Boys of Alabama by Genevieve Hudson
Release: May 19th 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Liveright
Source: Amazon
Synopsis:
In this bewitching debut novel, a sensitive teen, newly arrived in Alabama, falls in love, questions his faith, and navigates a strange power. While his German parents don’t know what to make of a South pining for the past, shy Max thrives in the thick heat. Taken in by the football team, he learns how to catch a spiraling ball, how to point a gun, and how to hide his innermost secrets.
Max already expects some of the raucous behavior of his new, American friends—like their insatiable hunger for the fried and cheesy, and their locker room talk about girls. But he doesn’t expect the comradery—or how quickly he would be welcomed into their world of basement beer drinking. In his new canvas pants and thickening muscles, Max feels like he’s “playing dress-up.” That is until he meets Pan, the school “witch,” in Physics class: “Pan in his all black. Pan with his goth choker and the gel that made his hair go straight up.” Suddenly, Max feels seen, and the pair embarks on a consuming relationship: Max tells Pan about his supernatural powers, and Pan tells Max about the snake poison initiations of the local church. The boys, however, aren’t sure whose past is darker, and what is more frightening—their true selves, or staying true in Alabama.
Writing in verdant and visceral prose that builds to a shocking conclusion, Genevieve Hudson “brilliantly reinvents the Southern Gothic, mapping queer love in a land where God, guns, and football are king” (Leni Zumas, author of Red Clocks). Boys of Alabama becomes a nuanced portrait of masculinity, religion, immigration, and the adolescent pressures that require total conformity.
Boys of Alabama Review:
This book was weird and strange, but I actually enjoyed it. It is one of those stories that creeps into you.
It’s somewhat of a queer, witch hunt story set in the modern evangelical world. There is a lot happening in this book! It covers a lot of topics, like coming of age, sexuality, murder, homophobia, religion, witch-hunt etc. just to name a few. The overall theme of the book is very dark and atmospheric and just eerie. Max is great as the protagonist. At times you really hate him for not realizing his potential. But you still feel what he feels and empathize with him. He really is one of the most enigmatic characters I have ever read. Pan is also a very interesting character. Even though I didn’t like Pan personally, I really liked how gutsy he is to do what he wants.
Moreover, I really loved the author’s style of writing. She has done a wonderful job in her debut novel. The writing is simple and to the point, but still makes it so engaging. The dialogues weren’t embedded in quotation marks and felt like this set the story to another level. The story also ends a bit abruptly, which I would have usually been annoyed, but I felt placed well for this book.
However, there were some problems with the story. For one thing, I thought it dragged on for a while. The book starts off well and there are a lot of things happening. But towards the middle, nothing happens except for Max and Pan and their relationship. Also, there are a few interesting characters like Wes and Glory, but we really don’t get further details about them.
Overall, Boys of Alabama is a strange but captivating read, and a very good debut novel!
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