Taking on the complex themes of masculinity, queer identity, sex, and love, Ness and Bendix have created a book that transcends YA fiction and could sit happily in many sections of any bookstore or library. This really is a book for everyone. Younger teens will find practical reassurance and honest wisdom, and adults will appreciate the nuanced exploration of themes, as well as the impeccable skill and artistry in the storytelling, both through Ness’s masterfully constructed text and Bendix’s beautifully emotive illustrations. With realistic, relatable characters, a down-to-earth situation, and a likeable, engaging narrator, this is hugely accessible for any reader. But there’s nothing simplistic or shallow about anything between the covers of this book. What Ness is doing with the short story form is sophisticated, precisely executed and hugely affecting, both on an emotional level and in the questions and trains of thought it raises in your mind. There’s a fun meta element, with ‘offensive’ words obscured by black boxes (Ness exploits this technique to the full, exploring a range of themes and ideas as well as providing comedy, manipulating pace, and offering a final heartfelt and profound reflection), but it is in the whole construction of this story, from the line level through to use of chapter breaks and headings, that Ness proves himself an absolute master of the written word. Without illustrations this story would still be great, but OH MY GOD Tea Bendix’s work takes this to a whole other level. The use of pencil is a lovely choice, with the cultural connotations of a preparatory sketch really chiming with the idea of these teenage boys as works-in-progress, and the way the lines and smudges reveal the pressure and pace of their creation, this is emotive and vivid, like the turbulent inner life of a hormonal adolescent. This really is a brilliant little book. And not just for boys.

Reading Patrick Ness again is like being reunited with a favourite friend after being apart for too long. You just sit, grinning, eyes half-closed in sheer bliss as familiarity and ease surround you. I have been a fan for many years, I adore his work (not in weird way) and was thrilled to be able to read his new book in advance. Without wanting to sound like an obsessed fan girl, this book reads more like the author himself than his others and I read it with his voice in my head (again, not in a weird way). I found this book incredible. Different for Boys is a short, illustrated book about Ant, a teenage boy, who is in a sexual relationship with his best friend, Charlie. What the two boys are experiencing with each other is hidden, both by being physically blacked out in the book along with any swear words, but also hidden from the others in their friendship group as Charlie is outwardly homophobic. For such a short book, it is astounding how much of a punch this has. The four friends are so well-constructed that I could visualise and hear them sitting in a corner of one of the high school rooms I used to sit slumped in. I was part of their group, albeit it a silent, invisible one, that I felt the full force of their confusion, comradery, jealousy, tenderness, acceptance, rage... As an almost polar opposite of the narrator of this story (I'm older, female, heterosexual for the most part), this is not an easy feat. A mention here must go Tea Bendix whose illustrations perfectly accompany the text. As a teenage girl, I devoured Judy Blume books in an attempt to understand what I was going through, how to do certain things, and, essentially discover if I was normal or not. I have never underestimated how important these books were for me and I know that Different for Boys is going to be the same life-changing 'Yes, other people experience this too!' reassurance that young people desperately need, now more than ever. As an educator, parent and as a human being believing in peace and acceptance, I am grateful that this book exists. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to go back to the beginning and read it again.

From the author of the wonderful A Monster Calls, comes Different for Boys, a tale of teenage boys navigating their way through friendships, raging hormones, and identity. The unique style had me intrigued from the start and I found myself unable to stop reading but, at the same time, not wanting it to end. A thoroughly recommended read and perfect for KS3

This grabbed my attention immediately when it came into work, and while I read it in a day it will stay with me for much longer. It's such a powerful, emotive and thought-provoking book that is so cleverly written. The voices and characters feel like real, recognisable teens rather than the polished, adult-friendly versions we’re often offered and the way they navigate (with varying degrees of success) friendships, masculinity, sexuality, changes, expectations and experiences feels similarly authentic and complex. The blacked out redactions in the text break through the fourth wall with wit and both aid the secrecy of the story and needle at issues of censorship, audience, awareness, class and voice surrounding young people. And the illustrations are as beautifully sketchy, surly and not-quite-formed as the boys themselves. They capture the essence of the book and its characters perfectly. This is a book filled with rage, fear, confusion and insecurity that is also funny, tender and vital. A must-read book that places teens firmly at the centre of their own story.

It's an important book that talks about the discovery of sexuality by teen males and it talks about sex and life in a realistic way. The author is talented storyteller and develops three great characters and a thought provoking story. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine