Different for Boys

Throughout Patrick Ness’s long career as a YA author, he has always been preoccupied with maturation and masculinity, especially from a queer perspective, telling stories about love and the transition to manhood with a trademark sincerity. In previous stories, this preoccupation has been accompanied by decidedly fantastical narratives of strange sci-fi afterlives or dragon-filled parallel universes, but in his newest book, Different for Boys, everything else has been stripped away except for a simple question: is it different for boys who like boys?

Over a brisk 100 pages, Ness answers this question in bracingly honest fashion, following four boys and the messy web of love, friendship and tension that unites them. Each scene is punctuated by delightfully self-aware narration, authentically adolescent dialogue and Tea Bendix’s impressionistic, sketchlike illustrations, all of which combine to make this novella feel less like a work of fiction and more like a hazy halfremembered reality.

Its length might turn off older readers eager for bigger and broader stories, but the book’s brevity allows for an unflinching focus and sincerity that elevates what might otherwise be a simple story: this is a book which begs to be read, pondered, and read again. While Different for Boys will naturally resonate most with queer young men, I would wholeheartedly recommend it for any teenager navigating the bewildering and complex world of love and sex. For ages 15+.