An absolutely extraordinary piece of work. While there is a romance at the centre of this novel, there is no romancing of the grim realities of war. William Hussey’s vivid writing is unflinching in bringing this story to life.



A bittersweet and incredibly moving tale. But perhaps the most moving thing of all is that these silent queer men have been given their voice back. And, in William Hussey, what a voice they have.

A wonderfully written novel that delves into a side of the First World War that is often missing from war literature. Hussey brilliantly crafts his characters so that it is easy for the reader to sympathise and root for them. The blossoming romance between Danny and Stephen is written so poignantly and captures how even in the darkest of times that love can prevail. There story is one of countless unnamed men during the war and Hussey is able to capture their story in a masterful way. The cast of characters that we meet alongside Stephen’s journey are developed and become an integral part of the story that the reader is left to care for as well (or at least most of them). I’ll be recommending this novel highly to people upon its release and be sure to make sure that our library is stocked with copies of its own.

This was both a vivid description of war and a tender love story - fantastic! William Hussey's best novel yet

Stephen is returning to fight in WW11 after being wounded in battle for which he received a medal. However he feels a fraud as he is only 19 and he felt he hadn’t shown bravery when the rest of his platoon were killed. He’d also been greeted by his gruff father telling him a neighbour had been killed. Stephen had loved that neighbour but when discovered by Stephen’s father he’d given him the ultimatum of joining up or forever being banished.
Returning to France Stephen felt dead inside. But he soon took a cheeky new recruit under his wing as Danny had caught his eye.
What followed was the horror of war and the disregard those in charge had for the men they were supposed to be leading in the build up to the Battle of the Somme.
It’s in turn a horror and a love story of men whose dreams were considered abhorrent by others. A wonderfully written novel

I was first introduced to William’s writing through his Killing Jericho series, and from there I’ve only read on with his works, particularly his YA writings. William’s new novel was absolutely fantastic, and personally one of his best yet, I know it was certainly one of my favourites that he’s written thus far!

The story is powerful and balances the emotions of war with the passion of the heart. Stephen’s trauma from his first visit to the front and the loss of his previous platoon is something he carries with him heavily as he’s reassigned the likes of Spud, Taffy, Percy, and even little Ollie. His request for Danny as his squire arise from his urges to shelter an innocent from his own experiences with war, but it is not just how own experiences as Stephen is fuelled by the guilt of losing his past love Michael, and he sees much of Michael in Danny at the start, before separating the two into their own separate people; the care between the two only grew which was endearing, and to see the two them blossom even in the most inconvenient and brutal circumstances was a true pleasure to be witness to.

It was fantastic to see the glossary of sorts included in the back with terms and definitions for some of the war terminology used throughout the books, further emphasising the amount of research that went into this book, as well as the pride in writing and the accessibility of reading his book too!
It is safe to say I’ll be awaiting its full release so I can finally put a gorgeous cover to this beautiful story and show it off to everyone I know!

I’ve read quite a few WWI trenches stories (Birdsong, All The Light We Cannot See, All Quiet on the Western Front, In Memoriam) and this one stands amongst them for storytelling. Hussey draws you in, and the dramatic irony that the reader experiences knowing they’re about to go through the Battle of the Somme is heart wrenching. Will be filing this under ‘WHY CAN’T THEY JUST BE TOGETHER?!’

This book is stunning. It gives real insight into the lived experience of the men who served on the front line during WWI and really shows just how much they all sacrificed whilst doing so. Not an easy read by any stretch of the imagination but an important one.

William Hussey, take a bow.

I've read and enjoyed The Outrage and Broken Hearts and Zombie Parts, so I knew I would enjoy The Boy I Love. But I didn't just enjoy it, I felt it with every fibre of my being and wanted to both devour it and take my time with it. This is Hussey's best work so far, and that's saying something because he was already doing pretty well. I was astounded with the level of intricate detail in this novel. Anyone would think Hussey served in WWI given the level of detail he has included in terms of the logistics, the hierarchies, the strategic manoeuvres etc.

When it comes to the two main characters, Stephen and Danny are really well realised though Hussey's writing. When we meet Stephen, he is set to return to the front following a period of leave. His former platoon was lost in the trenches to German bombers and he was the sole survivor, living with that guilt and feeling totally unworthy of the medal for bravery he received as a result. We learn that despite being raised by a vicar, he grew up exploring his sexuality with another local boy, Michael, but Michael has already died at war and Stephen is devastated to have lost the boy who helped him learn who he was. However, Stephen meets another young soldier on his journey back to France, Danny, and feels an instant connection. Stephen decides to do for Danny what he could never do for Michael; he makes a vow to himself to protect Danny, and he manages to get him transferred to his own platoon. During their arduous journey to the front, Stephen and Danny begin to fall in love. These moments are gentle and evocative. I found myself rooting for them and turning the page in eagerness to see how they're relationship would progress.

I have seen some reviews criticise the speed of Stephen and Danny's relationship, but we have to consider the circumstances they found themselves in and that being sent to the front, watching their peers die around them, never knowing how much longer they would have, having both already experienced trauma etc would impact the urgency of their love for each other. It's rather foolish to take all of this into consideration and still say "but they fell in love too soon" or "Stephen moved on from Michael too quickly". We can't even begin to understand what it would have felt like to march towards your almost inevitable death. Of course they skipped a few stages. And I'm so glad they did because I adore them together.

This is a very worthwhile read for anyone interested in love stories, particularly LGBTQ+ romance, and/or war stories. A great choice for school libraries with KS4 or KS5 students. I don't think this for younger students because Stephen and Danny are both 19 and the complexity of their situation within the context of the time period would be lost; although maybe very well read Year 9s might be able to appreciate it.

Thank you to netgalley and Andersen Press for the ARC.