James’s Reviews > Boys Come First > Status Update

For the first time, I’ve actively noticed Troy being written in first person (and everyone else in third) and a) it felt really stream-of/consciousness, and b) the transition to third person was really jarring

Ugh. A fucking rape scene. Would I feel better if it were a would-be bashing? I don’t know. I understand that we’re supposed to understand their special bond and that trauma binds in very special ways, and it’s a very realistic scenario…but still…ugh

I don't like this book. It's difficult for me to say because I really wanted to like it, but I don't like it. I don't like the characters. I don't like the setting, I don't like the scenarios they are in. To be clear, all of these are _me_ things and not _book_ things. And not only do I not like the characters, I, as a gay black man (who's only a decade older than the characters) don't connect with them