What Boys Learn

Praise for What Boys Learn

“Admirably nuanced… Its worthy themes (generational trauma, criminal psychopathy, toxic masculinity, the uses and abuses of therapy) are tucked inside a plot that initially seems sleepy but then roars into gear.”
—The New York Times

“An urgent and uncompromising take on parenting in the age of the manosphere.”
—CrimeReads

“A propulsive, horrifying psychological thriller rife with ambivalence, suspense, and maternal guilt.”
—The BC Review

“Timely and terrifyingly real, What Boys Learn is not to be missed. Andromeda Romano-Lax has created an emotional, page-turning mystery that’s both chilling and thought-provoking; it will keep you reading late into the night.”
—Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of She’s Not Sorry

“What Boys Learn is wholly original, addictively suspenseful, and beautifully written. Both an exploration of a mother’s unconditional love for her only son and a blazing critique of toxic masculinity, this thriller is nothing short of spellbinding from beginning to end.”
—Caitlin Mullen, Edgar Award–winning author of Please See Us

“At once tender and terrifying, Andromeda Romano-Lax has created a propulsive portrait of a mother and son locked together in an all too believable nightmare of doubt, generational damage, and inescapable love. Simply yet beautifully written, What Boys Learn is the sum of all parental fears.”
—Peter Nichols, nationally bestselling author of The Rocks

“A mother-sleuth out to protect her son begins to question if she’s ignored signs that he’s the one to fear. A zeitgeisty novel about unreliable memory, complicity, and the difficulty of parenting boys, What Boys Learn is the perfect thriller for our times.”
—Donna Freitas, author of Her One Regret

“Hypnotizing, terrifying, and so damn smart, What Boys Learn cements Andromeda Romano-Lax is an autobuy author for thriller readers. Just when you catch your breath, Romano-Lax pulls the rug again, delivering twist after twist, as a deeply likeable mother is pitted against a devil in disguise. What Boys Learn is an instant classic.”
—Caitlin Wahrer, author of The Damage

“Nothing can prepare readers for the running-against-the-clock action of the last few chapters, which, in retrospect, Romano-Lax has set up beautifully. A stunner.”
—Booklist, Starred Review

“Romano-Lax has spun another thriller not to be missed, with twists aplenty and enough questions about psychopathy and toxic masculinity to keep the chattiest of book clubs discussing long past meeting’s end.”
—Library Journal, Starred Review

“Meticulous characterizations, thoughtful plotting, and unforeseen twists are only part of what make this novel so successful. As it explores the nature of unconditional mother-love and human psychopathy, Romano-Lax’s book also offers a chillingly on-point portrait of masculinity at its most toxic and perverse.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Romano-Lax delivers a tense, twist-riddled exploration of toxic masculinity, parental insecurity, and generational trauma. It’s a thought-provoking suspense tale.”
—Publishers Weekly

“What Boys Learn is a powerful novel about family, mental health, a mother’s love, masculinity and toxic masculinity, and forgiveness… Romano-Lax’s writing is superb.”
—Bookreporter

“The psychological tension is masterfully sustained . . . What Boys Learn doesn’t offer easy answers. It only asks uncomfortable questions about complicity, protection, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.”
—Crimespree Magazine

“A fascinating spin on the difficulty of raising boys in a world where masculinity itself is in a state of flux.”
—Crime Fiction Review

“A compulsively readable thriller . . . Andromeda Romano-Lax once again holds her reading audience in the palm of her hand.” —BookTrib