A review by sevenlefts
Boys and Oil: Growing Up Gay in a Fractured Land by Taylor Brorby

3.0

I enjoyed this book, but it felt a little disjointed at times. The book talks about boys and it talks about oil, but it jumps between them in an abrupt way and there doesn't seem to be much connecting these two concepts from the title. And ultimately, the strongest thread, I think, is the story of the author's relationship with his family -- and his personal relationships. That is the core of this memoir, in my opinion, and his writing about family is some of his strongest.

It's clear he loves North Dakota and the physical environment he grew up in, but he uses the same descriptions repeatedly and it gets a bit -- much. I will say, though, that I always admire a writer who can write about a place. Brorby can do that.