What a beautiful book. It’s not always an easy read but it’s impossible not to root for the two main characters. Finlay and Banjo are very different people with one major thing in common – both have been raised in the care system in Glasgow. Finlay has managed to gain a place on a nursing course at Glasgow University while Banjo has begun working in a small café while finishing school and living with new foster parents. Finlay is reserved, nervous and shies away from people and life while Banjo comes out swinging against adversity. We know, through flashbacks, that they have a connection in their past life in a care home but it’s not until close to the end that we find out what happened to divide them and how that has affected them both.

It's a beautifully told story. Both of the main characters are sometimes sympathetic and sometimes frustrating but it always makes sense why they do what they do. Their painful pasts and lack of faith in themselves and their future is very moving and makes sense of their behaviour in the present so it’s heartwarming to see them find support and gain in confidence. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Faber and Faber for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

Oh, how I loved this book. It emotionally gutted me - but in the best possible way. It follows two Scottish teenagers, Banjo and Finlay. Both have been in the care system. Banjo is in his last year of school and just arrived at a new family placement. Finlay has aged out of the system and is starting a nursing course at university. As the novel progresses we see that both young men have present day struggles to overcome - Finlay with self-worth, Banjo with violence. We slowly learn more about their respective pasts, how they came to be in the system, how they had once been close and how that relationship imploded.

Both Banjo and Finlay are beautifully drawn, characters who I know will stay with me for a long, long time. My heart hurt when I learned what they’d each endured and as I saw them struggle to overcome their present day issues. Conversely it soared and sang as they made concrete steps to overcome some of their demons, as they realised they had people in their lives who would love and support them, and, most importantly, as they started to trust these people and themselves. The ending was just beautiful.

One of their things that really struck me about this novel was its take on the foster system. It’s focus was not so much on criticising the system (although it did make pertinent points about the problems with teens aging out at 18 and having to navigate life with little to no support) nor in highlighting abusive caregivers. Rather it’s on the fact that the system is needed in the first place, the losses that the boys suffered (the details are not unduly dwelt on), and the fact that no system would be able to fully heal those losses. I know there are abusive carers but it was refreshing to see the carers in the group home and Banjo’s new family be kind and supportive, handling some challenging situations as well as I think was possible.

This was a gorgeously written coming of age story, a tender exploration of male friendship, which also focuses on mental health, sexual identity, class, masculinity, community, love and forgiveness. A stunning debut and most definitely an author to keep an eye on.

If you want a novel that’ll make you feel deeply while also leaving you with plenty to think about - How can we improve the foster system so it better meets the needs of children and young people who have no choice but to rely on it? How can we help young men deal with emotional pain so they don’t damage themselves or others? - be sure to pick up Glasgow Boys when it releases on 2 May. Many thanks to @NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with this eArc.

This is a wonderful book.
Margaret McDonald has written a story for young adults that has such heart, and warmth and wit and understanding, that, as a librarian , I want to thrust it into the hands of young adults and tell them to read it and find themselves in it in many ways, and know that they are not alone in their feelings, their awkwardness and their apprehensions about life.
Finlay and Banjo, both boys from in care backgrounds, leap from the page and wrap themselves round your geart as their coming of age stories unfurl.
There is so much humour and pathos in Margaret McDonald's writing, and the boys' lives are so well portrayed that, sitting in Glasgow while I was reading it, I half expected to see either boy go by me out in the streets or be sitting in the cafes studying, or with his friends, as I walked past.
Young love is so beautifully captured in both boys' cases, the frightening fragile intensity of those initial feelings vividly invoked.
Perhaps the ending is too picture perfect for some, but I was rooting for those boys so much, that anything less than the happiness they finally both receive would have broken my heart a little.
Don't get me wrong, there is a good dose of harsh reality in these pages, this is Glasgow after all, in all it's colours and moods, and some of them arent pretty, but overall, this book leaves you with the life affirming knowledge that there is more good in the world than bad, and more kindness and concern for others than callous indifference, more enveloping family love than cold and cruel parenting, and more chance of living a full and happy life if you just give yourself a chance to step out into it and risk all that that might mean.
Thank you indeed to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for an earc of this title which was a joy to read, and an easy book honestly to review favourably.

this book was every bit as lovely as i expected it to be, if not more. it’s like <i>shuggie bain</i>‘s impossibly hopeful younger sibling; it tackles several heavy topics with such grace and kindness that i found myself both tearing up and smiling through several parts of it. the novel just oozes care and compassion for its two main characters and the bond they share, and it was lovely to follow them on their journey, as well as getting to see them form meaningful bonds with other people. i loved loved loved the way it addressed nursing and the dedication that goes into it, as well as foster parenting and the care system in general; again, i feel as though it tackled it all with such grace and understanding that finlay & banjo’s bond felt all the more real in the end. i really really adored this one. <3

Such a moving story about two boys who grew up in care starting their journey of healing, both of themselves and their lost friendship.

You just couldn’t help but feel so much empathy for both Banjo and Finlay. The whole way through you’re just rooting so hard for them to recognise their worth and stop beating themselves up.

There’s a lot of sad moments, the book really shows how a tumultuous upbringing can completely shatter you’re self-esteem and make it hard to trust anyone. However, ultimately, it’s such a heartwarming book. Seeing both boys create new friendships and open themselves up to love was beautiful.

Whilst I would have maybe liked a bit more of Banjo and Finlay spending time together, their reunion and honest conversations with each other towards the end were incredibly heartwarming.

I think a lot of young people will get so much from reading this book…and probably a lot of adults will too!!

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Finlay and Banjo, 18 and 17 respectively, have grown up in foster care in Scotland. Once as close as two people could be, there’s now a massive rift separating them stemming from an incident three years prior. As they both attempt to navigate the twists and turns in their daily lives, Banjo as he settles in with his final foster family, starts a job and a new school, gets a girlfriend, and Finlay as he begins his nursing degree, makes new friends, and tries his absolute hardest not to fall in love, their fallout weighs heavy on both of them and the lasting effects in their personal lives are impossible to shake. Glasgow Boys is a gorgeous exploration of their journeys into young adulthood as they stumble back into each other’s lives and finally grapple with the cause of their dramatic split. This is a book about forgiveness, and found family, and finding love in all its forms when you least expect it and feel you least deserve it and I loved every second of it.

This is the story of two kids whose lives have been intertwined, their friendship and how they manage to enjoy life again. I would lie if I said I didn’t cry, I did.

The story of Banjo and Finlay is sad cause it’s real, I feel like a lot of kids might be going through what they went through, but this specific story is also wholesome in a way that makes you wanna give a hug to every person in your life.

The plot itself is well developed, two povs and two timelines, everything is well fitted and the storylines work perfectly; the writing is also very good and the Scottish dialect and accent plays a very nice role in the dialogues showing especially Banjo’s way of speaking, at the same time it’s not too hard to understand, so well done.

Not gonna spoiler the ending, just wanna say that it’s slightly different from what I was expecting but I really liked how things are complementary and the author managed to make everything work out for the characters and storyline even if it’s a different way than the one I was originally expecting or hoping for.

I’d recommend.

ps. Trigger Warnings should be underlined, I can mention a few such as Suicide, self harm, hate and violence.

I really enjoyed this and it felt that it was believable in terms of the age of the characters and very true to life in the care system. Well paced and descriptive

Book of the year so far! I think I need to read it again... I spent so much of it reading through tears I may have missed bits. The characters were so well drawn (not just the mains but supporting characters too) and I physically ached for Banjo and Finlay at times. An arresting, powerful and uplifting debut that I am already telling everyone I know about!

A deeply emotional story!

Glasgow Boys plunges into the sad and lonely reality of kids growing up in the care system and the trauma such an upbringing can leave them with.

Finlay and Banjo used to be best friends, each other's anchor, until a fight due to miscommunication and hidden fears caused them to fall out for good and never see each other again.

Neither of them has fully moved on: 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 up fights and driving people away with hostility.

Both boys are finally close to finding their footing in life, and their past falling out is the mental obstacle between them and happiness. They will need to face their trauma head-on to avoid losing new friends, a boyfriend and a girlfriend, a new found family...

The book is bittersweet and quite heavy at several moments - the road to recovery is steep and slippery. It's also optimistic because you can see the changes happen slowly and steadily in the boys' minds.

If I have one criticism, is that the climax and turning point takes place too late - I would like more space in the end showing their "post-meeting" lives.

An excellent debut overall by Margaret McDonald!

Thank you NetGalley and Faber & Faber for the ARC!

i'm always on the lookout for more books set in glasgow and i loved this one as it went into specifics in the west end/further out. i liked the two perspectives and their bond, as well as their seperate lives.

A harrowing story about two boys brought up in the care system in Scotland who are trying to find their place in the world.
I found this book dark and disturbing and I just wasn’t for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Faber and Faber Ltd for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really beautiful read and I'm very grateful to have done so. Well written, wonderful characters and superbly paced. Look forward to seeing more.

The only thing I can articulate about this book was that it was incredible, moving, and everything I needed.

The characters, the story, the setting—it was all so beautiful and the emotions it put me through were so impactful and I really felt what the characters were going through alongside them.

Finlay and Banjo’s friendship is difficult, and reading their struggle to find each-other again was so heartbreaking yet lovely at the same time—the fact that pure love such as theirs can exist is just so beautiful to me, and I think it really shows how deeply love in a friendship can resonate.

This book deals with some difficult themes, but I think they were very well done and insightful. I really loved the character development and healing that the two main characters express and go through.

This was a lovely story, filled with so many heartfelt moments of family, friendship, love; everything. It’s tender and tough but really worth the read.

This is a new favourite of mine, I just adored it so much.

This is a heart warming tale of friendship and love, and the challenges faced by two young boys growing up in care. I really enjoyed this novel as I thought the characterisation was strong and the story full of tenderness.

What a beautiful book! I have to admit, I am a sucker for books set in the city where I work and have previously lived but, even if it hadn't been set in Glasgow, I would still have loved it.

The titular Glasgow Boys are Finlay and Banjo with the story told in alternating chapters from their perspectives. Both have a history of being in care, or 'looked after', with Banjo now living with foster parents and Finlay starting a nursing degree at the University of Glasgow (where I am currently a mature student).

Although it becomes apparent that Finlay and Banjo are known to each other, it is not clear how or why until we are drip fed some back story. What we do know, in the present day, is that both of them are struggling to comes to terms with growing up and are still caught up in their difficult pasta.

I absolutely fell in love with both characters and I am sure you will do the same. I won't give away too much more but there are plenty of tears of sadness and joy, smiles and tantrums and everything in-between.

A truly brilliant novel which will be enjoyed by all.

Thanks to Netgalley, and Faber and Faber for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Finally and Banjo are two rootless kids in care in Glasgow and from a close emotional bond. Three years later, Banjo is with foster parents and begins to fall in love. Finlay is left care and is in training at medical school. He too, falls in love. As their world collides, the open wounds of the past open up.

This is certainly a well-written book, with a metronomic structure, but also flashback/flashforward. However, that can be a little confining and the novel does tend to drag its feet where it could dance. And the novel’s big reveal, where the two characters finally meet takes place far too late in the novel, leading to a denouement that feels both neat and Panglossian.

Nevertheless, it reflects the boho and the gadgie. Plus, it’s nice to see something that is purely of the modern day city, rather than the relflection of what Welsh was doing thirty years ago. It’s published by Faber and Faber on May 2nd and I thank them for a review copy.

Oooft, this was a hard read in terms of putting your emotions through the wringer. A story of friendship, love and trauma and a painful insight into the care system, Glasgow Boys is up there with Shuggie Bain in its ability to make the reader sob uncontrollably.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review of the book.

Outstanding. Truly truly outstanding. What a beautiful work of art this book was. I'm struggling to put my feelings into words, but it felt tender and fragile and bold all at the same time and was just absolutely heart wrenching.
Margaret McDonald spent these 350 pages carefully carving out a place in my heart for these brilliant characters, this book will truly stay with me. It's barely February but I'm calling it right now, this will be in my top three books this year, I just know it.
Absolutely beautiful.

I was kindly given an ARC of this book, which I am incredibly grateful for. All opinions are my own.

Glasgow Boys is an emotional book about trauma, love and healing. We follow two boys, both of whom have had deeply troubled lives and have been through the foster care system. They had once been roommates in a group home, formed a deep connection with each other, then something happened and they haven't seen each other in years.

Banjo is an angry teenager, looking for fights everywhere he goes. His emotions spill over frequently, and he has a hard time connecting to the world because of it. Still in foster care, Banjo secures a job at a cafe where he starts to form relationships with the workers, especially Alena, a cute girl who deals with Crohn's Disease.

Meanwhile, Finlay has aged out of care and is trying to make it on his own as a nursing student. Rather than project his trauma outwardly, Finlay thinks himself unlovable by the world so he ghosts and retreats as much as he can. He reconnects with an old childhood friend, but struggles with the idea that someone could want to be around him.

This book had me sobbing multiple times; I believe it's a story about love more than anything else. Interwoven between the different POV's, we get snippets of what happened three years ago in the group home. Every single word of this novel had me gripped and I felt emotionally attached to not only the two main boys, but also to the multiple side characters.

If I could rate this higher than a 5/5, I easily would.