Faber & Faber (13+) 9780571382972 (Paperback) Download activities and reading resources pack
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Content advice: strong language, violence, mentions of drug taking and child abuse, attempted suicide, PTSD, panic attacks, chronic illness, abandonment, depression, self-harm, hate.
A moving story of love and family in all manners and modes. Finlay and Banjo are estranged friends who have both grown up in the care system. Finlay is at university studying nursing, but has little support around him. Banjo is still at high school and is struggling in his new foster home. The two come together in a coming-of-age story full of resilience and courage.
The dual narrative works incredibly well, giving the story forward momentum with flashbacks providing an effective narrative device to provide perspectives on the past. The writing offers an incisive exploration of masculinity and mental health. Despite its gritty realism, a sense of optimism radiates throughout. The focus on touch highlights just how deprived of human connection children in the care system can be. Measured, tender and memorable, Finlay and Banjo stay with readers long after the final pages are turned.
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Margaret McDonald is a 25-year-old Scottish author from Glasgow. She is published in the disability-focused magazine Breath and Shadow as well as the prose and poetry magazines Bandit Fiction, Bubble Lit, In Parentheses, and The Manifest Station. Margaret worked for the NHS after shielding for a year, during which time she finished her Masters in English Literature from Glasgow University with Distinction. She also has a First Class BA (Hons) from Strathclyde University, where she studied writing.
Margaret worked with a children’s therapist who grew up in the care system, as well as a Polish author, on ensuring the care system and immigrant Polish identity in Glasgow Boys were authentic.
She expertly weaves her own experiences into the novel, of her working-class Scottish background, her Crohn’s disease diagnosis, her pain medication dependency, her experience working for the NHS, her partner’s work with social services, their plans to become foster carers and much more.
For any further information please contact Bethany Carter, Publicity Manager, on 07500 835 410 or Bethany.carter@faber.co.uk
This book annoyed me at the start because of the dialect that I had to read ALOUD to understand. However, I liked it because the boys even though they had a hard start in life didn't dwell on it for long and moved on to making friends and a new family.
Abigail
St Cath’s Shadowing
Glasgow boys, by Margaret McDonald, is a great book about two boys one called Banjo the other called Finlay. Banjo is living with his new foster family. He finds it tough at school as Kyle and his group of friends start making up names and bullying him. Until one day he gets a job at the café and meets a girl called Alena. Finlay has started studying for his nursing degree at Glasgow university and becomes friends with Derya and Jun. He meets on old friend from his past called Akash who at first, he can’t remember but then all the memories of Akash come streaming back to him. My favourite character is Alena because she was always kind to Banjo and made him smile even if he was having a tough time. Alena was even happy and cheerful when she didn’t feel decent but she didn’t take her anger out on people and just accepted it for what it was. I liked the fact that it was written about two different people, and it was one chapter on Banjo then one on Finlay because you weren’t just hearing about one person the whole way through, and it was nice to hear about their different lives. I also liked, how it would go back in time because we heard about their pasts’ and what it was like for them growing up. Overall, I would rate this book for the ages of 13+ and 10/10.
Annabelle
The Fitzharrys Shadows
Breathtakingly brilliant
Laia
The Ryecroft Bookworms
I quite liked this book as it depicted real problems. Very good book but a bit depressing.
hasan i
Ermysted’s
I quite liked this book as its not unrealistic and features real problems. Very good book but it was a bit depressing.
hasan i
Ermysted’s