The Outrage

The moving story of two teenagers who fall in love in a dystopian and authoritarian Protectorate - an exercise on what would happen if UKIP won an election!

The book is highly entertaining, exploring many what ifs, but most importantly how sweet love can be in times of oppression.

I felt like the ending was a little too swift and would have liked to have seen more of an explanation, but otherwise a pretty good read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Usborne!

So important and relevant!!

Think of threats out there now:
extreme patriotism, upcoming right-wing parties, LGBT-free zones in Poland.

Imagine England about 30 years after the Brexit: isolated, hyperinflation, little food.

The Public Good Party is in charge and the Protectorate rule. Gabe is gay and that’s forbidden ...
“Degens, that’s how they define us. Degenerate. Disgusting. Twisted and inferior and rotten and ugly.”



The Outrage is chest tightening and incredibly scary. William Hussey shows us a world that we can end up with if we continue like this. A world we never want to enter again. But what if we indeed continue as we do now? While I’m writing this, there’s a commercial for the upcoming elections on the radio: ‘Vote for the Netherlands’. I cringe and don’t want this to be my country, which has always been seen as progressive. I so don’t want youth to vote on this right-wing party, but sadly, I know they do. Because fear and dissatisfaction can turn into hatred:
“People started looking around for something to blame...It really is amazing how people will surrender their minds, just to feel secure.”



Gabe is sensitive and caring, hot-headed, raised by a progressive father, and so in love with Eric.
“I love you Eric. And I think you love me, though you never once said it back.”



And Eric, oh Eric. This fragile boy who lost his mum and who I wanted to hug sometimes, and who was so gentle to insects and other animals.
“I’m like him,” he says, nodding to the scarecrow far below. “Stitched together from a hundred broken bits.”



Then sweet Albert, who has been Gabe’s friend for so long and helps him whenever he can. Who seems to have a secret, though.

And last but not least, Alice. She only appears in the last 20% of the story, but girl, you’re so strong and I’m so proud of you!



For those who read Hideous Beauty, Ellis and Dylan are mentioned in the story, so sweet!!

I don’t think The Outrage is perfect. The references to our present time and to all those movies sometimes felt a bit forced and could be more subtle ... BUT ... this story is so freaking important! It’s one that I’ll be rereading and reflecting on. A story that can be used by teachers to discuss in class. And therefore, I give it 5 important ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

I decided to request and read this book because it is a Young Adult, LGBTQ, dystopian novel, written by William Hussey – it ticks all the boxes for me as being something I might enjoy, and I literally could not wait. My initial thoughts were ‘this will be a fun and interesting read’. What an underestimation! A few pages in I and thought ‘Oh...’, a few more, ‘Oh my God!’, by the end, ‘Oh my God, wow!’.

I finished the book last night and went to sleep thinking of it, woke up this morning thinking of it. I’m not sure any review I write will fully give the praise and justice deserved.

There is so much to the story of Gabe and Eric that is eye-opening, heart-warming, and heart-breaking. The world they live in is a horrific, despicable place, so those few moments where they can be themselves and together are precious, but they are constantly on their guard, even during these times. They are lucky to have an amazing support and camaraderie from their group of friends, the ‘rebels’.

Without wanting to give away any spoilers, you find yourself utterly gripped by Gabe’s situation, and not quite sure where your loyalty lies with other characters. The decisions and actions they must make are sometimes unfathomable, in the least questionable, yet here in their world it is literally life and death. They do what they must in order to survive.

I must stress to anyone thinking of reading this book – PLEASE READ THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS! I have to admit to being guilty of skim reading (or even skipping!) these, I know usually the author thanks their parents, publisher, best friends’ dog etc. But William’s acknowledgements are incredibly important in giving background into book and why it is so important in terms of avoiding complacency regarding LGBTQ rights and history.

As a school librarian I will be purchasing a few copies of this book, at least two for the shelves (although I know several students who will LOVE the story and characters so I doubt they will even hit the shelves before being borrowed) and another to pass to the English Dept and the leaders of our school LGBTQ support group.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Usborne Publishing for the e-arc.

The Outrage

Fans of William Hussey’s debut Usborne YA novel will be well acquainted with how Hussey touches on love, romance and heartache with an almost painful rawness. When uncovering that this latest release would be touching on the same kind of theme but with the addition of a Dystopian future, one can’t help but be curious as to how that would work. It transpires it works better than you can ever imagine.

The Outrage does a strange thing. It throws us in to the future, but is full of imagery and text that not only makes one think of the present, but also throws us back in to the past too. With a feel to it almost reminiscent of stories of Anne Frank, this book will cause exactly what it says on the tin - Outrage.

Perhaps the most thought-provoking part of the whole novel isn’t how dystopian this future sounds, but how many of the references to life ‘pre-Outrage’ are reminiscent of political and cultural happenings in the current day.

That’s not to say this title is purely political. Far from it. The love story that runs through it is captivating and, as El and Dylan did in Hideous Beauty, Gabe and Eric will reel you in and keep you turning the page. The story flashes back between the present and the past, taking us on a journey to help us understand why things transpire as they do. Once again, William Hussey will hold you captive with this title until you’ve finished with the last word - and even then you’ll be wanting to know more.

Perfect for those with a passion for ensuring we learn from the mistakes of the past, for those wanting a gripping love story but also angling for the tension and suspense that comes with a good thriller. Yet another important book to read - an incredible way to open eyes to how individuals can be so cruelly judged for the paths their lives take. Another victory for fiction championing LGBTQ+ characters.

The Outrage is a powerful read. Set in a dystopian future it's not hard to imagine the world William Hussey has created being something that sadly could happen.
An all-consuming read, you laugh, you ache and cry for the characters in the book. Their joy, pain and fear feel like it's yours.
The Outrage is a book that will stand the test of time and will become vital reading on school reading lists worldwide as it makes you ask questions about the world we live in and how as a society we perceive people.
It's a fantastic book that I cannot recommend enough.

Before I start, thank you to Usborne and Netgalley for an ARC edition in exchange for an honest review.

I chose to read the Outrage because the premise sounded fascinating, whilst also tragic and boy, was I right? Tragic and fascinating. (Reading this at the same time as watching It’s A Sin was enough for my tear ducts for sure)

Great Britain has become the Protectorate, a state which prides itself on the public good, and fights against all ‘degenerate’ behaviours: eg being LGBTQ+ (which I’ll be honest, does appear to be the only degenerate behaviours that they have taken against). This involves finding and cleansing those who identify that way as well as removal of works that could cause people to be mentally swayed.

Boy, is it depressing? The main characters, within their Rebel Alliance, try to live their best lives under this cloud and, as you might have guessed, it doesn’t quite go to plan.

It is a brilliant read: it is affecting and dark and thought provoking which we need. It makes you want to talk and discuss and try and understand how a world could end up this way.

So why not five stars? I needed more. The ending is too rushed. It just closes and almost feels wrapped in a bow, but given how epic and heartbreaking the run up had been, it feels like a let down. My other issue is the characters. Whilst I do love them all, they hit all necessary stereotypes and that does mean you can sort of work out where it is going for them all quite quickly. For me, that distracts. But I do fundamentally understand why they had to be that way so it is not too much of a problem really.

I would say though, do heed the trigger warnings. It’s a tough read and that should not be downplayed. It’s an important read though. If you can, do.

I’ve sat and thought about what I want to write and nothing seems to sound quite right, so this may not be as straight forward as my normal reviews. Please stick it out if you can.

I really appreciate the trigger warnings, straight away, I was prepared for some aspects of this book. I am thankful they are being used in books more.

I saw some reviews mentioning the tag line (what if falling in love was a crime?). I’m not sure if there has been an edit, because the tag line is no longer on the cover of my ARC or written in the description (unless I’m missing it), but there are a couple of paragraphs at the start of the book stating it is still illegal in places, as well as a couple of websites. If there has been an edit to remove the tag line, add the paragraphs and the websites, then I think that really was a great change.

Let’s talk about the book being set in England.

LGBTQ+ history was never taught when I was at school, it was never mentioned by adults. Section 28 was in place from 1988-2003, but the seeds it planted are still growing. I went to secondary school between 2007 - 2012, section 28 was never mentioned, neither was being queer. It was like everyone was still struck with fear when it came to talking about LGBTQ+ topics. It’s only just starting to change.

I know some teens that think because it’s not illegal to be LGBTQ+ in the UK, it’s the same elsewhere. Let alone that in some places, it’s not only illegal, but a crime punishable by death.

I’m including this because it’s books like this, that could help teens realise how things are worldwide when they haven’t known anything different because of the privileges they have. As someone who has lived here my whole life, I see the lack of LGBTQ+ knowledge all around, let alone the discrimination and hate. Flipping it around, and giving them a glimpse into what could have happened in the UK brings it to their awareness. Although the story is fictional, some of the events are very real for people worldwide.

Now I’ve mentioned that, into the story itself.

First, the story, was fast-paced, and well written. It was gripping, emotional and I loved the nod towards some events in history. I loved Gabes and Eric’s story, and how the book flicks between present day and a couple of months before, each time section working with one enough to cleverly reveal more depth into the story.

I adored the friendships and relationships between the characters, and I just know everyone is going to have a different favourite character. Mine, is Alice. I try not to post spoilers, and I won’t, which is hard because she is great. I think she was really well done and although she only really started to shine through properly in the last quarter or so, I adore her. I think her inclusion was great and well written, my only downside, is I wanted to see more of her!!

The ending felt sudden, and I have very mixed feelings about it. There were some loose ends that left me with questions, I would have liked them tied off a little more, only if loosely.

Another thing I want to mention is that ‘Call Me By Your Name’ is a film mentioned throughout. I’m concerned this could be harmful to teens and raised a few red flags for me. The film and book is YA, however, it has been called problematic, and there is controversy surrounding the author. Never once during this book did anyone mention anything about the unhealthy obsession, predatory behaviours, issues with consent and other harmful aspects. Call Me By Your Name has been called out for glorifying abuse. If it was to be included, I wish a character had called something out about the film during or after watching it. I don’t think its the best film to be mentioned multiple times without someone at least calling it out once.

.5 rounded up!

I would like to say a thank you to the author and the publisher for giving me the ARC of this book in return for an honest review!

Oh how this book broke my heart which is something I should have known going by Hideous Beauty, I should have been prepared and yet I wasn't.

You follow Gabriel who has always known he was gay but has had to grow up under the rules of the Protectorate which was made to protect the public good which meant being gay was against the law, the worst crime to commit. So he hides himself away from everyone apart from his small group of school friends, what he didn't expect is to fall for the son of the chief inspector of degenerate behaviour, who would have Gabriel sent to a re-pure camp or worse to the noose.

There are so many secrets, more than even Gabriel knew about but in the end secrets always find there way of coming out in the end...

I loved this, the world building was good and the characters were brilliant. Gab's group of friends were perfectly written and the queer rep was on point! The scary thing about it all was that it seemed so..plausible, even now in the year 2021 there are countries were it is illegal to be part of the LGBT+ community, there are still places where you can't be seen walking down the street hand in hand with the person you love. This book is the reason we need to keep fighting, we need to keep heading in the right direction. Pushing to be seen and heard.

Honestly this is probably one of my best reads of the year even though it is only February. I really can not wait to have the physical book in my hands!

Marked it down .5 of a star just because the ending was a little flat for me, though it ended how I wanted it to, or that I hoped it would end actually I still think it was a little rushed. I would have preferred another few chapters just to end the story with a little more information but that is the only thing I could mark this book down for.

It's released on April 1st and I encourage anyone reading this no matter who you are or who you love to pick this up and give it a read! Just prepare to be heartbroken!

There are some books that come and go from your head, the ones that you enjoy but that don't stick with you, and your only reminder is looking back through your Goodreads reading challenge. Then there are the books that you never want to end, the ones that stay with you, change how you think about the world, about writing and its power to affect you. The Outrage is one of the latter, a book so brilliant I wish I had written it, or at least that we were publishing it.

Prepare yourself to be heartbroken but also uplifted by this incredible story about queer protagonists just wanting to be themselves in a world that wants to eradicate them entirely. The author, Bill, touches on how close we are from our world becoming like that in The Outrage. We think we are safe now, that our newly given queer equality rights are ours now forever, but all it takes is a few events and the world could come crashing down around us. We've seen tremors of this in Trump's USA, and we're seeing it today in the transphobia of the UK. This book is just a few bad weeks away from being closer to non-fiction.

Buy The Outrage, read The Outrage, despair at the protagonists' pain, and then move on, uplifted. I will be buying this incredible novel for all my LGBTQ allies, but more importantly, for my LGBTQ+ friends, who need to remember how hard we've fought and must continue to fight to express ourselves, and love who we want to love.

I liked how at the start of the book it listed the trigger warnings - all books should have this! It’s not often that I go for dystopia fiction but I really enjoyed this one, it was intriguing and gripping. Reading about a world where all the progress that we’ve made over the last 60+ years has reversed was just incredible - and not in a good way, obviously. Though it was an interesting read, it’s not a world i’d want as a reality - which I guess is the whole point of the story!

Thank you to netgalley and Usborne Publishing for the advanced reader copy of this book.

Wow such an incredible book that had me gripped from the start read in only a couple of days
This book will stay with me for a long time
An easy 5 star
Will be recommending this to everyone
Thank you so much to the publisher for letting me read this fantastic book early

William Hussey’s The Outrage is an LGBTQIA+ young adult novel that combines the genres of dystopian or speculative fiction with romance and thriller. In this face-paced, actioned-packed novel, Hussey imagines a Britain in which rights, in particular for the LGBTQIA+ community, have been rolled back. Following an event called ‘the outrage’, in this novel England is now ruled by the Protectorate who enforce the ‘Public Good’, governing what people eat, wear, say, read and think. Being LGBT+ in this Britain makes you a ‘degen’ (degenerate) and will result in you being sent to a ‘Repurification’ camp.

The book’s main character, Gabriel, is a natural-born rule breaker and his biggest crime in this world is, of course, being gay. Gabriel knows that to survive, he must keep his sexuality a secret not only to protect himself but also to protect his boyfriend, Eric, who also happens to be the son of the chief inspector at Degenerate Investigations, the one man who poses the biggest threat to Gabriel’s safety.

In his novel, William Hussey draws directly from history to paint a world in which LGBTQIA+ people have no rights and are in danger, a fact that is still true in many countries across the globe. Hussey references Section 28, a British law that banned any ‘promotion’ of homosexuality in local authorities such as schools. This law was not revoked until 2003 so many older readers may already be aware of it, however, for younger readers, this is a chance to understand the history of LGBTQIA+ education in schools.

Hussey also writes about chemical castration and aversion therapy that takes place in the ‘repurification camps’. These tortuous methods were meant to ‘straighten’ gay people out and although fictionalised in this YA novel, these were real methods used in Britain.

The Outrage also serves as a reminder of how gay people were treated in Britain’s past and it highlights the way that trans people are treated today, in particular in the media through negative representation. This novel is therefore a call to young LGBTQIA+ people and their allies to continue fighting for the rights trans people. What’s more, Hussey’s novel showcases the importance of representation and seeing yourself reflected in films, TV, books etc.

As well as exploring LGBTQIA+ lives, the novel also examines other issues in society that are currently already problematic but could potentially get worse in an extremist, post-Brexit Britain. Hussey writes a world where immigrants are also seen as degens, food is rationed, there’s no healthcare service, and libraries have been closed. Gabriel tells one of the other characters, “My dad once told that they came for the libraries first “not smashing and burning, not in the beginning,” he said, “but claiming no one used them and closing them down one by one… when they take away the places that help people think, sometimes they stop thinking altogether.” The Outrage is therefore a reminder that we cannot get complacent in the fight for rights, equality and freedom.

William Hussey’s The Outrage is a young adult novel that is reminiscent of other dystopian fiction that came before it including; The Handmaid’s Tale, 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and The Hunger Games. This is a truly gripping novel that uses a narrative that darts back and forth in time to build tension and create a vivid back story for the characters. The action and fear for the characters begin in chapter one and hooks you in immediately.

Dystopian fiction is today’s world warped to an extent it could actually become possible and The Outrage is just this. In our world and our country today we are only just beginning to accept the gay and trans communities. In The Outrage this acceptance has been overruled by extremists who set off a reaction resulting in the persecution of anyone who does not conform to heterosexual black and white. England has cut itself off from the rest of the world – even staying away from the Olympics in case of racial contamination. Laws limit the Press, the internet and free speech, where elections are abolished as the country is ruled by The Protectorate. Those in charge are given officious sounding titles, while most people refer to them as the Filth Finders – flushing out anyone not condemning gays. The Lord Protector only protected his own whilst running a fearsome regime through brutality.
Gebe had manged to keep his head down, although his secret was known to his parents and a few friends. But when Eric, the Chief Inspector of Degenerate Investigators starts at Gebe’s school, both their worlds change. The on-side adults are great allies – with Gebe realising only too late that they too have a story to tell. Albert is the Neville Longbottom of this story and comes into their own when Gebe has to make decisions to protect his own life as well as that of his best friend.
The ending is a headlong rush to attempt to overthrow the Protectorate but comes at a cost, but this is the struggle many elsewhere in the world have still to come.

Omg!! What a powerful book! Absolutely mind blown. I requested this book because I’m a part of the LGBTQ+ community & was very intrigued. I’m so glad I did it ticks all the boxes & definitely a book that should be read whilst in school to teach kids a thing or two! Amazing!!

Yet, again, a book I would not have picked up before becoming hooked on Usborne fiction, but my goodness William Hussey, what an amazing book! I was hooked from the beginning but it took a while to get my head around the fact that it is set in England but in the future. However, the future has become warped and creates a dystopian setting, one where only “normal” people are accepted, which at our time of living, although many prejudices remain, there has been a huge change during our lifetime of the education, acceptance and acknowledgement of LBGTQ+ community. It’s scary to think that, due to environmental and climate factors happening in today’s world, plus a pandemic and other political references, that England could fall apart so completely and resemble the past. Nazi Germany springs very much to mind, especially concentration camps, underground groups and hatred for all things different.

The Outrage is not a political book, but one of survival, friendship, family, love and fighting for rights within a community on the fringes of survival.

The pace of the story is fast, with twists and turns throughout. It has an absolutely fantastic ending, but my heart was racing in the last quarter of the book as I was so afraid for all the characters.

An absolute genius read with a fantastic array of characters and plot throughout.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: HOMOPHOBIA, SELF HARM, VIOLENCE

Pay attention to those triggers, guys, they're not messing around.


In the country that was once England (and possibly Wales, but explicitly not Scotland and probably not Northern Ireland) the Protectorate hold absolute power. (No mention made of what's happened to the royal family, if anything.) They take a hard line, traditional stance; anything other than healthy, hetero normative people are Not Allowed, and there are frequents searches and punishments and camps. Food is rationed and there is no medical care. The Protectorate Loves You!

Gabe and Eric happen on a box of old movies, carefully hidden away by a librarian against the Protectorate's raids. These movies show unbelievable things; boys kissing boys, girls kissing girls, people seeing movies and learning history and a hundred other things that they've never even imagined. Seeing those movies gives them the strength to keep fighting back against the horrific abuses of the Protectorate. And there are some pretty horrific abuses here.

There's a lovely point made here, that without seeing something it's hard to imagine that it's possible. That's the basic argument about representation, of course, but for some reason it really hit home here. Maybe it was the list of movies, many of which I've seen and most of which I've loved.

This is a heavy, difficult, but worthwhile and important read. I think it'll do well, and I'd love to see it in schools - I think there are some good lessons here. Brilliant.

Read March 2021

This was a powerful book. Set in a dystopian future England - unknown year but a 2038 car is mentioned as vintage - where anything to do with being LGBT+ or having free will is completely outlawed and many books including 'The Wizard of Oz' (the man behind the curtain) are banned.

Gabe is gay and he begins an illicit relationship with Eric, son of the chief inspector at Degenerate (gay) Investigations, and a very troubled young man. The pair stumble upon an old destroyed library by chance and find a hidden cache of old DVDs - that miraculously still work? A scratch tends to kill them - such as 'Star Wars', 'Love, Simon' and 'Indiana Jones' that inspire Gabe in particular. He then fosters an ambition to become a movie director.

A chance encounter means that their relationship is discovered and the pair are arrested. Eric's father forces him to lie that it was non-consensual in exchange for a role on the force and "freedom". Gabe meanwhile is tortured and worries about his future. Forced to work the degrading and dirty jobs marked as 'degenerate' by a pink cross, or an unknown alternative...

It soon comes to pass that there is an underground resistance that Gabe's parents were part of when they met. Gabe is given help to escape but is soon given information that may help...

I loved the characters and thought that they were well-developed, I especially loved Gabe and his childhood best friend Albert's friendship, and their heart to heart later was beautiful! However the explanation for the initial "Outrage" was a little too brief and I thought the ending was very abrupt. Did anything change? How did their life go?

Another amazing LGBT+ read from William Hussey. Yet again he has managed to artfully weave multiple hard hitting themes together in a masterful way. From grief and self harm to hiding who you are and coming to accept yourself all on a dystopian backdrop of persecution. With current events in various countries this is a must read and very much a cautionary tale. So scary in how easily we could fall into this situation.

The friendships and relationships were beautiful to read, as was Gabe’s relationship with his father and the references to pop culture were little happy moments for me. I will promise to be that librarian that rebels and hides treasures for the next generation to find.

I found #TheOutrage by William Hussey an engrossing, quite terrifying but very necessary read. The description of life under The Protectorate is grim, real and unfortunately all too easy to imagine. Every detail is well thought-out and I really liked the glimpses of technology giving clues to what came before . We also have those truly awful suggestions of the treatment of pets, which says everything about what has become of humanity. The novel's real strength is in the character depictions. Even characters that you think are quite peripheral are given backgrounds and their own stories, such as Gabe's parents. I particularly loved the relationships between Gabe and Eric, and Gabe and Albert.. It's what kept me reading, to see how things would turn out for all of them, It's a dark read at times but there's love and hope and the reader is left wrung out but not crushed. I'd highly recommend this book for all ages. Thanks to #Usborne and #Netgalley.

Wow. Finished The Outrage on #NetGalley (publishes in May, thanks @Usborne). With trigger warnings for homophobia, violence, & self harm, it is a difficult read - it doesn't feel an unlikely future at all. Powerful & angry, @WHusseyAuthor writes *brilliant* characters. https://t.co/xukNsb7GyS

This is a really interesting look into how the world could or could have looked if we'd taken a slightly different path.

The characterisation of both main characters is dynamic and interesting, and I felt myself really invested in what they had to say and the situations they had to deal with. Gabe's situation in particular was so gripping and you felt yourself really rooting for every character you came across.

I had some issues with pacing and thought that the ending was perhaps a little rushed, but that doesn't detract from the story overall.

I would definitely recommend getting a copy of this one for the school library. It tackles a lot of important topics in an accessible and interesting manner.

I have been a fan of William's work for a very long time now, since 2010's Witchfinder: Dawn of the Demontide was released and I have loved seeing his career and talents flourish year after year. Last years Hideous Beauty was a stunning read and at some points I wondered how Will could ever top himself, but with The Outrage, he goes above and beyond and I couldn't be happier to have been able to read this book! Right from the start I was sucked into the world of a Britain where we have regressed far further than many could ever imagine possible. A totalitarian state where people are in a constant state of suspicion, looking out for those who may be different.

I fell in love with the characters. Gabe himself is boyfriend goals and I loved him right from the very start. He isn't perfect and he doesn't pretend to be. He has anger issues, but he loves so fiercely and so protectively regardless of what people do to him in return and I loved this about him. I'm glad he was the narrator because he was a my favourite of the lot and I really enjoyed getting into his head and seeing how he saw the world. I also liked Eric because he is flawed too. He wants to be open and honest, he wants to live the life he knows that he truly desires, but also doesn't want to do anything to upset his father, a high ranking officer within the Protectorate itself.

I've seen first hand a lot of unwarranted abuse thrown at Will online because of the premise of this book. Telling him that he is too privileged to have written a book like this. Being gay isn't illegal in Britain anymore. It used to be. Yeah, we have progressed, we have made leaps and strides that just seem natural. Why shouldn't LGBTQ+ people have the same rights that straight people do? Yes, we are lucky in that sense, lucky in ways that some can only dream of, where their sexuality can get them imprisoned, or worse, killed. But given things going in within the country today, the governments lack of action against conversion therapy, constant backpedaling now saying that they won't condemn religious groups. As it says in the book, sometimes we take this progress for granted and stop fighting for it. That is what the book is about. It isn't about how horrible it is that you can be persecuted for who you love in some parts of the world. It is about the fact that we all deserve complete and total equality, regardless of which country you come from, what religion you are. We should not be deemed lesser just because some people think that we are. This book is about keeping the fight alive. Not being complacent and allowing those who would seek to take our rights away from us win. It does make me laugh that a lot of these people making these statements haven't read the book and may never read it. They seem to have made their mind up but gladly they are in the minority and I for one cannot wait to shout my love for this book from the rooftops and spread the word that it is a cracking read that will help show people just what our life could be. We need to keep fighting to be equal and we need to fight for that equality to spread all the way around the world and stay there!

I am so proud of Will for this book and know that a book like this would have made 14 year old me swell with self-worth and it would definitely have helped me in ways that I hope it will teens today! So beautifully written, it was a page turner of epic proportions. I just had to keep going!

Thank you Netgalley and Usborne publishers for the arc of this book. I didn't have any expectation going into this but the premise seemed intriguing enough to make me start. I read the first 40% in one sitting because it was so intriguing and i loved how the story kept unfolding.

The outrage emphasizes the importance of staying true to yourself as it follows the lives of Gabe and Eric two queer teenagers who live in a protectorate state and in this book, it is illegal to be queer and the homophobia is REAL. It follows the lives of mainly Gabe and Eric as they navigate the world as they know it knowing there’s more to life but they make do with the restrictions and still try to live their best lives but that comes to an abrupt end and life as they know it changed forever.

This story shows the power in fighting discrimination and oppression. William was able to write such wonderful characters that you can't help but like. The hope, resilience, survival, love, friendships! whew!

I know this might be very triggering for a lot of LGBTQ+ readers who are still being discriminated against in their various countries and although this book had a dystopian setting, it is the reality of so many people. I particularly did not see the need for the graphic details of how queer people were tortured.

Overall, It was a decent read. It was fast paced and easy to read. I rated this 3.5 stars.

Imagine a world where to be gay or trans is a crime. You’re a degenerate and treated as sub-human by members of The Protectorate, the leaders of this new world charged with keeping order and keeping everyone safe. This is the awful world in which Gabe lives.
Our main character is forthright, angry and prone to making some really stupid choices. But he’s also loyal and loving, and determined to stick up for what he believes is right - no matter the cost.
Gabe and his friends - who charmingly call themselves The Rebels - know they are different, and that people are threatened by them. They want nothing more than to be themselves, to be proud of who they are and to live their lives.
Unfortunately, Gabe is also in love with Eric Dufresne, the son of someone high in the ranks of The Protectorate. When they are caught trying to remove a banned disc, showing that dangerous movie ‘Love, Simon’, things quickly escalate and what became an idealistic aim becomes a fight for survival.
Hussey creates a truly shocking environment-strangely not at all incredible given some of the situations and events we see happening around us. While the representation may not please everyone, it’s an evolving process to encourage people to consider their place, their personal beliefs and their role in history.
I’m looking forward to seeing what people make of this, and I’m so grateful to NetGalley for granting me early access.

Another sensational read from William Hussey that is one of the most thought provoking books I've ever read.

Set in a future England which is under a totalitarian regime with LGBTQ+ people being forced into camps for ‘re-purification’ or are executed. Gabe falls in love with a new boy in his class, Eric, who is also the son of the Chief Inspector at Degenerate Investigations. Gabe’s childhood friend, Albert, is also holding onto a secret. This book reminds us that LGBTQ+ rights have only recently become law in the UK, and still don’t exist in other parts of the world. It also provokes thought on the political world we live in currently and how possible it could be to slip into this dystopian future.

I loved this book! I fell in love with all the characters, and the story is so relevant! It shows how easily attitudes can change and we could go backwards into a dystopian mindset despite all the process we've made with acceptance. The smart-mouthed main character with a loveable heart was a great voice to take us through the story by keeping it entertaining and moving everything forward at a great pace. A must read!

DRC provided by Usborne Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Representation: gay protagonist, gay secondary character, lesbian secondary characters, trans secondary character, lesbian tertiary character, disabled tertiary character who uses a wheelchair.

Content Warning: homophobia, violence, slurs, racism, torture, drug and alcohol abuse, self-harm, coercion, sadism, suicide.

The Outrage by William Hussey is a nightmarish uchronic novel about not taking anything for granted and keeping on fighting for one’s rights.

After “The Outrage”, a terrorist attack that killed members of a conservative political party and civilians, England and Wales succumbed to the weight of fear and hatred and became the Protectorate, an oppressive regime where only being born straight and white assure you a safe life. Gabriel Sawyer is a gay and brave young boy, with a great sense of justice, who sets his eyes on traumatised newcomer Eric Dufresne, son of the commander of the Filth-Finders, a group of vicious constables tasked with finding and arresting queer people within the Protectorate. Is their clandestine love affair going to be a death sentence?

As much as I liked The Outrage, I could not avoid the comparison to Hussey’s “Hideous Beauty”, which devastated me completely. I found it lacking in that sense and it also did not manage to compel my attention from the very first chapters as Hideous Beauty did.

That aside, I still really liked reading The Outrage and I loved its powerful message and extremely lovable cast of characters. As we all well know, being freely queer is not a worldwide-accepted fact; there are still several countries where people are killed because of their gender identity or their sexual orientation. And even in the countries where queer people retain some rights, there are always people who antagonise us every step of the way for one reason or the other. Most people consider the West as a queer-friendly place because some countries legalised same-sex marriage and every year there is a Pride parade, but how many of those countries allow same-sex couples to adopt? How many allow gay and bisexual men to donate blood? How many have laws that protect us from discrimination and hate crimes? For example, Italy only has laws to protect us from discrimination in employment and allows the recognition of civil unions, but we are still fighting for other rights on a daily basis; and although gay and bisexual men can donate their blood, the donation is accepted only if the blood transfusion centre and the doctor who interviews you allow it.

To conclude, The Outrage is a quick read, but an important one.

I just LOVED this book. I flew through it. The Outrage is set in a dystopian future, in a UK where white supremacy has won. And this world is my favourite thing about this novel because it's so well built. Even better, it's entirely believable. We're seeing a huge rise in transphobic discourse in the country, it's really not much of a stretch to picture the UK's descent back into bigotry, especially since, as Jay Hulme reminds us in the foreword, gay rights are actually very recent. They could be taken away in a heartbeat.

I also liked the characters and I especially appreciate that sensitivity readers were involved in writing Alice. The secondary characters were just as interesting and the suspense was KILLING me, especially towards the ending. I just couldn't put it down without knowing how it was gonna end!

The only thing I'm missing is a few non white characters. I get why there weren't any but it made me crave a kind of spin-off with white passing people who couldn't flee and stayed with fake papers, maybe. I don't know, I guess I'm just sad not to read more about resistance in the Protectorate.

Anyway I loved it. Definitely recommend ❤ TW for homophobia, transphobia, bullying, self harm, violence, racism, ethnic cleansing, ableism, slurs, alcoholism, ... so make sure you're in the right headspace when you read.

A brilliant book about love, being yourself, acceptance and just how wring things can be. The ongoing message of hope and love is so strong and wonderful, it broke and mended my heart.

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with an eArc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Old Review
For me to fully digest this book, I needed to look at it in two ways: my biased thoughts on it compared to the other thoughts wiggling in the back of my mind as I read.

Biased thoughts: William Hussey is a brilliant writer and I adore his style of writing. He can make me emotionally attached and invested to any character, and I will want to love and protect them forever. Hussey is good at building suspense and keeping me engaged and wanting to read more. In this sense, I enjoyed this book and its characters.

Other thoughts: This 'future England' that the author has created was always an issue for me from the beginning when reading this book. This is because in so many other countries being gay/LGBTQ+ is still seen as a crime, illegal and being caught could result in torture and even death. This book mentions and goes into some details of torture and mentions conversion/aversion therapy as to how caught 'degens' will be dealt with.

This book has scenes of violence of queer people of all ages, almost mirroring them as Holocaust survivors with the pink cross on their clothes. I understand that at the beginning of the book there is a content warning

The mention of the movie/book 'Call Me By Your Name' also annoyed me. I just don't think that this was the best book to use and promote as 'amazing' queer literature/cinematography and making it out to be so beautiful and romantic when the movie/book is so problematic. It also deals with anti-disabled views from the same society that is regarding queer people as being wrong and a disease.

Also: I understand that this book may help bring attention to the issue and dangers that many queer people face in other countries. I know that the author himself has been very open and determined to talk about the need to ban conversion therapy and more on his Twitter, however, I wish more was done to talk about the truth and reality of how it is still a crime in so many places to be queer. Even something at the start of the book to help readers fully understand the reality and fact behind some of the issues talked about in the book.

William Hussey's last book , Hideous Beauty, was my favourite YA read of last year so I had high expectations of this one. This sadly pretty believable story tells of a future world where being homosexual, trans etc is illegal and there are strong penalties if you are found out. It's a love story, a protest story and a 'wake up and smell the roses' story and Hussey's storytelling is still superb.