It took me a while to finish as it evoked memories of high school drama, but it was poignant and eye-opening. The story is heartbreaking as it reveals all the bias, bigotry, and racism that we have made tiny steps in breaking. The ongoing trauma that our young adults go through when they are most vulnerable and still learning to make life decisions dictates our adult insecurities. The references to our current state made it relatable and made me worry about what our kids have to deal with at 16 and younger. I used to drink from a garden hose !! Highly recommend this read

Three young men, high school star football players, have a violent encounter with a fellow student that is an outcast. Vikram is a smart Indian junior new to the team, Diego is an athletic and smart Latino junior, and MJ is a wealthy old family White senior. Stanley, the outcast friendless kid, snarky and full of false bravado, that they all have a history with.

The boys meet at a large after game party at an abandoned house, get into a fight instigated by Stanley, but finished by the three players. They leave a drunk and slightly knocked around Stanley behind but then Stanley reenters the party beat up and very seriously injured. Who did the real beating?

The back stories of the football players families are interesting and insightful, dealing with race, privilege, and class. Lacking is the backstory of Stanley, we don’t really know why he is a snarky bully that no one likes. It reduces him to a cliche. The only clue that there is a background story is that his mother does not go to the police despite her son being hospitalized due to a beating, we have to assume that she knows/feels he is at fault in some way.

Excellent writing and storyline. The character development is deep and the characters empathetic while each is flawed.

This was a really heavy book to read. I think that Sameer Pandya does a great job at discussing class and race issues. For me, this had a slow start but once I was more familiar with the characters, I was eager to finish. I think that some of the characters may be a divisive and I look forward to seeing what other people think. Overall, I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to others.

Sameer Pandya is an author who perfectly captures conversation and place in his latest novel ‘Our Beautiful Boys.’ 3 high school football players are accused of violently beating up another student. The boys have secrets and so do their parents. Pandya impressed the heck out of me in this story about youth, race, bullying, class and people trying to hold on. This is not a story that relies on twists - it has a slow build-up, unforgettable characters and simply tells the story of imperfect people and pressures we put on ourselves and others.

Engaging story about high school football players - a bit of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I enjoyed learning the backgrounds of each character (as well as their parents).

There is a lot to unpack here! Vikram is a high school junior who is a late minute add to the High School football team. Vikram is an Indian-American teenage teen and has always been a good, studious kid, but after befriending a few of his other teammates, his whole trajectory changes.

The story follows Vikram and his teammates Diego Cruz, son of a single mom college professor and author and MJ Berringer, white, committed to Yale and part of a very traditional family. The three attend a party after a football victory and during the party, they have a physical altercation with a sometime friend/sometime bully classmate, Stanley. What seems to be a small incident into much more as the parents try to protect the boys and their futures.

As the story unfolds, we also get a lot more insight into the lives and backgrounds of each of the boys parents and their cultural and familial baggage that they bring to the table. I was totally engaged in this insightful story - part coming of age, part sports drama, part family expose, a small element of mystery, and part cultural analysis.

I did feel like the narrative lost a tiny bit of focus in the back half - there are so many characters - the three boys (plus the bully) and each of their parents, that no one character takes the forefront. However, I still strongly enjoyed this read- it was beautifully written and has so much to say.

Thanks to Ballantine books and netgalley for access to this eARC.

“Our Beautiful Boys” is by Sameer Panda. This book tells the story of three boys (and their parents) in the aftermath of the boys making a rather bad decision. I can see this book being an excellent one for book clubs as there’s a lot packed into this story. I found the idea of this book to be appealing. Ms. Pandya delves into the background of the boys and their parents. This book isn’t just about boys getting into a fight that went a bit too far and accusations flying about who did what. It’s about class, privilege, protecting children from situations, and race. Some characters I liked over others, but there were a number of characters in this book to keep track of. What I found interesting was the build-up - while the reader knows what happened and why it happened, there are questions about the four boys involved. There’s a bit too much blame game for my taste, but I think that some of it was necessary. This wasn’t an easy read emotionally for me, but I found the idea and most of the execution well done.

What I loved most about this is how clearly Sameer Pandya's background in cultural studies, specifically cultural dislocation, shined through.

At times I felt the novel was a little all over the place, some additions unnecessary in my opinion. I'm also not a huge fan of long books, so it could be my bias.

{Thank you bunches to Sameer Pandya, Ballantine Books, Random House Group and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for my honest review!}

Our Beautiful Boys was an intense, touching book with coming of age themes not just for the teenagers but also for their parents, many of whom have engaged in deceptive acts for many years. An interesting read with a number of impulsive and irresponsible characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Review posted on Goodreads on 1/14/2025

ARC for review through NetGalley

3.5 stars

I thought the characters were very compelling however since the story dived into the personal lives of the three boys and their parents, I found the book to feel overcrowded at times. Some of the characters felt more half baked than others. I appreciate the variety of themes explored in this novel such as race, class, and masculinity but I do think the book could have had a sharper focus overall. I still think this is worth checking out when it's released in march.

This was an interesting take of the they said vs they said discussion. Three students find themselves in trouble after a fateful night. You then see the ramifications play out with them and the whole town. While I thought it was an interesting book, it did feel
like it went on slightly longer than needed.

I would be interested in reading more from
this author!

Thank you to Ballentine Books and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Our Beautiful Boys is a thoughtful exploration of several things - the they said/they said world we live in that has particularly dangerous ramifications for teenagers, the culture we are increasingly moving towards where parents think their children are capable of doing no wrong, the same culture where we as adults are not always setting the best example for the generations behind us, and the continuing conversation around race - who is entitled, who is blamed, who is stereotyped. In the story, Vikram is encouraged to join the football team, where his natural talent leads him to gravitate towards MJ Berringer, the quarterback, and Diego Cruz, a running back. All three have had fellow classmate Stanley in the orbit at some point, but a party where the three get into a fight with Stanley and the evening ends with Stanley fighting for his life really kicks the dynamics of the book into gear. The reader knows about the fight with all four boys present, and knows that each of the three boys individually went back to see Stanley, but not if any one of them is responsible for his severe injuries, or if Stanley did it to himself to get revenge on three star students. What the reader does know is that the boys aren't talking and their parents are circling the wagons around their own son, while dealing with their own personal conflicts. The way the boys handle the situation isn't great, but isn't entirely surprising from teenage boys. What's horrifying is the parents. Placing blame elsewhere, antagonizing their fellow parents, not being aware of what their children are up to. Is it any wonder that our children have problems with the example we set for them. And it's clear it's the responsibility of all of us to set an example, when at one point in the book Vikram is disappointed in his father for not being confrontational. Not knowing what really happened with Stanley provides an interesting dynamic to the book, and it's really needed, because the blame game portion of the book seems to go around in circles and gets really exhausting to read. The reader will find out what happened to Stanley at the end, but the ending itself feels anticlimactic and underwhelming, after building conflict for so much of the book. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.75 stars rounded up. Well written but kind of ordinary story of a set of 3 high school boys on the football team who are accused of attacking another during a rowdy Friday night party and the ensuing conflict over the attack, bringing in not only the actions and thoughts of the three but also their parents and school authorities. (the teenage girls who are used as secondary characters were so bland I couldn't keep them straight so this is primarily centered around the boys).

While the author writes well and the story moved along, I did sometimes feel it was all a little too pat and there was a lot of speechifying on the part of the parents - many topical societal issues were horned in, including racism, wokeness, white privilege, teenage rivalry, the efficacy of high school sports, the pursuit of money instead of happiness, materialism, religion, cultural appropriation - my head was spinning with all the issues Pandya tried to fit into one narrative. I could have used a bit less. And the story was really over around the 85% mark - an example of knowing when to end rather than stretching out a book.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group for the copy of Our Beautiful Boys by Sameer Pandya. The story was gripping from the start because the writing drew me right in. I liked how the families were introduced and the characters started to take shape. The characters were realistic; some were likable and some were annoying, with a good mix of social status, privilege, race, and social classes. The parents had their own issues but the story wasn’t as compelling when the focus was on them. It felt like the themes of race and privilege were overdone, and their problems were resolved too easily. If you’re looking for a well-paced book with engaging writing and some unexpected events, though, this is sthe book for you. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Vikram Shastri is a compelling protagonist, a model student and son whose life takes an unexpected turn when he joins the high school football team. His journey feels authentic and nuanced as he struggles to reconcile his carefully curated image with the person he becomes under the influence of his teammates. The dynamic between Vikram, Diego, and MJ is perfectly captured, highlighting the intoxicating mix of camaraderie and toxic masculinity that leads to their fateful night in the cave.

The narrative’s tension escalates as the boys’ parents enter the fray, each with their own motivations and secrets. The adults’ attempts to protect their children reveal cracks in their relationships and force them to confront uncomfortable truths about their values and biases.

The cave becomes a powerful symbol, representing not only the physical darkness of that night but also the symbolic darkness of the secrets the boys and their families must navigate. The pacing is tight, with each revelation adding depth and complexity to the story. The moral dilemmas faced by Vikram and his teammates are explored with sensitivity and realism, leaving the reader questioning what justice and accountability genuinely look like.

Gripping and emotionally charged, this novel will resonate with readers long after the final page.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Three good students and athletes find themselves in trouble after a party and a classmate who has annoyed them their entire childhoods ends up severely injured.

I found this a thought provoking read and liked that we got a real inside look at the boys and their lives. I also felt the frustrations of the parents and principal. I myself became frustrated at all the back and forth, but we will get the true story in the end. I really enjoyed this read and the characters, except I could not stand Veronica.. ugh.

“Sometimes it’s hard to know the difference between what we want them to be and who they end up being.”

Our Beautiful Boys comes out 3/18.

Even though this story will be released as adult fiction, it is about three teen boys whose future is threatened because of one altercation with a fellow student at a party.

I have to admit that I found it hard to get into this story. I started reading multiple times, sighed, read another book, started again, and picked up another one, but eventually pulled through, and I’m happy that I did. Overall, I actually liked the pacing, as well as the themes of race, and class, and privilege. The more I read, the more I was invested in this story.

Sameer Pandya is an author to watch out for! Actual rating 3.5 stars.

I was pleasantly surprised by the previous work from the author so I was keen to get my hands on this one.

The writing style is very easygoing and, just like the last one, the author paints a realistic picture of a community and how they might behave in a situation like this. A good story on race, family relations, YA and parenting.

4 stars.

Vikram Shastri is an Indian-American teenage teen and has always been a good, studious kid, 4.6 GPA, great SAT scores, prepping a good college resume - a parents’ dream. Then during his junior year he’s tapped to play the last few game of his high school’s football season…and it changes everything.

The story follows Vikram and his teammates Diego Cruz, son of a single mom college professor and author and MJ Berringer, white, committed to Yale and part of a very traditional family. The three attend a party after a football victory and get carried away; they beat up an annoying classmate. What seems to be a blip turns into much more as the parents try to protect the boys and their futures.

Quick aside, boy does this author hate the South. I started to take it personally.

The book is really intriguing and would be great for book clubs as there are many avenues for discussion and thoughts may change somewhat depending on the population of the place you live, I think. Well written and excellent concept, a little like OUR BOYS. Very strong four star read. Highly recommended.

This is the story of three high school boys who were smart, driven, came from good families, and made one wrong decision that could derail everything they’ve worked for.

When MJ, Diego and Vikram make the ill-conceived decision to attend a party, things took a turn and one boy was seriously injured while the three of them were accused of attacking him. The three of them were suspended from school and their parents had to get involved in order to get them back on track. Somebody was lying and the truth was out there.

This story is about so much more than a high school fight. It’s about race, class, privilege and who would go the furthest to protect their child. Each family was dealing with one hardship or another and, on top of that, they needed to save their child.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were all flawed but that’s what made it so good. I highly recommend this book. Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC.