Boys Don't Cry

It’s been a fair while since I’ve read a Malorie Blackman novel, so I was delighted when Boys Don’t Cry arrived for review. Blackman is surely one of most enduring and respected figures in young adult literature, taking over from Judy Blume as the foremost writer of brilliantly written teen books tackling serious issues in a smart, accessible way. Happily for me, Boys Don’t Cry is another shining example…

The main focus of the book is young Dante Bridgeman, a seventeen year-old boy whose A-level triumph is flattened when his ex-girlfriend arrives on his doorstep with a buggy in tow. To Dante’s horror, she confesses that the baby girl asleep in the pram is his, then asks him to look after her for a few minutes while she goes show more to the shops to buy nappies. She never comes back. It is time for Dante to step up and work out what the future will hold for him and his daughter. At the same time, Dante’s younger brother Adam is struggling to balance his ‘out and proud’ attitude with the vicious homophobia running rife among his peers, while his father, the rock of the family, tries to hold everything together.

It was a delight to watch Dante evolve as a character as the pages went by, first accepting little Emma, then beginning to bond with her, taking on responsibility for her upbringing, and finally learning to truly love her. It was a real twist on the old ‘teen mother left to raise baby’ plot, which was refreshing. This family of three male characters is so likeable and honest and real, that the reader can’t help but root for them every step of the way. You want Dante to bond completely with his daughter, you want Adam to find happiness, you want their father to stay solid and do the right thing to support his boys. Blackman doesn’t shy away from ‘telling it like it is’, showing how hard it is to be a parent and how ugly prejudice of any kind can be, and her novel was gripping from start to finish. It made me smile, and I shed a fair few tears along the way as well… Highly recommended! show less

I didn't really like the first-person narration with the two protagonists, brothers Dante and Adam. Dante gets a surprise delivery of a daughter on the day he also gets his shiny A level results; Adam has a secret relationship that doesn't end well. I was also a bit disappointed with Dante's decision to decline his university place offer (rather than defer in the first instance, or look into more local options) and that all the work he apparently did to work out it was an impossible option for him this year took place off-screen, so to speak, and was only briefly referred to in conversation. Otherwise, it was very readable.

PLUS -
* A slightly different twist on the theme of teenage parents, this time from the boy's point of view. It's not the only book on the subject written from a male perspective (try Mahalia by Joanne Hornimnn) but it is very well done here. Dante is celebrating fantastic A Level results, when his ex girlfriend turns up with a baby girl claiming Dante is the father.
* The character development after Dante is left, quite literally, holding the baby is very convincing.
* The all male Bridgeman household is really well written - younger brother Adam and Dante have their own issues (not least the fact that Dante isn't quite sure how much he has come to terms with Adam being openly gay), widowed Dad is struggling to make ends meet, and to show more deal emotionally with two young men. There is friction and arguing but deep down they would stand by each other through thick and thin.

MINUS -
* Nothing bad to say about this one really. I thought the fact that the social worker is the sister of another character was unlikely, but this is hardly a major fault.

OVERALL -
* A great read. Yes, it could be billed as a 'another teenage issues novel' (teenage parents, homophobia, images of masculinity) but it is well written, both funny and sad in places, with really well drawn characters.
* Highly recommended to anyone aged 13+ show less

Dante is a seventeen year old boy who is waiting for his A-level results. He's hoping they'll be good so he'll get into the university he wants to get into. He's already been planning his university life for weeks now. But instead of the postman, his ex-girlfriend shows up. She's seemingly babysitting a baby, which confuses Dante a bit. Why is she bringing the baby to visit him? Well, he's kind of wondering why she's visiting him in the first place; they haven't spoken since she suddenly moved away more than a year ago.

It isn't until she asks him to babysit the baby so she can head out and buy more diapers that he founds out. She's gone for nearly an hour when she finally calls... to tell him it's their daughter. He's the father of the show more baby in the stroller in his living room. She's had enough, afraid she'll hurt Emma because of the frustration and pressure she feels over her life as a single teenaged mum.

There's nothing he can do. Nobody seems to know where she's gone, or how to contact her relatives. Even though his father insists on him keeping Emma, as she is his, Dante has his doubts; trying to hold onto the dream of going to university with his girlfriend. Besides, there is a possibility the baby isn't his, right?

I more or less borrowed this book on impulse, figuring What the hell? when I saw it. The topic is quite interesting, especially as I'm less than a year away from being a teenager which means I've missed my window to be a teenage parent. It feels a lot more fun and interesting to read those kind of books now, not that I ever worried about being pregnant, but the thought of having a kid was a lot more terrifying two years ago. I've become quite a family-orientated sap lately. It's an interesting subject.

But I will admit I was about to put the book down and return it during the first few chapters. It felt like such a mainstream book with stereotypical characters at first. But it didn't take long before it started to pick up and become quite interesting. The book is written from Dante's perspective but also occasionally from his younger brother Adam's. It definitely helped the book a lot, as half of it was about the struggles about being a teenage father and the other, almost, half was about Adam's struggle with his sexuality and a secret relationship that goes wrong. It was written quite beautifully and it was hard not to care for all the characters. show less

Review originally posted with images at EmmaMaree.com.

Choosing character names is a struggle for me, but it's clear author Malorie Blackman some naming skills. The two main characters of her latest novel "Boys Don't Cry" are Dante, whose story revolves around being left holding his newborn baby after his girlfriend skips town, has a younger brother named Adam, an openly gay black teenager that Dante's friends hate.

Dante and Adam. Those are fantastic names. The Christian origin, the dichotomy of it - Adam being the son of God, residing in Heaven, Dante being a famous bard who went down into the depths of Hell in search of his love. Religion isn't mentioned in the book, but the symbolism here - the opposite meanings - rings true. Dante show more and Adam are close as brothers, especially when they're in the house around each other, but they disagree on a lot of things and argue often.

But this story is about a lot more than the two brothers. When Dante is sitting waiting for his A-Level result, his ex-girlfriend appears at the door with a baby she claims is his. Then she disappears, leaving him holding the baby and facing the fact that he might be about to lose everything - a promising university education, his social life, and his current girlfriend Colette.

Told from a rare single father point of view, Dante has to figure out how to be a dad - from changing nappies to worrying about whether it is really his kid. His dad helps him out using his own experience as a single parent - but the help is in true-to-life 'dad' form, with lots of grumbling about what a bloody idiot he is for getting into this mess in the first place.

I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this story, but Dante's strong voice pulled me into the story. He's very British, and very honest and real - he sounds like a typical English teen guy, it's great. It's also a very honest story - it doesn't skim over any of the harsh realities of being a teen parent. Dante's friends stop calling round to visit, his girlfriend doesn't want anything to do with him, his guy friends mock him when they're not busy taunting his brother.

The story unfolds at a quick pace, with chapters from Dante's point of view showing the child-rearing side of life, and Adam's chapters showing some of the darker sides of Dante's circle of friends. By the end of the story, the viciousness of Dante's friends shows its true colours and has horrible consequences.

The ending left me wanting more - it was realistically done, but I really wanted karma to be served. I also wish they'd mentioned the families skin colour more - the only obvious mention about Dante being black was towards the end. You could argue that this is clever - the ambiguous cover and narrative mean any young guy can relate to the story - but personally I wish this was clearly and proudly from the start.

It's been a long time since I read Malorie Blackman (as a kid I poured over stories like "Hacker" and "Pig-Heart Boy" in my Primary School library), and I'm glad to see she's as brilliant a writer as ever.

Maybe I should get around to finally giving her "Noughts & Crosses" series a look...

A review copy of this book was provided by Random House. show less

OH MY GOD I FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK. It was so so lovely! This is the first book I have read of Malorie and I can’t wait to start another of her. You will not regret it. I absolutely adored Dante and Adam. I felt so so sorry for Dante and I just wanted to drag him out of the book and give him a massive hug. If you haven’t read this one just yet: GO READ THIS ONE, NOW!

This book was kind of different from what I was expecting but I really liked it nonetheless. Malorie Blackman shows the story of 17 year old Dante who is suddenly having to take care of almost an year old infant he did not know he was the father of. Putting his dreams, plans and future on hold he picks up the child and takes on his responsibility resenting little Emma for barging in and messing everything up. Malorie Blackman shows the story of 16 year old Adam who is not afraid to hide his homosexuality in front of everyone unlike the cruel boy he has fallen in love with. Written in alternating point of view between Dante and Adam it shows the story of these two brothers and how they come in terms with who they are and what is really show more important in life - family.

It was a beautifully written sweet, sad story with raw honesty and realness in the characters. The Muse references did not hurt either. Boys Don't Cry - despite its title shows that yes, Boys DO Cry for things that are important to them but as long as they brush those tears off and get on ahead it is completely okay. show less