Overview

Boy Friends is a poetry collection that examines male friendship, grief, tenderness, and the ways boys and men learn how to care for one another. Drawing on personal experience, the poems move through youth, loss, and memory, offering portraits of intimacy that are often left unspoken.

Writing & Voice

We found the voice open, lyrical, and emotionally direct. Pedersen writes with warmth and control, blending conversational language with musical rhythm. The poems feel grounded in real relationships, balancing vulnerability with confidence.

Content & Perspective

The collection focuses on friendships between boys and men, shaped by time, class, and shared experience. We move between moments of closeness and distance, showing how affection is expressed through humour, loyalty, and presence rather than grand statements.

Themes

Boy Friends explores masculinity, love, and loss. It looks at how men grieve together, how friendship changes over time, and how care can exist quietly. We were struck by its refusal to separate strength from softness.

What Worked

• Honest attention to male friendship and care.
• Accessible language with strong musicality.
• Emotional range without sentimentality.

Minor Quibbles

• Some poems may feel understated to readers wanting overt drama.
• The focus stays narrow rather than expansive.

Final Thoughts

We found Boy Friends tender and assured, quietly expanding how male friendship, grief, and care can be spoken about without spectacle, defensiveness, or emotional distance.

Rating: ★★★★☆ / 5