This is not an easy read. But, not all books are meant to be. Some are meant to challenge you, and this is absolutely one of those books. It tackles (pun not originially intended, but I’m sticking with it) some very serious topics, and it does it really well.
About the Book
In the affluent, idyllic shoreline town of Gently, quiet Jay Souther, a rising-sophomore at St. Andrew’s Catholic High School for Boys, is prepared for a simple summer of football camp where he’ll try out for varsity and make the team as a third-string punter. On the field, the 16-year-old is immediately enraptured by the charismatic and smooth-as-silk like senior Foster Gold and hulking disciple the Latino All-American for two years running, Bear Santos. Jay is rapidly caught up in the stimulating dynamic of the two older boys, the longed for sense of brotherhood eclipsing the toxicity of Foster’s lifestyle and rhetoric. As summer ends and the school year moves along, Jay finds himself without an anchor caught in a hedonistic spiral of Foster’s design. Foster and Bear’s influence overpowers Jay’s blooming friendship with fellow sophomore, Basil Sous and senior Tuck Reis, despite their ability to see the dangerous path that Jay is obliviously walking. Basil and Tuck combine their efforts to rescue Jay from Foster’s hypnotic, nearly cult-like sway. Will their efforts prevent a horrific Thanksgiving tragedy? Throw in some whirling, twisting sexuality into the mix, and it looks like we got ourselves a ballgame.
My Thoughts
The author is not shy about advertising that he has dealt with some of the serious topics he covers in his books, and I really appreciate that. Knowing that the writer has some experience really helps give a lot of depth and gravitas to the subject matter.
I went back and forth with myself when deciding to sign up for this book because of the heavy subject matter, which I always think is a little funny because several of them are ones I deal with in my own debut novel coming out later this year – namely, the age gap and power balance dynamic. I also appreciate that this was set approximately a decade ago in a period from 2014-2018 (which feels insane to consider that 2014 was over a decade ago). The high schoolers in the book would be well into their 20s and almost 30s by now.
Possibly the most important thing highlighted in this book is that despite all the pressure and focus on good parenting, there are still plenty of really bad parents out there. There was only like one good parent in this book as far as I could tell, and the kid still wasn’t impressed by him. Which in case we doubted it, highlights how important good parenting is. The kids in this book were seriously messed up!
I was really impressed with all the representation in this book – LGBTQIA-plus, ASD, mental illness, disability, and more. And it was very realistic because it ran the gamut of good, bad and in between.
I’m very grateful to the author and LBT for including me in this tour.
Who’s It For?
It’s a rare day when I’m at a loss, but I’m not really sure what kind of reader would enjoy this. I did enjoy this, but it was also more that is a very impactful read. It has a lot of content warnings, so be sure to check those out!
Content Warnings: This book contains topics that may disturb some readers, including, but not limited to Suicide and Ideation, Cult-like Behavior, Sexual Assault, Homophobia, Child Neglect/Abuse (including Child SA), Underage Sex, Alcohol and Drug Abuse.
About the Author
David Fitzpatrick was born in Dearborn, Michigan and grew up in Guilford, Connecticut. He graduated Skidmore College with a B.A. in English and got his MFA at Fairfield University in 2011. David’s essays and fiction have been published in Running Wild Press, New Haven Review, Barely South Review and Perch and Fiction Weekly.
Links
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Academy-Unholy-Boys-David-Fitzpatrick-ebook/dp/B0CYV5JK8C
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Academy-Unholy-Boys-David-Fitzpatrick-ebook/dp/B0CYV5JK8C
Bookshop US: https://bookshop.org/a/25511/9781960018526
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/215358987-academy-of-unholy-boys
Author’s Website: https://linktr.ee/authorjackcharles
Author’s Website: https://www.david-fitzpatrick.com/
As a Bookshop.org (US) Affiliate, I may earn on qualifying purchases. Bookshop.org purchases support local, independent bookshops. My chosen affiliate bookshop is Tubby & Coo’s Traveling Bookshop, a local, queer-owned bookshop in New Orleans.
