Lawn Boy

by Jonathan Evison

Don’t remember how this one came to my attention. Another audiobook to fill space in my head while I’m doing chores- but for a while there I thought I’d made a mistake. Put off by the frequent use of the f-word. And some of the crude humor- not by the main character, but one or two of his um, negatively opinionated friends. I was going to stop before even through the first cd, but kept listening, and somehow this started to grow on me. In the end I was glad I heard the whole thing, it gets much better further on and I even liked the ending. I appreciated what it was trying to say. But I also get why lots of people have protested this book, because yeah, it made me uncomfortable at several points.

Story (apparently semi-autobiographical) is about a half-latino guy from a poor neighborhood in Washington State. (This made the environs of the novel very familiar to me, but also so very different- a whole other side of the place I knew, a reverse reality I was never very aware of). Mike Muñoz is 22 but still lives with his mother, his older mentally disabled brother, and a tenant who at first lives in the backyard shed but then moves into the house. They’re always struggling to make ends meet. Mike has a job with a landscaping crew, he’s proud of making very tidy clean edges and aspires to be a topiary artist. Gets sick of the low pay and degrading way clients treat him- looses his job after refusing to clean up after someone’s dog. Drifts around looking for new employment, nothing works out. One old acquaintance has a big scheme with no real plan. Then an old high school friend ropes him into preparing properties for resale in a wealthy neighborhood, and he starts rubbing shoulders with different kind of folks- but pretty soon realizes he doesn’t like where that’s going.

And there’s the annoyance that this old high school friend won’t admit to something that happened when they were kids. This is what people are all upset about. There’s a scene from the past mentioned briefly in the book (and referred to a few times afterwards in the narrative) where Mike and the other guy, as ten-year-old kids, handled each other’s privates. No it was not actually pedophilia (as some people are saying in negative reviews). The disturbing thing is that Mike wants to discuss what happened in the past, but the other guy won’t admit it even occurred. Meanwhile, Mike is halfheartedly trying to impress a girl he admires, and finds stress relief at the library. I loved reading about the books he was reading. And his growing friendship with the substitute library guy Andrew, who’s also an activist in his spare time.

Mike and Andrew gradually become more than friends, and by the end of the book he realizes what he’d been denying to himself all along- he’s gay. His mother knew, apparently, his friends are less shocked than he’d expected. Yes there’s a scene where Mike finally spends the night at Andrew’s house, it stops short of being too detailed about their intimacy. No graphic descriptions. You’re mostly aware that Mike has come to realize something about himself, has found a place where he feels both respected and encouraged, has found someone he admires and enjoys being around- in spite of Andrew’s flaws. I felt this was a very honest portrayal about someone’s ordinary life that went through a bunch of crap and then started to become something better.

By the end of the book, Mike has gone from working for barely minimum wage, to feeling walked all over by rich people, to being in his own little company and actually getting to sculpt hedges in people’s front yards. Having appreciation for the good work he does, expanding his artistic talent, finding a better understanding with his family too. I admit there’s plenty of incidents in this book that made me cringe, others had me laughing out loud. I really could have done without all the f-words personally. But I found the musings on social inequalities, environmentalism and the like rather refreshing- he points out so many times that things like eating organic don’t matter to the poor, if they can just barely afford to eat a sandwich at all. There’s more, but I have to stop writing or this post will get way too long.

It’s really unfortunate that this book has the exact same title as a middle-grade Gary Paulsen novel (which has no objectionable content).

Audiobook, voice is P.J. Ochlan, 8.5 hours listening time. Borrowed from the public library.

Rating: 3/5
320 pages, 2018

5 Responses

  1. Huh sounds like I’d have the same opinion on it as you. I really like the ending, too! I don’t mind a couple curses now and then, but too many are a big turn off to me.

    1. It was harder for me to listen to actually, I think. For some reason hearing the swear words aloud was kind of jarring. I think I could have skipped over them easier in text.

      1. I think that makes sense. Your eyes can skim over things easier, but hearing them is impossible to avoid.

  2. I think I have only seen mention of this book in context of the protests so was curious to read your thoughts on it. It always amazes me how those who protest books often take bits and pieces out of context to fit their agenda.

    1. Yes. Of course this one has the LGBTQ subtext which plenty of people will find objectionable on its own accord, but the incident between the boys seemed to me- well, more of an innocent exploration, kids messing around. Not depraved and perverted (IMHO) as a lot of protesting reviewers think.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

DISCLAIMER:

All books reviewed on this site are owned by me, or borrowed from the public library. Exceptions are a very occasional review copy sent to me by a publisher or author, as noted. Receiving a book does not influence my opinion or evaluation of it

SUBSCRIBE VIA EMAIL:

Subscribe to my blog:

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

VIEW MY PERSONAL COLLECTION:

TRADE BOOKS WITH ME ON:

ARCHIVES: 

2024
January 2024 (21)February 2024 (22)March 2024 (45)April 2024 (38)May 2024 (34)June 2024 (33)July 2024 (34)August 2024 (44)September 2024 (21)October 2024 (26)November 2024 (34)December 2024 (12)
2023
January 2023 (27)February 2023 (23)March 2023 (25)April 2023 (11)May 2023 (17)June 2023 (11)July 2023 (23)August 2023 (23)September 2023 (14)October 2023 (14)November 2023 (26)December 2023 (14)
2022
January 2022 (12)February 2022 (7)March 2022 (13)April 2022 (16)May 2022 (13)June 2022 (21)July 2022 (15)August 2022 (27)September 2022 (10)October 2022 (17)November 2022 (16)December 2022 (23)
2021
January 2021 (14)February 2021 (13)March 2021 (14)April 2021 (7)May 2021 (10)June 2021 (5)July 2021 (10)August 2021 (27)September 2021 (16)October 2021 (11)November 2021 (14)December 2021 (12)
2020
January 2020 (14)February 2020 (6)March 2020 (10)April 2020 (1)May 2020 (10)June 2020 (15)July 2020 (13)August 2020 (26)September 2020 (10)October 2020 (9)November 2020 (16)December 2020 (22)
2019
January 2019 (12)February 2019 (9)March 2019 (5)April 2019 (10)May 2019 (9)June 2019 (6)July 2019 (18)August 2019 (13)September 2019 (13)October 2019 (7)November 2019 (5)December 2019 (18)
2018
January 2018 (17)February 2018 (18)March 2018 (9)April 2018 (9)May 2018 (6)June 2018 (21)July 2018 (12)August 2018 (7)September 2018 (13)October 2018 (15)November 2018 (10)December 2018 (13)
2017
January 2017 (19)February 2017 (12)March 2017 (7)April 2017 (4)May 2017 (5)June 2017 (8)July 2017 (13)August 2017 (17)September 2017 (12)October 2017 (15)November 2017 (14)December 2017 (11)
2016
January 2016 (5)February 2016 (14)March 2016 (5)April 2016 (6)May 2016 (14)June 2016 (12)July 2016 (11)August 2016 (11)September 2016 (11)October 2016 (9)November 2016 (1)December 2016 (3)
2015
January 2015 (9)February 2015 (9)March 2015 (11)April 2015 (10)May 2015 (10)June 2015 (2)July 2015 (12)August 2015 (13)September 2015 (16)October 2015 (13)November 2015 (10)December 2015 (14)
2014
January 2014 (14)February 2014 (11)March 2014 (5)April 2014 (15)May 2014 (12)June 2014 (17)July 2014 (22)August 2014 (19)September 2014 (10)October 2014 (19)November 2014 (14)December 2014 (14)
2013
January 2013 (25)February 2013 (28)March 2013 (18)April 2013 (21)May 2013 (12)June 2013 (7)July 2013 (13)August 2013 (25)September 2013 (24)October 2013 (17)November 2013 (18)December 2013 (20)
2012
January 2012 (21)February 2012 (19)March 2012 (9)April 2012 (23)May 2012 (31)June 2012 (21)July 2012 (19)August 2012 (16)September 2012 (4)October 2012 (2)November 2012 (7)December 2012 (19)
2011
January 2011 (26)February 2011 (22)March 2011 (18)April 2011 (11)May 2011 (6)June 2011 (7)July 2011 (10)August 2011 (9)September 2011 (14)October 2011 (13)November 2011 (15)December 2011 (22)
2010
January 2010 (27)February 2010 (19)March 2010 (20)April 2010 (24)May 2010 (22)June 2010 (24)July 2010 (31)August 2010 (17)September 2010 (18)October 2010 (11)November 2010 (13)December 2010 (19)
2009
January 2009 (23)February 2009 (26)March 2009 (32)April 2009 (22)May 2009 (18)June 2009 (26)July 2009 (34)August 2009 (31)September 2009 (30)October 2009 (23)November 2009 (26)December 2009 (18)
2008
January 2008 (35)February 2008 (26)March 2008 (33)April 2008 (15)May 2008 (29)June 2008 (29)July 2008 (29)August 2008 (34)September 2008 (29)October 2008 (27)November 2008 (27)December 2008 (24)
2007
August 2007 (12)September 2007 (28)October 2007 (27)November 2007 (28)December 2007 (14)
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1981
1980
1979
1978
1977
1976
1975
1974
1973
1972
1971
1970
1969
1968
1967
1966
1965
1964
1963
1962
1961
1960
1959
1958
1957
1956
1955
1954
1953
1952
1951
1950