Rated of 5
by Kathleen B. (Las Vegas, NV) Emotionally Good Story
What a nice way to start the new year. I couldn't put this book down. I liked the way the author wrote every chapter with a different voice. Every chapter was the first person of a different character.
Max is sixteen years old and until this time has never had a problem with being intersex. His parents didn't discuss his intersex with him and the ramifications of the changes of becoming older. His intersex has always been a secret. He needed someone to discuss his feelings with, and his parents weren't available. There was foreshadowing in this book which let you know what was coming. I'm afraid to go into a lot pf the details of the plot because I don't want to reveal too much. This is a great YA book and has good info for book clubs.
Rated of 5
by Nancy H. (Foster City, CA) An author with promise Contains potential plot spoilers
While Golden Boy had very gripping story elements, I did not find the dialogue or overall writing style particularly compelling. However, if the author's primary intent is to introduce the issues surrounding intersexusality, she did that well. There was far more character development for the Walker family than for Hunter and his family. To increase the believability, one needs a better understanding of Hunter's motivations and conflicts and there should be flashbacks to earlier interactions between Hunter and Max showing Max has previously accepted being dominated by Hunter – particularly since Max is the star athlete, not Hunter. Also, it seemed like there was no build up between the two of them that pointed to a Hunter that would take such severe advantage of Max. And how was it that hyper-vigilant Karen never noticed any characteristics in Hunter that were of concern? Are we to believe that she eliminated her critical thinking abilities because Hunter's Mother is one of her oldest friends? I didn't buy it. Perhaps the foreshortened sequence of events were for dramatic effect, but it feels rather that critical scenes were eliminated. There are very charged scenes between the two young men.
Anyone who was not overly distressed or offended by any of the scenes from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series should be okay with Golden Boy. All in all, I was glad to have had a chance to read the book and I'm sure it will lead me to doing additional research on the topic of intersexuality. If the author's sincere desire is for the reading public to have a more clear understanding of intersex issues, she should include a suggested reading list of articles and books that she feels accurately portray such individuals at the end of the book.
Rated of 5
by Laurie F. (Brookline, MA) Wonderful and Human Perspective of the Life of an Intersex Child
Confession: I didn't think I was going to like this book but I was quickly absorbed. Max's life experiences and interactions open your heart as well as your mind. I normally find the character-to-character perspective choppy and distracting but it worked in this novel. The author does a wonderful job developing the characters and having the reader sympathize and sometimes cringe as they become part of Max's life. I was ready to rate this book a five until it became a bit wordy in the last 50 pages or so.
Rated of 5
by Daniel A. (Naugatuck, CT) Golden Boy
Before I wrote this review, I peeked at the other reviews on this website and found out I am the only male. Are you ready for this male's perspective? I thought so. Here it is: I enjoyed this story a lot. I liked the writing, especially the writing style; each character gets to narrate the story, and pushes the story forward, never backtracks. The subject is tough to write about, so the dialogue is key, and it is filled with emotion, misunderstanding, and frustration. Overall, I highly recommend this book because it finally gives intersex people a voice.
Rated of 5
by Angela S. (Hartland, MI) Golden Boy
Golden Boy is a book with powerful subject matter and rich characters. The book jumps from one character to the next, so you really do get to know each one fully. However, I found the format a little jumpy and in some ways it does break up the flow of the storyline. I really did enjoy the book for the original plotline, but I felt that some of the internal dialogue of the characters was monotonous. My biggest complaint was the way it ended without addressing a major development late in the book! The author wrapped the story up in a bow when the reader expects a few more answers. The book would have benefited from a few more pages and a complete ending. Overall, an intriguing read lacking a complete finale.
Rated of 5
by Michele W. (Kiawah Island, SC) Better than Defending Jacob
Golden Child is the story of a nearly perfect child whose caring and successful parents, confronted by a dilemma involving this child and which has implications far beyond their family circle, disagree on what should be done to the extent that the family fractures.
So far this sounds much like Defending Jacob, and it is very reminiscent, but Golden Child is better in that the parents are not totally blind and deaf, the science is not ridiculously exaggerated, the child's feelings are included along with those of the sibling, a friend, the doctor involved, as well as both parents, giving a much more balanced and complete picture, and finally, the resolution is not insane. I liked the writing style and the structure, which I thought opened up the characters and made them much more three-dimensional. The resolution of the problem is nuanced as well as complicated and has the advantage of being possible in the real world assuming the essential normality of the characters involved. If you like Defending Jacob, you'll like this better!
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of 5
by Kathleen B. (Las Vegas, NV) 
of 5
by Nancy H. (Foster City, CA) 
of 5
by Angela S. (Hartland, MI) 
