A review by mostardentlyalice
Boys Don't Cry by Fíona Scarlett

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

Set in Dublin, Fíona Scarlett’s debut novel splits its narration between brothers Finn and Joe, with one set in the past while the other surges painfully into the present. Through snatches of pages, chapters hurtle past in a coming of age story that runs parallel with grief, gang violence, and social class. 

I had preconceived ideas of what Boys Don’t Cry would be about, and I was surprised to find something slightly different. While the heart achingly sad territory it covered was expected (there’s a pretty big warning sign in the title of the book, but just a heads up - things get real emotional 🥲), what I was most enamoured with was the beautifully tender relationship at its core between the two brothers. 

Joe wrestles with being the head of the family in the absence of his father, risking his own potential in order to provide, all while lifting the spirits of Finn with comical sketches of his school teachers.

Unsurprisingly (because I am made of stone when it comes to books and films) Alice did not cry. Still, I can see why many were so moved by it. I sadly think that this one fell victim to the hype and the expectation I had to completely and utterly love it. 

In part, I also struggled with its formatting. While illness shouldn’t be used as a plot device to give the element of surprise, knowing the outcome at the beginning of the book combined with the flitting narration between the brothers, as well as the past and the present, kept me at arms length from truly getting lost in these characters.

Admittedly, the ending also felt a bit rushed and, if I understood it correctly, wrapped things up a touch too perfectly - ribbon and all. Coming in at sub-300 pages, I so wished for further development, though I’m certain Fíona Scarlett’s storytelling will only further blossom.