Recently, a friend of mine told me that a web site was allowing people to download free copies of Boy Toy. I investigated and it turned out to be a mistake — no one was offering Boy Toy for free.
However, while poking around, I found a page of links to PDFs relating to the book, one of which was a review published back in the December 2008 edition of Psychiatric Services, a journal of the American Psychiatric Association. An actual, honest-to-goodness psychiatrist by the name of David S. Heath reviewed Boy Toy, offering a clinical, professional view of the book and its treatment of child abuse.
I have to admit: I’ve always wondered what a professional would think of this book. I researched child abuse, but I never interviewed any victims or therapists, so I’ve been curious. And while I’m admitting things, I’ll also admit to being humbled and pleased that Dr. Heath believes that:
All the subtitles [sic] and ambiguities of adult-child sexual relationships are explored in a tasteful understated fashion.
And:
This book, besides being a good read, provides great insight into sexual abuse of boys and would be of particular interest to those working in that field.
My primary goal in writing any book is entertainment, but it’s nice to know that — in one doctor’s opinion, at least — I managed to maintain some fidelity to reality as well.
If you’re interested in reading the entire review, you can find the PDF here. You’ll need to scroll down to page 1480.