Mask Off is a fantastic primer on toxic masculinity and the patriarchal structures we, as boys and men, are both damaged and privileged by.

I bought this book for my nephew but couldn’t resist reading it myself first. I wish I had read a book like this when I was a teenager. It both reassures and challenges the thoughts and feelings I think we all experience.

J. J. Bola takes the reader on a journey through many aspects of our society that place insidious expectations on men: politics, gender, love, sex, social media, sports. These are illustrated with hard-hitting examples and the wider ramifications. I could not help but identify many instances from my own development as a young man that echo the dangerous structures highlighted here.

I was pleased to find a strong focus on mental well-being in the book and how our harmful views of masculinity can impact this for boys and young men.

I also found the discussion of feminism and gender identities in relation to masculinity very revealing - and actually highlighted histories I was previously unaware of.

The book leaves us with both comforting reassurance and very clear calls to action. I feel very fortunate to have been recommended this book, and even more confident that it’s exactly the kind of conversation I want my nephew to be a part of. Highly recommended.