The Only Boy

by Jordan Locke

[Angie]

The Only Boy was a very quick and interesting read. Short chapters and a fast paced plot had me finishing it in no time. Although I do think it moved too fast in places, so at times I felt like I had missed something. It takes place in the nearish future after a disease has killed all of the men, some women, and a bunch of animals. Mary lives in an old hospital with 300 other women who must follow a rigid set of rules that supposedly keep them safe and healthy (no touching!). Then Taylor is brought in from another compound that had been bombed. Mary is fascinated by the outside world, and immediately wants to befriend Taylor. Well, Taylor is trying to keep under the radar, since she's actually a boy.

Taylor's secret comes out fairly early, which I wasn't expecting, but was kind of glad that it did. He has long hair and makes sure to wear lose clothes, so he does pass, but really, how long can a teenage boy pose as a girl? He needs to shave his face and doesn't get a period. Both of which are timed events that will crop up sometime! The Matriarch discovers that he's a boy, and now he must be killed! From here The Only Boy takes on a kind of exciting survivalist tone, which I really enjoyed for awhile.

The world is a very different place, and I loved learning more about it as Taylor and Mary try to start their own lives, and then eventually end up with the Earthers, who are women living off the land rather than in compounds. However, The Only Boy did start to lose me around this point, too. The characters are constantly on the move, and the situation is always changing. Sometimes being fast paced can be a bad thing, since I had to go back and reread some passages in case I missed something. Also, this supposedly spans a six month period, but it felt like only a few weeks! Maybe that's why I felt lost at times.

In the end, I did like The Only Boy. I don't know that I ever really bought into this future that's been devastated by a mysterious illness, especially after that odd and convenient ending. But it was a great premise and I enjoyed reading it.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.