Thursday 16 January 2014

Review ~ Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin.

Title: Golden Boy.
Author: Abigail Tarttelin.
Genre: Coming of Age.
Release Date: January 30, 2014.

Purchase: Lovereading

Max Walker: blue-eyed boy or girl next door? To the outside world, Max Walker is a golden boy: a loving son and brother, the perfect student, captain of the football team and every girl's dream boyfriend. But Max was born intersex - neither fully boy nor fully girl. Now something terrible has happened to him, the consequences of which have left him questioning his true identity. Can the people around him - his girlfriend, his classmates, his ambitious parents - accept him for who he is? Or will Max's secret life tear his world apart?



Review:

Golden Boy tackles a reality that few writers choose to face, intersexuality. That Abigail Tarttelin is considered brave to write a book about an intersex teenager proves this. However, all credit goes to Tarttelin as Golden Boy is a courageous story, well researched and incredibly written in what was a moving, compelling and inspiring book.

This was never going to be the easiest book to read. It was harsh and uncomfortable at times but that helped me feel the story even more. The plot wasn’t straightforward and didn’t always go the way it was probably expected to, which was a gutsy choice that made Golden Boy even more awe-inspiring.

The book was written from the perspective of a few different characters, Max, Karen, Sylvie, Daniel, Archie and Steve. At the beginning I found it a little confusing following the switch in character but once the book got going, the format worked perfectly and helped me feel like I knew and understood the characters much better.

As much as I loved how well developed the intersex theme was in Golden Boy, I also really enjoyed the relationships portrayed. Max and his little brother’s moments together were often quite sweet and really interesting to read. I also liked the chapters towards the end where the dad’s thoughts were more involved because it added a lot of depth to the story

Full of bravery, high emotion, tact and thought-provoking outcomes, Golden Boy is a book not to be missed.

Rating:
*Thanks to Lovereading for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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