Billy's Boy (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Raised alone by his mother, 13-year-old narrator William knows that his father is dead and considers his Mom and Aunt Marion his only family. But when Mom comes out as a lesbian and William has a dream that his father is alive, he is forced to rethink things. He begins by searching for his father, also discovering a new, communal sense of family in which role models are not necessarily biological parents. Teak enters William's household rejected and beaten up by his own family because he is gay. And Shawn, a special friend of William, runs away from his fundamentalist Christian parents, disguising himself as a girl to evade private investigators. William's search is ultimately for himself, and it is stark and troubling. Warren's (Harlan's Race, Wildcat, 1994) ability to understand this character and tell his story in the lingo of 1990s youth is remarkable. Highly recommended for all fiction collections.?Tom Nielsen, Pat Parker-Vito Russo Lib., New York
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

Twelve-year-old William Heden is at the center of Patricia Nell Warren's latest novel about the struggles facing homosexuals in homophobic America. A sequel to her l974 classic, The Front Runner, and to 1994's Harlan s Race, the book stands alone and can be read without knowledge of Warren's previous stories. Billy's Boy follows adolescent William as he explores his family history and delves into the role anti-gay attitudes have played on the people he lives with. A number of socially relevant themes emerge: the role of the Christian right-wing in forming homophobic attitudes; coming out to friends and family; the role of educational institutions in fostering tolerance for different types of students; and the necessity of creating alternative families for those whose biological kin have rejected them. While Warren's writing is often clunky, and her messages about acceptance, heterosexism and the sexual exploration of young teens are heavy-handed, a wide-range of well-developed characters make the book highly absorbing. In addition, Warren's tremendous empathy for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered youth - and her obvious experience in working with them - lends both nuance and authenticity to the book's dialogue. William's struggle to understand his own sexual desire as he comes of age will intrigue adolescents as well as adults and should be read by anyone concerned about the pressures facing queer kids as they navigate life in the late 1990's. -- From Independent Publisher --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 339 pages
• Publisher: Wildcat Press (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 096410993X
• ISBN-13: 978-0964109933
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #88,956 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New Directions, April 10, 2001

By	Toby Sanders (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

When I first read "The Front Runner" years ago, I couldn't have predicted were the story would go. Rereading it after reading "Billy's Boy," I can see how far the characters, and we, have come. Billy's story couldn't have been told back then. It takes us into the thoughts, worries, and doubts of a remarkable young man and the remarkable adults who nuture him. We get to see, close up, the effects of stifling religious proscription and the terrible cost it has on those with such a narrow faith. We also get to see how fully secure, responsible people bind themselves together to stand up for their rights. What started out as a simple love story has blossomed into a clear look at created families and the superiority they have, in some cases, to their biological progenitors. I hope the story continues. But, if it doesn't, I hope that Patricia Nell Warren publishes an account of how she wrote "Billy's Boy." It would be especially interesting to find out how her work and advocacy with gay and lesbian youth helped her create the wonderful story she told.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars All for the love of Billy, March 21, 2000

By	Joe Taylor (Fort Wayne) - See all my reviews

THE FRONT RUNNER was perhaps the best gay oriented novel I have ever read. Who didn't come to love, admire, respect and mourn Billy Sive? By the time we turned the last page, we had found and lost our best friend. In HARLAN'S RACE we looked for closure to that first story and slowly healed as the characters themselves did. Now with BILLY'S BOY, I find myself dipping my mind into a haunting memory pool hoping to rediscover Billy Sive all over again and coming up very disappointed. The author writes as well as ever, the characters are as interesting and touching as ever, it's just that the story doesn't fill the void that was left us in THE FRONT RUNNER. Like the ghostly character that haunts these three books, the race is an unfinished one.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What A Difference a Few Years Makes!, July 11, 2000

By	J. (Astoria, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Billy's Boy (Hardcover)

The original characters I loved from The Front Runner are back --- sort of. It is no longer the 70s, but the 90s, and it seems the child Harlan tried to conceive with his lost husband, Billy, is growing up and maturing and ---coming out of the closet. The novel switches from narration by Harlan to his son, William Heden. What was wonderful was to see the man we love, Harlan, through the eyes of the boy. We have spent over 20 years with just Harlan's point of view. I simply loved this book to all ends! It reminded me of the feelings I had as a young boy when i was struggling to come out and deal with my feelings. In my opinion, it surpases the second book, Harlan's Race, because it doesn't have a forced / contrived feeling to it. These are grounded characters who we have grown to love. Its natural, and beautiful, and I could never write more complimentary things about an author like Patricia Nell Warren!