Blogger Monica Swanson knew she’d tapped a heartfelt concern when nearly two million readers shared her blog post “What a Teenage Boy Needs Most from His Mom.” In Boy Mom, she takes mothers deeper into the insights they need for the boy-raising journey.

Let me begin by saying I find this type of book hard to review. I requested it from NetGalley because I’m a boy mom and was curious about the kind of advice that would be offered. Would I be able to use any of this information? Frankly, I found it a little overwhelming. It made me wonder why I read books like this. They always make me feel terrible about myself. I know it’s not the intention of the author to judge, but I felt judged and walked away with an “I’m a terrible mother” feeling.

I didn’t find all of the advice offered relatable to me. That’s not to say this is a bad book because it’s not. Boy Mom is well written and the chapters well organized. Each chapter features personal stories that share what has worked for the Swanson family. Questions featured at the end of each chapter allow readers to dive in and think deeper about what they’ve just read. While it was not a turn off for me, the scripture references and mentions of the Swanson’s family faith may be a turn off for some.

Despite what may sound like and feels to me like a negative review, I know some moms out there are going to learn so much. Swanson offers checklists and several links for those who will need the advice offered printed for future reference.

Advanced copy provided by NetGalley.

 

 

Rating: 3 stars

Reviewer: Jennifer

Title: Boy Mom

Author: Monica Swanson

Release Date: August 6, 2019

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