Boys Don't Cry

By: Fíona Scarlett

Narrated by: Ronan Raftery

Joe is 17, a gifted artist and a brilliant older brother to 12-year-old Finn. They live with their Ma and Da in a Dublin tower block called Bojaxhiu or 'the Jax'. It's not an easy place to be a kid, especially when your father, Frank, is the muscle for the notorious gang leader Dessie 'The Badger' Murphy. But whether it's daytrips to the beach or drawing secret sketches, Joe works hard to show Finn life beyond the battered concrete yard below their flat.

Joe is determined not to become like his Da. But when Finn falls ill, Joe finds his convictions harder to cling to. With his father now in prison, his mother submerged in her grief, and his relationships with friends and classmates crumbling, Joe has to figure out how to survive without becoming what the world around him expects him to be.

©2021 Fíona Scarlett (P)2021 Faber & Faber

Superb narration of a very well crafted story.

I'm glad I went into this blind based on the recommendation of a local bookshop owner. (yes I'm an audio-consumer but support book shops any other way I can)
The characters in this book are incredibly developed for a short story.

Tugs at your heartstrings

Such an incredible story that you can’t help but cry to. I loved the split narrative and time difference. Hearing it read in the Irish accent made it all the more authentic too.

Emotional, well read, and well written

Loved it. Will be recommending to anyone who loves family drama and coming-of-age stories.

Really enjoyed this

Emotional book. Really enjoyed and finished in a day. Narration was also great. Cried more than once. Well done Fíona

Really well written

This short book is so well written. It goes into enough detail to set the scene and describe characters in a realistic and condense way.