Boy Toy

Hi! So I read Boy Toy around the middle of 2011. I went to Borders and picked it up and read it in less than a week. I say pause at 14 and under specifically because by the time kids are in 8th grade they have already been exposed to the things in this book. The sex in this book is pretty graphic, but also really low key in a sense. Parents should be aware of Josh and other characters language, because it is very strong. Even with what I say, you should pause and think about letting them read this book. I really liked the story. Josh was a strong character but he certainly had his flaws. He was a little dense despite his seemingly bright character, he had those flickers that actually weren't all that bad, and he apologized WAY too many times for my tastes. I loved Rachel, his friend, and Zik. They were great characters for the book. I also loved the romance. Rachel was so perfect for this and she just blew my mind in how wise she was. She said things that made you go "wow." I loved how she was a strong but girly character that really just KNEW what she was doing. Anyways, the book was real good. I'd recommend parents letting kids 14 & older (after thinking about it) take a go at this book. Please think about how mature your children are in the process so they do not "hurt their brain" or be "scarred for life".

When I read this I was 16, and I did find the sexual content surprising. It wasn't anything I haven't been exposed to before, but I was very shocked at how graphic it was. From the blurb on the book I would have never guessed that it was even about molestation. And I certainly didn't expect it to be so sexual. But it was a very good book, the characters were very well done. Not to mention Josh, the main character, he was so full of emotion that you couldn't help but love him. I would most definitely recommend this book to older teens (16+) and adults. Children and young teens should not be exposed to the contents of this book. Overall, I loved it.

Very good story. Very relatable to a lot of pre-teen to teenage boys.

While the topic can help one learn about such situations, it was unnecessary to include explicit sexual activities. I wouldn't recommend it at all, although I believe there is never a good reason to include graphic/explicit sexual situations.

This book is a wonderful look at a boy recovering from sexual abuse. The story is well-written and deals with its tender subject well. It captures the farther reaching consequences of sexual abuse, including the stigma that victims face. It is affecting and disturbing to read of Josh's experience from his "grooming" to the end of his abuse. There are extremely explicit descriptions of fondling, kissing, oral sex, pornography, and etc. which border on pornographic. There is a very disturbing scene where a grown man beats a child. There is also lots and lots of bad language. Since Josh is male, readers will likely have a different view of his experiences than they would of a girl in the same circumstances. This can be an excellent starting-point for discussions and deeper thinking. This is not a book for children, even if it is marketed to them. Boy Toy is honest and raw -not something even most older teens should be exposed to.