Not Like Other Boys [Paperback]

Hilary Fanin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1997

Not Like Other Boys is a touching story from a mother and son about growing up gay in suburbia. Told in alternating voices, this frank, genuinely moving memoir chronicles the long journey they took from concealment and shame to acceptance and love. 8 photos.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Mom, I don't know how to tell you this... I'm gay," Christopher Shyer, then 26, told his mother, Marlene, on Thanksgiving Day 1987. How he summoned the courage to come out, after years of torment, isolation and self-hatred growing up in the suburbs of New York City, is revealed in a deeply moving memoir, told in alternating voices. Marlene, a novelist, children's-book author and journalist, worried obsessively from the time Chris was five that he'd become a homosexual and dragged him to psychotherapists seeking assurance that he was "normal." She eventually overcame her homophobia, but Chris's father (whom Marlene subsequently divorced) was less accepting of his son's sexual orientation: "I have no problem with it.... As long as it doesn't show." Chris, a business executive in New York, writes forcefully. "It's those who condemn and deride us, those who are ignorant and misinformed who should be scorned and ridiculed. It is homophobia that should be in the closet."
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA?In alternating chapters, Marlene Shyer and her son Christopher present a forthright account of their memories of various stages of Chris's life?from the time he was five years old (when Mom first had twinges of suspicion) until his early adult years, when he divulged, first to her and then later to other family members, the fact that he was gay. These accounts are well written: the prose pulls readers along on the whole family's difficult journey. Honesty in expressing fears, the ebb and flow of human emotions, the devastation of self-blame, and, finally, the wonderful joy and release of acceptance make this title a strong choice for any collection serving YAs and/or parents. It is a hopeful book for today's society.?Rebecca C. Burgee, Langley High School, McLean, VA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 260 pages
• Publisher: Alyson Books; 1st Alyson Ed edition (August 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555834493
• ISBN-13: 978-1555834494
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,258,416 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for everyone., March 6, 2000

By 

Richard Engelhardt (Boca Raton, FL United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Not Like Other Boys (Paperback)

I read this book only a few months after I came out. At that time in my life I still didn't accept myself as gay. This book helped me see that you don't have a be a queen to be gay. This book also helped me look back on my own childhood. That helped me see that I've been gay all along and that I was discovering it instead of creating it.

This book is an absolute joy to read. My parents read this book, too, and that helped both of us start our conversations from some common ground.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You must read this book!, June 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Not Like Other Boys (Paperback)

A wonderful book for anyone who comes in contact with, works with, is friends with, is or is related to a gay person--and that's EVERYONE. This book gives gay people courage knowing that they are not alone, blasts stereotypes of the "freaks" that some people think gays are, and is a helpful "guide" for parents who need to re-think their mindset on what a perfect family is.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading for parents!, December 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Not Like Other Boys (Paperback)

"Not Like Other Boys" chronicles two interconnected stories at once: the awareness and coming out of Christopher Shyer, and the gradual acceptance he achieved from his mother, Marlene.

The book is told in alternating viewpoints, chapter by chapter -- a format which rarely works, but does here. Whereas both stories are riveting -- and certainly all gay men, especially of Chris' age and socioeconomic status, can relate to Chris's story -- it is the story of a mother realizing (when her son was age 5!) and ultimately accepting and actively supporting his homosexuality which will truly touch your heart.

It is refreshing to see a mother, raised in another, less-accepting generation, open her heart in such a way, and it offers a glimmer of hope to all of us who hope for such a reaction from our own mothers. Truly a unique, touching viewpoint.