The Only Boy by Jordan Locke
Mary is stuck in Section One, living with three hundred women in a crumbling hospital. She wonders what life was like two centuries ago, before the Cleansing wiped out all the men. But the rules—the Matriarch's senseless rules—prevent her from exploring the vacant city to find out.
Taylor's got a dangerous secret: he's a boy. His compound's been destroyed, and he's been relocated to Section One. Living under the Matriarch means giving up possessions, eating canned food and avoiding all physical contact. Baggy clothes hide his flat chest and skinny legs, but if anyone discovers what lies beneath, he'll be exiled. Maybe even executed.
Mary's never seen a boy—the Matriarch cut the pictures of men from the textbooks—and she doesn't suspect Taylor's secret. If she knew, she might understand the need to stop the girls from teasing him. If she knew, she might realize why she breaks the rules, just to be near him. Then again, she might be frightened to death of him.
Taylor should go. The Matriarch is watching his every move. But running means leaving Mary—and braving the land beyond the compound's boundaries.
Life in this society isn't easy. Fear of disease is strong and it's the belief the everyone follows certain rules exactly, which include no touching. Mary doesn't feel that this rule, or any rule, is necessarily a good thing and sets out to try and change things. Mary is a risk taker and isn't too scared to take a stand and fight for what she believes in, even when it earns her time in the pit. She is constantly sneaking out and breaking rules--she's definitely rebellious, no matter what the cost.
Taylor--I have so many unanswered questions about him still. He wasn't as strong as I wanted him to be, although I don't know if I would be if I were in his situation. He was easily swayed and caved under pressure too many times. I was disappointed in a lot of his choices.
As with a lot of novels in this genre, it didn't end the way I expected (or wanted) it to, but it did take a lot of unexpected twists and turns that kept my attention.
Content: a few swear words; violence--killing, death, fighting, etc, but not extremely graphic; mild romance, but talk of polygamous-type relationships and some innuendo. I would consider it clean.
**I received a copy in exchange for an honest review**
Praise for The Only Boy
*“It’s not a dystopia that does a good job—it’s a great book that happens to be a dystopia.” Rachel Miller, Editor
*“This book is one of the best of its genre I have read, it kept me gripped to its satisfying end.” Janet Love, Amazon UK Reviewer
*“If you like a different take on the dystopian genre then I would highly recommend this unique and amazing book.” Tamara Bass, The Avid Book Collector
Excerpt:
From Taylor’s Point of View
I place
the biology textbook on a stainless-steel table, flip through the yellowing
pages and stop on a cross-section of a woman. Her organs are carefully
illustrated—heart, lungs, uterus. The next page is missing. Not ripped out.
Cut, as if sliced with a surgeon’s scalpel.
The
library at home has the complete book. I’ve seen the missing page—the anatomy
of man. An extinct creature, as far as anyone knows.
A voice
from behind says, “What are you reading?”
My
shoulders tense when I turn to see Mary. None of the girls at home looked like
her—dark eyes, perfectly straight nose and full, round lips. Her hair brushes
my cheek as she leans over. She shouldn’t be so close. I ease the book shut and
try to look calm.
“We
studied biology last year,” she says. “Did your teacher go over it?”
In
Section Seven, we self-studied, but she doesn’t need to know that. “No.” I
carry the book to the shelf.
She
follows. “You should read the part on genetics. It’s really interesting.”
I slip
the book between a car manual and a medical dictionary. “I’ve read the whole
thing.”
“But you
said you hadn’t studied it yet.”
To avoid
her gaze, I stare out the window at the abandoned skyscrapers and trash-covered
barriers. “Don’t you have class or something?”
“We’re
on lunch break.”
I growl.
“Go eat.” My voice is too husky, too deep.
“I was
tryin’ to be nice.” She turns to walk away.
I grab
her wrist to stop her. Her skin is warm and smooth.
“What
are you doing?” She wrenches her arm free. “You’re gonna end up in the pit.”
I step
away, and she hurries toward the door, shoulders back and chin high. The
loose-fitting hospital gown can’t hide the curve of her figure.
I want
to touch her again.
Author Jordan Locke
Jordan Locke lives in Connecticut with his wife, two lively daughters and a well-behaved whippet. A graphic designer by trade, his creativity spilled over into the literary world. After years of writing, reading and learning the craft, his fifth novel, The Only Boy, brought him offers of representation from two well-known agents. Now, after the dog is fed and the kids are in bed, you will find him tapping away at the keyboard.a Rafflecopter giveaway
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