a future to look forward to. Now her friends hate her, the golden boy calls her a liar, students call her a slut, her dad tells her that her clothes had her asking for it. The only person in her corner is her mother, but even she tells her she should apologize to her ex-best friend because of how much she liked the boy who raped her.
A video is circulating of what happened, making it seem like Grace had wanted it. Her mother wants her to study abroad, get away from it all. Move on.
Grace wants to stay and fight, prove that everyone is wrong about what happened that night.

Don, the homeowner, looks at me like I'm nuts while I try to convince myself this is safe. But it's not safe, and I know it. He knows it, and he's daring me to do it anyway.
Grace is a strong, kick ass character. She is not society's view of what a victim of rape should be like, but she's a very realistic portrayal of a rape survivor.
She refuses to back down and take back the accusations, she knows what happened to her was wrong, that a monster is hiding in the skin of Golden Boy Zac and she won't give up on showing his true self to the world.
Although Grace is strong, Blount never shies away from showing us how what was done to her has affected Grace either. She refuses to put her back to Ian when they're cleaning lockers together. She goes into hyper aware mode when she realizes she's in a very unsafe space. She fights anxiety attacks often. Grace is something Blount did very right, unfortunately it almost completely stops there.

"I'm sorry for that. I had reasons-"
"Excuses. Not reasons."
Grace's mum shows how parents should react to their child coming forward about being raped. Except for the comment about apologizing to her friend, Grace's mum does pretty much everything right.
Her dad on the other hand is a fucking asshole and does everything wrong. From distancing himself from her, to blaming Grace and her clothing choice. Then later on he blames it on the fact he can't handle his emotions and didn't know how to cope knowing that he couldn't protect his daughter. Like, cool dude, you became like literally everyone else and blamed your own daughter for her rape because "I'm a man and I don't know how to process my own feelings". And after that cluster fuck of an explanation Grace just forgives him? Like he's redeemed for all the extra shit he put her through?
Grace's step mum is just as bad, if not worse because her excuse for being a massive dick is that she was just trying to protect her husband... from his own daughter mind you. Who hasn't done anything wrong.
Other than Grace's mum, the only other decent parent in this story is Ian's dad... I think.
See in the beginning of the book it kind of sounds like Ian's dad might be abusive?? But I'm not sure because it's never brought up again.
But when it comes to Grace he's great! He challenges his son's choice to follow his friend blindly, insinuates that maybe Zac isn't who he thinks he is and is actually exactly who Grace says he is, when Grace is creeped out by one of his clients he does his best to rectify the situation. I really liked Ian's dad. Too bad his son is a fucking asshole!

"I'm sorry I hurt you."
I turn east on the second floor and wave my hand. "No. You're not. You had to hurt me. That's what boys do when they're scared of a girl. They hurt her."
Poor Ian has feelings for the girl his mate raped and now is actually becoming friends with her but can't be with her because that would make him a shit friend. Never mind that he's a shit person.
Ian falls for Grace more as he spends more time with her, and internal a war breaks out over what he thought he knew and what Grace says happened.
Poor Ian is stuck in the middle of his friend and the girl his friend raped.
Poor Ian starts sticking up for Grace when his friends harass her because he's such a nice guy, despite what it would do to his popularity.
I don't like Ian, if you couldn't already tell.
He can only see women as people when he remembers that he has sisters. Which in light of the whole Harvey Weinstein shit storm, its pretty fucking clear how disgusting that is.
He's set up to be the guy who "fixes" Grace which is a bullshit trope I'm getting really fucking sick of.
He's also the one who saves the day because he's the one who gets his hands on the evidence Grace needs to convict Zac.
He doesn't even believe her completely believe her, for basically the whole book, until he sees said evidence.
Grace's life is really fucking hard right up until her and Ian get together and oh, now all of a sudden everything is fixed and wrapped up in a neat little bow.
There was a lot this book got right, but there felt like there was far more that it got wrong.

He looks too soft, too beautiful to be a killer, but appearances can be deceptive -
they say Ted Bundy looked like Cary Grant.

___
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[Leonie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good things:
- Main character Grace was a strong, inspiring character
- Ians dad and Grace's mom acted the way a parent should act in this situation,

Bad things:
- Ian
- Ian
- Ian
- Every character that wasn't Grace, her mom, or Ians dad
- Ian

The problem I have with this book is every character except from Grace. It is very frustrating to read books about rape where there are so many characters that are uneducated about what rape is and think its the girls fault. When reading this I wanted to smack every idiotic character and just stop reading. Eventually Ian (the love interest) grew some brains but still wasn't capable of using his brain to full capacity.

Over all it is a good read, it shows the problems of the 'rape culture' but for me it was frustrating. I wanted to step into the world and just scream at every character that participated in the bullying, the slut-shaming and harassment.

Two stars because Grace was an inspiring character (apart from the not thinking about the burqa situation), but the rest of the characters (except from Ians dad and Grace's mom) were too frustrating to read about.

Edit: I know that it is logical to add characters who don't understand the problems of rape, but the way those were written were completely frustrating. One second Ian is an absolute idiot about rape and basically thinks Grace is a slut, the next he is someone with an actual brain and capable of making coherent thoughts. This switch from understanding to not-understanding happened too often.
Also I would love to read books with an actual thought out and well written conflict ;)

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the fact this is/will be played up as a romance, rather than a book about rape culture and violence against women, possibly says something about how uncomfortable we are to talk about rape culture and confront it head on? This definitely has a romance in it, but the big take away is how when a girl is raped, she can become the enemy, rather than the rapist and actual criminal.

Grace was raped by the golden boy lacrosse player at her high school, but no one believes her. Part of why is because Zac's so respected and part is because Zac posted a video of the incident on Facebook, where he looks like he's been granted consent.

Ian is Zac's best friend who just happens to have a thing for Grace. Or he did, before Zac got with her. That meant she's now off limits.

Now that they're both stuck cleaning lockers -- Grace as punishment for lashing out against everyone who continues to berate her and Ian as a way of getting back onto the lacrosse team as soon as he recovers from his concussion and subsequent behavioral issues -- they're confronting one another and themselves. Grace is tense and guarded; Ian is, too, but his comes from still having feelings for Grace and for knowing what the relationship between Grace and Zac is and how that impacts his own relationship with Zac.

This isn't an easy read, but it's an important one. It's a close examination of how a whole town will turn against a girl who dares to speak up about her rights and her body being violated. This is the other side of the "those poor boys have had their futures ruined" headlines we read when they've been accused or convicted of sexual assault or rape.

While it gets a lot of things right, this didn't cut as deep as it could have, and the outs to the story really stood out to me. Grace's mother really pushes for her to leave town and go abroad -- and while Grace chooses, with her mother's support, to stay here and get through this, it still always felt like a way out. It didn't make her situation any easier nor any better, but it made me think about how privilege can get wrapped up into these sorts of situations. That Grace stayed and resisted leaving is huge and important, but I wish that that element of possibility -- that she could go -- had never entered the picture at all. It seemed unnecessary. Also, I didn't believe the apologies in the end. Even when the truth came to pass, the pacing was off and the community's decision to apologize and seek Grace's forgiveness never felt authentic, nor real. It would have been much stronger had the story ended with the truth coming out, rather than Grace's peers even having the chance to redeem themselves through apology.

About the romance I dislike how it was a boy here who saved the entire story. Who was the one to say he believed Grace. I really like how he handled going against Zac and thought it showed tremendous growth and understanding in Ian, but . . . I so wish a boy didn't have to be the one who stands up for a girl to have her story and her voice validated. And that's part the story and a larger part, of course, society as a whole. Also, I just didn't care if they were going to get together or not in the least. That was the least interesting part of the entire book -- I cared a lot more about Grace making it through than I did about Ian getting his prize at the end.

A worthwhile read.

[Alicia Gordon · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book nearly made me cry and not in a good way. I realize that the subject matter is touchy, but it just made me so angry how everything played out. I can't go into the book's failures without spoiling the story but the ending was just unrealistic. That's just not how things work, and I felt that the book would be far more empowering if the rape victim were to have been her own savior. Additionally, I was unable to like any of the characters.

I mean, Ian was a huge douche.

"Why do girls not get that there's a fine line between looking good and asking for it?" Seriously? Hooooww can an author expect me to accept someone who holds this kind of mentality until the end, as a healthy crutch and love interest for a rape victim? No.

I was left angry and disappointed. I'll just leave it at that.

[Lena Black · Rating 1 out of 5]

Apparently, all you need is a Prince Charming to get his head out of his ass and save you. Hell no.

[Mara YA Mood Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this down. I was enthralled from page one.
What I liked most was how relatable I found the characters to be. I felt they were real, actual teenagers with real, actual adolescent actions, reactions and thoughts.

I notice in YA that teens are commonly written with a very adult mentality. Their actions and reactions unrealistically mature, having obviously been written by an adult.

I also notice that when authors get real and write more true-to-age-teens, there’s a bit of a backlash from readers. I do it myself even with thoughts like the MC is whiny and immature or I sometimes pass on a book when I feel the MC is just coming across “too young”. But this book made me remember what it was like to be 15, 16 and 17 how impulsive, reckless, careless, self centered I was, how unable I was to see consequences. I can see that happening here.

Let’s take a moment to remember that it is a fact that a teen’s brain is not yet fully developed. You know, the whole frontal lobe thing that deals with consequences or whatnot....

While this book contains triggers (a victim of rape, a self-harm attempt, bullying), I appreciated how it touched on the ”She asked for it” mentality in our culture and how wrong that is:

A rape victim is told repeatedly, even by her parents, ”You shouldn’t dress that way”, and ”You should not have gotten drunk” ....

And it brings to light that if a girl wears a skirt, shows a little skin doesn’t mean she’s asking to be raped.

”She’s asking for it” ....I hate that expression. It means it wasn’t rape because of her short skirt. It wasn’t rape because she got a little too drunk at a party, it wasn’t rape because she dated that boy. It means it was her fault. She asked for it. But the “it” just becomes consensual sex, because well, she’s a “slut” isn’t she? Look at her.

There is an analogy used in the book that I felt described this pretty well it went something like this:
”It was the banks fault it was robbed. What do you expect when the bank was flaunting all that money around?”

Overall this was a well rounded story with layered characters and slow paced but powerful plot with an even more powerful message.

I will keep this book in mind in the future for my own daughters and even my son (which reminds me, this is a dual, male/female narration and I liked that. It showed a lot of insight).

[Halle Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book deals with a very real and prevalent issue in our society: rape. Not only just rape itself, but rape culture as a whole.

Examples of rape culture that most people see in their own lives:

1. Slut shaming a.k.a. When a boy sleeps around he gets high-fives and fist bumps, but when a girl does it she is disgraced by everyone and is called a slut.
2. Blaming the victim of sexual assault i.e. If she doesn’t want to be raped, she shouldn’t dress like that.
3. Women are objectified by society.

America is pretty guilty of participating in rape culture, and this book really addresses a lot of these problems well. Grace is a strong role model for any young girl reading this book. She is who she wants to be and won’t let what happened to her define her.

She has some anxiety issues and does not trust men (who would?), but she still lives her life as well as she can, and that is just awesome.

Parents usually never make it into a young adult novel. If they do, they are unhelpful and maybe even a hindrance, but this book really portrayed caring parents fabulously.

Grace’s mom acts exactly how she should in this situation. She is always there for her daughter no matter what is happening. Ian’s father was exactly the same. They were such strong adult role-models that I could not help but admire them.

That brings me to Ian. He is the love interest and HE IS THE PROBLEM WITH THIS BOOK. He is why this book does not get a high rating. I liked parts of his personality, but he followed along with the rape culture that everyone else was caught in.

He shames her, blames her, and objectifies her in front of his friends.

And she still likes him.

What?

Yeah, you read correctly. She likes that jerk!

After she had been objectified by a man in the most brutal way a girl can, she still likes this dirt bag. I just can’t handle that. Ian is horrible to her sometimes and says really horrible things. He also doesn’t believe her! How could she like someone who doesn’t believe her??

SO MUCH ANGER I CAN’T EVEN.

She also lets him kiss her. Only a few days before that, she couldn’t bring herself (understandably) to even turn her back on him. Then she lets a man—you know? That gender that she is currently scared of and hates being alone with?—kiss her.

It was just unbelievable and her feelings for Ian made me like her less even after she was inspiring.

This book brings to light lot of issues in our culture and deals with many of them well, but the way that Grace let Ian treat her, even having strong feelings for him in spite of that treatment, really diluted the message in a lot of ways.


My Blog: Big Hair Bigger Books

[Danielle (Love at First Page) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2-2.5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Summary
After Grace accuses the town's golden boy of rape, she faces ostracism and abuse from everyone at her school. She loses her friends and her reputation in one fell swoop, all because they believe him over her. Nasty names are thrown at her and written about her on bathroom stalls; boys straddle the line of physical harassment; she's all alone at a time when she deserves support the most. Yet none of this causes Grace to back down. No matter the incriminating evidence against her, or that no one believes her, she will not take back her accusation. Enter Ian, her one time crush and Zac's best friend. They are forced to clean lockers together after school, and as Grace begins to take more and more of a stand, Ian starts to question just who is really the victim here.

My thoughts
I hate to give this book such a low rating, because I believe it tells an important story with a message that every high school student should receive. The victim should never be blamed - no matter how short her skirt is, no matter if she's been drinking or he's been drinking, even if she says yes at first - her right to say "no" is just that, her right. The book makes this perfectly clear; there are no mixed messages here. Unfortunately, this gets lost in the telling.

But let me start with the good first. I really liked Grace. She is an admirable heroine: strong and courageous in the face of so much heartache. She has not only been stripped of something she never freely gave away, but she's having to face this all alone. Her mom is there for her - in a way - but I was never wholly satisfied with her involvement, and her dad made me want to punch him on multiple occasions because he somewhat blames her for what happened. I can't imagine going through something so traumatizing and not having a healthy support system to back me up. But Grace never allows Zac's side of things to win. She constantly stands up for herself and makes intelligent point after intelligent point, if only those around her weren't so stupid (more on that later). I also like that she's a realistic teenage girl - she's may be brave, but that doesn't mean she's not sensitive or vulnerable. Zac - and all he represents - frightens her, it's just she tries to not to show it. She misses her friends, she longs for love... everything that makes up a normal teenage girl's heart.

My problem with the book is pretty much the rest of it. The writing is clunky, with stretches that left me wandering when the book would move toward something; the supporting characters are at best worthy of the bitch face - but more accurately the bitch slap (at least) - and the romance is unconvincing. It's a shame because there are not many YA books that speak so directly about this subject matter, so the potential feels wasted.

For one, the adults are so horribly uninvolved, despite Grace being bullied right in front of them. This is their jobs yet they allow the abuse to continue. Even Grace's parents are entirely too passive. Yo, you're daughter was freaking raped, and now she has zero friends, and yet you're comfortable with her going to school every day? Parenting in YA has been a sore spot with me for a while, and this just takes the cake. The fact that not one adult steps in is mind boggling. Also, not having a single friend believe her and stand by her side? It's just too much. I can't imagine this is what would actually happen.

I was not a fan of the romance, plain and simple. Sure, Ian might accurately portray a high school guy's reaction to the situation - like everyone else, he refuses to believe that Zac is a rapist, even though throughout the book he does question whether or not Grace is telling the truth. His confusion and character arc are realistic, for the most part. However, I expect more from a love interest, especially someone paired not only with a victim of rape but a girl who is so sure of herself. Ian is horrible to Grace on multiple occasions (there is a scene in the cafeteria where he won't eat a slice of pizza that Grace touched, for fear of getting an STD, and he says he plays this performance in front of his friends for her benefit), and he believes her only when he sees video evidence that his friend lied. There is no way I could swoon over this romance.

And finally, the ending comes gift wrapped by Santa Claus himself. Now you all know how much I like my happy endings, but I couldn't stomach it here. Grace is far too forgiving of pretty much everyone and there are barely any consequences for the people who wronged her. For a story so strongly opposed to slut shaming, victim blaming, bullying, and harassment, it sure let people off the hook easily. I didn't like the bow it was tied in one bit.

I expected more out of Some Boys, yet I can't bring myself to say that I don't recommend it. The subject matter is relevant and the message clear; I just wish I could have connected better with the story itself.

This review can also be found at Love at First Page.

[Soojin · Rating 1 out of 5]

"After she accuses the town golden boy of rape, everyone turns against Grace. They call her a slut and a liar. But...Ian doesn't. He's funny and kind with secrets of his own."

Yeah that's kind of funny cause Ian turning against Grace and being an asshole to her is what happens for the majority of this book. Only when Ian finally finds proof of the rape, does he treat Grace like an actual human being. And you know what sucks? Not everyone who gets raped actually has fucking proof. Cameras aren't around all the time. Victims everywhere have to deal with the doubt from even the people closest to them. I'm just wondering what would have happened if there WAS NO video of Grace and her rapist? Cause um... not every rapist tapes the whole event and keeps it in their phone as a "trophy"??? Like what the hell?

Ian is different from all the other boys? No. He's exactly the same. He views Grace as an object, and it's evident in the way he thinks about her. The only "nice" thoughts Ian had of Grace was that she was "hot", she had "nice lips", etc. Oh Ian... HOw WONDERFUL of YOU. While every other douchebag was calling her a slut and other degrading names, you actually were brave and different enough to think that she was HOT. What a kind soul you are. I'm tearing. That's so great. Those compliments were exactly what Grace needed after weeks of being objectified. *rolling my eyes*

I really wanted Grace to beat Ian's ass after what he said to her. Sadly, it doesn't happen. No matter how much Ian shamed her and blamed her, all it took was one apology for Grace to take him back and love him as if none of that bs happened. I really don't know who wrote that blurb, but Ian doesn't accept her. At all. He even had the nerve to say that there is a fine line between looking good and asking for it.. I really want to ask the writer of this blurb how that's not turning against her. Where did he/she even get that idea?

I was going to give this two stars, because there were some really powerful quotes and lessons in this book. But the more I wrote in this review, the angrier I got. Ian and the way he's the "love interest" of the book, really diminishes the whole lesson the author tried to convey. The ending of this book was unsatisfying as well. It was literally a book of apologies. Literally, Grace accepted everyone who apologized. She even hugs all of them and treats them as close friends in the end. Yeah, I guess you could say she's being the bigger person. But it's just not realistic.

[Tiffany · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think this book had major potential, but I felt like it missed the mark big time in dealing with bullying and sexual assault. If someone really was going through that sort of Hell books like this would do nothing to help the healing process. There was no mention of therapy, no mention of what to do to get help and it was set in an unbelievable school and world in which not one single person, sympathized with her. Furthermore, Zac would have been arrested just for putting that video on facebook since the book clearly states that it was porn, she is underage and it would have been considered child pornography, which is illegal. I get that kids in high school can gang up on girls and "slut shame" them, I know girls whom have said they've been raped and not everyone believed them, but I can tell you who did believe them; their parents, teachers, and principals. When you are in such a profession it is your job to believe a kid when they've said they have been abused. In a society that is so full of anti bullying groups and help for those people who have been assaulted (and it seemed like Grace was looking for help and was clearly not in denial) this type of thing would not have continued without a lawsuit. This isn't a story where it all should work out in the end. I HATED the ending. Life is messy, horrible things happen to people and Grace, in the end proved to be a weak character in my eyes because she ended up with a guy who called her names, and I get the whole idea of forgiveness but his back and forth was a sort of abuse. He doesn't believe her at all until he finds the video been though he was the one that discovered her passed out alone and abused??? For such a "badass" girl she never took the steps to get healthy and thats what made me upset about the whole thing. The happily ever after this book provided was as unrealistic as the rest of the book. It made me mad for sexual abused people who need to have a real story told.

[Sidrah Anum · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl likes a guy but before she could tell him, she is being raped by his best friend.
Well, wait!!
Was it really rape or is she the girl who is crying rape! No one knows!
Can you fight the world with all the fingers pointing towards you, when not even your own parents seem to believe you?
Whose shoulder to cry upon when even your best friends take you to be a liar and call you names?
Where should she go?
Who should she tell?
Will she ever be able to prove her innocence?
Who should she count on?
Should she kill herself?
What is right?
What is easy but wrong?
This story answers all these questions.
Meanwhile, in the amidst of it all, you will get the cutest love story.
And above all you will learn how to depend upon your own self in the loneliest of situations.
And what to select from if you are given the option between choosing what is right and what is easy!
I read it one go, so I basically liked the book very much.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hard book for me to rate and review. The message here is so important. The execution was a little bit unrealistic, in my opinion.

This is a YA novel. I only read this genre occasionally. This novel in particular is about rape and the absolutely unbelievable tendency that people have to blame the victim. This part of the story is one part that was realistic. It happens in real life and victims of rape suffer for it. This novel brings this injustice to light and serves to educate it's readers that this is not acceptable. I applaud the author for taking on this difficult subject.

There may be minor spoilers ahead.

The main character, Grace is a victim of rape by a boy who is on the school's lacrosse team. He is smart, popular and a great athlete. After Grace accuses this boy of raping her, she is immediately labeled a slut and shamed and tormented by her classmates. Grace has literally no friends left. No one at school believes her. Her mom believes her but wants to send her away to study abroad so she doesn't have to deal with the aftermath of the rape and her dad blames the way she dresses for what happened to her. This is the part that seems unrealistic to me. This girl is 16 or 17. I can't imagine this kind of response. Not one friend stuck by her? Her own father blamed her? The bullying that happened at school was overlooked by teachers? Not one coach, teacher or student doubted this boy's innocence? I don't know..this didn't sit well with me. I understand the author was making a point and I appreciate that, I just feel that it was a bit too extreme to be believable.

This novel is a very important one and one that can generate lots of good conversation. As a society we need to talk about these things. No means, no. No matter how a girl acts or dresses. No matter if she is drinking, drunk, high or passed out.

5 stars for the message. 2 for the execution. 3.5 stars overall.

[Michelle Finkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has me reeling in the best way possible. I haven't felt this exhilarated over a book in a long time. The emotions this book evoked in me were so strong, both good and bad. The very mature theme for such young people really awakened my strong feelings about this sensitive subject. I was so angry and so devastated for what Grace, the heroine endured. Some Boys is beautifully written. This author knows how to write words that pack of punch. Her pacing is stellar. I was incredibly captivated and got lost in this story. I'm so thankful this is a book club selection because Some Boys requires discussion. It has to be discussed. As a woman and a mother, this story affected me. I want to tell everyone to read this book and hope it awakens their emotions and sparks discussions. These characters need to be heard and understood. I can't say enough great things about this book.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Some Boys by Patty Blount
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: August 5, 2014
Rating: 5 stars
Source: Manuscript sent by the author/eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

Some boys go too far. Some boys will break your heart. But one boy can make you whole.

When Grace meets Ian she's afraid. Afraid he'll reject her like the rest of the school, like her own family. After she accuses the town golden boy of rape, everyone turns against Grace. They call her a slut and a liar. But...Ian doesn't. He's funny and kind with secrets of his own.

But how do you trust the best friend of the boy who raped you? How do you believe in love?

A gut-wrenching, powerful love story told from alternating points of view by the acclaimed author of Send.

What I Liked:

Just a note before I start my review - I actually read this book late last year, so it doesn't count towards my 2014 novels read (although I DID re-read it). I read the author's manuscript last year, whereas just recently, I read the eARC. But I'm fine with it counting towards last year's books read, and not this year's. Not that any of you all care that much - it's more of a housekeeping note for me. Anyway.

Gosh, I loved this book so much. It's a tough-issues book, and you all know how I struggle with those. They're usually a hit-or-miss with me - I like very few of them. In fact, I usually abhor most of the ones that I read. I read Blount's TMI last year, and I loved it! TMI was basically about hazards of social media, such as Facebook. This book was about physical abuse - rape. Fiction containing rape is tricky. There are so many things that the author could do that might not work well, or might produce bad reactions from readers. However, I think Blount really hit this one on the head.

This book starts after the rape occurs. It's actually been a bit since the rape - in days, not months or something. Grace is suffering from the harassment of her peers - and not just Zac, the boy who raped her. Her friends all think she was flirting with Zac at the party, that she was totally into Zac, and that her cries of rape are fake. The whole town, it seems, wants nothing to do with her, but wants everything to do with her downfall. It's not enough for them to ignore her - no, they need to provoke and bully her. Zac is the golden boy, the star lacrosse player, the guy who gets away with everything. And Ian, his best friend and teammate, goes along with everything Zac does. Even though Ian is the one that found Grace that night, bleeding and unconscious.

This book is split between Grace and Ian's perspective, first-person. Blount has this skill down, guys. She has mastered the art of writing in a female's and a male's perspective. A lot of times, I might like one side more than the other. BUT, I was pleased that I really enjoyed reading from both Grace and Ian's perspective.

I like Grace a lot. I like her tough attitude, her refusal to hide, her bravery, her sharp temper. I have no idea how I would react to not only being raped, but not being believed, but I seriously have to hand it to Grace; she made it important to her, to keep going to school, to face everyone harassing her, to face Zac. She reacts aggressively at times, but I have massive respect for her. I do think we'd get along nicely if she were a real person.

While Grace definitely developed as a character, Ian's character development was more pronounced. He was a Zac follower, someone who knew what Zac was doing probably wasn't right, but tamped down the doubt, look the other way, pretended he didn't care. Secretly, he had wanted to ask Grace out for months, but when he heard that Zac got to her first (Ian thinking that Grace was into Zac), he backed off. He didn't want anything to do with her, but after scrubbing lockers with her for days (punishment), he sees different sides to the story. I love the complete 180 that Ian does. I liked Ian even when he was going with the flow in the beginning - not sure what that says about me.

The story of this book is heartbreaking. Literally, my heart and soul ached for Grace, every time I read a part where Miranda and Grace's other former friends tormented her, or Grace's father and stepmother were rude and uncaring, or Grace had a panic attack. My heart ached for her - even the second time around, reading this book, I felt just as strongly for Grace and her pain.

My favorite scene of this book was towards the end, in the forest, when Grace is so distraught over everything, she takes a bottle of rum and a bottle of whiskey, and goes into a forest to be alone. Ian finds her drinking there. This scene is soul-crushing (in a good way). I couldn't breathe, reading this scene for the first, second, even third time. For me, this was the most powerful scene of the book, and my favorite.

The romance runs a thick current through this book. Like with most contemporary novels, the romance is very important, and I really like that in this book. Grace and Ian had feelings for each before the rape, as we slowly find out as we read the book. You don't know this from the start, though you'll suspect such. But they slowly develop stronger feelings for each other, despite Ian's constant loyalty to Zac, and Grace's attempts to shut out everyone. I loved watching these two fight for themselves and unconsciously fight for each other.

Rape is no small issue in this book, neither is being raped and not believed. Blount hits heavy on the issue of crying wolf, which is what everyone thinks Grace is doing. I love how Blount integrates a sport (something that means so much to both Ian and Zac) into the story. This added a measure of depth to the story, but it also made things interesting for Ian - seeing as to him, lacrosse was the only thing going for him. To turn Zac in would be to lose a shot at state tournaments. Decisions, decisions... nothing comes easy for any character in this book!

In the end, I think Blount handled all of these "tough issues" really well. Coming from the girl that not only dislikes contemporary novels but "tough issue" contemporary novels as well, this is a high compliment! I loved the ending of this book; it's imperfectly perfect, and I love it. I think this is Blount's best novel yet - but wait, I'm really excited to read her next one, Nothing Left To Burn!

What I Did Not Like:

Surprisingly (for a "tough issue" contemporary novel, that is), nothing to say here! As always, I don't think any book is perfect, but there isn't anything I can think of in this book that really detracted from the quality of the book or story. So. There.

Would I Recommend It:

YES! Contemporary fan or not, step out of your comfort zone and give this one a shot. I surprised myself by liking Blount's novels, honestly. Trust me, I like this author a lot, but if I didn't like her book(s), I'd say so. You all know I don't sugarcoat things. But I really enjoy her novels, including this one, so that's got to tell you something about the quality of her "tough issue" books!

Rating:

5 stars. Very well-deserved! This book did quite a number on me - unlike most books (contemporary or not), this one made me FEEL, and feel really strongly. The forest scene, guys, THE FOREST SCENE. I'm so honored to have read this book - both the not-final manuscript, and the eARC. Thank you, Patty and Sourcebooks!

[Angela Auten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some Boys Review

Book Rating: 4 stars out 5.

Story Line: 4 stars out of 5. Grace is raped by one of the most popular guys in school. The whole school is against her. Even her best friends turn on her because of the accusation she made. They wanted nothing to do with her because they thought she was lying. Why would anyone ever lie about getting raped? They left her in a field crying and bleeding. Only one person bothered to help her. Ian, the person that helped her, didn't believe her either. The only reason I rated it four stars was because the characters except for a few treated Grace horribly. She deserved so much more happiness. Her own father even agreed with them because of the way she dressed. He made her feel like she was asking to be raped. A father should never tell his daughter anything along those lines. What happened to her really was the truth in the end. With the help of Ian she was able to prove it. I was happy that Ian reported his friend to the police. It showed that he was actually a good person after all.

Characters: 4.5 stars out of 5. I rated the characters higher because I loved Grace. She was my favorite character. She was an amazing heroine. I loved how bada** she was. No one could mess with her. Not even her ex friends. It was hard to see her struggling with something as heavy as rape. She had panic attacks. I know what those feel like so I really could connect with her character. I felt her anger when she was angry. At some of the scenes I really wanted to cry for her. She was afraid of her rapist which made sense. She's the reason this novel came to life for me. I also can sympathize with her because of what she went through...

Ian was alright. He kept changing his mind about Grace. Yes, he liked her, but he kept turning on her. He didn't believe her. Once he got the proof that she was raped he believe her. What a great man he is. I liked him at the ending. In the beginning I didn't like him because of the way he acted. I liked his father though. He was better than his son.

I really hated Zac with a burning passion. He had anger issues. He put someone in the hospital. He claimed that Grace didn't say no to him. That's a major lie. He had sex with her even though she didn't want to. That is rape. You don't continue to make advances on people that don't want to have sex with you. I literally wanted to rip every single piece of hair out of his head.

Favorite Quote: “Hold your head up, Grace. Even when you’re dying inside—especially then—hold it up.”

Writing Style: 5 stars out of 5. The writing was beautiful though I found a few mistakes along the way. That's alright though. (I've done the same thing with my own novel.) Overall I enjoyed this story, but I didn't fall in love with every character. Reading this book made me want to pick up some other books by Patty Blount. (Basically I have read almost read every book by her. She's also now one of my favorite authors.)

[ella ☆ any pronouns · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars

If you have not read this yet, I HIGHLY advise that you do so, and as soon as you get the chance to do so.

I can't begin to explain how powerful this was for me, not to mention how real and raw it is on every level possible. It also shows the different labels that are put on girls and how untrue they are to the people that receive those labels, in addition to how those labels being put on them effects them as well as their everyday life.

This is as close to perfect any book I have read has ever gotten, however, there is a very minor flaw that made me take down my original five-star rating, but only by .25ths of a star, this very minor flaw being the unrealistic ending that was easy to predict was a turn off for me, considering how realistic as well as unpredictable the rest of the story was.

I don't know what else to say about Some Boys except that it is such a powerful read that, if you haven't read, you NEED to, and ASAP.

[stuck_in_a_booksuzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book written by Patty Blount.
Again my heart was aching, think this happens all the time.
Sometimes you have to look at both sides of the story, to get the truth. Because one side will be lies and maybe half truths, or all lies and the other one is the truth. Near the end I was close to tears.
I would recommend this to everyone.
5/5 star rating from me

[Patty (IheartYA311) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so angry at these characters....so, I guess the author did something right. The very simple writing style and first-person alternating POVs really dragged down the story for me, but the pacing was consistent, and the book wasn't plighted by unnecessary details. There were inconsistencies with the characters (MAJOR flaw of the story). The story evoked emotional and (some unpleasant) nostalgia of high school. The themes are still relevant today. This was a buddy read with a few members from LiterALLy BOOKiSh Book Club, the best group on Facebook.

[Chiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really think that everybody should read this book. It is about a very real and important topic. Grace, the main character, has been raped by the town golden boy but nobody believes her. I felt so sorry for her, even if this is only a novel and not a true story. But the topic is real and made me reflect a lot! I also cried so much..this book is heartbreaking! I can't understand how an amazing book like this can be less "famous" than other useless books..

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this but my only problem was the very end and how nicely the situation between the main character and her stepmother in bed I don’t feel that that was a realistic in town but overall I enjoyed

[Beena Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The synopsis makes it seem like the protagonist Grace gets the courage to fight back when she meets a boy and of course Ian saves her, they start in a relationship and they fall in love. Wrong.

She never needed a guy to support her, Grace had the courage along and always uses it, she does fight back. She never needed Ian to fight her battles and he never gave her courage; he actually disbelieved her like everyone else, although yes he was hesitant later. This is one of the novels where the heroine saves herself on her own.

Anyway, I'm done with my feminist speech. Let's backtrack now. This novel reminded me of two other great novels Just Listen and Speak except Grace told everyone what happened. She didn't keep silent. Grace accused Zac, her ex-boyfriend of rape. Honestly, no sane girl would lie about being raped. Most people won't even tell at all if they were raped so to lie about it would be unreasonable. Of course, I believed her right away. I really like how this novel addresses many sensitive issues besides rape. It goes into victim blaming, which is so common.

How many times have you heard, let's blame the girl for being at the wrong place late at night or look at the way she dresses, she asked for it?



Grace always seems to dress in black clothes, high boots, and with dark lipstick. She seems to fit into the stereotype labels of "gothic' or "emo." She doesn't smoke or do drugs. She's a teenager, so like most teenagers she does party and drinks there sometimes.

However, she's smart and challenges others. She's always had a good attitude and stands up for what's wrong. People disbelieve her mainly because Zac is the "golden boy" who could do no harm. Sure, Grace was popular before, even before she started dating Zac. The point is the way she dresses and her appearance make her an "easy" target to others. Yes, dressing in a certain way ex. revealing clothes, tight clothing does attract more attention, but it does not mean you're "asking for it."


That mindset clearly blows my mind away, because half of all rape victims were wearing simple clothes with barely any makeup when they were raped. Rape doesn't happen to one because of the way they dress. Women get raped simply because men rape them(Of course, women can get raped by other women). I love that Some Boys pointed out this illogical thinking of women's appearance being at fault, especially when no one seemed to question Grace's dressing before. Even Ian blamed her dressing.

I loved Grace's character, she was bold and never backed down when people name called her or when they physically bullied her. Of course, she's still human. She still cried, but never showed it in front of others. Let's not forget Ian now. I liked Ian as a character, but he seems like Zac's toy at some parts. Whatever Zac says, he believes.

I really liked it when he became his own person and started defying Zac's demands to follow his lead. I'm glad it wasn't a love at first sight or a let me save you novel. The relationship between Ian and Grace gradually builds up. At one part, Ian does literally saves Grace's life, but it wasn't like the stupid concept "you're broken inside. Let me save/fix you."

I wouldn't rate this novel anything less than a five. This is a fantastic novel, I was hooked from the first chapter. I think every teenager, and even adults should read this. I'm an adult, and I found it amazing. It's well written. This is a perfect inspiring novel, most novels have failed to make me happy these part two years, but this one has exactly what I like in a novel.

Disclosure: Review Copy was sent free of charge from Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.

[Fiorela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book through the night and I cry for most of it, I have barely slept a few hours, I just couldn't put it down.

For most of the book I felt like all the men there (except Mr. Rusell) were pathetic excuses for a man. It is unberable to read all the things that Grace has to go through, from classmates to teachers, all blindsighted by the golden boy.

It is unbelievable how prejudice works, Grace was just different, this regarding the way she dresses, and how unfair are double standards.

From the story I can get that she wasn't a troubled girl, she seems a quite, nice girl, so to me it wasn't likely that she was lying, it was just the way she acted and her friends ..... I can say lot about them, but I will just say that with friends like them who needs enemies. Miranda really show her true colors and I wouldn't forgave her behaviour.

On the other hand, it was difficult to watch Ian felt torn between his forever friend Zac and Grace the girl he likes, I know he is a good guy but for most of the book he falls in the asshole category, but like Grace said "doing the right thing is not easy" and also stop following the crowd, well there are a lot of other hard things to do, like stand up for others and having your own mind.

After reading this book I want to become a feminist and read: Yes Means Yes!: Visions of Female Sexual Power and A World Without Rape or He's a Stud, She's a Slut, and 49 Other Double Standards Every Woman Should Know and destroy every man, but I know that not every guy is a cynical bastard, but I will definitely speak up against it.

So, read this to be reminded in doing the right thing, it is worth it.

[Ezgi T · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Okay, but—”

“There are no buts. There is no reason you can give me that makes that right. Go tell your sisters they asked for it. Tell your sisters why it’s their fault when someone calls them a slut.”

“I wouldn’t let my sisters leave the house dressed like you,” Ian retorts.

“You wouldn’t let them? Are you their master?”

[Britney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazingly beautiful ;)

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I randomly requested this book, Some Boys, on netgalley because 1) I love the YA contemporary genre and 2) the story within itself (at least from the blurb) sounded like something I would enjoy, despite the many issues the book would end up exploring including the likes of bullying and rape, which I don't mind reading about although it may not be for everyone's taste. But with that being said, while the book may seem uncomfortable at times, particularly for some of the characters and the situations they find themselves in, but overall I actually ended up really enjoying this book and the point-of-views that are being told to the reader that came across as both authentic and compelling.

On another note, I think I ended up enjoying this book mostly because of how the author dealt with the whole rape and 'slut-shaming' situation. It was very empowering for me to read this book because of that factor and because the 'slut-shaming' situation is something that is very common in high schools and is STILL happening nowadays, so with that matter, I thought the author did such a great job in dealing with that issue and it was written in a great way too.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable book that contained two great main characters - both powerful and strong in their own voices - and everyone should definitely go and read this book because of those characters alone and the story that every girl or woman should be proud of.

* Thanks to the publisher on netgalley for providing me with a review copy of this book!

4.5 stars!

[Leeann Pratt · Rating 1 out of 5]

A poorly-edited, vapid melodrama that bungles an important issue. Truly cringe-worthy

[Stormy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If a girl’s attacked in the forest and no one’s around to see it or hear it, did it really happen?

Out of all the books I’ve read that deal with rape and sexual assault(which I admit is not many) I think Some Boys is my favorite. At first I thought it was strange that a book which centered around rape and it’s aftermath had a title and tagline that focused on the boys in the story instead of the main character, Grace, but after reading, I get it(even if that tag line is still infuriating). I think what makes Some Boys work is that it simultaneously gives a close look at Grace and her thought process while also pushing the camera angle on the entire situation back a little and giving someone else’s point of view.

This book is told in a split POV between Grace and Ian. A few weeks before the book starts, Grace is sexually assaulted at a party and identifies Zac, a popular Lacrosse player, as her rapist. Zac claims that Grace was into it and let him film them, and now there’s a video up on Facebook with hundreds of likes and Grace’s peers start hurtling insults and slurs her way. Ian is Zac’s best friend who happened to miss most of the party and ended up finding Grace and taking her to the hospital, though based upon what he knows of his friend he doesn’t believe that Zac is capable of such a thing. As their luck turns out, both of them get in trouble at school and get sentenced to the same punishment to gain back privileges: cleaning out the lockers at the school over spring break.

As the book progresses, Ian and Grace start slowly interacting with each other. Most of Grace’s chapters include her dealing with what has happened and being ostracized by her former friends. Ian realizes that Grace believe she’s telling the truth, but he also thinks that Zac is telling the truth as well. He finds himself in between the contradicting stories and wondering where the real truth lies, as well as dealing with some lies of his own.

The story of Some Boys isn’t new–it’s in the news every day. What makes this book stand out, however, is it takes all the excuses and sound bytes that are often given to pardon the guilty and blame the victim when the crime is of a sexual nature and dismantles them piece by piece. This is why I came to appreciate Ian’s point of view, even when he frustrated me. Ian isn’t a “bad guy”, and neither are his friends, but the narrative still shows how they can be complicit in these crimes even while never condoning them.

Because it’s not just about what happened to Grace–it’s also about what happened after that. About how pervasive victim blaming in, how so many cultural things play into that, how Grace is ostracized, how nobody believes her in the game of “he said she said” until a guy speaks up. It’s infuriating, but all that parts of Some Boys rang incredibly true. There were a good deal of quotes I highlighted:

“Do the laws against sexual assault not apply to strippers? To girlfriends? I don’t get that.”

“It’s my face. It’s my body. I can dress it up or down however I want. Why is that such a hard concept for guys to accept?”

“Being noticed is fine. But being noticed isn’t the same as being ridiculed, insulted, ostracized, shamed. Being noticed isn’t an open invitation to guys to do whatever they want to me.”

The one thing I didn’t like about Some Boys was the ending. There were parts I thought make sense, but in the end it seemed a little too neatly resolved to really resonate with the novel I had been reading up to that point. I think if the book had ended a little sooner that it did, it would have made more of an impression on me and I would have found it more realistic. That being said, I definitely read Some Boys in one sitting and it’s one of my favorite books I’ve read that have touched on these issues.

This review first appeared on Book.Blog.Bake.