Glasgow Boys
Glasgow Boys is a novel about friendship and life in care. The two narrators are starting a new life but their secrets are slowly being revealed. Finlay and Banjo are very distinct narrators and they keep evolving and changing through their life experiences. Finlay is sensitive and guides his decisions through his interests which is nursing and caring for others. Banjo is a people-person and considerate of how he affects people around him but he often solves his problems through violence and looks up to Finlay's sensitivity because he wants to change. I also liked the patients at the residential care home where Finlay is working while studying nursing, as they are funny and cheer him up. My favourite part of the book was Finlay's descriptions of his surroundings and how he is observant and sensitive. The plot moves very quickly, mainly through the emotional development of the characters. The book made me both laugh and cry. The is a nice balance between the soft and strong moments so as a reader I didn't feel overwhelmed. The flashbacks are well laid out throughout the novel and it's made clear that the past memories are pushed away by both narrators and they only resurface in strong emotional moments like at the end of chapters. The author did a good job of fleshing out the motivations and fears of each characters so I understood them and cared about them. The novel reminds me of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe because behind the well-rounded characters there is a philosophical message about the power of friendships. I would recommend this book to readers who like to care about the characters they read about. It's good escapism because it creates a well-rounded reality for these boys and their friendships.

Ms Čechová