▁belong ▁inside ▁our ▁communities . ▁I ▁wanted ▁Golden ▁Boy ▁to ▁take ▁place ▁in ▁a ▁town ▁that ▁readers ▁could ▁see ▁as ▁their ▁own ▁town ". ▁ ▁T art t elin ▁describes ▁L ian ne ▁Simon ' s ▁Conf essions ▁of ▁a ▁Te en age ▁Herm aph rod ite , ▁and ▁discuss ions ▁with ▁gender ▁fluid ▁people ▁on ▁T um bl r , ▁as ▁important ▁influ ences . ▁ ▁Syn opsis ▁ ▁Max ▁Walker ▁is ▁a ▁golden ▁boy : ▁athlet ic , ▁attract ive ▁and ▁intellig ent , ▁from ▁a ▁well ▁to ▁do ▁family . ▁A ▁family ▁with ▁secre ts , ▁because ▁Max ▁is ▁inter sex . ▁When ▁a ▁child hood ▁friend ▁ab uses ▁his ▁trust ▁in ▁a ▁hor r ific ▁way , ▁the ▁family ▁starts ▁to ▁un ra vel ▁and , ▁ultimately , ▁seek ▁to ▁try ▁to ▁come ▁to ▁terms ▁with ▁its ▁secre ts . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁has ▁been ▁well ▁received ▁by ▁most ▁review ers , ▁particularly ▁for ▁young ▁adult ▁aud ien ces : ▁" A ▁warm ly ▁human ▁coming - of - age ▁story ... ▁An ▁important ▁novel , ▁which ▁gives ▁an ▁appe aling ▁face ▁to ▁a ▁s eld om - seen ▁minor ity . ▁[ Max ' s ] ▁des perate ▁search ▁for ▁identity ▁is ▁g ri pping , ▁em otion ally ▁eng aging , ▁and ▁genu in ely ▁un for get table , ▁as , ▁indeed , ▁is ▁this ▁accomplished ▁first ▁novel . ▁Cla re ▁Cal vet ▁of ▁the ▁Australian ▁Broadcast ing ▁Corporation ▁Night life ▁radio ▁program