Title: Golden Boy
Author: Abigail Tarttelin
Narrators:
Christian Coulson, James Langton, Abigail Tarttelin, Keith Nobbs, Kate Reading, Anita Sabherwal
Unabridged Length: 12 hrs, 40 mn.
Here is a summary of the book from the publisher's
website:
The Walker family is good at keeping secrets from the world. They are even better at keeping them from each other.
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 a highly successful criminal lawyer, determined to maintain
the façade of effortless excellence she has constructed through the
years. Now that the boys are getting older, now that she won’t have as
much control, 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?
My Review:
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.
My Rating: 5/5
Disclosure: This audiobook was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The Walker family is good at keeping secrets from the world. They are even better at keeping them from each other.
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 a highly successful criminal lawyer, determined to maintain
the façade of effortless excellence she has constructed through the
years. Now that the boys are getting older, now that she won’t have as
much control, 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? - See more at:
http://books.simonandschuster.com/Golden-Boy/Abigail-Tarttelin/9781476705804#sthash.QBn5SQrm.dpuf
The Walker family is good at keeping secrets from the world. They are even better at keeping them from each other.
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 a highly successful criminal lawyer, determined to maintain
the façade of effortless excellence she has constructed through the
years. Now that the boys are getting older, now that she won’t have as
much control, 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? - See more at:
http://books.simonandschuster.com/Golden-Boy/Abigail-Tarttelin/9781476705804#sthash.QBn5SQrm.dpuf
The Walker family is good at keeping secrets from the world. They are even better at keeping them from each other.
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 a highly successful criminal lawyer, determined to maintain
the façade of effortless excellence she has constructed through the
years. Now that the boys are getting older, now that she won’t have as
much control, 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? - See more at:
http://books.simonandschuster.com/Golden-Boy/Abigail-Tarttelin/9781476705804#sthash.QBn5SQrm.dpuf
