Boys Don't Knit by T.S. Eaton

TL;DR good fluffy contemp with an awesome MC

(finished 10/6/15)

TBR #1220

When I added Boys Don't Knit to my TBR, I was expecting a delinquent with at least a minor history of getting in trouble that ended up in a knitting class as almost a last resort. That's not what I got at all, and honestly, it made it so much better than what I was expecting.

Ben was quite the opposite of what I thought the main character was going to be like, and that included his sense of sass. I love him. He's great. He's also a pretty flawed character, which I really appreciated, especially since he didn't try to write any of it off. He gave into peer pressure and he lied to try and save face but got caught up in a web of it, and he had realistic reactions to everything. He read as a realistic eccentric kid and I really connected with him.

"People would, like, get up in the morning and go, 'I simply can't start the day without a double vodka and oatmeal.' You know, instead of a cup of tea or whatever?" [Gex] 

 [...]

 "I think there's already a term for what you're describing," I said.

 "Really?" Joz asked.

"Yes, it's called alcoholism." (pg 102 - 103)

(I've typed up some other good quotes into a spreadsheet like normal. They're mainly just ones I was amused with instead of having any real comments.)

The format of the book is interesting in that it's a journal that the program he's in requires in addition to the knitting thing. It's a really good way to document the passing of time and allow Ben to include a retrospect to everything that could seem a little out of place in a normal 1st person past tense. It's definitely more in-depth than a typical journal would be, mainly because of how detailed it has to be to really show the plot and development, but I think it also helps bring out Ben's character. Ben is definitely more introspective than anything and the journal format boosts his voice and particularness (almost OCD-like, though I don't know if that's a correct comparison) without ever really having to be said. The journal actually shows more than it tells and I loved that.

The romance was low-key and while it was a big part of the plot, it didn't overtake the plot. Most (if not all) of the romance was based around crushes and not formed relationships. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that -- I'm so sick of reading about instalust and quick-forming relationships that last despite having poor foundations. Ben's crushes seemed very realistic based on my understanding of high school-aged boys.

The plot is mainly character-based, I think, but it still moved along at a good pace without dragging. I think part of that also has to do with how the book was formatted -- being a journal let Ben skip over anything that wasn't crucial to the story without becoming unrealistic.

Boys Don't Knit is a standalone, so the ending felt a little too "happy ever after" for me, but I'm not going to complain. I was happy with the ending despite it being almost saccharine.

TL;DR it's really good. Please try it out.