Male Protagonists - Are An Essential Part Of My Reading Diet

Most of the novels I've read recently feature female protagonist.  I love stories with female leads but I can not exist on that diet alone, and I am experiencing a bit of a burn out. In the beginning of the year I read a some excellent YA novels featuring male protagonist

In Darkness by Nick Lake

The Knife and the Butterfly by Ashley Hope Perez
Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz 
Boy21 by Matthew Quick

I loved all of the above, unfortunately the last one was published in March,  and I would very much like find more young adult or middle grade novels  with male protagonists to enjoy.  However there's just not a large selection especially when I disregard the ones I have no interest and the others that end up in my DNF pile because they couldn't keep my attention.

However I think my slump is finally ending. I recently read two good YA debuts, A Beautiful Lie by Irfan Master and Before You Go by James Preller.

A few more I am very much looking forward to reading
Nothing Special by Geoff Herbach - I loved the author's debut Stupid Fast, it was one of my favorite debuts of 2011
Thou Shall Not Road Trip by Antony John - The author's last novel Five Flavors of Dumb was made me break out my old Nirvana MTV unplugged CD  awesome. 
 Lucky Fools by Coert Voorhees - I loved the author's 2009 debut, The Brothers Torres and I have been impatiently waiting for a new novel by the author ever since. - (July)
The Quick Fix by Jack D. Ferraiolo  - This is the long awaited follow up (for me anyway)  to The Big Splash, the first and still the best, humorous middle grade mystery (Oct)
Street Dreams by Tama Wise - This one I found thanks to author Malinda Lo. I've never read a Maori author , and I like the cover so there's no way I could pass this one up
The Drowned Cities by Paolo Baciqalupi  - This is the companion to Ship Breaker, which I enjoyed but not as much as most people, but I liked it enough not to pass this one up

Alien on a Rampage by Clete Barrett Smith was also on this list but I finished it the other day. It really enjoyed it, it was as good as the first one.   And with that my slump is officially over.

Boy21 - Matthew Quick

Boy 21 by Matthew Quick
Finley McManus lives in the small Pennsylvania town of Bellmont with his father and grandfather (Pop). The town is ruled by the Irish mob and the McManus men have suffered for it since Finley was a little boy. The two things Finley has to keep him going are his girlfriend Erin and basketball. The only white boy on team, his teammates call him White Rabbit. Going into his senior year, all Finley wants to do his play basketball and plan his escape from Bellmont with Erin. His plans are changed when his coach ask him to help a new student who goes by the name Boy 21. After a recent tragedy, Russell one of the top basketball players take on a new persona of Boy 21 and moves to Bellmont.

There were so many things I enjoyed about this one. Firstly, Finley's voice. I loved how the author quickly established exactly who Finley is and why basketball is so important to him. Quick paints a great picture of a racially divided town that has little going for it. I could easily feel the harsh history of the McManus as well as their Irish blood. One of the stories many strengths are the relationships, do in part to the excellent dialogue. Even though Finley and Russ come from two very different world, at different points each must step up to emotionally support the other. Boy 21 is a wonderful story with many well worked layers.