Some Boys

Written by Patty Blount

Narrated by Em Eldridge and Joe Hempel

Some girls say no. Some boys don't listen.

When Grace meets Ian, she's afraid. Afraid he'll reject her like the rest of the school, like her own family. After she accuses Zac, the town golden boy, of rape, everyone turns against her. Ian wouldn't be the first to call her a slut and a liar.

Except Ian doesn't reject her. He's the one person who looks past the taunts and the names and the tough-girl act to see the real Grace. He's the one who gives her the courage to fight back.

He's also Zac's best friend.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Nov 21, 2017
• ISBN: 9781541481619

Patty Blount

Patty Blount writes instruction guides by day and novels by night. As the result of a dare, she wrote her first novel. Although it was never published, Penalty Killer was the subject of so many seventh-grade book reports that the school requested a copy of it. Since then, she has become the author of several novels. She lives on Long Island with her family, a fish, and lots of books.

Reviews for Some Boys

[pdbkwm-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It’s been over a month since Grace was raped by her former boyfriend Zac. When Grace tries to charge him with rape, she’s not only told that she doesn’t have a case, due to their previous relationship, but the entire school turns their backs on her. Sadly, this isn’t too hard to believe when you find out that Zac is the practically the King of their school. Not only the top sports star around, but he’s a model student. The teachers love him and the girls can’t get enough of him. Unfortunately for Grace, since there is no proof, is her story vs his and everyone wants to believe him.

Not only was she raped and left bleeding and unconscious after a wood party, but she’s mercilessly bullied the moment she walks through the halls of her school. Slut and whore is constantly flung at her and guys try to grab at her breast and butt as well. Her former friends also bully her and try to make her life a living hell.

Needless to say, things are not going all that great in Grace’s life. Things start to change when after threatening one of her former friends; she’s sentenced to cleaning lockers during spring break.

She’s not alone in this punishment. Her crush, Ian, is also doing this fun task after he swears at his coach about not being able to play. Ian, who is the best friend of Zac, also has a crush on Grace. Can you tell where this will go? If you said romance! You’d be right.

The book is told in Grace’s and Ian’s point of view, with each chapter changing voices. For the most part, I felt like both had their own distinctive voice and you definitely knew which POV you were reading from, even if you didn’t see the title of the chapter. Not too hard to do seeing as how Grace talked about her rape, while Ian talked about being conflicted about it.

I do like that the issue of rape was discussed and that Grace tries to stand up for herself, even though she’s still suffering from panic attacks and is afraid of being alone with men. I also really liked how she was written.

When Ian mentions how she would look better without her costume on, i.e. the dark gothicesque kind of look she was going for, she ends up saying this great line that had me fully in her corner.

“I won’t give up and I won’t run away. And I won’t change how I look even if you do think I look better this way, because I’m not the problem here! Everyone says it’s my fault because I got drunk, and you know what? That doesn’t count! Everyone was drinking that night. There’s only one thing that counts, but nobody wants to hear it.” (This is from the uncorrected arc version, which I normally try not to use for review, but I really loved this quote.)

This was scene was great, because how many times in books do we have the main hero tell the girl, “You’d look better without all of that makeup.” And then she changes for him, instead of herself.

Just because you wear revealing or tight clothing, doesn’t mean it is okay for guys to make cat calls or for girls to call you a slut. This is a great message to send to young girls, so I did appreciate this.

However, yes there is a however, at some point in this novel the spark in Grace became a bit too preachy. Instead of sounding awesome, like the quote above, it started to sound more like an afternoon school special and less like real life.

This preachiness also starts to get a bit uncomfortable, when Grace decides that in order to get the guys in her school to understand that clothing shouldn’t be a tool used to hurt, dons a niqab. In her defense, she does think it’s a burqa at first......

I’ve mentioned before, but being a Muslim and reading this just made me shake my head. Why does it seem like whenever someone wants to show that clothing shouldn’t matter, they decide to put on a religious clothing symbol and act like wearing this is demeaning to women? I don’t wear the niqab, I wear the hijab and cover my body with loose clothing, but I do have friends who wear it. A couple of them even stopped wearing their niqab, due to harassment that they faced. Some started to wear it despite their families’ protests.

One of the Muslim characters does set Grace straight by saying that what she’s wearing isn’t a burqa, but a niqab. But then she also says, “The burqa is a symbol of oppression the Taliban forced on women.” Even this I have an issue with, because while some are forced to wear it, I’m sure there are also many who choose to wear it due to culture or because they feel like it brings them closer to God.

Because despite how it may seem to others, wearing the hijab, niqab, and even the burqa isn’t meant to be a form of oppression or to help men control themselves. It’s a means to spiritually get rid of vanity, materialism, and not stressing about how your body looks. Instead, use that energy to focus on getting closer to God. Men don’t really play a role here, because in the Quran God tells them to lower their gazes before anything is mentioned about women covering up.

Sorry, I’m getting religious here, but I do feel like I need to mention this because it does get annoying to read a book that had good points about not judging women on what they wear, to judging what women wear. Grace only stopped because a token Muslim student was around to witness this, if said student wasn’t there, would she have stopped? I don’t think so and that kind of annoys me.

Enough about Grace though, the book is also about Ian. Ian, kind of reminded me of Clay from “Thirteen Reasons Why”, who I didn’t really care for. I liked how Ian was conflicted about being a true bro to his best friend Zac, who said that Grace didn’t say no, and wanting to be with and protect Grace, who said that Zac raped her.

He isn’t sure what to believe and this did provide for a nice narrative. He did seem like Clay though, when he started agreeing with Grace on everything she said, minus the rape, and basically became her cheerleader.

The thing is, Ian isn’t a knight in shining armour despite how much the book tells us he is. He was the one who discovered Grace, half naked, bleeding, and unconscious on the floor, and never said anything about it. He also hurts Graces and does join in with the bullying in one scene.

He also has this epiphany that girls are weird, when his sees his friends triple team a girl. The horror that he feels isn’t about how his friends are going at it with the same girl, but that she allowed them to do so. The horror! His sister explains that some girls are desperate for attention, while others are desperate for friends. The girl only allowed for the guys to have their way with her, not because she wanted to, but because she was the wing woman to her friend who wanted to get laid with the main guy.

*sigh*

Other than this and him driving under the influence, he’s a pretty decent guy. But I don’t like how he’s meant to be the beacon of what a great guy is after everything he did. If I were Grace, I’d accept his friendship but I’d never want anything to be romantic between us. Then again, I’m not a teen so maybe things are different.

The ending, unfortunately, also doesn’t quite work for me. It was a typical happy ending where all of the loose ends are tied up in a nice pink bow. And even though I’m glad Grace found happiness, it didn’t ring true to me. This is a school that clearly idolized Zac, who is their star lacrosse player. The team was undefeated and heading into the playoffs. To lose that opportunity and have some of the other players benched due to their behaviour, would get some people angry. Grace would definitely have people coming to her once the truth is revealed and finally be on her side, but she’d also have a group that hates her because, according to them, she ruined the school’s chances at a perfect win.

To me, it doesn’t seem realistic for everyone to seek her forgiveness and be okay with the outcome, as sad as that may sound.

Also, Zac keeping a video of the rape seemed pretty convenient. I mean, he doesn’t even have a password on his phone so anyone couldn’t have seen this piece of incriminating evidence. I just don’t understand why he would retain this video, knowing that it could ruin his life and chance to go to a top tier school.


When Ian finally realizes the truth, he starts to stop seeing Zac as a friend and instead as a symbol for female oppression. All of the hook ups, the look at girls like conquests, and how he treated his mom. For example, Zac's mom offers to bring some food down, she starts talking to Ian only for Zac to say, "Mom, the food?" Then when she brought down the food and he didn't say thank you to her.

....

Not saying this is right or not, but this seemed like typical teen behaviour and not a snapshot of female oppression.

Wow, I wrote a bit too much about this novel. So let’s end it here.

Overall: Some Boys has a great message for young girls and for the most part, Grace is a great MC. She’s tough, she’s smart, and she won’t back down when people come after her. I do kind of wish that the entire story was told from her point of view, but I guess Ian did have some good points in his chapters too.

Despite this, the book does go into preachy territory and the double standard about clothing didn’t sit well with me. The ending also felt a bit forced and unrealistic. The writing is great though and I did stay up to finish this, so there’s a balance of good and bad here.

[readingbeader · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was amazing. So real from both points of view.

#shoutingback
Everyday sexism project highlights issues dealt with by women in real life. The features are sent in by real women who tell of their own experiences.

[beckylynn_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A shocking yet truthful look at American's youth today. This book made me nervous to have a daughter- knowing the possibilities out there she might face and the cruelty from others. Although no one should have to go through this, Some Boys allows us to look at this issue through literature, for those of us who are lucky enough to never have to experience it ourself.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a hard hitting book dealing with some heavy issues. However, I didn't really like it. Whilst I admired Grace's determination and perseverance, despite what everyone was saying to her, I never really connected with her. As for Ian, he would have to one of the few male protagonists I didn't like. It took him so long to believe Grace, that I wanted to climb into the book and strangle him. The character I really liked was Grace's mother. She was such a caring, loving woman who supported Grace all the way. As for Grace's father . . . what a scumbag. Grrr! Even though I expected more from this book (I really enjoyed "Send" by the same author), it does focus on an important issue and has a clear message. I just wish I had connected with the story more than I did.

[schatzi_5 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

So I didn't really finish this on March 29th, but I am in the process of moving and am woefully behind in my reviews, so it is what it is.Grace was sexually assaulted at a party, but no one believes that the golden boy of the lacrosse team, Zac, actually did it. Instead, they are calling her a slut, among an assortment of names, and saying that she was a willing participant and is just trying to get him in trouble because he dumped her. She's lost all of her friends; even some of the teachers at her school blame Grace for what happened, from the way she dresses to the fact that she was drinking at the time of the assault.Ian is Zac's best friend, and he doesn't believe Grace was raped, because there is no way that Zac would have done that. Zac could have any girl he wanted - why in the world would he need to rape someone? But Ian is "sentenced" to cleaning lockers over spring break alongside of Grace, and the old feelings that he once had for her are starting to rekindle. But he isn't sure that he can ever believe that his best friend raped the girl that Ian cares about.Oh man, I really wanted to love this book. A book that deals with sexual assault, teenage drinking, bullying, and all sorts of other issues without blaming the victim? Yes please. And I really did like the character of Grace - although she suffers from a lot of panic attacks since the rape, she is one tough cookie. She keeps going to school, keeps stating the truth, and puts up with all sorts of hell. Plus there's a romance thrown in here? Okay, sign me up!But my problems with this book are legion, and I ended up not liking the book that much.My major problem is with the character of Ian, who is supposed to be the male protagonist here. I can't stand him. Yes, I understand that Zac is his best friend and he is admirably loyal to said friend...but Ian is the one who found Grace after the rape, with her underwear down around her ankles, alone, and bleeding. Seriously. And Ian just chocks this all up to it being Grace's first time, never questioning why Zac would just LEAVE HER OUT THERE BLEEDING. Does that sound like some innocent, consensual "first time" to anyone? It certainly doesn't to me.Plus Ian is totally blaming Grace for what happened (as do most of the characters in the book - more on that later). Fully two-thirds of the way into the book, Ian is still saying shit like this: "Why do girls not get that there's a fine line between looking good and asking for it?...It's like the people who leave their doors unlocked and then cry when they're robbed. Why are girls not smart about this?"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME.WHATTHEFUCKISTHATSHITFirst off, anyone who compares rape to a burglary needs to be seriously educated. Second off, no. Just no. I'm sorry, but any woman should be able to walk down the street COMPLETELY NAKED and not be raped. NO ONE IS ASKING FOR IT. Grace can dress however the hell she wants, and that is totally okay. She is not asking for it. She was never asking for it. And anyone who believes that women ask for it need to kindly get off my planet now, thanks.And I'm supposed to root for this guy to end up with Grace? No. He's an asshole. A complete asshole.And there's even more proof that he is. After he and Grace form a bond or whatever, when she approaches him in the cafeteria after their week of cleaning lockers, he complete disses her in front of the whole school and picks Zac. Yeah, that's right. And the whole school is laughing at her and throwing food at her, and Ian, that knight in shining armor, doesn't do one damned thing except make her life worse. And then, later in the chapter, he is STILL BLAMING GRACE FOR HOW SHE DRESSES.You know what, fuck him.And no one else in the book is all that much better. Grace's mom supports her, but she doesn't do much to stand up to all of the bullying that Grace faces on a daily basis. Sometimes you just need to parent, and Grace's mom fails miserably.Grace's father blames her because of how she dresses.And so do some of the teachers. And her friends, along with most of the school.Ick.There's also a video of the assault that Zac posted, which nearly everyone in the school has seen. Sorry, in real life, pretty sure he would have been at least arrested for distributing child porn, since Grace is definitely underage when assaulted. But apparently that doesn't happen in this anti-Grace world.And then the ending. Oh lord, save us all. Everything, and I do mean everything, is tied up neatly with a bow. Zac is caught. Ian FINALLY believes that Grace was raped - and so does everyone in the school. Grace's "friends," who have made Grace's life a living hell, suddenly believe her too and want to make up. And Grace's completely absentee father and his bitch of a new wife suddenly want to play and make nice. Ick. Completely unrealistic. And Ian never, ever really believed Grace until he SAW the rape on the full video on Zac's phone. He never would have believed her otherwise. And therefore, I hate him as a love interest for Grace. She was kickass and deserved someone so, so, so much better than Ian.The book, above all, made me angry as hell. The only reason I gave this book two stars is because I liked the character of Grace. Everyone else can pretty much go DIAF, and that includes Ian.

[mypennameonly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This review is for one of the four signed books I’ve recently won from this author through a massive giveaway on one internet site, which had consisted of 13 individual ones, and the following is my honest opinion for this book.To begin with, while I believe the ages of the characters in this book are that of high school students making it appropriate for the YA [Young Adult] audience; the serious topic the book deals with.Pardon me for sounding a little prudish, but this book seem to be more appropriately classified as a book for the upper range of the NA [new adult] genre of romance as it requires a more mature audience of readers, or even perhaps as an adult romance novel.The story is truthfully raw in its depiction of happens to an young, underage female drinker who gets drunk at a party and is taken advantage of by one of the boys there, a boy who one would never expect of being capable of committing such a heinous act. Naturally, it is Grace who is now being looked at as the instigator for this alleged event occurring, and everyone begins to shun her. Everyone that is, except for one individual boy, Ian, who eventually sees the truth in what she’s been saying.Ian, is the type of guy any woman would love to have in her corner, a guy who would find the truth in what she’s been saying in regards to the terrifying ordeal she had to face, and is willing to stand by her.On the other hand, the discussion questions Ms. Blount provides at the end of book; turns this book a wonderful teaching tool in preparing young girls to face a possible reality of life no woman would ever want to happen to them. And for the educational property this book presents, I’m giving this book 5 STARS.

[angelacinva · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm torn with this book. In some ways it is fantastic. But there are some problems with it, too.

The Good:
Great portrayal of what rape victims face. This book definitely shines a light on rape culture in our society. There are some really important messages here. I really loved Grace's analysis of The Taming of the Shrew in het literature class!
I liked that Grace refuses to run, though as others have pointed out, that's not an option for most victims.
I like the way this book shows how the rape of someone you love can really affect other people. Family and friends don't always react well. They have their own issues to come to terms with. Who wants to believe that their best friend is a rapist? What girl wants to face the fact that they could just as easily have been the victim? It's easier to try to find a reason why it was her, to assign blame.
Ian's dad was amazing! Grace's mom was incredibly supportive. It's good to see that parents in YA books can be positively involved in their children's lives.

The Bad:
Let's start with the tag line: "But one boy can mend it." Ugh!!!! So the wrong message! Grace doesn't need a boy to mend it. Unlike what Ian says, she does not need a guy who "get's her." She needs people who believe in her and support her. I get that authors don't always have a say over the tag lines and descriptions. But -
Why the focus on the romance? OK, so rape victims don't somehow lose a desire for a loving relationship. But it feels like she needs the romance to truly heal. I think the scene where two of the girls in school said they believed her and thought she was fierce was much more realistic and effective.
The end! No way this blew over that much that quickly. Many people would still have blamed her for ruining the golden boy's future, for sabotaging the lacrosse team. But things wrap up much too neatly and we get a happy ever after ending when we should get a sense that she is just starting to come out the worst of her crisis and move on with her life.

All in all, 3.5 stars. It certainly has the potential to lead to some powerful discussions.