Boys Don’t Cry
Summary:
Dante has just received his brilliant A-Level results and is looking forward to his future at university, when an old girlfriend turns up at his house with a baby. When Dante finds out he is the baby’s father and is left to care for the baby, his world is turned upside down. Dante’s younger brother, Adam, is also going through his own struggles: he is openly gay, but his family don’t want to acknowledge this fact, while others are set on causing Adam harm. The book explores Dante’s coming to terms with this big life change, alongside his relationship with his twin brother, who is gay, and their growing love for the baby.
Edited by: Dublin City University
Comment:
This is an important novel in its exploration of teenage relationships and sexuality focused on young men. Gender norms and expectations are explored throughout: in the way Dante expects that he should react to momentous life events (from which the title is gleaned), and in the stereotypically gendered relationship between the teenage boys and their father. Dante deeply loves his brother but does not want to acknowledge his brother’s sexuality. This becomes more insidious as the novel develops, and Dante’s homophobia is something he must confront himself. At the core of this novel is the exploration of male familial relationships and love in its many forms.