One of the Boys Summary
Magariel, Daniel

One of the Boys Overview

Daniel Magariel's novel One of the Boys tells the story of two boys, the narrator and his brother, as they struggle with the loyalty and love they feel toward their abusive father. When the father gains custody of his sons, he takes them away from their mother in Kansas and moves them to New Mexico in the hopes of starting fresh and building a better life for his family. However, he quickly falls into his old patterns of abuse and self-destruction, which the narrator and his brother are left to reckon with as they navigate through the various experiences that come with being teenage outcasts living in a new place. The novel addresses themes such as the cyclical nature of abuse, the dangers of toxic masculinity, the complexities of familial bonds, the pitfalls of ignoring the past, and the struggles of growing up in a broken home.