The Only Boy

by Jordan Locke

[shannonmiz]

When I first read the premise of this, I was thinking it could go one of two ways: really great and interesting, or totally unbelievable. I wanted to give it a try, and luckily, it turned out to be pretty good. Sometimes it is really hard for me to get behind a premise in which an entire group is taken out of the equation (like adults are all killed off, or in this case, an entire sex is eradicated). And while there were parts that bugged me, overall I did enjoy this one!

What I liked: Obviously, you know that Mary and Taylor are going to be in some kind of relationship. The insta-love did not bother me, especially on Mary's end (obviously, everyone would be vying for the only known living male!). I also liked that Mary was a bit of a rabble rouser from the beginning. It makes it more believable to me when a character is rebellious by nature rather than changing their whole personality for a cause. The plot moved quite quickly as well, and the action was pretty much constant- no lagging, no boring parts. I especially enjoyed that there were some really good plot twists that I absolutely did not see coming.

What I didn't: While the plot (and the book in general) was fast-moving, it left little time for world building and character development. I really, really needed more backstory. I think that is what was mainly lacking for me. It was hard to feel connected with the characters when I was uncertain of a lot of things going on in their world. While I do enjoy a quick pace and a lot of action, this book would have been better served by a few more details.

Bottom Line: While I did have some issues with the book, I did quite enjoy it, and the plot definitely kept me entertained and wanting to find out what happened next!

3.5 stars, rounded up