I tried to give it a fair shake, but sadly it didn't work out for me.

The concept of it was wonderful, and I wish Harry F. Rey the best for this release. I always enjoy stories that celebrate queerness and add fun spins to old mythology. I think this one just missed the mark for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-copy.

This wasn't my favorite. I really wanted to give this a fighting chance, but I find with most of these retellings that I end up disliking the story.

I think this had some issues with pacing as well as finding a balance between original story inspiration and transforming it into your own.

“Of Gods and Boys” by Harry F. Rey is a novel that weaves together the threads of Greek mythology and modern-day struggles, set in Texas. The story follows Achilles, a teenager fresh out of juvenile detention, who finds himself navigating a world where the gods are as unpredictable as the adults in his life are untrustworthy.

The novel gave me strong gothic undertones, creating an atmosphere where uncertainty and suspicion permeate Achilles’ life. His relationship with Jesús, a Mexican American boy working at Domino’s, adds a layer of complexity as they navigate their feelings for each other while trying to get Achilles through a series of seemly arbitrary parole hurdles. The tragic backstory of Achilles’ former cellmate, who commits suicide after transitioning to adult jail, casts a long shadow, with extra grief and emotional complication for Achilles.
The gods are capricious, intervening in human affairs in ways that are both helpful and hindering, and that reinforced the gothic feeling for me of never knowing who is trustworthy or safe. For me, it felt a lot darker with a deeper undercurrent of tragedy than similar YA series, (ie Percy Jackson).

It’s a story made up of ingredients that don’t seem like they should work, Greek Mafia dad, queer boy in Texas, Mom that sacrifices to Greek gods twice a day to the horror of her Catholic ex-husband, Mom’s dating the school principle (who is also a woman), Jock bully, and queer awakening. Shake it all up, and what you get in an odd combination that I haven’t experienced before but that worked.

I really don’t know what to think about this book. At times I was unsure whether it was a comedy, romance, or satire. I also noted that despite being classed as ‘young adult’ there were heavy sex themes which I was uncomfortable with.

OF GODS AND BOYS follows Achilles, a newly released convict and son of a pagan Greek mother and mafia father. It follows him trying to settle into his hometown with his old girlfriend and wrestling group, despite having eyes for his tutor.

I think the main problem I had with this book was the very ‘tell’ writing style. I had no idea what was happening until I was told. Likewise, I was told about the character’s lacklustre personalities rather than letting them prove themselves. There were several ‘out of character’ moments, and I couldn’t help but think that this book wasn’t edited or reviewed heavily enough, making it feel rushed and one-dimensional.

This also made the plot fall a bit flat. I would have loved to see more of a character arc with Achilles finding out his sexuality, as well as his mixed feelings about his family and being back home.

Some better conviction about what the book is trying to say, and what direction it was going to take would have made a lot of these issues better.

I want to extend my sincere thanks to both NetGalley and Harry F. Rey for granting me the opportunity to delve into an ARC copy of "Of Gods and Boys." Life has kept me busier than expected, but I'm thrilled to finally share my thoughts on this captivating novel.

Rey's storytelling prowess shines through as he weaves a tale that is equal parts hilarious and deeply moving.

The novel's exploration of Achilles' post-juvie struggles, coupled with his unlikely connection to Greek mythology, creates a compelling backdrop for the narrative. I found myself drawn into Achilles' journey as he navigates the complexities of reconnecting with his past, pursuing his education, and confronting his inner demons.

What truly sets "Of Gods and Boys" apart is its fearless examination of issues such as racial injustice, homophobia, and religious hypocrisy. Rey tackles these weighty themes with sensitivity and nuance, seamlessly integrating them into the fantastical world he has crafted.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the novel, I found myself slightly thrown off by the initial premise of Achilles' parole conditions. However, I appreciate Rey's daring approach in taking the story in such an unexpected direction, ultimately adding depth and intrigue to the narrative.

One aspect that left me sitting on the fence was the portrayal of outing moments and body image. While I understand their relevance to the story, I couldn't help but feel conflicted about their execution.

In conclusion, "Of Gods and Boys" is a compelling read that offers a fresh perspective on familiar themes. Despite some minor reservations, I found myself thoroughly engrossed in Achilles' journey and the world Rey has created. For its boldness, humor, and thought-provoking content, I give this a solid three stars overall.

Actual rating: 0.5 rounded up

I’m gonna be real, I tried to like this book. I tried damnedest to enjoy the story that was being told. I spent the entire book questioning it I should DNF or not. I did end up finishing it as a point of pride mostly. This is the type of story that should interest me for a number of reasons, but I had so many issues with the book that I didn’t find any enjoyment in what could have been every interesting concept for a book.

Namely speaking, I understand the appeal of trying to be a the next PJO/HOO book, but this book did not at any point have the charm that that PJO books be able to justify it. The pacing of the book was absolutely fucked, and a lot of the aspects are not well thought out. There is no build up to Achilles and Jesús relationship, it feels damn near almost forced. The mom being gay is thrown in there almost for wokeness points that didn’t make sense.

Additionally, the amounts of homophobia and racism in this queer novel made it almost unbearable to read. At this point, there are other books that have done homophobia better and handled it more care than this book did. Rey’s seems to have had everything tied up neatly into a bow for Achilles, but in doing that, they hand waved away forgiving of forceful outing and homophobic behavior and language with a half-hearted apology so Achilles and Carla can be friends again. Additionally, they allow Hector to be given everything he wants. Yes, this is through a metaphor that the fallen are who are remembered. But it still left a sour taste in my mouth that the raging homophobe will now be moving on to the Olympics.

Serious topics were treated like jokes or never treated as being bad (ie no seen consensus for the implied SA and grooming of child in jail by “beasts”/guards), racism (Carla calling a Mexican character an ape, extra). On top of the fact that almost all of the queer characters feel like a caricature of queer subcultures. I know that Rey is a queer man which makes the representations and the handling of homophobia even more disappointing to me. There is also a fair bit of internalized fatphobia from Achilles and plan old fat phobia from his mom. In fact, his mom at the end of the book out right says “rejoice my son is no longer fat”. I get aspects of where Rey is coming from with these comments, but they come off as insensitive.

I also seriously disagree with this book being in the category of YA. While they do not explicitly have sex in the book, there are graphic descriptions of the effects poppers/other sex drugs, sex toys, attempts of sex between Carla and Achilles, and a major plot being that Achilles cannot “get it up”. While I’m someone who normally doesn’t mind references to sexual content in YA books, the number of graphic details in my mind put this way past the realm of YA/New Adult. Even if the characters are 17/18.

I was really looking forward to this book. Modern adaptations of classic stories are what I’m literally planning on doing my dissertation on but this fell flat in so many that.

The Song of Achilles meets Aristotle and Dante

Achilles had just been released from juvie into his mother’s care and under parole. One thing you need to know about Achilles’ family is his father is a Greek crime lord and his mother is a devout Greek pantheon follower. Per Achilles’ parole requirements, he has to qualify for a Greco-Roman wrestling competition under his uncle’s purview and pass his GED as overseen by his principal and his tutor, Jesús, who is openly gay and Hispanic. After Achilles saves Jesús from a bashing, the Greek gods agree to reward him if he defeats four Greek (metaphorical) demons.

This is a fairly short book with constant plot progression which makes the book read even faster. The writing style leans more lyrical and often poetic, and I enjoyed listening to Achilles’ internal monologue and his growth towards understanding and accepting his true self. I very rarely want a book to be longer, but I wish this was. I wanted to see more of the behind the scenes, so to speak, moments between Achilles and Jesús as their time together was spent mostly in the background of the story. It would have strengthened the ending when the characters moved into what came next. However, it was still a cute relationship overall.

Beyond the romance, this books touches on some heavy topics. The traditional machoism that Achilles’ father carries with him and the toxic influence that it has on Achilles and his cousin. The difficulties of surviving the juvenile justice system are present across the book. Often, when thinking about a prison state, most people focus on the issues in the adult system and often ignore the same problems found in the juvenile system. The poor quality of medical and mental health treatments, low food quality, racism and classism, among other things, are heavily present in both real life and in this book. Reforms are necessary in both systems but the need for rehabilitation in juvenile corrections is even greater because of the age and maturity levels of the inmates.

Overall, this book packs quite the punch for being so short, and I highly recommend this book for all ages.

#netgalley #ofgodsandboys

This book is absolutely wonderful! It introduces a fresh storyline that's brimming with excitement and potential. The execution is top-notch, making it a thoroughly enjoyable read. However, there were some parts that felt a bit rushed, lacking sufficient buildup for the reader. Nonetheless, it's still deserving of 4.5 stars

requested and received a copy of Of Gods and Boys by Harry F. Rey via Netgalley. The boy is a sort of modern-YA-Greek-Myth-Retelling featuring a teeanger, Achilles, who has recently been released from juvenile detention after being set up for a crime he didn’t commit. He faces some struggles with adjusting to life on the outside, particularly with his somewhat-girlfriend, Carla. Things begin to change when he meets the boy who is supposed to tutor him, Jesús, and he is offered a chance to bring back a departed friend.

It took me a moment for me to get into this story. I was a little thrown off by the weird conditions of his parole (he must compete in a wrestling competition and earn his GED) but this book has a very particular viewpoint that I found compelling and the moments of humor were absolutely wonderful. I also enjoyed the softness between Achilles and Jesús. I think seeing more of the story between Marcus and Achilles would have made that subplot a bit more impactful, but I enjoyed the messaging behind it. The narrative was a bit uneven for me and at times it seemed a little bit too complicated or like the author was trying to throw too many ingredients into the pot, but I still had fun with this one.

Rey does a great job of tackling issues like racial injustice, homophobia, and Christian hypocrisy in a way that feels natural to a very unnatural story. Of Gods and Boys serves as a really good sort of lampoon of our current political climate as well. A couple of things didn’t necessarily sit well with me. While this book does a good job of handling certain issues it falls short when it comes to body-image and coming out. There were a couple of lines that made me raise an eyebrow and seemed to push the limits of YA

Overall, I would probably give this book 3 stars. It took a while for me to get into because it starts off very slow, but it does pick up the pace and get very exciting towards the end. On the other hand, it does seem a little bit rushed (but I didn’t really mind because I was a little bored at that point). I liked that all the action happened very quickly. My main criticism of this book would have to be the characterization. I found both of the main characters to be incredibly unlikeable at different points in the novel. I like Achilles and found him relatable for most of the book, but the author fell into this trap of automatically making gay men hate women just because they don’t like them. When Achilles first realizes he likes kissing men instead of women, all he talks about is how disgusting women are because they care too much about their hair and their clothes and their lip gloss. It put a damper on Achilles coming out to himself, which could have been such a meaningful scene. I also found Jesus to have somewhat inconsistent characterization. He’s supposed to be this genius who is going to CalTech but he’s never even heard of Chaucer? Instead he’s like this caricature of gay men who only cares about Taylor Swift and Broadway. By the end of the book, I did really like both of these characters, but I wish I could have liked them more throughout it.