Money Boy Hardcover – August 23, 2011

This book takes place over the course of just seven days of Ray’s life. We see him get kicked out for being gay and we see him become a male escort. I ended up giving this story 3 stars I felt the plot was interesting. I liked that the story centered on an Asian character and family. I thought the elements of the story that talked about immigration and his family history. The comparison to other families like theirs. There were little things that worked well.The biggest problem I had with this was the pacing. It didn’t really work for me. I also felt like the issues could have been gone into more thoroughly.It talks about coming out, homelessness, and immigration. I don’t feel like any of them are hit on really well.The main character Ray is also just too aloof. He is kicked out of his house and doesn’t ever seem to understand the severity of his situation. No matter the many bad things that happen to him along the way.It became annoying at one point.I did really like the ending, though. It felt really hopeful.There were some great comedic moments in parts of the book and one of the best ones is near the ending. I just felt like there could have been so much more based on the premise of the story.

Ray Liu is a Chinese immigrant living in Canada. He doesn't quite fit in with everyone at school. He's a bit old for his grade level because being in the English language program held him back a year or two and his grades could be better. Also, he has a secret and he's unsure of how and when to reveal it. Still, he lives a decent life, but that comfort comes to a screeching halt when his strict father looks through his internet files.His father finds out that Ray was visiting websites pertaining to homosexuality. Unwilling to live with a gay son, he throws Ray out, gathering his things and locking the door after him. Whether he's on the Toronto streets or inside a homeless shelter or hostel, Ray suffers numerous hardships. He's mugged, mistreated, and disrespected. He's also running out of money, which leads him to thinking that he should become a male prostitute. Within a few days of being homeless, he's been through a lot, so he believes he can sell his body for sex.The author tackled some tough subjects in this novel. I can't say I've read anything with this combination of conflicts before. The beginning was confusing because too many characters were introduced with descriptions of them postponed to later parts of the book, but other than that the novel is quite riveting. The author doesn't cushion anything. Rest assured, Ray's tough times lead to something positive.

This book is about an 18 year old who is thrown out of his house when his father realizes that he (the teen) has been going to gay web sites on his home computer. This is a realistic problem. There are so many teen runaways in urban areas and a lot of them are gay or lesbian teens. In the instance of this book, the adolescent is Chinese, from an immigrant family, residing in Toronto. The descriptions of Toronto neighborhoods seem realistic. What I liked best about this book is that it was not saccharine at all. There were elements of realism that were, to me, very satisfying. You didn't have the feeling that Disney was going to option this book and make it even more sunny (it is not sunny in the least). It reminded me of John Donovan YA fiction of the 1960's and '70's. One aspect of the boy's personality....which may or may not be a plus, depending on how you see it, is that he is involved in the world of on-line fantasy combat games.

I really enjoyed reading "Money Boy". I happened to stumble upon it at my local library here in Texas. As a Canadian living in Texas I thought it would be nice to read a story that takes place back in Canada. When I saw the character ends up on the streets I knew this would be a book I would enjoy. I'm a sucker for novels involving the homeless as I'm a former shelter worker. The story did not disappoint! It unfolds quickly and doesn't lose it's pace. It was nice to see the perspective of a Chinese youth who moves to Canada, his struggle to be himself, to live up to the demands of his Father, to belong in a new Country. I loved the whole story. When I read the very last page of the book I literally burst into tears. So good!

The product is not in a good shape as it is announced, but it is a fair deal for the price they sell.