The Boys

'Summer days and new relationships are rendered with a grace that is lyrical at times but also ironic and comic, in a tone perfectly-pitched' Colm Tóibín

'Compelling, vibrant, and dazzling' Brandon Taylor, Booker shortlisted author of Real Life

'Very human, very real but also, fundamentally, extremely fun to read' Rebecca Watson, author of Little Scratch

A New Statesman 25 best books to read in 2025.

London, 2012. Johnny Voghel is stuck. He has a dead-end job at a small university and a wilting relationship and is grieving the death of his parents. When his half-brother Lawrence returns to the old family home from Chicago after a period of estrangement, Johnny decides to do everything he can to win back his affection. It's a quest he pursues with the help of Lawrence's childhood sweetheart and a pair of mysterious and seductive students adrift in the city during the height of Olympics fever.

A generational saga that takes place over a fortnight, and a comedy about confusion and loss, The Boys follows Johnny as he revisits old grievances, cultivates new friendships - and tries to take control of his fate.