The Only Boy by Jordan Locke
Publication date: December 17th 2013
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult
Mary is stuck in Section One, living with three hundred women in a crumbling hospital. She wonders what life was like two centuries ago, before the Cleansing wiped out all the men. But the rules—the Matriarch's senseless rules—prevent her from exploring the vacant city to find out.
Taylor's got a dangerous secret: he's a boy. His compound's been destroyed, and he's been relocated to Section One. Living under the Matriarch means giving up possessions, eating canned food and avoiding all physical contact. Baggy clothes hide his flat chest and skinny legs, but if anyone discovers what lies beneath, he'll be exiled. Maybe even executed.
Mary's never seen a boy—the Matriarch cut the pictures of men from the textbooks—and she doesn't suspect Taylor's secret. If she knew, she might understand the need to stop the girls from teasing him. If she knew, she might realize why she breaks the rules, just to be near him. Then again, she might be frightened to death of him.
Taylor should go. The Matriarch is watching his every move. But running means leaving Mary—and braving the land beyond the compound's boundaries.
Taylor's got a dangerous secret: he's a boy. His compound's been destroyed, and he's been relocated to Section One. Living under the Matriarch means giving up possessions, eating canned food and avoiding all physical contact. Baggy clothes hide his flat chest and skinny legs, but if anyone discovers what lies beneath, he'll be exiled. Maybe even executed.
Mary's never seen a boy—the Matriarch cut the pictures of men from the textbooks—and she doesn't suspect Taylor's secret. If she knew, she might understand the need to stop the girls from teasing him. If she knew, she might realize why she breaks the rules, just to be near him. Then again, she might be frightened to death of him.
Taylor should go. The Matriarch is watching his every move. But running means leaving Mary—and braving the land beyond the compound's boundaries.
EXCERPT
From Mary’s Point of View
I stand on the roof, scanning the
city. Many of the buildings are crumbling, from centuries of decay. Below me,
trash from the hospital circles the compound, piled into a wall. A fuel tanker
sits on one side of our water tower, a broken-down car on the other. In the
distance lies the forest. I would love to wander through the trees, to search
for whatever wildlife still lives, to see if I can find just one flower.
It isn’t the rules that stop me.
It’s the Earthers—the women who live in the woods. I saw two of them, years
ago, when I snuck out one day and wandered into the forest. A child’s voice
echoed in the distance. I hid behind a bush and peered through the leaves. A
woman and her daughter approached, wearing deerskin parkas, their skin darkened
by the sun. I wondered, without men and without a genetics lab, how was the
daughter created?
The girl heaved a spear at a
tree, and it fell short of the trunk.
“You need to follow through,” the
woman said. “And turn your hips.” She made a twisting motion. “Like this.”
“Why can’t we just eat
vegetables?”
“Snow will come soon.” The woman
picked up the spear. “The crops won’t last through winter.”
“I’m not gonna kill the animals,”
the girl said.
“When you’re hungry enough, you
will.” The woman turned my way, and I ducked. Their footsteps grew closer,
their voices louder. They were within feet of the bush. I crouched. Leaves
crunched under my knees. When the footsteps stopped, I ran. Before I got more
than a few yards, my foot caught on a stick, and I fell. By the time I righted
myself, the woman hovered over me, holding the tip of the spear to my chest.
The girl ran to the woman’s side.
“Don’t kill her!”
“Get back, Wren!” She moved the
spear to my face, inches from my nose, and held a frightening scowl.
The girl pulled on her mother’s
skirt. “You’re scaring her.”
The woman’s eyes never left me as
she scooped up the girl. With the spear pointed at me, she backed away. Even
though my hands were shaking and I could barely stand, I wanted to follow them
into the forest.
From Taylor’s Point of View
The pit is dark and musty. Dirt
walls line two sides, and bars surround the rest. Every so often, footsteps tap
overhead, but other than that, silence.
No one told me how long I’ll be
here. I think the rulebook says three weeks for fighting, but the Matriarch
might have added destroying property. I touch my chin, and stubble prickles my
fingers. Before long, the beard will be impossible to hide.
I should never have come to
Section One. I could have run—disappeared—after the Earthers bombed my
compound. Even when the Matriarch sent a carrier pigeon, I didn’t leave. I
waited for someone to come. My hair was long, and I figured I could pass for a
girl.
I should have realized it was a
mistake.
I have no idea how long I’m
here—maybe hours, maybe days—before a shaft of light shines across the room.
Footsteps approach, hinges squeak, and metal slams shut. Someone is breathing
in the cell next to mine. I imagine Katherine sitting inside. It could be weeks
of only her and me. I’ll go insane. I crawl away, push my back against the cold
wall.
A calm clear voice says,
“Taylor?”
I let myself smile. It’s Mary.
GIVEAWAY
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Guest Post
Not
Your Typical Love Story
My
books tend to have intricate plots and a lot of complications. Oftentimes the characters
are put in uncomfortable situations, such as being forced to relocate, grieving
a loss or being pursued by the protagonist, which can make romance problematic.
This may be their first real relationship, even their first kiss. Jumping full
speed into a love scene makes little sense.
I’ll
use The Hunger Games for example. The relationship between Katniss and Peeta is
complicated, to say the least. They are fighting for their lives, and on camera
to boot. It makes perfect sense that their kissing scene is awkward and their
relationship strained.
In
my novel The Only Boy, Taylor is hiding his identity. He’s lost his family and
friends. He’s been thrown into an unfamiliar and potentially hostile
environment. Add to this the fact that he’s never really had a girlfriend, and
I’m sure you can see how new relationships would be difficult.
Mary,
his love interest, is strong-willed. With only women living in her compound and
with a constant fear of disease, interactions are discouraged, even forbidden.
She has never even met a boy and is confused by her feelings for Taylor. This
often leads to misunderstandings and, at times, distrust.
Mary
and Taylor’s relationship is far from perfect. They have different upbringings
and conflicting desires. They aren’t always nice to each other. Oftentimes,
they act in ways that may come off as cold or even mean. In my opinion, this
makes them more real.
If
you’re looking for a breezy romance, where everything is flowers and fireworks
from the start, The Only Boy may not be right for you. If you enjoy complicated
stories, however, books in which the characters have to work through their
problems and fight for their right to be together, maybe you should give The
Only Boy a look.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jordan Locke lives in Connecticut with his wife, two lively daughters and a well-behaved whippet. A graphic designer by trade, his creativity spilled over into the literary world. After years of writing, reading and learning the craft, his fifth novel, The Only Boy, brought him offers of representation from two well-known agents. Now, after the dog is fed and the kids are in bed, you will find him tapping away at the keyboard.
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