*Shortlisted

Review by Maja, Pen Y Dre High School
The Boy I Love is a heartwarming WWI novel that brings together the realities of war with a moving and personal story about identity and love. 

The book follows a character named Stephen, who survives an attack on his platoon and shoots the German soldier responsible. In the soldier’s final moments, he looks Stephen in the eyes and says, “Kamerade.” This moment haunts Stephen throughout the novel, and we see his emotional journey as he not only deals with life in the trenches but also faces the loss of his first love, while falling for another man — something that puts him at risk in a time of strict social rules. 

Another thing that makes this book stand out is how it balances action and emotion. The war scenes are tense and gripping, but the quieter moments between Stephen and Danny are just as powerful. William Hussey gives a voice to LGBTQ+ experiences in history, something that is often overlooked, especially during wartime. Hussey himself said, “their voices have been largely lost in the bellow and fury of the Great War.” 

Overall, I think the novel is emotional and thought-provoking, offering hope that love can exist even in the most difficult situations, even when others are against it.  

Review by Isabella, Attleborough Academy
I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Boy I love’ by William Hussey for a multitude of reasons. I believe it really explored the difficulty that homosexual men faced as soldiers during the First World War as well as the gentle tenderness of the love between Stephen and Danny. I found the focus on the camaraderie between soldiers really important because of the significance of friendship to soldiers during the war who saw and experienced unspeakable things but were expected to carry on, as male vulnerability during that period was perceived as a weakness. I loved the depth of both Stephen and Danny’s characters through the exploration of their past traumas and how they grew into their love by sharing their experiences. It explores the theme of loss from Stephen’s perspective as he navigates how to move on from losing Michael as well as dealing with his parent's rejection of him once discovering that he is gay.       

This particular area of history was something that I had learned about somewhat during my GCSE studies but reading a novel told through the perspectives of soldiers, whilst it is still fiction, really gave me an insight in the true natures of war and the impacts that has on the mental and physical wellbeing of the soldiers. It vividly portrays life in the trenches and the cruel prejudice that homosexual men faced during the period. I found this book incredibly interesting to read, especially through learning about the different ranking systems within the army and through the lenses of the soldier, the cruelness of some of the leaderships actions, especially in regard to Ollie’s infection and the lack of important treatment he received from the army leadership, in being expected to carry on through his pain.     

The plot of this book I found to be a mixture of serious and light-hearted moments in exploring the development of the love connection between Stephen and Danny as well as the destructive nature of war to a soldiers physical and mental health and how love and friendship enable them to carry on. Towards the end of the novel through the exploration of the Battle of the Somme, it presented some very thought-provoking and serious moments as soldiers perished, and their friends were expected to leave them behind and continue fighting.      

This book has inspired me to read others set across the same period, exploring similar themes around homosexuality and the difficulties that soldiers faced during war. I think this is a really important book for others to read, especially if they are facing their own difficulties within their sexuality or even in their mental struggles because it really highlights how they are not alone in those feelings and how others much like them have experienced repression and the expectation to remain silent within their feeling, especially in being a soldier during a period where homosexuality was rejected. It is especially important in telling it through a YA lens and still being able to project the traumatic nature of war in a truly beautiful and deep way whilst also exploring the difficulties of gay men in the early 20th century. 

Review by Tamsin, St Mary’s RC High School 
This book was my favourite of all the Young Quills selection this year. I loved the characters, each with their own quirks and charms. Stephen, especially, was such a sympathetic and complex character, and learning about his past and present was both heart-breaking and uplifting. This is a theme throughout the book, which is quite slow-paced, but each moment feels all the more special for it. The Boy I Love is also set in World War One, and the historical details were so interesting, especially learning about attitudes towards gay soldiers in the trenches. As I am learning about World War One in both History and English, I enjoyed matching details to ones I’d learnt in class, and learning new things too. I would definitely recommend the book to fellow students, especially those learning about the First World War, but would ensure they were ready to cry!