Boys Don't Cry: 'I can't remember ever reading something so moving.' Marian Keyes

I ordered “Boys Don’t Cry” due to rave reviews and I received it yesterday. I started reading it immediately and am 75% though it. It’s set in my hometown, So I easily related to characters, language and setting, if not the family situation. A dysfunctional family, parents and 2 sons, father is involved in drug dealing and in and out of prison. He supposedly loves his family but he beats up his wife on a regular basis. Eldest boy 18 years old does not want to be like his father, though he acts tough. He goes to an upmarket college and is a total outsider there. Youngest son is 12 and has a quiet, innocent nature. I’ve cried several times already and expect more tears because I’ve made a connection with the characters and their story. I highly recommend this book by Fiona Scarlett, which is the first book I’ve read by her. 💯 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Boys Don't Cry tells the story of two brothers, Joe (17), a talented artist/cartoonist, and Finn (12), who live in a tower block in Dublin with their mother and father (who works for a local gang leader and is in and out of prison).Joe's chapters recount him trying to deal with a traumatic loss while struggling against the criminal influences of his father and the expectations others have that he's destined to drift into a life of crime. Finn's chapters tell his experiences of being diagnosed with and treated for leukaemia, and its effect on him and his brother and parents.I thought this debut novel was utterly extraordinary. The prose was beautiful while at the same time the voices of the two boys were completely believable and authentic. I was completely emotionally invested in both Joe's and Finn's stories. Without giving too much away, the book is also very cleverly structured enabling their stories to intertwine in a very impactful way.Boys Don't Cry broke my heart and mended it again on almost every page.I listened to the audiobook which was beautifully narrated by Ronan Raftery.

Yes it was sad. And you fell in love with the two boys.But it was a little all over the place. Also it read like it was set in the 1970/80s and it wasn't until it said something about a mobile phone etc you relised no it is up to date.Also don't know if it's just me but the ending with Joe was a little bit confusing. I read over it and over it seeing what I was missing. But for the life of me I couldn't work it out.It's not a bad book but it is not a 5⭐ book in my humble opinion.

Boys Don’t Cry is a beautiful novel, exploring the themes of family legacy, love, grief and perhaps surprisingly, given the latter theme, living life to the fullest. The writing is assured, but never showy. There is a confidence in the clean prose that elevates this book beyond most debut novels. I marvelled at how the sparse writing style still managed to bring a lump to my throat through most of the book.I particularly loved how Scarlett captures the melody and dialect of working class Dubliners without ever falling into cliché. This element more than any transported me into a world I knew very little about.Despite the sometimes harrowing themes, the author skilfully weaves in humour throughout the book. As in real-life, even at the darkest moments there are flashes of comedy. This contrasting technique deepens, rather than lessens, the pathos of the story.As a lover of food in fiction, I was delighted by the references to Irish dishes such as Guinness stew and Coddle as well as staples of my own childhood growing up on an estate - slush puppies, waffles, fizzy worms and Lucozade among others!The mark of a great novel is one that stays with you long after the final page. A week after finishing the book, I’m still thinking about Finn, Joe and all the characters of ‘The Jax’ tower block. I suspect this will be the case for many more readers of this wonderful novel. Highly recommended and an easy five stars.

Every word of Boys Don't Cry is written with heart. A deeply affecting story about a family's loss, it nevertheless brims with life and humour for Scarlett has that Irish way with words. From the muscular Dublin vernacular to the guileless lyricism of a child, Scarlett's empathy captures it all and shows us these voices do not simply co-exist but are bound together, most especially in the love between the two brothers at the heart of the story. With this stunning debut, Scarlett assuredly takes her place alongside the best of modern Irish writers, and we readers can only hold our breath to see what she comes up with next.

A very moving and well written account of love and loss. Told from the point of view of brothers Finn and Joe. Finn's chapters recount the past as he became ill and was diagnosed with cancer. Older brother Joe is now dealing with that loss plus the anger he feels for his drug dealing father who is now in prison. Joe has choices to make as he navigates bereavement - he wants to help his friend Sabine who owes money to the local dealer but if he helps her, will he be dragged into the murky world of running drugs just as his dad was? A beautifully written story about brotherly love. Really enjoyed it.

A book of few pages that packs a mighty punch. In 146 (kindle) pages the author reveals a problem family, unique Irish living and the devastating consequences of leukaemia. There’s a father who is in and out of prison, a mother who is subjected to domestic abuse, a gifted teenager who has a scholarship in a prestigious school and an 11 years old boy who is to be subjected to illness.Most reviewers have indicated how sad the storyline is and I totally agree. If I had one major issue- I wished the book had been longer as it made a thoroughly involving read.I’ll be keeping my eye out for further books by this author.

Don't bother with it....I read this book based on the reviews, quite honestly I can't see what people saw in it, the amount of bad language was not necessary. The story jumped about, and the health of the young lad was secondary to the bad home life. I gave it a star, purely because I had no other books on my Kindle and needed something to read, and I don't like 'giving up' on books I have started.