Peg Boy Paperback – January 28, 2013

I enjoy a good MM novel. When they are bad I stop reading them and look for another. Peg Boy was a thoroughly engrossing tale. Loved it from beginning to end.

Although this book appears to present itself as historical fiction, there is really very little reality base to this novel. Santiago is the book's main character, a 12 year old boy from Peru, who ventures to California with his father during the California gold rush of 1848. However, it seems thatauthor Berube really had an older boy in mind, since Santiago is described as very largely endowed and having sexual repertoires more in line with a man in his early 20's. Also unrealistic is the fact that the novel seems to suggest that every grown male from the ship captains to the local restaurant owner, is sexually interested in boys. With these issues accepted, the book is quite a sexual romp and should not be read by those who are feint of heart. There is also a good dose of violence sprinkled in for good measure. The author's language is sometimes stilted, suggesting that he may be foreign-born. All of this accepted, the book is otherwise an interesting read and the reader is quite spell-bound to find out how Santiago will survive in this harrowing drama. The ending was well-written and satisfying.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story . Having worked with kids involved in drugs and prostitution, I know the great research that has gone into this story. Some

The story is a good one and worth the read. I must say, a good bit of the beginning was quite slow. Any story like this will present a range of emotions. The sexual acts described were good. Worth adding to ones library.

I liked the story, both the sexy parts and how the lovers overcome obstacles to live happily togther. The ugly parts are historical and need not be glossed over. The chronological and geographical bloopers are irritating and detract from enjoying the story. The date the ship sails is before the date Santi arrives at the port. There are a couple other similar errors. The geography described of the gold rush town of Columbia is all wrong - I live nearby. Look at a map when writing about the Mother Lode and GreatValley!

Surprisingly, I ended up liking this book, and even go as far as giving it 5 starts. But, let's be clear here:1) This book has highly detailed depictions of sex between minors with minors and adults; lots of times without consent (aka: rape)2) This books is self-published; So, some typos pipe up here and there, but nothing tremendous.3) It is literature; fantasy, based on the acknowledge of a historic fact: "peg-boys", and child sex-slaves in general through history.If anything of the above 3 bugs you, then simply do NOT buy this book. If you do though, understand the difference between reality and fiction, and you are curious to find out how someone can use the child-sex-slave material and use in an historical novel, and DO realize that a few misspells and typos may occur, then I say this book will probably satisfy you.It's an adventure of a young boy who gets (himself) into the child-sex market of the mid-19th century in San Francisco. He'll get a hard time, but will come out victorious, having paid a price though; as we all know that that's how life works. You'll learn some interesting facts about things in the mid-19th century and have a clearer understanding of why the west was (and still is) called the "Wild" West...All in all; it's just that: An adventure with sex, drugs and fortune with main starts underage boys. If you like fiction and don't seek for Dostoyevsky-like "high-end-literature", there's a high chance you'll like this book.MY humble opinion, of course...

the story was ok, but the type was all over the page, words missing orprinted backwards,no page numbers. the boy named Kim, suddenly becomesTimothy, what gives?

Skilled storytelling about a subject unknown to many. I thought it would be more clinical but the romance was a pleasant surprise.