Glasgow Boys

Paperback Published on: 02/05/2024
Price: £8.99
Free UK delivery on orders over £25, otherwise £2.99
In stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
Make and edit your lists in your account
Check click & collect stock near you
Collect today: Pay in shop
In stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
Check click & collect stock near you
Collect today: Pay in shop

Bookseller Reviews

View all
Glasgow Boys
Brilliant!
I loved this book and the raw, Scottish aspect to it. It’s heartbreaking, uplifting and I didn’t want it to end!
Gemma Robb
Glasgow Boys
Glasgow Boys is a book that will stay with you, long after you turn the final page.
This was an emotional read. I picked it up, as real-world teen male books do seem to be less accessible over the last few years aside from romance heavy ti... READ MORE
Ella-Mae at Lewes
Glasgow Boys
Heartbreaking and hopeful.
I have to thank Faber for sending me an ARC of this title as i absoluetly loved it! This is the story of two very different boys from Glasgow who have gro... READ MORE
Denise Gale
Glasgow Boys
Moving and gentle
4.5 Oh my god, this was so heartbreaking. Such a deeply moving and gentle story of two very different boys who have grown up in care, but who are connec... READ MORE
Millie at Colchester

Synopsis

*WINNER CARNEGIE MEDAL 2025*
*WINNER UKLA AWARD 2025*
*WINNER UKLA SHADOWER'S CHOICE AWARD 2025*
*WINNER BRANFORD BOASE AWARD 2025*
*SHORTLISTED YA Book Prize 2025*
*SHORTLISTED WATERSTONES CHILDREN'S BOOK PRIZE 2025*
*A 2025 READ FOR EMPATHY BOOK*

'Tenderness itself, a song to love and friendship.' Andrew O'Hagan
'Desperately poignant.' The Guardian
'Powerful.' The i Paper
'Stunning. Hopeful, heartbreaking and ultimately joyful.' Simon James Green
'Astonishing . . . Exceptional in every way. Resolutely not to be missed.' LoveReading

Two boys can't remember the last time they had a hug.

Meet Finlay. He's studying for his nursing degree at Glasgow University, against all the odds. But coming straight from care means he has no support network.
How can he write essays, find paid work and NOT fall for the beautiful boy at uni, when he's struggling to even feed himself?

Meet Banjo. He's trying to settle in with his new foster family and finish high school. But he can't forget all that has happened, and his anger and fear keep boiling over.
How can he hold on to the one good person in his life, when his outbursts keep threatening his already uncertain future?

Can Finlay and Banjo let go of the past before it drags them under?

Reader Reviews:
'Outstanding! This book I couldn't put down took on holiday omg wasn't what I expected but what a read. Must recommend totally.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I am obsessed, obsessed, obsessed with Glasgow Boys.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A stunning debut novel that is so tender, so beautifully crafted with such a strong story that I'm still thinking about it a week later! An absolute must read, it'll be the best hours you spend in another wee world.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Emotional and heart wrenching.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Faber & Faber
  • ISBN: 9780571382972
  • Number of pages: 352
  • Dimensions: 198 x 130 x 23 mm
  • Weight: 280g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

View all
Glasgow Boys
A stunning debut
Our Glasgow Boys are Finlay and Banjo, with the story told in alternating chapters from their perspectives. Both have a history of being in care, being ‘lo... READ MORE
Georgina (ReadsEatsExplores)
Glasgow Boys
Still thinking about these characters
I ran to review and give this 5 stars. I read the whole book in 5 hours and cried my way through the last 100 pages. No, sobbed, I SOBBED my heart out to t... READ MORE
Shelley Connor
Glasgow Boys
Beautiful book
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... READ MORE
Rachel
Glasgow Boys
Boys
Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald: Finally and Banjo are two rootless kids in care in Glasgow and from a close emotional bond. Three years later, Banj... READ MORE
Kev McCready
Glasgow Boys
Glasgow Boys
I finished this book last night and my head is still full of the characters. Talk about all the feels. I am also really sad to have had to leave the charac... READ MORE
Ashrae
Glasgow Boys
Heartbreaking and Hopeful
I just loved this book. I loved the boys and was rooting for them with every fibre. Heart-breaking and restorative. Violence, neglect, abandonment cha... READ MORE
Nicola G
Glasgow Boys
Touching and terrific
Glasgow Boys was a touching and terrific YA debut from a bold voice that I will certainly keep listening to. McDonald seized my heart with this gritty,... READ MORE
Emily (ashortbooklover)
Glasgow Boys
Glasgow boys
It’s the best book I have ever read. I love everything about it: third person narrative, alternating chapters between the two characters, the Glaswegian a... READ MORE
Lily  Roberts
Glasgow Boys
Beautiful
I read this with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes and cried many many many times. In this book we follow Banjo and Finlay who meet while they’re... READ MORE
Rochelle Lewis
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Glasgow Boys
Great coming of age tale
I read many books but rarely feel need to write a review. This is a great book, struggling to put it down, just wanting to know how story developed. It’s a... READ MORE
Tim Drew
Glasgow Boys
Well deserved winner of the Carnegie Award!
Beautifully heart-breaking and heart-warming in equal measure. It's one of those books that gets you quite emotional. Highly recommended for anyone aged ... READ MORE
Shelley H
Glasgow Boys
best book I've read in so long
I was in a reading slump for MONTHS! I couldn't get out of it, but then I saw this book out of the corner of my eye with it's neon yellow spine and I bough... READ MORE
Rose Tyler