This Boy
Lauren Myracle
About this book
Lauren Myracle brings her signature frank, funny, and insightful writing to this novel of a teenage boy’s coming-of-age. Paul Walden is not an alpha lobster, the hypermasculine crustacean king who intimidates the other male lobsters, beds all the lady lobsters, and “wins” at life. At least not according to the ego-bursting feedback he’s given in his freshman seminar. But Paul finds a funny, faithful friend in Roby Smalls, and maybe — oh god, please — he’s beginning to catch the interest of smart, beautiful Natalia Gutierrez. Cruising through high school as a sauced-out, rap-loving beta lobster suits Paul fine, and if life ever gets him down? Smoke a little weed, crunch a few pills . . . it’s all good. But in the treacherous currents of teenage culture, it’s easy to get pulled under. With perfect frankness, Lauren Myracle lays bare the life of one boy as he navigates friendship, love, loss, and addiction. It’s life at its most ordinary and most unforgettable.
Censorship history
This Boy was banned or restricted in United States in 2024 for its LGBTQ+ themes and positive depiction of queer identity, as well as sexual content. This case is part of a global pattern in which LGBTQ+ representation in literature faces disproportionate legal and institutional pressure.
Bans
| Country | Year | Reasons |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 2024 | LGBTQ+Sexual |
