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.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for this advance readers copy, in exchange for an honest review. At its surface, Our Beautiful Boys is a story that is trying to uncover the truth about one night gone awry among a group of high school friends— MJ, Vikram, and Diego— who had an altercation with another student at a party, but later emerged with serious injuries and accusations. However, there is so much beneath this surface level story as the author delves into the background stories of our three main characters and their parents, as they all collectively interact throughout the book. There is a fair bit of exposition in the book before we arrive at the aforementioned event that kicks the main events off and this sets the rest of the story up well to keep you questioning and considering the nuances at play here.

Overall, I enjoyed this book but, did struggle to get into it. There were unlikable aspects of all characters, in my opinion, which I can personally struggle with. But, I think this served to demonstrate the author’s point about the multi-faceted nature of people in general and especially when it comes to sensitive topics like race, class, etc.

The author does discuss many complex issues throughout this book including race, class, privilege, etc. and they are woven into the story well from the beginning. There are many conflicts introduced throughout the story and it is clear that all of the parents and children have their own internal battles that they are combatting as they deal with the central conflict. I appreciated how these questions and considerations were reflected across different age groups and the generational impact of certain choices over time.

There is a lot to discuss here and I think this would be a great book club book. Fans of this author’s previous work should definitely pick this one up and I look forward to seeing what others think when it is published!

This is a YA novel about a group of high school boys who play football together. The main character, Vikram, doesn't fit in with this crowd. He doesn't come from money and he's not white. We follow him as he integrates into this group up until the moment tragedy strikes. The unthinkable happens and the community is forced to confront the fractures in their society. There were a lot of twists and turns in this book and I thought the pacing was well done. A lot of difficult topics are discussed but I think the author does it with care. The only thing I didn't really like was the fact that several plot points remained unresolved at the end of the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Group Ballantine for the eARC.

Sameer Pandya really put together a plot that I was super intrigued by. How well does anyone actually know their child, specifically their teenage son? However, I really wish that there was more closure on so many of the conflicts Pandya put forth in this book, and there were so, so many. The main conflict ended up not even being the true center of the story. Maybe that was the point, but I was just trying to grasp all of the things that were going on without ever feeling satisficed with any "conclusion"

As the book unwinds, we learn more and more about the three boys on the high school football team and their families. We also are reminded of both the vulnerability and impulsiveness of teenage boys. It could have been anybody's child, but in this case each family has its own backstory and the adults are impacted by both their own family life and their environment. I liked how it cleverly unfolded. This would be an excellent choice for a book group as there is simply so much to unpack here--a reflection of both the past and our current social climate.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's a deep dive into the life of three famlies!

Such an important book to read about young men, race, culture, high school, communities, sports, and more. I related a lot to this story and found it left me thinking about my high school football player. Well written and believable. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I think this will be a good book club selection.

This book was very YA so it was too juvenile for my taste. It should have been labeled as a YA book. That being said, I like how there is race tied in as one of the main themes. It is a good topic to open the eyes of the youth who should read this story!


Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

A crackling good read on community, family, race and ethnicity with high school football as the backdrop!

Vikram is the perfect Indian child and his parents keep him very safe. When he is approached by the football coach to act as a blocker for their team he is nonplussed. But when he experiences the camaraderie, the crowd, the actual play, he is hooked. His new friends represent the white wealthy enclave of town as well as the hard working latino student, They are friends, and frenemies. After a game he goes to a party with his two friends and an unfortunate event sends ripples throughout the community.

Pandya paints an incredibly realistic community. The parents are confused, angry and unwilling to suspect their own children. All of the kids go through multiple feelings and act out in different ways. Does Pandya tell a bit more than you would expect, perhaps, but boys do keep everything bottled up...

Overall a fantastic novel that is a magnifying glass on how race, parenting and adolescence plays out. I know, I am a high school teacher :)
#randomhouse #ourbeautifulboys #Sameerpandya