Glasgow Boys

On every measure this is an outstanding novel. It is extremely hard to believe it is the author’s debut, and impossible to put down. The titular Glasgow boys are Finlay (18) and Banjo (17) and their coming-of-age story is told in their alternating voices ( with Banjo’s Glaswegian dialect perfectly captured). Set in the present, where Finlay has just aged out of the care system, with absolutely no support network, and has miraculously started a nursing degree in Glasgow, and  where Banjo has just been placed with yet another set of foster parents and is starting yet another new school. While following their  current  struggles with life, the clever use of flashbacks at exactly the right moments, to both complement and progress the present day story being told, gradually reveals the connection between the boys and the traumatic severing of their friendship three years ago, which has left both with a huge hole in their lives and made them even more defensive and isolated.  Finlay stopped letting people in to avoid getting hurt when they eventually leave him and Banjo believes he deserves nothing good in his life, picking fights and driving people away with hostility. The author does not shy away from revealing the physical and emotional  traumas, including abuse, violence and attempted suicide, that brought them into the care system in the first place. She portrays a refreshingly nuanced and authentic view of the care system,  which does make pertinent points about the problems of teens leaving care at 18 totally unsupported, but also depicts carers in the group home and Banjo’s new foster family, being kind and supportive, handling some challenging situations as well as could be done. The real highlight of this powerful story has to be the characterisation. The main characters may sometimes frustrate you, but you can always make sense  of why they do what they do. Their lack of faith in themselves  is heart wrenching, as is  watching as they take baby steps to overcome some of their demons. They gradually realise they have people in their lives who would love and support them, and, most importantly, as they started to trust these people and themselves, their future opens up. First love is so beautifully captured in both boys’ cases with the frightening fragile intensity of those initial feelings vividly invoked. This is a gorgeously written book about forgiveness, and found family, and finding love in all its forms when you least expect it and feel you least deserve it. A tender exploration of male friendship and masculinity, which also focuses on mental health, sexual identity and class. So many  young readers will be able to find something of themselves in this authentic and unforgettable story. I cannot recommend it highly enough.