• set in remote northern england, this book follows james, a sheltered 16-year-old boy newly figuring out his queerness, as he meets luke, a slightly older boy with a reputation for danger. james is immediately drawn to luke & his troubled past, and the two begin a complicated relationship that we see over the course of one year. this is an ode to boyhood, and love in many different forms.
• i’m truly shocked that this book is a debut for how well it’s written. the words just flow off the page, and i really felt like i was there with james as he figured himself out.
• the feelings of desire and yearning (the yearning!) in this book felt so real (almost too real?? felt like i was reliving my high school emotions again). you could really feel everything james did.