Different for Boys by Patrick Ness - Review

I was excited for this novella so requested it on Netgalley and am glad I finally got to it! It's a good little story, I would recommend it for fans of Patrick Ness. The formatting of the Netgalley version wasn't perfect, meaning that I couldn't see all the illustrations properly, which I'm sad about, but they looked beautiful. I know my friend Chloe has this book and I'm going to hers soon so I'm hoping to look at the pictures then!

So this book is very meta, and it breaks the fourth wall. The characters know that they are in a book, they mention it a few times. Also, all the sexually explicit stuff and 'bad' words are hidden behind black boxes, and the characters know that. For instance, one says something like "Oh look, you can't say ___ in this book!" I like this, I really liked how meta this story was. 

So Ant is sixteen and at the beginning of the school year his teacher, Mr Bacon, has decided to put kids in groups of four. Ant and his best friend, Charlie, are put together, and then Freddie turns up. He used to go to the same school but he's been somewhere else, but now he's back! And he's got tall and big! So is Ant, so Freddie suggests that he tries out for the rugby team alongside Freddie. Charlie says that they play soccer, though, and won't hear of Ant playing rugby. 

Then Jack turns up too. Jack is quite camp, so Charlie bullies him for being gay. He did have a girlfriend for the whole of last year, though... Plus, actually, Charlie and Ant hook up any time they're together. Ant is wondering exactly when he lost his virginity - cue lots of information hidden behind boxes. Was it when they did ____? Or when they ______? When does it count? Is it different for boys?

I'm giving this five out of five as I really liked the story - I just wish it had been longer!

Different for Boys was published by Walker Books on the 2nd of March 2023. I was granted an electronic copy of this book for review purposes only. I was not otherwise compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - Review

Where did I get it? I bought it a couple of weeks ago because I really want to see the film and I wanted to read the book first.

What's it about? Conor is in his early teens and his mother is dying. It’s never specified what of, and it’s never actually said that she’s dying until very near the end, but it’s obvious that’s what’s happening. Conor’s dad lives in America with his new wife and daughter, and Conor’s grandma and Conor don’t really get on. Every night, Conor has a nightmare about his mum, and at school he’s being bullied.

Then, he calls the monster. From Conor’s back garden he can see a yew tree in the churchyard, and it comes alive and comes to his house to tell him stories, stories which will end in Conor having to face the truth about his mother’s illness.

What age range is it for? Probably twelve and upwards

Are any main characters LGBTQ+? No

Are any main characters people of colour? No

Are any main characters disabled either mentally or physically? I guess Conor’s mum’s illness counts as a disability, yeah. She’s extremely unwell, as you can imagine.

Is there any sex stuff? No

Are drugs mentioned or used? There’s some vague discussion of the treatments Conor’s mum is having, but not really.

Is there any talk of death? Yes, of course, in a very real way

Are there swear words? No

Would I recommend the book? Yes, if the premise appeals. The monster is pretty scary! I didn’t love it, but that’s probably just me as I know lots of people gave this rave reviews

Why did I choose to read it at this point in life? Like I said, I want to see the film

What other books is it like? Maybe a bit like The Fault In Our Stars?

How many stars? Seven out of ten. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either.

Where is the book going now? I’m not sure! I might donate it to a friend’s collection.

The Rest Of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness - Review

Where did I get it? I bought it, last year sometime. Recently I decided that I'd read all the Carnegie Shortlist books, so I bought the rest, but this one I already owned. I've got them all piled up and my friend Stacey suggested I picked this one up first. 

What's it about? This is a really funny, tongue in cheek novel. Mike Mitchell is an ordinary 17 year old who's only a few weeks from graduating high school. He lives in a tiny rural town in the middle of nowhere, and he's got Problems. He has quite severe OCD and gets stuck in "loops" that he can't get out of. His older sister (also graduating) had an eating disorder that she's still working through, his mother is running as State Governor and leaves her children to it, and his dad is an alcoholic. Mike's in love with his friend Henna, but she's got a crush on new guy Nathan. His best friend Jared's dad is Mike's mum's main rival in politics. All this is going on anyway, but also the town is a little bit weird and every few years something strange happens with the indie kids in the school - they have to fight zombies or vampires or zombie vampires. Eight years ago the school blew up, so everyone's hoping that won't happen again - or at least not before Mike and his friends get to graduate. Not everyone can be the Chosen One, you see - some people just live their lives while all that stuff goes on in the background. 

What age range is it for? 14+

Are any main characters LGBTQ+? Yes, Jared is gay and Mike is... flexible? He says a couple of times that he and Jared have explored sexually, although he doesn't go into details and says it was merely something to do in a small town. However, I feel that Mike's representation is important - he isn't afraid to experiment with a boy or to tell the reader that. It was a very lovely way of showing this, I felt.

Are any main characters non-white? Yes, Henna is mixed race 

Are any main characters disabled either mentally or physically? Yes, Mike has OCD and his sister Mel is a recovering anorexic. TRIGGER WARNINGS exist therefore for this novel - there's plenty of descriptions of Mike's compulsions, and a little about Mel's issues around food. Take care of yourself.

Is there any sex stuff? Very, very little - it's not explicit but it is clear what has happened, and safe sex is practiced. 

Are drugs mentioned or used? No

Is there any talk of death? Yes, some of it is a little gory. 

Are there swear words? A few but not many. 

Would I recommend the book? Yes absolutely. I loved this; it's only the second Patrick Ness I've ever read (the first was The Knife of Never Letting Go which I read for my Children's Lit module for my MA) and I much preferred this. It made me laugh out loud more than once, which is very unusual for me. I felt it was a little like Buffy the Vampire Slayer - very clever and witty. It's very realistic with elements of magic/fantasy too, which is my perfect mix. 

How many stars? Ten out of ten - it isn't perfect but it's very close to it. 

Where is the book going now? I'll keep it, but first I'm going to lend it to Stacey!