Thomas's Reviews > Boys Come First

Oh wow I loved this story about three gay Black men living in Detroit! It reminded me of one of my absolute favorite television shows Insecure. Even though I miss that show a lot, reading Boys Come First brought so many of the positive Insecure-inspired feelings back. In Boys Come First, we follow three gay friends: Dominick, an advertising copywriter who’s returning to Detroit after his long-term romantic relationship in New York City collapses, Troy, an idealistic high school teacher who comes from a financially privileged background, and Remy, a successful real estate agent who’s struggling to find similar success in his romantic life. When Dominick returns to Detroit, he reignites his long-term friendship with Troy who’s also best friends with Remy, and the three hit it off. However, when one of Remy’s real estate projects morphs into a ploy to enable gentrification in this trio’s hometown, the three men will have to figure out a way to navigate conflict in their friendship or face a more permanent separation.

I enjoyed reading about these three characters so much. It can be hard to pull off with multiple points of view, but Aaron Foley excels at making each of their perspectives unique while still blending together well. One of my best friends and I have talked about how oftentimes it can feel like fiction centering Black characters has to revolve around police brutality or slavery to make it into the mainstream; I loved how Boys Come First instead focuses on how these men navigate their careers, romantic lives, families, friendships, and the changing tides of Detroit. This novel reminded me of Insecure in the best way possible, such that the characters felt so dynamic and three-dimensional and worth paying attention to. Horribly traumatic things did not need to happen for me to feel invested in Dominick, Troy, and Remy, rather, Foley’s quality of prose kept me engaged in their stories and immersed in their day-to-day lives.

At the same time, this novel does address real and important themes, such as the impact of gentrification, coping with emotionally unavailable and/or abusive men, and dealing with aging. Yet, all these themes fold into the characters’ narratives seamlessly. The novel puts its characters and their development at the forefront, not shying away from topics like gentrification though also not putting the social justice issues above and beyond our connection with the characters. As an Asian American person I recognize I’m not the best person to judge this, though Boys Come First felt unapologetically Black to me, like I sensed and appreciated that Foley wrote this with love for the gay Black Detroit community and not to appease white or non-Black people of color.

Overall, I loved this novel. I felt sad for the characters when they faced challenges, happiness for when they found success in various domains of life ((view spoiler)[okay while I loved the friendship between the characters the most I will say I screamed a little at the hint of a happy ending with Remy and Terrell, ah!!! (hide spoiler)]), and laughed at the many humorous moments too. The theme of friendship made me smile and Foley executed the three characters’ friendship dynamics so well. This is the first time I’ve given two books in a row five stars since June 2021, so big thank you to Aaron Foley and Gina Chung for writing two bomb books and bringing me much comfort, solace, and entertainment even when I’m dealing with grief and other life issues. I would highly recommend Boys Come First to anyone who enjoys engaging realistic fiction about people’s day-to-day lives, fans of Insecure, and people who have taste generally!