Boy Mum is a thought-provoking insight into life as a mum of boys, supported by lots of interesting research into the differences between the genders.

A fascinating read. There's quite a lot to taken in so definitely one to dip in and out of!

This is an interesting and thoughtful read, but one I struggled to connect fully with as the author seemed so doom-and-gloom about everything! Yes, there are a lot of factors to think about when raising boys, but there seems to be little joy in how she feels about her sons in the anecdotes she tells, so I didn't get much of a sense of hope and positivity. I also found the book to be surprisingly focused on America, given the British author and title - I was hoping for less generalising and more a focused dive into British boyhood. Most disappointing to me was the way the author talks about her sons' neurodivergency, which was uncomfortably close to saying she wished they didn't have diagnoses so she could pretend they were neurotypical. It just left a bad taste in my mouth.

BoyMum is a well researched account of raising boys, alongside personal anecdotes - fueled by raising 3 boys of her own.

This is both an easy read (the research is explained well and the whole book is well written) and a difficult read (the flipside of #MeToo, incels, misogyny). I appreciated that the book covers UK and US stats and information.

Despite ending with a chapter on "what to do", the books offers insights in every chapter. A round up would have been good - the unsettling information in the chapters meant I read this much slower than I read other books.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Whippman starts this book with a powerful and honest musing about raising three sons as a decent parent and feminist. This book is a reminder of what we feel deep inside - how to raise happy, healthy, respectful individuals, and eradicate toxic masculinity for all.
Some advice and tips are common sense, however, they are backed up by not only personal and engaging examples, but also Whippman’s interesting research and hard work. As expected and also not so expected in some ways, boys are affected massively by the dominant practices, representations and expectations of toxic masculinity. It is hard for them to navigate their emotions, find channels and friendships where the expression of emotions and feelings are encouraged. The Dutch example stood out for me as well as the interviews with the boys. Giving them voice was the most unique aspect of this book for me.
This book is, overall, about helping our sons/men, creating equal societies without giving men privileges over women, and opening the floor to questions.

The title is a play on the toxicity of masculinity.

Mainly an easy read, a much-needed conversation, and glad that this was coming from a feminist. It was the main reason why I wanted to read this book in the first place.