Glasgow Boys WINNER of the Carnegie Medal for Writing 2025

I didn’t simply read Glasgow Boys: I devoured it. And by the end, I had also cried quite a lot. One of my favourite aspects was the structure of the story. Banjo’s and Finlay’s perspectives alternate, while flashbacks reveal their shared past little by little. Just when you think you understand what happened between them, another piece of information changes the way you see it. It made the book incredibly difficult to put down. At its heart, this is a story about two teenagers who were once incredibly close and helped each other through circumstances that were far too heavy for either of them to carry alone. But it is also about trust, belonging, vulnerability and how easily silence and assumptions can pull two people apart. I particularly loved that neither boy is simply the one who needs saving while the other takes care of him. They support each other in very different ways, they both make mistakes, and they both carry wounds that influence how they interpret the people around them. I also really enjoyed the new relationships they form. They never felt like replacements for the bond Banjo and Finlay once shared. Instead, these relationships gradually help them learn to trust again, allow themselves to be vulnerable and understand parts of their past differently. Perhaps my favourite message, however, is that where we start doesn’t determine where we end up. Both boys come from difficult circumstances, but little by little they build new possibilities for themselves through friendship, love, education, work and the people who make them feel that they belong. As soon as I finished, I wanted to start again from the beginning. The first time, I was devouring the pages because I desperately wanted to know what had happened. A second time, I think I would notice all those little moments and clues completely differently. An emotional, warm and surprisingly funny story about friendship, trust and second chances that affected me far more than I expected.

The story of love, friendship and tenderness. I absolutely fell in love with both characters and I am sure you will do the same. There are plenty of tears of sadness and joy, smiles and tantrums and everything in-between.