Flushboy by Stephen Graham Jones is a coming-of-age novel that follows a 16-year-old boy working at his dad's drive-through urinal, The Bladder Hut. The story delves into various teen issues, including parents' divorce, relationships, and self-discovery, all while maintaining a comedic and absurd tone. The writing style is a mix of humor, grossness, and sincerity, creating a unique and engaging narrative that explores the absurdity of teen life through the lens of a peculiar family business.

Characters:

Characters are diverse and reflect various teen struggles and experiences, particularly the awkwardness and absurdities of adolescence.

Writing/Prose:

The writing combines deadpan humor with emotional depth, showcasing inventiveness and sincerity, making it both funny and significant.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative is centered around a 16-year-old boy working at a drive-through urination operation, exploring themes of teen angst, family dynamics, and personal growth through absurd and humorous situations.

Setting:

The setting is an unconventional drive-through urination business, providing a surreal backdrop that amplifies the novel's exploration of teen issues.

Pacing:

The pacing is generally quick and engaging, although some readers found it overwhelming and needed to process the content in smaller doses.

I come on at four, right after school, and tie my apron and lower my hairnet and get my goggles in place before rolling the gloves on. By the end of the night the pads of my fingers will be pruned fro...

Notes:

Flushboy is a 180-page novel about a drive-through urination business.

The protagonist is a 16-year-old navigating typical teen issues in a quirky world.

Stephen Graham Jones uses humor and absurdity to explore serious themes like divorce and teen angst.

The drive-through urinal business is called The Bladder Hut.

The book features unique scenes, like brainstorming names for the business.

Jones blends highbrow and lowbrow comedy effectively throughout the story.

Flushboy tackles societal norms and presents a 'weirdlit' perspective.

Despite its focus on urine, the novel has emotional depth and heart.

The main character deals with awkward teenage situations, including a breakup and aspirations.

Jones is recognized for his powerful voice and writing style.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings for Flushboy include themes of divorce, teenage angst, and potentially uncomfortable humor related to bodily functions.

Has Romance?

There is a medium level of romance present in the book, primarily through the protagonist's relationship with his girlfriend.

From The Publisher:

"My hat is off to Stephen Graham Jones, because he is the kind of author that makes the frustrated writer inside every book reviewer cringe with self-doubt."PopMatters

So there's video footage of me not washing my hands in the bathroom at work. My dad says it's the kind of the thing that can tank his whole business. That he has to be extra careful. Don't I understand?

Usually when he's spewing all this, I just stand there.

Last week I was his show-and-tell for Sunday school class. We wore matching ties, and I was under strict orders not to smile or look sly. Some of those people were his customers, after all.

I don't know.

Anyway, bam, yeah, the camera caught me: I ran the water but didn't wash my hands.

Over the course of one shift working the window of his father's drive-through urinal, our sixteen-year-old Flushboy will have to not only juggle gallons of warm pee and deal with the worst flood ever (it's not water), but he'll also have to fend off the urine mafia, solve the citywide mystery of Chickenstein, and win his girlfriend back.

Stephen Graham Jones is the author of ten novels, three collections, and one novella. He is a full professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and in the low-residency program for University of California RiversidePalm Desert. Stephen is forty-one, and married with children.

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Flushboy

Stephen Graham Jones