Coming of age stories have been around for centuries, and with good reason! They’re stories everyone can relate to (unless you were born an old man like Benjamin Button, but we can’t help you with that). Blake Nelson is somewhat of an expert on coming-of-age stories, having penned Girl, the cult classic from the 90’s, and now he’s back and better than ever with his new novel, Boy! Boy follows Gavin Meeks as he navigates through high school and learns important life lessons (and maybe even falls in love).
In the style of Blake Nelson’s cult favorite, Girl, comes a brand-new story about the moments in life that change how you see everything and everyone you always thought you knew—including yourself. Every school has them: the cool kids. The insiders. Gavin Meeks is one of them. He lives an easy life of parties, girls, snowboarding adventures and whatever else comes his way. But when dark, dramatic Antoinette crash-lands at Evergreen High, the entire school feels the impact. Antoinette has seen things, been places, experienced deep tragedy first-hand. She’s not just a rebel, she’s a force of nature. Gavin, for one, is captivated and is soon pursuing interests he never knew he had. With a camera in hand, he finds a way to express his own truth, including his feelings for his favorite subject: Antoinette. It all leads to one passionate, life-altering night in this achingly authentic story from bestselling author Blake Nelson.
I could go on and on about the merits of Boy, but to save you time for reading, here are my top 5 reasons why you should check it out ASAP! You can also read an extended excerpt until July 17th!
1. It’s from the Author of a Cult Classic!
Like Boy, Girl is also a coming of age story but instead of taking place in the 21st century, it’s takes place in the 90s grunge scene. You can actually read it on our Wattpad account right now! We post chapters every Monday, Wednesday, & Friday!
2. A Realistic Coming-of-Age Story
Gavin has his ups and downs as every high school kid does. Nothing works out perfectly, and Gavin has to navigate through many different friendships, social circles, and passions to find out what he really wants in life.
3. It’s Hilarious
Gavin’s commentary on everything happening around him is absolutely hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud on multiple occasions (sorry to anyone who got stuck next to me on the bus).
4. The Main Character has FLAWS
Gavin isn’t perfect, which was my favorite part about him! He made mistakes (a bunch of them actually), and a few were even ones that I also made in high school. It was refreshing to read about a character who wasn’t perfect, and who I could really see myself in.
5. It Takes Place Over an Extended Period of Time
We don’t just follow Gavin for a 24-hours or even just a month, instead we get to be a part of his story from Sophomore to Senior year. The reader gets to truly understand Gavin and see how he matures through High School. This adds to the realistic quality as well, since he doesn’t learn all his lessons right away.
P.S. You can read Girl for free on our Wattpad page!