Customer Reviews

Not Like Other Boys

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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.

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.

"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.

I absolutly loved this book. This book tells a very touching story of a difficult inner struggle to come out and be the wonderful person Chris is. The Mothers story is equally as touching, as she tries to find ways to "fix" her sons sexual preference. you read her own struggle with denial and her struggle and her need to "change " him. The story takes many turns in their suburban lives. Growing up at a time when homosexuality was so misunderstood. When people believed this was something that was learned or some kind of devient behavior.The book comes full circle-with Chris admitting his sexuality and his Mother accepting him as he is-a wonderful Man and loving son. I recommend this book to anyone who has a family member trying to come out-or just a friend. It is so beautifully told!

I picked this up at a PFLAG meeting and couldn't put it down. From his kindergarten teacher to a series of child psychiatrists they all assured his mother he was not homosexual. Gays are the only minority who, harrassed at school, can't turn to their family for support.

Reading this book as a gay man struggling to find a way to discuss sexuality with my parents, I found Marlene's chapters to be a refreshingly honest look at how a mother deals with her own concerns about the possibility of her son being gay. It opened my eyes to the chance that all this time, what I kept locked in as my own secret really had been considered and feared by my parents. Her early reluctance is later broken away by an acceptance we all should hope could come from a family. Highly recommended reading for parents, though a frank discussion between a mother and son is necessary to counteract Chris's unique story, which is certainly different from many others', including mine.

This book is a beautiful, both heartwarming and heart-wrenching, account of the struggles of both the mother of a gay child and the son who is coming to terms with his homosexuality. I was able to relate to the feelings and experiences of the mother and many times I felt like I had written the book! I cried as I read some the son's accounts of his feelings, and it brings me to realization of some the struggles my own child has faced and will continue to face in years to come. After reading this book, I have a much better understanding of a gay person's life. It opens my eyes to a new world and an enhanced relationship with my child. Thank you, Marlene and Christopher for exposing your personal story in a way that can help others.

A must read.

I LOVED this book!! I go back and review it periodically just to remind myself of different aspects of it. I have two children whom I have raised to understand what equality is all about and how painful it can be to be different. Oddly, so many of us are different in so many ways, it's absurd to pick one group out and isolate them as wrong. Appalling really.

This book reveals so much about our behavior and the harm we can cause, it's enlightening on many levels. Also, it's nice to be able to identify what to look for in kids that feels a bit different so we can support them. Gay kids are born all the time - telling them from early on that it's normal and wonderful and just a different way to express themselves is key to their happiness and sense of self.

Chris & Marlene clearly have a very close relationship and it's comforting to know that throughout the book - you can see that everything she does is because she cares about him. Though she wanted him "normal", it was the time frame and the culture at that time. Really, what she wanted was for him to be happy, and she'd do whatever she could to achieve that....like any good mom.

Wonderful wonderful wonderful!

I picked up this book in a store, never having heard about it before, and I read it in two days. This is a well-written account, with alternating chapters by mother and son, of what it was like to grow up as a gay male, and what it was like to raise a boy who was somehow different from the rest. There is a four-year age difference between myself and Chris Shyer, and our stories were in many, many ways similar, including my living near Chris' hometown. This book made me think of some of my own painful experiences coming to accept myself in a societal landscape where I was targeted as different. For that reason, this made it a sometimes difficult read for me but I still couldn't put the book down until I was finished. Very, very highly recommended!

"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.