A Very Compact Book

In just under 200 pages, Every Boy Should Have a Man presents an eye-opening and beautifully rendered post-apocalyptic parable. In a world occupied by oafs (immense, giant-like creatures), the main character is simply known as "the boy," and as the title suggests, he wants a "man" to keep as his very own. His family is poor, however, and buying and keeping a man is expensive, so his first man is one he finds wandering in the brambles — and who is soon reclaimed by a wealthy oaf. His father presents him with a second man, a "female man," who is feisty and gets into some trouble — resulting in a third man, a "baby female man." As the boy learns about love and loss, the reader takes a roller-coaster ride through issues of gender, race, environment, poverty, religion, war ... you know, just the small stuff of life. (Kirsten Akens, from Colorado Springs Independent)