LoveReading4Kids Says
Authentic, inclusive and refreshingly candid, Patrick Ness’ Different for Boys packs mighty punch as it relates the pitch-perfect story of teenage boys grappling with questions around sex, sexuality, friendship and masculinity, with Tea Bendix’s cool, evocative illustrations enhancing its already-considerable clout.
Ant is friends with three very different boys – camp and confident Jack, Charlie, who’s a tinderbox of alpha-male confusion, and Freddie, who’s returned to their school after moving away. The boys were inseparable through primary school, but people change, and not everyone handles change well, especially Charlie, who’s outright homophobic.
At the same time, Ant is awash with big questions: “Are there degrees of virginity?” Is he still a virgin? Is virginity different for boys. Is it different again for boys who like boys? In this context, Ant and Charlie’s especially intense, confusing relationship sees them come to blows before Ant comes to some clarity.
Suffused in empathy, and funny with it, Different for Boys is a brilliantly incisive account of how it feels to be a boy who likes boys, battling homophobia while grappling with big questions around sex and relationships. It’s also a fine story of courage and support.
Joanne Owen
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Different for Boys Synopsis
A poignant and moving LGBTQ+ story that explores sexuality and masculinity with a touch of humour, by twice Carnegie Medal-winner and bestselling author Patrick Ness.Ant Stevenson has many questions, like when did he stop being a virgin? Are there degrees of virginity? And is it different for boys? Especially for boys who like boys? Ant tries to figure out the answers to his questions as he balances his relationships with three very different boys: Charlie, who is both virulently homophobic and yet close friends with Ant; Jack, whose camp behaviour makes him the target of Charlie's rage; and finally Freddie, who just wants Ant to try out for the rugby team. From the bestselling author of the Chaos Walking trilogy comes a timely and important story about inclusivity, prejudice and friendship.PRAISE FOR DIFFERENT FOR BOYS"e;Different For Boys by Patrick Ness explores teen sexuality, friendship, and romance in this frank and humorous LGBTQ+ story about Ant who is finding all his relationships increasing complicated."e; Books of 2023, BBC Entertainment & Arts"e;Hormones crackle in this coming-out story... Broken rules and pushed boundaries abound in this punchy postmodern satire... Not content with merely writing a moving coming-out story, he has also constructed a postmodern satire of the limitations of the young adult novel...The hormones are crackling and the dynamics within the group twist and turn as they explore their sexuality. The denouement, while not unexpected, is written with freshness and feeling. Ness is perceptive, plots beautifully and writes like a dream."e; Times"e;Featuring black 'redactions' of bad language and Bendix's elegant, minimalist illustrations, this slim, powerful 14+ story of friendship, attraction and internalised homophobia follows Ant Stevenson and his complex relationships with three boys at school. A quietly unforgettable book from an award winning author."e; Guardian
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781529514636 |
| Publication date: |
2nd March 2023 |
| Author: |
Ness, Patrick |
| Publisher: |
Walker Books |
| Format: |
Ebook (Epub) |
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