Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Cosola
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Poignant, funny look at being a straight, suburban teen boy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
At the start of THIS BOY, Paul Walden is a freshman at his North Carolina high school, trying to figure out where he fits in. Should he toss aside his values to hang with the popular kids, or be true to himself and find friends with shared values? From there, Paul narrates his four years of high school, and his friendship with honest, sweet Roby takes center stage. The two become best friends, though that bond is tested more than once. The story is a funny, honest depiction of what it's like to be a straight teen boy in America: how to balance respect for women with nonstop adolescent sexual urges; how to be a good friend; how to deal with the challenging and evolving parent-child relationship; and how to cope with serious problems, such as addiction. Throughout, Paul learns lessons and make choices that show him who he is and the kind of adult he wants to be.
Is It Any Good?
This story shows an ordinary boy with an extraordinary voice hilariously and poignantly navigating his four years of high school. In This Boy, Paul Walden is a pretty average kid by most accounts, but his world view takes the reader on an engaging ride through the mind of a suburban American teen boy. Author Lauren Myracle does a stellar job of giving Paul a strong, unique voice that will make most readers feel like they really know him by the end of the book. Paul has hilarious takes on figuring out friendship, school social hierarchy, and dating. His friend Roby is endearing and adds a lot to the realistic feel of the book. So many of us have that one friend in our teens who isn't the flashiest, coolest, or edgiest kid, but is the solid, truthful, rock of person we desperately need. Roby fits that bill. Paul's journey shows what different people we are at 14 and 18.
The story takes a sharp turn in tone and plot at the end, which is jarring and reads like the author was trying to cram in a lot of "message" and information in the final pages. The issues and plot points are good, but the tone and pace change are so dramatic that it almost feels like a different book. Though, to be fair, the plot twist provides the kind of unexpected jolt many readers appreciate.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the teen drug and alcohol use in This Boy. How do you feel about the way it's depicted in movies, shows, and books? Do these stories make the issue feel more real to you? Do you understand how drugs affect young brains and bodies?
Many stories show how hard it is for teens to share their problems with friends and family. Do you ever feel this way? Why do you think opening up to others is so difficult?
Have you ever felt like you had to compromise your values in order to maintain to hang out with certain groups in school? What did you go through?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Topics : Friendship , School ( High School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Walker Books U.S.
- Publication date : April 14, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 288
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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