This well written, yet heartbreaking story is told from the different , first person, points of view of each parent, a younger brother, a doctor, a girlfriend, and teenage Max, born with & labelled as intersex.
Max's perfectly groomed, educated parents focus on the
…more outward behaviors of their 2 children & don't deal with the deeper issues each child is struggling with, especially Max. Daniel is difficult but Max is the 'good boy'. He gets good grades, is popular, good looking, obedient,athletic. Yet, when something tragic happens to him, they are clueless about his distress & shame.
On a general level, Golden Boy is about being different, keeping secrets,denial & self acceptance. It highlights how little the scientific community knows about sexual variation. It also deals with rape & the mind of the rapist who is often a person close to the family & the 'least likely suspect'. Golden Boy might be an important book for a high school class to use as a springboard for discussions on feeling different, tolerance, living with secrets & shame, sexuality, etc. Perhaps it would prevent a suicide. Abigail Tarttelin gave life to Max & I find the book's details haunting me despite having finished it. (less)
