Uses for Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt

Uses for Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt

Review of Uses for Boys

Title & Author:
Uses for Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt
Publisher:
St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date:
January 10, 2012
Pages:
240
Source:
Finished Copy from Publisher

Anna remembers a time before boys, when she was little and everything made sense. When she and her mom were a family, just the two of them against the world. But now her mom is gone most of the time, chasing the next marriage, bringing home the next stepfather. Anna is left on her own—until she discovers that she can make boys her family. From Desmond to Joey, Todd to Sam, Anna learns that if you give boys what they want, you can get what you need. But the price is high—the other kids make fun of her; the girls call her a slut. Anna’s new friend, Toy, seems to have found a way around the loneliness, but Toy has her own secrets that even Anna can’t know.

Then comes Sam. When Anna actually meets a boy who is more than just useful, whose family eats dinner together, laughs, and tells stories, the truth about love becomes clear. And she finally learns how it feels to have something to lose—and something to offer. Real, shocking, uplifting, and stunningly lyrical, Uses for Boys is a story of breaking down and growing up. – Goodreads

Uses for Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt is an achingly beautiful and moving story that just broke me.

The story of Uses for Boys is heart-wrenching and eye-opening. It wasn’t a fast-paced story by any means and it didn’t need to be. I was captured with Anna’s story from the very beginning and rooting for her the whole way. She made some bad decisions, but they were part of her and her story.

And the character growth displayed in Uses for Boy was phenomenal. It was inspiring and moving and so well-deserved. I loved being a witness to her coming-of-age, although she was already more of an adult than anyone else I actually knew when we were that age.

The writing style is absolutely phenomenal. Erica Lorraine Scheidt seriously knows how to use words to have the most visual and emotional impact on the reader. If Uses for Boys was written in any other style, I can’t say it would have been as successful as it was at getting such an emotional reaction out of me. I’m in awe of her ability.

Uses for Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt doesn’t hold anything back – it’s nothing less than forthright and uncomfortable, but in a way that is so beautifully done. Anna is an amazing protagonist and her story is painful, but inspiring. I absolutely loved Uses for Boys and I can’t wait to read more from debut author Erica Lorraine Scheidt, who has without a doubt earned a place on my auto-buy list.

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