Golden Boy

I’ve been recommending Golden Boy to everyone lately but I’ve had a tough time coming up with a review that can do justice to the book. Here goes….

Golden Boy is about Max, an intersex teenager in present day England. When Max is taken advantage of by a childhood friend, he begins to question who he is and what intersexuality actually means for him. In addition, his parents, both trying to do the best for Max, weigh in with opposing opinions. There’s also Max’s love interest Sylvie, his doctor Archie, and little brother Daniel contributing to the story. It’s hard to say much more without giving away entire plot points, but it is an engaging read from beginning to end.

The story is told in six different perspectives: Max, Sylvie, Karen (Max’s mother), Archie, Daniel, and occasionally Steve (Max’s father). Normally I find that the different voices start to blend together, but Tarttelin masterfully keeps them distinct and separate. Additionally, the format was more than a stylistic choice; the various points of view added to the story, by showing how different characters viewed each other and viewed themselves. I also appreciate that Tarttelin was able to write the nine-year-old Daniel realistically, since many authors seem to either write children like overly precocious mini-adults or without giving them any credit for understanding what is going on.

There’s a lot of emotional punch packed into this book and it never really lets up until the end. Tarttelin perfectly captures the general teenage angst Max feels, all rolled up in the added isolation he feels from his sexual assault and his gender identity. At one point, there’s an interesting point brought up that doesn’t always get considered; even though intersex puts the I in LGBTIQQA, many intersexed individuals, like Max, do not necessarily identify with the rest of the LGBTIQQA community. Especially since Max is in high school, which is not exactly known for advocating acceptance of gender identity diversity in the first place, his sense of isolation is heartbreaking.

All in all, a really great read and one that I hope will reach a lot of people, especially anyone who has ever thoughtlessly complained that people are too sensitive or politically correct nowadays.