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    Golden Boy: A Novel
    Golden Boy: A Novel
    Golden Boy: A Novel
    Audiobook12 hours

    Golden Boy: A Novel

    Written by Abigail Tarttelin

    Narrated by Abigail Tarttelin, Christian Coulson, James Langton and

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    About this audiobook

    "This is a gripping and fully-realized novel." —Emily St. John Mandel, National Book Award-nominated author of Station Eleven


    2014 LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FINALIST
    WINNER OF THE 2014 ALEX AWARD
    BOOKLIST TOP 10 FIRST NOVEL OF 2013
    SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOK OF 2013

    Max Walker is a golden boy. Attractive, intelligent, and athletic, he’s the perfect son, the perfect friend, and the perfect crush for the girls in his school. He’s even really nice to his little brother. Karen, Max’s mother, is determined to maintain the façade of effortless excellence she has constructed through the years, but now that the boys are getting older, she worries that the façade might soon begin to crumble. Adding to the tension, her husband Steve has chosen this moment to stand for election to Parliament. The spotlight of the media is about to encircle their lives.

    The Walkers are hiding something, you see. Max is special. Max is different. Max is intersex. When an enigmatic childhood friend named Hunter steps out of his past and abuses his trust in the worst possible way, Max is forced to consider the nature of his well-kept secret. Why won’t his parents talk about it? What else are they hiding from Max about his condition and from each other? The deeper Max goes, the more questions emerge about where it all leaves him and what his future holds, especially now that he’s starting to fall head over heels for someone for the first time in his life. Will his friends accept him if he is no longer the Golden Boy? Will anyone ever want him—desire him—once they know? And the biggest one of all, the question he has to look inside himself to answer: Who is Max Walker, really?

    Golden Boy is a novel you’ll read in one sitting but will never forget; at once a riveting tale of a family in crisis, a fascinating exploration of identity, and a coming-of-age story like no other.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateMay 21, 2013
    ISBN9781442359833
    Author

    Abigail Tarttelin

    Abigail Tarttelin is a writer, an actress, and the book editor for Phoenix magazine in the UK. Her novel, Golden Boy, received a 2014 Alex Award and was a finalist for the 2014 Lambda Literary Award. She lives in London. Find out more at AbigailTarttelin.com.

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    Reviews for Golden Boy

    4/5

    139 ratings22 reviews

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    • 4/5
      this novel broke my heart in about 27 different ways. and that's not a bad thing at all. while i was fully engrossed with the story, all i kept thinking was: "WOW! THIS IS A DEBUT NOVEL!*" i think this story is going to sit with me for a long, long time. major props to tarttelin for bringing such empathy and humane-ness to a complicated subject. i was very impressed, too, with the excellent supporting characters. in particular, daniel and sylvie were champions! i think there is possible cross-over potential between adult and YA (ages 17+) readers - though i would caution that if you think your teen would want to read this book - make sure they are very mature for their age and that you have had the sexuality talk with them and that you will be open to their questions. because this book will result in questions. and that is a good thing. there are some very serious and mature subjects written of in this novel. secrets are powerful things and heroes can be found in the most unlikely of places.* - there was a previous book, Flick - but once her deal was negotiated, the publishing company "entered administration and ceased trading", scrubbing tarttelin's dream of a proper release. so, golden boy was being marketed as a 'debut novel', which i thought it was until i did some research after finishing the read, wanting to learn more. that's when i found out about 'flick'.
    • 4/5
      I liked this book a lot. It was a bit preachy in places, but I thought it was well-written and emotionally engaging. Worth reading.
    • 5/5
      An absolutely stunning book that literally had me gasp out loud at the last page.
    • 3/5
      This book, about an intersex teen, had a lot of high drama and tense moments that I thought were very well executed. The teenage dialogue was spot on, and the plot did keep the reader guessing.

      The negatives: I wasn't crazy about the structure of telling the story from several different perspectives. I thought it jumped around too quickly, and that we didn't get much insight from some of the characters. Max's brother, for example, had cute comments but his story line just didn't contribute. I especially didn't like the passages told from the perspective of the doctor. Her medical talk sounded like it was pulled straight from the pages of Wikipedia. I guess the author wanted to explain the scientific side of being intersex, but I thought it was executed in a clunky way. I would have rather just heard the doctor explain to Max what he had without the reader seeing her conduct her research and learn about intersex.

      I also didn't like the intern character. She just made me think that the dad was going to have an affair with her, but then -- spoiler alert -- he didn't. That annoyed me for some reason.

      Overall it was an interesting book. I think a young adult audience in particular would get a lot out of it.
    • 3/5
      "The Golden Boy" intrigued me from the get-go. The concept of Max and his hidden side is a good one, and the storyline seemed to have many places to go, all of them suspenseful and interesting. But somewhere along the way, Max's introspection became too much, too wordy and repetitive. I also became frustrated and tired of his mother Karen and her selfishness and inability to connect with her troubled and needy children. I'm glad to have read it, but I wish the second half had fulfilled the promise of the first.
    • 4/5
      Six narrative voices tell the story of Max, an intersex 16-year-old living with his parents and younger brother in a suburb of Oxford, England. Max identifies as male, and a traumatic assault that occurs at the start of the novel ignites a crisis that affects his entire family and leads Max to question his identity and the future he’d imagined for himself. While Max is afforded the majority of the narrative, his younger brother Daniel, his girlfriend Sylvie, his mother, his father, and his physician contribute their perspectives as well, to varying effect.This is one of the rare novels—YA or otherwise—that foregrounds an intersex character, and its bold representation of the complex and little understood realities of life as intersex would be reason enough to recommend this title. In addition, however, it’s also well written and compelling, despite some predictable plot turns. The characterization is rich, and the orchestration of the various narrative voices enriches the complexity of the story, especially considering the ignorance (and I don’t use that word with any negative connotations) of Daniel and Sylvie, who remain unaware of Max’s intersexuality throughout most of the novel. Daniel is rather precocious for a ten-year-old (he uses astoundingly sophisticated vocabulary), and Archie, Max’s doctor, is less a character and more of a plot device for educating readers about the limited understanding of intersexuality. Even so, the novel succeeds in telling an engrossing story about sympathetic characters.
    • 5/5
      Teenager Max Walker's life appears to be perfect: he is attractive, exceptionally intelligent and popular, his parents are both successful lawyers. But when Max was born with identical male and female chromosomes, his parents chose to raise him as a boy and help him to keep his secret. A devastating betrayal by a friend forces Max and his family to begin dissecting the decisions they have made in the past while the impact of increasingly important decisions threaten to destroy Max's carefully designed life.

      Golden Boy is told in alternating points of view, cycling between the people closest to Max. Each of the narrators gives readers a different lens to view the incredibly difficult choices that have had to be made throughout his life. While Karen wants nothing more than a happy, "normal" life for her son, the simple wish of many mothers, Steve can't shake the feeling that none of these vital choices have been theirs to make. The voices of Max's younger brother and love interest remind us that humanity, not gender, lies at the core of relationships. And trying to anchor Max while forces attempt to pull him in opposite directions, is local doctor Archie, a refreshing tone of level-headed reason.

      With a family so determined to give him a normal life that they never discuss anything about his childhood, Max's life is designed around secrets. When caught in a horrific situation, keeping secrets is understandably Max's first reaction. As the consequences begin to snowball, it is Max's honest, confused and enraged voice that breaks my heart.

      "When you think about it, all nouns are also definitions. The word 'it' and the word 'normal' spin around in my mind, like opposite fates."

      But Abigail Tarttelin's voice is the one that makes me hopeful. While I'm not idealistic enough to expect a book to change society overnight, Golden Boy certainly feels timely. She has created a character that readers can truly empathize with, which has the potential to make even the most reluctant reconsider their prejudices or assumptions.
    • 3/5
      A fascinating story, and a good read.
      Personally, I'm not a fan of swapping 1st person point of view from scene to scene with the person's name as chapter title to indicate the POV. I know it's an accepted convention, but it's not for me - it's too reader-conscious. Tarttelin does it well though.
      The story did drag on a bit, so could have been shorter.
      Also, the editor needs to get an eye-check. A few flaws got through that shouldn't have. Particularly in the latter sections.
      Overall, this is a worthwhile, enjoyable read.
    • 2/5
      Disclosure: I received a free copy of Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin from Atria Books Galley Alley.

      In this novel, Abigail Tarttelin takes on some important themes about gender and identity, family relationships, and free will. The problem is that the author's treatment of these themes feels heavy-handed and a bit forced in places. The factual information about intersex persons which is included is, to a degree, necessary to explain parts of the story, but it becomes repetitive and tends to detract from the narrative. Still, Tarttelin is to be lauded for tackling such difficult and controversial subject matter.

      The teenage characters in Golden Boy, particularly Max, are the most convincing; the adult characters feel more like caricatures. Not for the faint of heart, this novel has dark and painful scenes, as well as graphic language.
    • 5/5
      I have to start this review by saying this is probably one of the best audiobooks I ever listened to. I am sure the fact that the book is pretty amazing also had something to do with that. I must admit I was a little cautious with the intersex subject because it seems that other authors that have taken on this theme turned it into something dirty or racy. Tarttelin did the opposite. We get an up close look into young Max's heart as he comes to terms with his oddity.The chapters of this book are told from various perspectives, including Max's younger brother Daniel, both his mother and father, his friend Sylvie from school, and even a Dr. who suddenly comes into his life. One of my favorite things about this book was that there were different narrators for each of our main characters, depending upon whose perspective that particular chapter belonged to. Could any of these narrators have possibly done a better job? I don't think so as I felt that each of the narrators embraced their character in such a way that it seemed each character was brought to life for me.One of my favorite parts of this book was that even though Max knew he was different from everyone, he never felt insecure about who he was until one life-changing moment. When a friend violates their friendship, Max finds himself questioning everything about himself. What will happen with the other boys start getting muscular and growing facial hair? How could he possibly ever have a family of his own? These are just a couple of the problems Max must face in the near future.Although I listened to most of this book, I did have to read the last 50 pages due to technical difficulties with my iPod. I think I can safely say I would have enjoyed this book just as much had I actually read it. Can you tell that I really loved this novel? With themes of secrets, family, truth, and personal identity, I think many of you would love this book as much as I do. I highly recommend this novel for either personal leisure or as a book club selection.
    • 5/5
      Firstly and as usual, I should note that I received this book via a GoodReads giveaway. Despite the kindness of receiving a book for nothing, my candid opinions follow below.I won't bother to summarize as the book's description does quite a nice job of that on its own. It may be worth noting that I just picked up the book without the benefit of the summary so I was fairly surprised at the opening few chapters. In almost all ways I have come increasingly to believe that the less you know about a book going in the better off you are. As general note, however, one should know that this is a circumspect style narrative in which we hear from five different narrators. Our protagonist is the eldest son in a family of four and each of the family members (plus a love interest) take it in turns to give their side of the story. This can make for a sometimes fractured but very illuminating style of reading once you figure out who all the names are attached to.It is usually somewhere around this point that I tend to go into a positives/negatives section but for once I'm rather at a loss for anything negative to say. This book deals with a very serious and intimate issue (again, no spoilers) but does so in such a candid and informative way that I found myself rather taken aback. I received this book almost a year ago but didn't really pay it much attention. I left it moldering on the shelf for a long time and now find myself disappointed that I didn't bump it to the front of the reading queue long ago. The whole thing just drips with realism and sincerity while asking serious questions about what exactly it means to be male or female in modern society. It is uniquely informative and entertaining while bringing to the forefront a very real problem that faces a not insignificant portion of the population.In summary, this is a book to be treasured not only for its narrative flair but also what it has to say about us as a species and is sure to cause endless conversation in groups that read it. Golden Boy is one of those rare books that makes me wish I had more than five stars to give out.
    • 5/5
      Max Walker seems to have a wonderful life. He is popular, athletic and does well academically. What few people know, is that he is a hermaphrodite or using the modern term intersex. This book does an excellent job of explaining the problems and feelings that he must overcome. This isn't something that you can easily share with people and makes it nearly impossible to be intimate with anyone. Instead of chapters the book is divided by sections headed by the name of the character narrating that part of the story. This allows the author to give us incredible insights into the character's thoughts and feelings. The book has a wonderful flow and is one of those can't put it down books. I devoured it in two days. The author's handling of the delicate subject and its repercussions is incredible. The character development and insight is extraordinary especially since the author is only 25 years old.
      I am obligated to disclose that I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
    • 3/5
      Golden Boy is the story of an intersex teen growing up as a boy in a family divided in how to deal with his birth defect. The story was definitely interesting and held my interest, but it was a bit melodramatic for me. The main character seemed to be lost in this story that is broken up by the other characters. Each section starts with a character’s name with their POV, much of which just breaks up the continuity of the story and makes it choppy. I didn’t find the story all that believable and the end was a little too simplistic. As I said, it held my interest, but I wasn’t moved emotionally by it. As I was reading I kept thinking it was a plot for a Lifetime channel movie.
    • 4/5
      Golden Boy is a difficult read, mainly because of how Max is treated by certain friends and family members (namely, his hideous mother--I just wanted to punch her throughout the novel and could not, for the life of me, understand why everyone was so patient with her). I do admit I got super impatient with the pages and pages of "thoughtful" agony Max did when he was contemplating a certain decision--it didn't seem believable, but overall a book worth reading.
    • 5/5
      *I won this book through a goodreads giveaway*5 StarsMax Walker is everything anyone could want in a son, brother, and friend. He’s academic and athletic and generally stays out of trouble. Max’s mother is a prominent attorney and his father is running for political office. Besides the trouble his little brother seems to get into his family appears flawless. Their secret is about to crash the image they work so hard to project though. Max is intersex and only a few people know. When a trusted family friend abuses that trust they must face the reality that their world is going to change drastically.The main reason for my rating this with 5 stars is the courage of Ms. Tarttelin and the bravery of this plot. This subject is something that is easier to avoid no matter how interesting it is so I really respect that. I knew from the beginning that I would rate it high because of one particular scenario. Some people will be taken aback by the vivid descriptions and subject matter as I am sure the author knows but she still chose to write it with brutal imagery. I can’t say it enough…novels that make me look into stuff and want to learn more are honestly the best there are. I could go on and on about the plot but that isn’t fair. The format was something that I thought would bug me but it ended up being perfect for the flow and pacing which was great. There are characters that I fell in love with and some that I wanted to shake violently. Being invested in characters whether positively or negatively is very important and this novel delivered in that area also.There really are no complaints and I know that I will be reading this one again as it’s an unforgettable novel. Needless to say…I truly recommend this one.
    • 5/5
      I've decided this is my favorite book of the year. The whole thing could have gone so, so badly, in so many ways--I read the damn thing through in one sitting to make sure everything turned out well. (And by "well," I don't mean "happy," but "with a realistic story arc.") A couple of times I got nervous, but Tarttelin rallied. Others have gone into detail about the book's plot, so I won't reiterate. I do want to say that I found the voices believable, and the sociological tracing of the issue was really well done. All of this and a damn good read, to boot. Less sensational than I recall Middlesex being (although I only vaguely recall Middlesex.)I'm already recommending this to friends.
    • 4/5
      This is a haunting novel about Max, a child born with the unusual diagnosis of intersex. His parents elected at his birth to raise him as a boy without any surgery to eliminate the ambiguity. When a horrific betrayal of trust is imposed on Max at the age of 16, the pictue-perfect facade that has kept his family together begins to unravel. The topic of intersex is sensitively handled by Abigail Tarttelin, who also educates her readers on the difficulties of any condition that makes someone "different."
    • 3/5
      Golden Boy is the story of Max who is considered a perfect golden boy because of his good looks, smart, compassionate, and he strives to be the perfect child to his parents. But, Max is intersex, and this secret has caused his family to be as normal and successful as possible by avoidance and politeness to each other. But the seams that hold the secret (and the family) together will burst open when Max is violated physically and emotionally.The author writes with both sensitivity and detached consideration and except for the emotional opening scene I often felt I was reading a clinical report. The multi-narrator worked for me to understand who the characters were and how Max and his family ended up at this place. The subject of intersex, social expectations regarding sexual identity and the importance of communications within a family will make this a good book club discussion.
    • 5/5
      I was so excited to read this book! From the first time heard about it, I knew I wanted to read it. I just recently got around to reading Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides, and I was blown away by the story line. I think the similar subject was part of what made me so interested in this title. I was not disappointed in my hunch about Golden Boy. Although often hard to read( due to the subject matter), I found myself having an incredibly difficult time putting this book down. The story centers around Max and his family, parents Steve and Karen, and brother Daniel. The other pivotal character is Sylvie, Max's girlfriend. Ms. Tarttelin lays their lives bare in her telling of this story. We see imperfect and struggling people who have to deal with incredibly challenging issues. Much of what Max goes through is compounded by the actions or lack of actions of those closest to him, but the author is careful to keep you from ever giving up on any of them, even though I did find myself infuriated by Karen at several points. At the bottom of everything, it is clear that there is love here, and love covers so many failings of character.I give Golden Boy my highest recommendation. This is not an easy story and you need to be in a place where you are willing to suffer a bit of sadness as you read it, but I found it to be a strangely hopeful book in spite of it's difficult telling. It will not be for those who are troubled with some degree of graphic description of sexual violence.I have not tried to summarize the story. Rather the best description I can give is found in the author's acknowledgements. She says, " I wanted to write about heroes, people with personality and character, who nevertheless always tried their hardest and never gave up and were decent and sweet down to their very core, because so many novels are about people who are inexorably flawed and when I look around in the real world I don't really see many of those people. I mostly see heroes, often with little faults, but doing heroic things every day, sometimes in spite of their circumstances." Golden Boy is about heroes, ordinary and all around us.I thank Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It has a real voice and makes a difference.
    • 5/5
      This is one of those times where I'm incredibly glad that I'm a book blogger. You see, were I not blogging, I would not have the reader friends I do, and I would miss out on books like Golden Boy. I never would have picked this up in the store, because the cover is weird and doesn't really convey the subject matter. Thankfully, a couple days after I got an email with Golden Boy as one of the audiobooks available for review, my dear friend Jenni of Alluring Reads told me that she felt certain I would love this book. Jenni was right.This cover is a strange one, and, once I knew what the book was about, I can see what they're doing, subtly calling out the gender issues with the two bikes, one intended for males and one for females. Why moving a bar from straight to slanted suddenly makes a bike girly or changes it in any practical way, I can't say. Still, I do think it's a shame there's nothing on the cover to speak to the subject matter, because I seek out books about different sorts of sexuality/gender and would have missed this.Golden Boy tells the story of Max, a handsome boy who seems perfect in every respect, popular, athletic and intelligent. Max has a secret, though: he's not actually a boy. Nor is he a girl. Max is intersex, the new politically correct term that replaced hermaphrodite. Because Max has both a penis and a vagina, he's avoided serious relationships, though he has developed a reputation because he makes out with a lot of different girls. His being intersex didn't really impact his life.Until it did. At a family party, Hunter, Max's best friend growing up, rapes Max. The scene is rather graphic and intensely emotional. Max has always felt like a boy, and not really questioned that. With this incident, Max has to truly face that he's not a regular boy, and, in the fallout, so does his family. What follows is an honest, beautiful, heart-wrenching look at Max's journey to become comfortable with who he is and to decide who he wants to be as an adult.The subject matter in Golden Boy is quite dark and unflinching at times. The discussion of the issues of being intersex is frank and honest. However, Tarttelin makes the brilliant storytelling move of including more than just Max's perspective, which cuts on the melodrama. She does six separate perspectives: Max, his family (mother, father, little brother), his girlfriend Sylvie, and his doctor Archie (a woman). Since I listened to the audiobook, I can't say how individual they felt in print, but in the audiobook they were all brilliantly performed, with a narrator for each perspective.In some books with multiple perspectives, characters are added for no discernible reason at all, not adding anything to the narrative, or particular perspectives are incredibly boring, to be suffered through while the reader waits impatiently for the main character to return. Not so with Golden Boy. Each perspective brought something to the table, even Max's father's, which only appears twice. Max is so confused and lost and depressed that it's wonderful to see him from an outside perspective. Daniel, for instance, hero-worships his brother. Sylvie thinks he's hot. Neither of them know, of course, but we get a true look at the golden boy. Then there's his parents, who love him and do the best they can, but, through their perspectives, the reader really gets a sense of how uncomfortable they are with his intersexuality now that it's known he's actually of age for sex.Archie's point of view adds a whole other dimension. As a doctor, when Max comes in, he really lights a fire in her when she realizes how little she knows about being intersex. Her medical schooling included almost nothing on the subject. She begins to really research, because she very much wants to help Max, who comes to her office the day after his rape for a morning after pill. Archie's perspective really drives home how little attention the medical community is paying to such gender issues and how much they push to "normalize" with surgery.Since there's a lot I would spoil if I went any more into the plot, I'm going to speak in general terms. The way Tarttelin wrapped everything up is incredibly touching and what convinced me this book deserved the full five stars. Some of the choices Tarttelin made surprised me, but they were just right. I'll leave it at that.If you're going to read this book, which I really think you should, the audiobook is an excellent choice. With six talented narrators giving voice to the six perspectives, there's a strong sense of voice. The narrators for Max and Sylvie are particularly compelling. I've listened to quite a few full cast narrations, but this one is I think the best I've read so far.LGBT (I know this doesn't cover everything, but the term QUILTBAG looks a bit silly - I intend this as all-encompassing) issues have not been covered nearly enough in fiction and I love Golden Boy merely for existing. However, Golden Boy is not just wonderful for covering a tricky, sensitive topic, but for doing so with heart, honesty and compassion. Abigail Tarttelin, welcome to my auto-read list.
    • 5/5
      A dramatic, thoroughgoing investigation of the complexities of sexuality and gender.... A warmly human coming-of-age story, thanks to the fact that Max is such an appealing character. And so his desperate search for identity is gripping, emotionally engaging, and genuinely unforgettable.An excellent book that treats its subject matter with care and respect, and which encourages critical thinking about the issues discussed. We need to be informed to fully understand this important issue. it is exactly what this book accomplished, it is easy to comprehend, fascinating, educational and very well written. Bravo!
    • 4/5
      Max Walker has everything going for him, or so it seems. Not only is he blond and beautiful, living in a fine and substantial house outside a small town not far from Oxford with his well off and successful parents, but he is exceptionally well liked at school and successful at games, but displays none of the arrogance that can accompany such popularity and success. Fifteen year old Max has a younger brother, nine year old Daniel, with whom he gets on very well and who regards Max as his hero.The following two paragraphs reveal some of the content and main theme of the novel, so if you would rather not know please skip these. However as reviews elsewhere reveal this, and as most can be deduced in the first few pages of the book and is very soon thereafter confirmed, I do not think what I say will spoil anything for the potential reader. It may even allay some presupposed ideas as to what to book is about and encourage more to read it.On the surface all appears fine, but Max is living a secret, he is not what he seems - all boy, in fact he is only half that, half boy and half girl, or intersex, what used to be known as hermaphrodite. Only his parents and Hunter, his best friend since a very young age, and just a few others including his specialist doctors know his secret. But as Max's father Steve decides to stand for Parliament things start to go wrong for Max, and his secret is in danger of becoming public.The handling of Max's physical state highlights some of the problems of dealing with intersex babies, especially regarding the question of surgery at a very early stage to assign the child to one sex or another. Max's case does draw attention to the potential dangers of such, for while choosing one sex or the other on the basis of physical attributes such cannot take into account with which sex the growing child will eventually identify, with the obvious problems in teen and adult life if wrongly assigned. However while the raising of such issues regarding intersex children I find commendable, I was a little disturbed over the ready acceptance over the issue of abortion, there was not one dissenting or questioning voice to strike any balance.Golden Boy is a fascinating and for the most part very involving novel. One is immediately drawn to Max, one cannot but like him, he is the epitome of goodness and his relationship with his younger brother is both touching and admirable. His parents are loving and ambitious but a little flawed when it comes to family problems, even with the best of intentions they do not always handle such matters well. Young Daniel is most likable despite his fondness for killing people while playing violent video games, and he adds a welcome occasional touch of humour to the proceedings. As for the villain of the story, while he's arrogant and off the rails, and what he does is clearly wrong he does come across as truly loving his victim, but maybe that is the thinking that misguidedly makes such ones do what they do. I did find some points questionable. For example Max appears to be rather vague about the complete male anatomy, how can that be for the captain of the school football team, do they not take communal showers? A well educated boy living just outside Oxford has he never been to the Ashmolean and seen the Greek sculptures? Then there is Max's mum, a high flyer professionally, a lawyer for the Crown Prosecution, she seems to over-react when Max has problems, it doesn't convince. (On a very different matter, and hopefully the published edition will correct this, there is in the pre-publication proof copy the consistent and very annoying use of the incorrect personal pronoun when in the objective case and used along with another person, for example: it should be "mum and me" and not "mum and I" when the object of a sentence. Editors (and writers) please remember that such jarring errors destroy the magic of a story one is otherwise engrossed in. Forgive my gripe but it is becoming an increasingly common mistake).But these issues aside Golden Boy is to be recommended; it is an involving and at times moving account; it deals with an important matter which appears to be much more common that we might believe; and it centres on three very appealing characters, Max, his delightfully individual brother Daniel, and Max's girlfriend the independent yet compassionate Sophie. The story is well constructed and has some surprises, avoiding going where you think it inevitable or predictably otherwise might. It is also ultimately positive and rewarding, and a book I feel can only make one a better person for having read.