How is it that this book came out in 2014, but I am just hearing about it now?!?!? My friend recommended this book to me sometime during quarantine, and I was like why not? I am so happy that I went along and read this book, because it covers so much important themes and messages that I feel everyone should know about.
Warning: This book deals with rape and the repercussions and the detrimental effects that come with it.
Summary: "Some Boys" follows a teenage girl named Grace who was raped by the town's golden boy, Zac. The entire school and town believe that Grace "cried wolf" that night, and therefore the whole town shuns her, because the golden boy is always right and never does anything wrong. (Can you hint the sarcasm? LOL). Anyway, by some accident, Grace meets Zac's best friend, Ian during school break as part of school punishment. Ian, along with the rest of the town believes that Grace lied, and constantly defends Zac, but he starts to really think about that night, and what actually happened. As Ian and Grace grow closer to one another, the threat of Zac, and the town are still there. The story begins with Grace's perspective 32 days since her rape.
Characters;
Grace: I love and admire Grace. She is one strong and brave heroine who is not afraid for standing up to fellow peers, and even teachers. It takes a lot of courage to stand up to adults, and Grace had the courage to stand up. After the incident, the school and town constantly harassed and bullied Grace, even some of her close friends and family members. Yet, she stood tall and continued her life as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. At just a teenager, Grace has already seen some horrors of life, and actually lived through one, but the way she fought back was so inspiring and admiring. She is a truly spectacular person.
Ian: I have a love/hate relationship with this one. At times, he was super sweet and understanding, but other times he was so gullible to the people around him. For instance, his best friend Zac! I disagree with the way he handled the situation, and the affects of the situation. He did have a character development, and that was very fun and interesting to read about, but I felt like that could be more detailed.
The Secondary Characters: Some of the secondary characters like Grace's dad, and Ian's family added a lot more character to the book. It was like a story within a story, if that makes sense. On the outside, the book is about rape, but as you go closer, the book starts to develop into multiple different sections and it discusses family, friendship, and humanity, amongst many other things.
Chemistry:
I have to say the chemistry has there, and not. I feel like this book covers such an important event that, that outweighed the chemistry. In other words, I feel like the author focused on the affects of the rape more, instead of the chemistry. It wasn't just about Grace and Ian, but everyone in the school, their families, and the town. Not saying that there was not chemistry, because there was, it just was not all consuming.
The Plot:
Oh the plot! I loved the plot, and the way the author went about it. I liked how she talks about the stereotypes of people, and the affects of the rape. The plot was very good, and very well written. I loved how family was also a huge part of this book, and how family can affect someone. The author did a very nice job with incorporating other storylines to just give the book more depth.
The Writing Style:
This book is told in dual first perspectives, starting with Grace. The writing in this book was fantastic. The cohesion and fluency this book had, made me love it even more. The writing made me feel like I was in the book, watching the whole story unfold, which I LOVE. I did not see many, if any spelling or grammar mistakes which is also a huge plus because I hate reading books with so many typos and issues.
Rating:
I rate this book 4.5 stars. I loved the concept and the overall message. The theme was great and the execution was fantastic. The only reason I didn't rate this book 5 stars was because of Ian. I felt like he had a character development, but just not a big enough one. I felt like Blount could have improved him and gave him a bit more detail and depth, but that is just how I feel, who knows?
Overall:
This book discusses a topic that is not read lightly. Unfortunately rape does happen, and it happens a lot more often than you think. I loved how this book talks about and describes the affects of rape. Grace is a victim, who suffers from anxiety attacks, and so much more, all because of one boy and that one decision he made. This book shows how even if you feel like you are alone, you are not. You can always ask for help, especially with your family members. If not family members, then someone you can trust. There will always be support for you.
This book also talks about the theme of judgement, and how easily people judge someone without really having the facts. Just look at the WHOLE TOWN for example. There are always two sides to every story, and it is important to at least hear them both without bias.
I highly recommend this book to anyone because I feel it is important to know that actions do affect people, and not always on a positive note. There are multiple lessons to be learnt in this book, which is why you should GO READ It. (LOL).
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