I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book had an amazing plot, but I felt the characters were a bit hard to connect to.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

This book started out strong but I didn't quite follow it after about half way through. The Mara character was odd and not quite sure how it related to the story at all. Maybe this book just wasn't for me.

I truly wanted to love Boy and it had all of the elements which I usually thoroughly enjoy: YA, likable protagonist, magic, bildungsroman, and coming-of-age. While all the elements lined up I struggled through this novel and was left dissatisfied. In all honesty, the novel felt me wanting more (which isn't a bad thing). I feel quite neutral about this read, no real negativity but no positivity either.

Boy, that is his name, found stability and structure after his sister died and his dad went to prison through the military cadets. It helped him deal with his addict mother, her equally unstable boyfriend, and provided money to take care of his infant half-brother. But, when at age 18, Boy was retired from the cadets, his life went into a downward spiral. The storyline from the summary regarding time standing still is such a minor part of this story that I think mentioning it is rather misleading. Instead, Boy dealing with all the stressors around him, including the ghost of his dead sister, is the story. For me as a reader, I had a hard time focusing on his story because I was incredibly distracted by the horrible neglect of his little brother, Jay. I know it happens all the time and that doesn't make it any easier to read about. I kept hoping somehow another relative would show up or CPS (whatever the Canadian version is) would get involved, whatever to save both boys from the situation. In many ways this was not an easy read, but it was still a good one.

"Misty telling someone on the phone that a ten-year-old’s grief isn’t real. It’s just loss, she said, a small hole that’ll heal quickly at his age. For him, though, holes just get bigger — maybe you just get better at building around them."

This is the story of Boy (named after Boy George) who has lost his sister in a car crash while their dad was driving. I don't want to give away the plot. The overarching theme of this story is loss and grief and neglect.

Then there's Mara, the man he meets who can stop time. Which sounded really interesting when I read the blurb but the way it's executed in the book was really confusing to me and the way Mara's storyline concluded was even more confusing. I am not sure if the story needed this side plot at all. I am not sure what purpose it served.

Even with that, I still appreciated the complexity of the characters, the hope Boy had and all the ways in which he tried to rescue himself and his loved ones. And all the people who were trying hard to rescue him.

with gratitude to netgalley and Dundurn Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

DNF

This book just did not grab me. I did not hate the mc Boy or any of the other characters but they did not feel fleshed out enough ; most of Boy's personality seemed to revolve on him having lost his sister and him wanting to join military school (or something like it, still not sure) before he lost his sister and not knowing what to do now, which is just not enough to keep me intrigued. I also thought Boy criticized his mother a bit too much (rightly so but still annoying) and did not fall in love with the writing at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I did have difficulties with this book. Couldn't really get into it. But I could see that there would be lots of people who would really like it.

I will recommend that we buy it for the library.

On initially reading the premise of the book, I wanted to dive head first into it. However, I found it incredibly difficult to get stuck in from page 1. There was a lost connection in the ability to invest an interest in the main character, which ultimately led me to not being able to finish the book. Something I really hate doing but the book turned out not to be for me. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read and review the book.

I am unable to download the file. Therefore I am unable to read it and provide a review.

Why wont Netgalley let me download the file? I need assistance.

This book was great. You know that one book on your shelf that you defend to everyone because it is so contentious and divided? Well, consider this book not a part of that section. It is objectively well done and written that it will stand the test of time. Must read.

Boy is a story of immense tragedy that is powerful, intelligently and empathetically written with a determination and optimism despite the circumstances.

The protagonist, Boy, is in his final year of school but the tragedies of the past and difficulties of the present mean that a talented student is struggling at school and his life is slowly unraveling during the story.

His Sister, Charlie, died 8 years ago in a car accident whilst their Dad was driving (he survived) and appears as a ghost. His grades in school are falling. His mother is often absent leaving Boy to look after his baby brother. Furthermore he's named after Boy George, the flamboyant 80's pop star which no doubt generates a lot of questions and interest.

The character of Mara, a pastor, lives in a secluded culvert by a lake. He has the ability to pause time and the pair strike up an unlikely friendship. This element of the story could have been developed further but I think the point the author is trying to make is that we all have grief, regret and tradegy in our lives but is drawing a distinction between the choices we make ourselves and those that are made by other people that lead to circumstances we find ourselves in.

This is because despite the circumstances, Boy finds a way through. There's a postivity, a determination to carry on. Whilst he doesn't accept the help of his teachers or his friends as much as he should, he talks to Charlie a lot and this appears to be his coping mechanism although this does seep through into talking out loud at times. This is in stark contrast to the attitude and behaviour of Mara.

The story covers a lot of issues and complex characters that are relatable even if some of them are not especially likeable. The author does this without straying into cliche and uses magical realism as a relatively minor element rather than a central theme which helps focus the story on the characters and situations and he achieves a good balance in this regard.

I’m sorry. I could not finish this book.
I got one third through but couldn’t do it any more.
I hope it improves after that but...it’s too depressing. Sorry.

This was a difficult read for me. I had a hard time getting interested in the story, although I thought the premise was interesting. I liked the idea of stopping and starting time, but I just couldn't lose myself in the story. The writing style was engaging and I would read more by this author in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dundum Press for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Boy Cornelius McVeigh is about to finish high school and go to the Royal Military College of Canada. A star pupil, he is now troubled, forced to take care of his half-brother after their mother loses herself in alcohol. Moreover, Boy sees and hears his sister, which would be perfectly normal – except she died in a car crash years ago. However supernatural, that’s not the point of the story. Boy meets a man who can stop time. A pastor, no less. Boy and Father start an unlikely friendship, except one of them is not what he seems. .
On the downside, the book is rather bland. About 70% of it can be summarized through the phrases “troubled teenager” and “bad parenting.” It is as if the author tried hard to hit all the clichés regarding broken families and teenagers – drugs, irresponsible parents, alcohol, distant grandparents, bullying and so on. .
The same author forces upon his main character an awful self-sabotaging habit of talking to himself. He uses it as an emergency literary tool, employing it exactly when action slows down, and it gets tiring very quickly. It is truly a shame since the writing is otherwise beautiful and going through “Boy” is pleasant.

This is OK. It lacks the polish of other novel in this genre and was a little uneven, but still has elements of decent story. The premise is a good one, and liked the characters. I had trouble staying engaged throughout. I hope the author writes more.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

<i>Boy</i> is a coming of age fiction novel where events of the past threaten to ruin plans for the future. The protagonist, Boy is potentially brilliant but to succeed he must contend with his dysfunctional parents, his dead sister, and a mysterious stranger who can stop time. <i>Boy</i>is the debut novel of Brent van Staalduinen.

Boy is named after the singer Boy George. He is a brilliant student who in the last year has started to let his motivation and grades slip. Teachers are trying to help him, but he refuses their help. He is accepted into a prestigious military college but his attitude will lead them to rescind the acceptance. He is even rejecting his close friends. Family life seems to be the big issue. His parents are drug and alcohol addicts. His biological father is in prison for killing his sister in a car accident and now his sister haunts him. On top of this he has a new baby brother whom he feels is his responsibility. Can he cope with all of this and still secure a future?

In my story summary I do not mention the man who can stop time because he plays a minor, almost irrelevant role in the story. I expect the lesson is that you cannot change the past. However, I was disappointed since I thought the character and his story had huge potential but it petered out.

To anyone reading this book I would suggest you keep on going. There are points where it meanders from person to person and theme to theme, and sometimes it lacks the anticipation that captures the reader but the end is worth the wait.

Boy’s Character does carry the story. However, there are many interesting characters who significantly add to the novel. Boy’s mother is a tortured soul who tries but cannot pull herself together. His father is prison is much more complex than one expects. Many of the other supporting characters play a significant role in telling the story.

The story covers many complex themes, which van Staalduinen manages very carefully and succinctly leading to a good read overall. In the end events are brought together by a surprising twist.

I do recommend the book as a whole but I can only give it a 3 on 5 because I feel like there are too many points where the reader may give up and the relevance of magical component is still a mystery to me. I want to thank NetGalley and Dundurn Press for providing me with a digital copy of the novel in exchange for a fair review

I normally stay away from all things YA or even YA adjacent. In other words, books with 18 year old protagonists don’t normally appeal to me and yet something about this one did…ok, to be perfectly honest that something was the cover. Bikes on the cover always seem to do the trick. And also the promise of magic realism was kind of enticing. So the reason for this preface is to say I’m very glad this book had a bike on the cover, because otherwise I might not have checked it out and missed out on a surprisingly enjoyable read featuring an 18 year old protagonist. And so more about him…the eponymous boy named Boy (after Boy George) and still more optimal than a boy named Sue is having a tough year. It’s his last year of high school and academically his future is quite bright, he’s already been accepted to a prestigious academy to continue his military education and career, yet his personal life is unravelling. 10 years ago his father crashed a car while driving drunk and killed his sister and her best friend, now Charlie haunts Boy, his ever present companion, communication with whom often results in appearing as if he’s talking to himself. His mom shacked up with the father of the other girl killed in the car crash, both of them are semi functional alcoholics, stumbling through life and ending up with a baby neither of them wants or is able to properly care for and so the baby is now Boy’s responsibility. In fact, he might have a baby of his own somewhere, following his only unprotected sexual encounter with a girl he barely knows. And then there’s a mysterious shut in living in the woods, he appears to have the power to pause time. A lot to process for anyone, especially a kid, however smart, kind and well put together he might be. Nevertheless, Boy tries his best and we the readers get to follow his journey. A journey fraught with difficulties, but never hopeless, which is just nice for a change (there’s enough angsty 18 year olds out there) and nice for Boy. An enjoyable and engaging ride for which Boy’s charisma as a protagonist is almost entirely responsible. Although to be fair, the writing helps along very well. It’s a seemingly dense read, but actually flows quite nicely. It’s very quiet sort of story, despite the very tough themes it deals with, and it might take a minute to get into, you just have to let it draw you in. For some reason I expected a Scandinavian setting, probably because of the author’s name, silly, but it actually takes place in Canada. So kind of sort of international reading anyway. But either way, this was a good read, I liked it way past the cover appeal. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.