Hello, fellow bookworm!
I just finished Katie Hafner's novel, The Boys.
More intriguing elements and shocking twists that were revealed towards the end of the story made me understand Ethan more, emotions were also getting deeper, and invitations to reflect on personal growth grew stronger. I am excited to share with you my reflections.
Heads-up! Spoilers ahead.
The story is about Ethan Fawcett who is an introverted person. He married Barb who is his exact opposite, she's outgoing and loves to socialize. They were happy at the beginning of their relationship, but everything went south after marriage and factoring in having children. Barb brought home twin boys to foster them. Aggravated by Ethan's past trauma and the pandemic, he became obsessed with taking care of the boys to the point it affected his relationship with Barb. When they separated, Ethan went to Italy with the boys, and in my previous post, I said that I was scared about what would happen to them.
It turned out that his time in Italy was the moment of profound realization about his past, his relationship with Barb and the boys, and his future.
This book resonated with me so much and I find myself in Ethan who is introverted, aloof, and solitary. I was shocked at the ending of the story but I was relieved that finally he saw what's important for him. If he were my friend, I would hope that he began exploring or discovering how to process his past.
I'm not a big fan of character-driven stories but the high quality of writing and great characterization made me enjoy the book so much.
Memorable Quote
"You are so much more amazing than you can possibly know..."
Thoughts and Reflections
Sometimes our past can affect our present. The pain that we experience holds on to our memories, in the deepest parts of our subconscious minds. When faced with a triggering event or challenging situation, our response is clouded with that pain. As far as I'm concerned, self-awareness and acceptance are two of the essential things that we need to dismantle the past's grip on us.
🙋♀️ Question
Do you like character-driven stories like The Boys? Why or why not? Feel free to share in the comment section.
So this is the end of my reading journey with this book. Thank you so much for dropping by.
If you are interested in knowing my reading experiences in the beginning, check these out: