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Four boys grow up together at school, itching to get out of their small town. They play games, scoring points from each other, anything to pass the time until they're free. Matthew slips into his imagination, Luc pushes his body to the limit, and Johnny … well who knows what Johnny's up to. But when Mark starts running errands for his older brother's mysterious associate, he thinks he's found the best game of all. There's money in his pocket and his friends have started looking at him differently. Then Mark breaks a rule, and quickly realises that the penalties in this game far outweigh the prizes. Can they all make it to the finish line before someone loses more than just face?
298 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 5, 2023
11 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
November 2, 2025
✰ 4.25 stars ✰
This is the story of four sixteen-year-old friends - Mark, the entrepreneur and the seedy world of drug dealing, Luc, the athlete coping with toxic masculinity, Matt, the artist on the path of embracing his own queer identity, and Johnny... Gripping and emotional, it is the story of what happens when we have to move on from the childish games of our youth, to find our place in the more dangerous world of which only grown-ups can Play.
“Never make yourself untouchable.”
You read something and you don't know what you're getting into. You find yourself immersed in the story-telling, visceral feeling each moment touched upon, not knowing that it is steadily building towards something, which you aren't mentally prepared for..and when it ends, you want to go back and reread it again, so the tears can fall afresh. ❤️🩹
Those final chapters - you feel the tension building, the see-saw of emotions, so kinetic, but fraught with an unspeakable tension, as the length of the chapters decreases. 😢 It's a powerful, unforgettable feeling. one that you feel the trepidation of each lurking menace - both outside and within one's self - where you can't help but hope each of them will find their way out of the darkness that has them in their clutches - inadvertently or willingly so.
“Thank you. For that day...’
‘No problem, mate. That’s what friends do, isn’t it?”
My heart hurt for each of them - Matt, riding the high of illicit drug money and the repercussions that come with it, Luc, football king, trying to chase away the shadow of an out of control temperament that haunts his memory with Beth- there’s something in you that’s much better than the person you showed yourself to be, Mark, seeking a real connection that he's too afraid to voice, and Johnny. Oh Johnny, what could I say about you? I wanted so much more of you - for you. 😞
A few thoughts on faults that were sadly impossible to ignore. I appreciate the effort to change the font style for the different perspectives, but one font size was a bit too small. Matt and Mark should have been different names, to allow a distinction between the two, considering how their storylines inter-connected; I wanted more time with their happiness. 🥺 I understand the lack of Johnny's POV, but I would have liked to have known his thoughts more than just what we got. If the author would ever consider it, maybe a novella or an interlude of a short story...
“It’s only the future that you can change.”
It will be a memorable YA read of the year for me - thought-provoking with a serious tone that leaves a lasting impact. 🤌🏻 It was written in a unique voice that had realistic dialogue, which portrayed gritty, raw emotions that felt so very real, that made it so very easy to just read and feel. A bittersweet journey of the pangs of friendship, of learning through hard choices and tough challenges, of what it means to be more than just the Man of the Match in a game, but rather what it takes to be a Man of Honor in real life. 🤍
“I like words... that play together. My favourite one is the difference between ‘nowhere’ and ‘now here’. That little gap. Amazing what changes when you add some space. Some air. Such a small difference, but it makes all the difference.”
This is the story of four sixteen-year-old friends - Mark, the entrepreneur and the seedy world of drug dealing, Luc, the athlete coping with toxic masculinity, Matt, the artist on the path of embracing his own queer identity, and Johnny... Gripping and emotional, it is the story of what happens when we have to move on from the childish games of our youth, to find our place in the more dangerous world of which only grown-ups can Play.
“Never make yourself untouchable.”
You read something and you don't know what you're getting into. You find yourself immersed in the story-telling, visceral feeling each moment touched upon, not knowing that it is steadily building towards something, which you aren't mentally prepared for..and when it ends, you want to go back and reread it again, so the tears can fall afresh. ❤️🩹
Those final chapters - you feel the tension building, the see-saw of emotions, so kinetic, but fraught with an unspeakable tension, as the length of the chapters decreases. 😢 It's a powerful, unforgettable feeling. one that you feel the trepidation of each lurking menace - both outside and within one's self - where you can't help but hope each of them will find their way out of the darkness that has them in their clutches - inadvertently or willingly so.
“Thank you. For that day...’
‘No problem, mate. That’s what friends do, isn’t it?”
My heart hurt for each of them - Matt, riding the high of illicit drug money and the repercussions that come with it, Luc, football king, trying to chase away the shadow of an out of control temperament that haunts his memory with Beth- there’s something in you that’s much better than the person you showed yourself to be, Mark, seeking a real connection that he's too afraid to voice, and Johnny. Oh Johnny, what could I say about you? I wanted so much more of you - for you. 😞
A few thoughts on faults that were sadly impossible to ignore. I appreciate the effort to change the font style for the different perspectives, but one font size was a bit too small. Matt and Mark should have been different names, to allow a distinction between the two, considering how their storylines inter-connected; I wanted more time with their happiness. 🥺 I understand the lack of Johnny's POV, but I would have liked to have known his thoughts more than just what we got. If the author would ever consider it, maybe a novella or an interlude of a short story...
“It’s only the future that you can change.”
It will be a memorable YA read of the year for me - thought-provoking with a serious tone that leaves a lasting impact. 🤌🏻 It was written in a unique voice that had realistic dialogue, which portrayed gritty, raw emotions that felt so very real, that made it so very easy to just read and feel. A bittersweet journey of the pangs of friendship, of learning through hard choices and tough challenges, of what it means to be more than just the Man of the Match in a game, but rather what it takes to be a Man of Honor in real life. 🤍
March 23, 2025
Play is a book about the trappings of poverty and the allure of easy money. It is about the absence of parents, the illusion of control, and the shifting, mutating idea of what it means to be a man, defined in each moment by how the men around you hurt each other and you. It is about the game of manhood, the way you have to win and hurt or lose and be hurt, the way you have to be inebriated to say what you're actually thinking, yearning for love that will inevitably be used as a weapon against you. It is also about the art you construct to make sense of it all, to bring attention to the rot that we build our society upon. Play is a book about all these games you play, as instructed by dads and teachers and brothers and coaches and classmates and police officers, the pain they cause, and how they are connected by strings, all folded together like 4D origami, right under our noses.
If only we could look it all head on, if only we wanted to look it all head on, we could untangle it. But we don't. We won't. We're not sure how to. And until we do, it will be the next generation who suffer, and then the generation after that, and we'll tell them they deserve it, because we suffered, too, because suffering is the natural state of things, because suffering is the state of man. And what is man? Man is a game we play. It's only a game. What are you getting so upset about? Don't look so serious. I'm just playin', man.
I get the feeling there are a lot of boys who would benefit from the discussions within and around this book. It would make for a phenomenal school read.
If only we could look it all head on, if only we wanted to look it all head on, we could untangle it. But we don't. We won't. We're not sure how to. And until we do, it will be the next generation who suffer, and then the generation after that, and we'll tell them they deserve it, because we suffered, too, because suffering is the natural state of things, because suffering is the state of man. And what is man? Man is a game we play. It's only a game. What are you getting so upset about? Don't look so serious. I'm just playin', man.
I get the feeling there are a lot of boys who would benefit from the discussions within and around this book. It would make for a phenomenal school read.
May 18, 2025
I'm trying to read the Carnegie shortlist this year. This is my favourite so far.
This book punches hard - wow! Well drawn characters that I think most of us would recognise from our teenage days. The tragedy of lives shaped by neglectful or overzealous parents. The hope you have that these lads will make it through & come good on the other side. It really got to me this book. So well written.
This book punches hard - wow! Well drawn characters that I think most of us would recognise from our teenage days. The tragedy of lives shaped by neglectful or overzealous parents. The hope you have that these lads will make it through & come good on the other side. It really got to me this book. So well written.
March 21, 2025
This book is not an easy read, but it is well written, realistic and covers important topic areas. It's a young adult book that follows four boys through their teenage years, and manages to deal with multiple strong themes. In a world of content warnings, it would need many, but that is just because it deals with a toxic male culture among boys who have poor supervision or role models and are navigating their way through difficult issues. As such it is a good book as a discussion starter, but it seems to me that, in the YA market, it might be harder to get those who would benefit most from the reading to read it in the first place. But I hope I am wrong on that.
The book tells the story from four different first person perspectives. This is not a unique approach. Indeed, it is more common amongst YA books, but it is unusual, and for me it was a touch disconcerting early in the story, before I had worked out what was going on, to find the first person narration jumping around. And yet it's not so different from a close limited third person point of view, which I would usually find very natural. I don't think it's a fault of the book, but an unusual choice.
The book also runs very quickly through the teenage years, and I was again disconcerted early on by finding that a whole year had suddenly slipped by. This is a consequence of what the author was doing with the work, showing the "descent" into manhood. Again a valid choice but unusual, and as a consequence, early on in the work, I was thinking I don't like this much. That feeling intensified with some of the themes (particularly the drugs running), but again, that was important to what the author was doing.
I see on other reviews that people have praised the ending. I think the ending was both clever and a little contrived. Hard to explain why without spoilers. I had to let some of my literalist tendencies slide to really appreciate the ending, and, in fact, there is a hint of a famous Ambrose Bierce short story about the ending. Once I did that, I could put down the book and decide that despite some failures to really resolve some matters, I had liked it after all. Mostly I liked it for the bravery of the author, and for the themes it explores, and some clear strengths in the writing.
The book tells the story from four different first person perspectives. This is not a unique approach. Indeed, it is more common amongst YA books, but it is unusual, and for me it was a touch disconcerting early in the story, before I had worked out what was going on, to find the first person narration jumping around. And yet it's not so different from a close limited third person point of view, which I would usually find very natural. I don't think it's a fault of the book, but an unusual choice.
The book also runs very quickly through the teenage years, and I was again disconcerted early on by finding that a whole year had suddenly slipped by. This is a consequence of what the author was doing with the work, showing the "descent" into manhood. Again a valid choice but unusual, and as a consequence, early on in the work, I was thinking I don't like this much. That feeling intensified with some of the themes (particularly the drugs running), but again, that was important to what the author was doing.
I see on other reviews that people have praised the ending. I think the ending was both clever and a little contrived. Hard to explain why without spoilers. I had to let some of my literalist tendencies slide to really appreciate the ending, and, in fact, there is a hint of a famous Ambrose Bierce short story about the ending. Once I did that, I could put down the book and decide that despite some failures to really resolve some matters, I had liked it after all. Mostly I liked it for the bravery of the author, and for the themes it explores, and some clear strengths in the writing.
October 6, 2023
Excellent original YA for boys that doesn't have people doing heroic things saving the world or magical powers, just 4 different boys who have always been mates forever navigating their way through their midteenage years, they aren't all saints but they are named after the 4 gospel writers, although that's cunningly hidden by the author. This is a good thing and I like that nice touch. I think this book is very relatable for an older teenage male audience,14+ and the author seems to know his target market well. The story well told and the ending is just brilliant, not neccasarily the way the story ends, because what happened wasnt entirely unexpected, but the way it is written and imagined. The different scenarios, but i'll leave it at that otherwise it will be a spoiler. Top class stuff and i'll deffo be reading more of Mr Palmer's work. Netgalley ARC.
March 20, 2025
Something is in the air. Because coming so soon after watching Adolescence (and then the Spanish series Invisible), this is another story about the game of manhood. It is a story of growing up, and slowly leaving behind everything you thought was true in this world, where the illusion of control is balanced on a knife edge, where absent parents really do have no fucking clue what their children are up to. This is a book that stares into the confusion of adolescence through the ruptured void of masculinity. Recently nominated for the 2025 Carnegie Medal (just about the best YA award there is), this is YA like I've never seen written before. This is, I think, the most beautifully written YA I've ever come across. It doesn't pander, it doesn't judge, or preach, or talk down, it just lays it all out for you to see, every path, every room, every choice, good and bad, gay or straight, rich or poor, it just don't matter in the end, it's just life - raw, emotional, confusing, heart-breaking, beautiful, fucked-up life. Told from a multi POV perspective, with four fantastically dynamic characters from four very different backgrounds, these childhood friends are muddling through high school as best they can, until real life intervenes, as it does, and the way it keeps you guessing is masterful, because you're never quite sure what it's building towards until you get to that glorious final chapter, which then swings a hard left and gives you not only a super unexpected finale, but possible one of the most beautiful final chapters of anything I've read in recent memory. My mind was blown, like, I was not ready for that final chapter. If this is the future of YA, then we are in safe hands. Highly recommended.
December 31, 2023
Matthew, Mark, Luc and Johnny (I only realised the biblical connotations when I wrote that down) are four friends and ‘Play’ is their story told from each of their four perspectives.
Matthew is an artist and has a secret that his friends have guessed but not all of them have accepted. Mark’s family is poor and he’s vulnerable to his older brother’s aquaintances when they start paying him for small favours that escalate into something more dangerous. Luc is a gifted athlete but his dad is a bully and pushes him too hard. Johnny is wild, destructive and brilliant but is neglected by his parents.
The opening line of the book is: “Everyone’s setting their socks on fire.” And this is just one of the games that the boys play. The story spans several years, from their more innocent games - building dens and then tearing them down in the summer following Year 7, to the riskier games the boys engage in as they enter Year 9. By the end of the book the wilderness where they built dens as children has become a landfill dump and their new games have a disastrous consequence.
The ending is truly transcendent as, during a watershed moment, the characters meditate on all the possible futures they could have, depending on the choices that they make—one final game.
What I loved about this book is that these four boys are not heroes or underdogs - they’re four ordinary boys from working class families, in a small town, dealing with their own battles in their own way and with the support of each other.
The author is a secondary school teacher and this is very apparent in his astute and empathetic portrayal of these formative years.
‘Play’ is an incredibly authentic and deeply moving coming-of-age story about boys’ friendship, choices and consequences. Highly recommended for children aged 13+.
Matthew is an artist and has a secret that his friends have guessed but not all of them have accepted. Mark’s family is poor and he’s vulnerable to his older brother’s aquaintances when they start paying him for small favours that escalate into something more dangerous. Luc is a gifted athlete but his dad is a bully and pushes him too hard. Johnny is wild, destructive and brilliant but is neglected by his parents.
The opening line of the book is: “Everyone’s setting their socks on fire.” And this is just one of the games that the boys play. The story spans several years, from their more innocent games - building dens and then tearing them down in the summer following Year 7, to the riskier games the boys engage in as they enter Year 9. By the end of the book the wilderness where they built dens as children has become a landfill dump and their new games have a disastrous consequence.
The ending is truly transcendent as, during a watershed moment, the characters meditate on all the possible futures they could have, depending on the choices that they make—one final game.
What I loved about this book is that these four boys are not heroes or underdogs - they’re four ordinary boys from working class families, in a small town, dealing with their own battles in their own way and with the support of each other.
The author is a secondary school teacher and this is very apparent in his astute and empathetic portrayal of these formative years.
‘Play’ is an incredibly authentic and deeply moving coming-of-age story about boys’ friendship, choices and consequences. Highly recommended for children aged 13+.
November 29, 2023
Content Warnings: Child Abuse, Drug Use/Abuse, Trafficking, Blackmail, Sexual Harassment and Assault, Sexism and Misogyny, Homophobia, Addiction, Abandonment, Child Death, Kidnapping
Homophobic slurs are also used, and a transphobic slur is used at the start of the book but as completely unrelated slang for an object and not a slur.
Representations: https://trello.com/c/0lc0KtpT/89-play...
This book is bleak and isn't the most fun of reads. But damn it's good and pretty well written.
The story focuses on 4 boys and their life through high school. Their troubles and wins, their concerns and games. Drugs, abuse and more are discussed alongside toxic masculinity and what it means to be a boy growing up. Vulnerability is portrayed in quite a realistic way through the eyes of these young boys and through the way this book was written as well.
It's a heavy book, it really pushes how innocence is used against children for manipulation and how upbringing can shape a kid. I can't say too much as it's quite a straightforward plot (as it's mainly about the characters) but it's possible to guess what the ending will be around 2/3 of the way through. Though that isn't a negative, it's more so a testament to how well the emotions are written into the story.
The characters are a complicated bunch. One of them is horrific and honestly, I feel like he needed more consequences but unfortunately his story was actually pretty realistic feeling - which again I don't think was a negative at all. Luc's story felt decently well written with enough tact even though if he was a real person I'd probably punch him in the face tbh - though I do feel slightly bad for him (not for *those* parts though he can sit with his feelings for that).
For the other characters I quite enjoyed them. Queer and neurodiverse characters (though the neurodiversity isn't specifically labelled, ADHD is there as confirmed by the author) are decently well represented, though I would have personally preferred some more representation on the side of neurodiversity. Queerness in the book I did quite enjoy - and did bring back some painful memories of my own school life aha... Playing the "game" of acting straight and "normal" to fit in.. yeah that one hit hard.
I think the topics this book explores are something worth talking about. Toxic masculinity, how naivety can be manipulated, different types of parents from abusive to absent to loving and more. It is certainly a perspective of masculinity that isn't explored often, and often left unsaid too.
While I did love the writing overall, some parts where a tad confusing. During Mark's section it felt like it was swapping between regular book writing and writing like you'd find in a journal kinda thing. While you could take it as a proper inner monologue, personally for my brain it made it a tad confusing to process - could be my dyslexia, could be me just being dumb lol.
On that note as well, if you're dyslexic/have low vision/can't read non-normal fonts easily it might be worth looking into an ebook version of this. The print version has a different font for each POV - which, while it *really* helps to differentiate between the POVs, can make it harder for dyslexics to parse as a couple of the fonts are a bit.. odd.
Overall, I do recommend this but as with a few of my recommendations - do read the content warnings fully beforehand. This might be a YA book but it's heavy, very heavy. I picked up the author's first book - Grow - and I can't wait for future releases!
And for anyone else confused, "Comeup" is an energy drink!
Homophobic slurs are also used, and a transphobic slur is used at the start of the book but as completely unrelated slang for an object and not a slur.
Representations: https://trello.com/c/0lc0KtpT/89-play...
This book is bleak and isn't the most fun of reads. But damn it's good and pretty well written.
The story focuses on 4 boys and their life through high school. Their troubles and wins, their concerns and games. Drugs, abuse and more are discussed alongside toxic masculinity and what it means to be a boy growing up. Vulnerability is portrayed in quite a realistic way through the eyes of these young boys and through the way this book was written as well.
It's a heavy book, it really pushes how innocence is used against children for manipulation and how upbringing can shape a kid. I can't say too much as it's quite a straightforward plot (as it's mainly about the characters) but it's possible to guess what the ending will be around 2/3 of the way through. Though that isn't a negative, it's more so a testament to how well the emotions are written into the story.
The characters are a complicated bunch. One of them is horrific and honestly, I feel like he needed more consequences but unfortunately his story was actually pretty realistic feeling - which again I don't think was a negative at all. Luc's story felt decently well written with enough tact even though if he was a real person I'd probably punch him in the face tbh - though I do feel slightly bad for him (not for *those* parts though he can sit with his feelings for that).
For the other characters I quite enjoyed them. Queer and neurodiverse characters (though the neurodiversity isn't specifically labelled, ADHD is there as confirmed by the author) are decently well represented, though I would have personally preferred some more representation on the side of neurodiversity. Queerness in the book I did quite enjoy - and did bring back some painful memories of my own school life aha... Playing the "game" of acting straight and "normal" to fit in.. yeah that one hit hard.
I think the topics this book explores are something worth talking about. Toxic masculinity, how naivety can be manipulated, different types of parents from abusive to absent to loving and more. It is certainly a perspective of masculinity that isn't explored often, and often left unsaid too.
While I did love the writing overall, some parts where a tad confusing. During Mark's section it felt like it was swapping between regular book writing and writing like you'd find in a journal kinda thing. While you could take it as a proper inner monologue, personally for my brain it made it a tad confusing to process - could be my dyslexia, could be me just being dumb lol.
On that note as well, if you're dyslexic/have low vision/can't read non-normal fonts easily it might be worth looking into an ebook version of this. The print version has a different font for each POV - which, while it *really* helps to differentiate between the POVs, can make it harder for dyslexics to parse as a couple of the fonts are a bit.. odd.
Overall, I do recommend this but as with a few of my recommendations - do read the content warnings fully beforehand. This might be a YA book but it's heavy, very heavy. I picked up the author's first book - Grow - and I can't wait for future releases!
And for anyone else confused, "Comeup" is an energy drink!
September 7, 2025
I read this book to gauge whether or not to recommend it as a tutor time read. It definitely covers some important issues and could lead to good discussions. But it is also bleak rather than enjoyable and not a book likely to encourage the majority of students to read. More suited to a class read when there is time to talk about the content than a tutor time read where you barely have time to read it in 10 minute stretches and then the students are sent off to class.
It was a pacey read, especially as we move between the viewpoints of the four main characters. It did not feel like an 80k+word count. I did feel confusion at some parts as to how old the boys were. We start with them in the summer holidays before Year 8, skip through to Year 9 and then we are told it is almost the end of the school year and that next year they will be in Year 11 so it seems they are in Year 10, with the book's later events taking place when they are in Year 11. But there are a few occasions when the boys seem to be back in Year 9 again, or Year 10 rather than Year 11. It doesn't help that a couple of the boy's lie about their ages but it was the references to what they were doing in school that were confusing. It felt more like an editorial oversight than chapters set in the past.
The dialogue felt pretty realistic. Luc in particular is definitely an unreliable narrator of his life and it is, at times,uncomfortable and frightening to see how he views events. The characters weren't quite as well developed as they could have been as I sometimes found myself getting them mixed up even quite late into the story. Moreso when they appeared in a POV chapter that wasn't their own. I wouldn't necessarily describe the characters as representative of young people purely because none of them reflect any young people I know, but they are realistic portrayals. We only see the young people the main characters associate with, the ones who join them to go out drinking and taking drugs. The ones who don't do that are not part of their lives. One youngster who was bullied by the characters so much that he left the school is merely a passing memory for them.
Overall, an uncomfortable read but could be useful because of the discussions around important and timely topics it covers.
It was a pacey read, especially as we move between the viewpoints of the four main characters. It did not feel like an 80k+word count. I did feel confusion at some parts as to how old the boys were. We start with them in the summer holidays before Year 8, skip through to Year 9 and then we are told it is almost the end of the school year and that next year they will be in Year 11 so it seems they are in Year 10, with the book's later events taking place when they are in Year 11. But there are a few occasions when the boys seem to be back in Year 9 again, or Year 10 rather than Year 11. It doesn't help that a couple of the boy's lie about their ages but it was the references to what they were doing in school that were confusing. It felt more like an editorial oversight than chapters set in the past.
The dialogue felt pretty realistic. Luc in particular is definitely an unreliable narrator of his life and it is, at times,uncomfortable and frightening to see how he views events. The characters weren't quite as well developed as they could have been as I sometimes found myself getting them mixed up even quite late into the story. Moreso when they appeared in a POV chapter that wasn't their own. I wouldn't necessarily describe the characters as representative of young people purely because none of them reflect any young people I know, but they are realistic portrayals. We only see the young people the main characters associate with, the ones who join them to go out drinking and taking drugs. The ones who don't do that are not part of their lives. One youngster who was bullied by the characters so much that he left the school is merely a passing memory for them.
Overall, an uncomfortable read but could be useful because of the discussions around important and timely topics it covers.
March 25, 2025
Realism, contemporary social issues and growing up within a group of very different teenage boys.
Read this as one of the shortlisted Carnegie titles this year. It packs quite a punch, as mother of a teenage boy myself. I could see a range represented by the foursome, each of whom narrates their own stories, and each of whom is represented by a different font.
From the start of adolescence to the end of school, this is a very different group of boys, but still friends. One has supportive parents and is artistic and motivated, though his sexuality is causing him some issues. One is an athlete, with a coach father pushing him relentlessly to strive harder. One is the kid every teacher dreads, the one they can't control, the one who likes to destroy things with an eccentric way about him. And one has an older brother with friends pushing him into darker and darker illegalities, though lucrative.
Matt, Luc, Johnny and Mark are easy to empathise with. Their silly games at 13, dens and classroom antics strike the reader as everyday, normal teens.
Then we catch up with them at several points until exams and the nearing of adulthood. It moves on quickly through their young lives and you have to jolt yourself to realise another year or two must have passed. There's love and crushes, girls and preening, parties, sports, drugs, money... all the usual mix of teenage hormones and lives thrown together with four very different personalities.
The story gets very dark, and scary. What is happening for one feels more peripheral or unnoticed in the narrative of another, though the reader is aware of small significances and links.
It's very well drawn together, harking back to their younger days, with a lot in there contrasting different parents and family lives, opportunities squandered or taken, and most readers, like me, will be hoping against hope the book's rapidly approaching end brings optimist futures for them all.
Worthy of its place in the Carnegie shortlist, powerful, current and doesn't pull its punches.
For ages 14 and above.
Read this as one of the shortlisted Carnegie titles this year. It packs quite a punch, as mother of a teenage boy myself. I could see a range represented by the foursome, each of whom narrates their own stories, and each of whom is represented by a different font.
From the start of adolescence to the end of school, this is a very different group of boys, but still friends. One has supportive parents and is artistic and motivated, though his sexuality is causing him some issues. One is an athlete, with a coach father pushing him relentlessly to strive harder. One is the kid every teacher dreads, the one they can't control, the one who likes to destroy things with an eccentric way about him. And one has an older brother with friends pushing him into darker and darker illegalities, though lucrative.
Matt, Luc, Johnny and Mark are easy to empathise with. Their silly games at 13, dens and classroom antics strike the reader as everyday, normal teens.
Then we catch up with them at several points until exams and the nearing of adulthood. It moves on quickly through their young lives and you have to jolt yourself to realise another year or two must have passed. There's love and crushes, girls and preening, parties, sports, drugs, money... all the usual mix of teenage hormones and lives thrown together with four very different personalities.
The story gets very dark, and scary. What is happening for one feels more peripheral or unnoticed in the narrative of another, though the reader is aware of small significances and links.
It's very well drawn together, harking back to their younger days, with a lot in there contrasting different parents and family lives, opportunities squandered or taken, and most readers, like me, will be hoping against hope the book's rapidly approaching end brings optimist futures for them all.
Worthy of its place in the Carnegie shortlist, powerful, current and doesn't pull its punches.
For ages 14 and above.
April 20, 2025
It's not the kind of book I would usually go for but I an doing the carnage challenge so this was the book I picked. Wow. It's so interesting and the way that it follows their lives is so intriguing.
The ending
Although the ending was cute and was so interesting to see the way Johnny thought about things (I say that because to me, I thought he had some kind of learning difficulties and his mind worked differently to his friends') I cannot believe you would end it without Matt and Mark getting together. It just didn't make sense to me given the trajectory of the book. I did love seeing the different characters journeys and how they changed throughout the book.
Edit: After reading through other reviews I'd like to address a couple other points which I think are relevant. Yes, I did find the ending fitting, emotional and aligned well with the storyline. However, I would like to say that I think it was odd in certain ways, but that makes sense because it is being told by a character who I have now found that the author confirmed to have ADHD which makes a lot of sense!!
Would I recommend?
Ah, the million pound question. I mean, it covers a few important issues which I respect a lot, however, I do not think that it really fits with my personal interests and the type of books I usually go for. That being said, I do not regret reading it but I do think that you definately have to like a certain genre to enjoy this book, but I'm not quite sure what genre that is.
Overview
3.5 stars. Well written, covers important subjects in an interesting way. Not the kind of book I would usually go for so my review may be slightly biased, despite my best efforts. oops!!
The ending
Although the ending was cute and was so interesting to see the way Johnny thought about things (I say that because to me, I thought he had some kind of learning difficulties and his mind worked differently to his friends') I cannot believe you would end it without Matt and Mark getting together. It just didn't make sense to me given the trajectory of the book. I did love seeing the different characters journeys and how they changed throughout the book.
Edit: After reading through other reviews I'd like to address a couple other points which I think are relevant. Yes, I did find the ending fitting, emotional and aligned well with the storyline. However, I would like to say that I think it was odd in certain ways, but that makes sense because it is being told by a character who I have now found that the author confirmed to have ADHD which makes a lot of sense!!
Would I recommend?
Ah, the million pound question. I mean, it covers a few important issues which I respect a lot, however, I do not think that it really fits with my personal interests and the type of books I usually go for. That being said, I do not regret reading it but I do think that you definately have to like a certain genre to enjoy this book, but I'm not quite sure what genre that is.
Overview
3.5 stars. Well written, covers important subjects in an interesting way. Not the kind of book I would usually go for so my review may be slightly biased, despite my best efforts. oops!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2023
Matthew, Luc, Johnny and Mark are growing up together. They pass the times until they can leave school, and their small town, by playing games, scoring points against each other.
But the more they grow, the more the rules of the games, and the games tehmselves, change into something darker and much more dangerous. What happens then when you break the rules? And can they all finish the game before someone loses the ultimate battle?
'Play' is an extraordinary well told story but also crushingly heartbreaking. It starts with them buidling dens high in the trees, only to bring them down, the four friends tumbling to the ground in their buidling with an exhilararing rush. But as the rules of play change, the reader can only witness how the boys hurtle faster and faster towards... What? It becomes clearer and clearer as the story progresses, jumping from the voice on one boy to another (the book is told in the voices of the four boys). And there is nothing we can do to stop them and it's truly, heartwrenchingly sad. It's probably very different reading Play as a mother rather than its inteded readership! but it really shook me. Talking of being a mother, parents in Play are either absent, helpless or downright nasty, which adds to the sense of foreboding.
The book is excessively well written and although - I found - full of sadness for today's youth, I also felt it was a very keen observation of how some children grow up with, ultimately, a spark of hope in how things can turn (in cleverly done glimspes in each of the boy's possible futures).
Definitely a must-read.
But the more they grow, the more the rules of the games, and the games tehmselves, change into something darker and much more dangerous. What happens then when you break the rules? And can they all finish the game before someone loses the ultimate battle?
'Play' is an extraordinary well told story but also crushingly heartbreaking. It starts with them buidling dens high in the trees, only to bring them down, the four friends tumbling to the ground in their buidling with an exhilararing rush. But as the rules of play change, the reader can only witness how the boys hurtle faster and faster towards... What? It becomes clearer and clearer as the story progresses, jumping from the voice on one boy to another (the book is told in the voices of the four boys). And there is nothing we can do to stop them and it's truly, heartwrenchingly sad. It's probably very different reading Play as a mother rather than its inteded readership! but it really shook me. Talking of being a mother, parents in Play are either absent, helpless or downright nasty, which adds to the sense of foreboding.
The book is excessively well written and although - I found - full of sadness for today's youth, I also felt it was a very keen observation of how some children grow up with, ultimately, a spark of hope in how things can turn (in cleverly done glimspes in each of the boy's possible futures).
Definitely a must-read.
March 20, 2025
This book was phenomenal, really it touched my soul. at first i wasn't quite sure what to expect from it especially as it was aimed at young boys, but it blew me away. I struggle to find the words to explain this book to you. It made me feel a mixture of every emotion under the sun. Emotionally at parts it was hard to read but equally as hard to look away.
i heavily related with Matt and Jhonny and they warmed my heart (and made me cry bucket loads).
Mark and Luc were such interesting characters so well thought out and real it felt as if i was right there with them the whole time.
So if you are thinking about reading this book i highly recommend this. I also whole heartedly agree it should win the Cargnie awards.
i heavily related with Matt and Jhonny and they warmed my heart (and made me cry bucket loads).
Mark and Luc were such interesting characters so well thought out and real it felt as if i was right there with them the whole time.
So if you are thinking about reading this book i highly recommend this. I also whole heartedly agree it should win the Cargnie awards.
April 3, 2025
This really deserves a 4.5. It's a worthy candidate for the Carnegie award for writing. It is an excellent insight into what it can be like to be growing up as a boy.
SPOILERS - SPOILERS - SPOILERS
From overbearing parents, to poverty, to county lines and neurodivergence. This narrative gives an insight of the struggles, mentalities and games that can lead to bullying and worse. It's an interesting read from the 'other side', especially when the characters realise they are in the wrong.
This book is more suited to 13+ as it deals with grooming, drug dealing and substance abuse and sexual assault, although this is not explicit, so I'd say it's fine for older year 8's plus, as long as they know what they're about to read.
SPOILERS - SPOILERS - SPOILERS
From overbearing parents, to poverty, to county lines and neurodivergence. This narrative gives an insight of the struggles, mentalities and games that can lead to bullying and worse. It's an interesting read from the 'other side', especially when the characters realise they are in the wrong.
This book is more suited to 13+ as it deals with grooming, drug dealing and substance abuse and sexual assault, although this is not explicit, so I'd say it's fine for older year 8's plus, as long as they know what they're about to read.
November 9, 2023
4 boys who end up with lives that interweave and join them together forever. I flitted between which was my favourite character each time it was their chapter! Luc is just trying to please his dad. Matt is working out who he is and what he wants. Johnny is a ball of energy but understands the boys more than they realise. Then there's Mark. He made mistakes, but did he know what he was doing? Is the ending his fault? Did he mean for it all to happen? No. He was just a boy caught up in a bad adult world with no-one looking out for him. This book is thought-provoking and hard-hitting and I loved it.
April 7, 2025
Four boys start out making dens on the heath together, playing a game where they then demolish them (in risky ways!). Over the next few years at school, they have different games, like leaping on each others backs at random times. Each boy is different, so it's the games that keep their friendship alive. But when Mark starts making deliveries for a dubious friend of his older brother, the games become a lot more dangerous, with more at risk. The point of view alternates between the four boys, and at times I lost track of which character I was reading about. But other than that, a gripping and gritty YA novel.
June 14, 2025
I thimk this was a prrtty good book, although I need some more time to digest. On the one hand, I do think it was very interesting to read about the experiences of teenage boys. The bonds, the emotions, the mistakes were deep and intricately written about. Although the ending was perhaps a little pretentious in the language and conceptualisation, it was well executed in exploring the variety of potential outcomes for young people, particularly as seen with Mark. My main issue is that I don't feel that Luc's perspective fit with the narratives of Matt and Mark, it felt a little forced to me. Overall, a solid read.
December 17, 2025
OK'ish older kids book that I read with my eldest. It so wants to have some YA credentials with the odd swear word thrown in, references to made-up energy drinks and frequently cringey takes on soft drugs. It starts off with some interesting ideas, there's 100% a market for a book that looks at toxic masculinity and the county-lines drug trade. This book is not it though. it starts off on all those topics but never actually fleshes out any of them or creates a cohesive plot or story around them, stuff literally just happens. The 4 different lads all blur into one by the end as well. My son was pretty underwhelmed overall.
November 19, 2024
This is a hard read in many ways. Four young men, boys really, grow up playing together.
Matt: hardworking, artistic, gay
Luc: rugby playing, wants to win at everything. Horrible pushy, male chauvinist father
Johnny: a bit mad: likes destroying the dens. ADHD? ASD?
Mark: who built the first den. Poor. Gets caught up in drug running.
It’s both brutal and touching. I’d like to hope it’s not realistic in terms of all the drugs… but it probably is which is sad.
I didn’t like the imagined, hallucinatory ending but it worked quite well in the context.
One for older teen boys particularly.
Matt: hardworking, artistic, gay
Luc: rugby playing, wants to win at everything. Horrible pushy, male chauvinist father
Johnny: a bit mad: likes destroying the dens. ADHD? ASD?
Mark: who built the first den. Poor. Gets caught up in drug running.
It’s both brutal and touching. I’d like to hope it’s not realistic in terms of all the drugs… but it probably is which is sad.
I didn’t like the imagined, hallucinatory ending but it worked quite well in the context.
One for older teen boys particularly.
March 18, 2025
W O W. What an incredible book. Definitely in my top 3 to win the Carnegies this year.
Emotional, well written, and touches on some incredibly important and heavy topics - misogyny, poverty, drug abuse, county lines, friendship, the nature of Time... This book is amazing.
Takes the best parts of King of Nothing and amps it up to a conversation that you need to really look for but is there, and it's poignant, and it is so heartbreaking.
Definitely recommend this to teenage boys, they'll definitely learn something here.
Emotional, well written, and touches on some incredibly important and heavy topics - misogyny, poverty, drug abuse, county lines, friendship, the nature of Time... This book is amazing.
Takes the best parts of King of Nothing and amps it up to a conversation that you need to really look for but is there, and it's poignant, and it is so heartbreaking.
Definitely recommend this to teenage boys, they'll definitely learn something here.
April 27, 2025
This got better and better! A tragic and emotional book dealing with some hard hitting themes. Four teenage friends navigate the messy process of growing up and finding out who they are. They make bad decisions and naive choices but have a strong bond and can ultimately rely on each other. The story is told in each of their own, very individual, voices which culminates in a dramactic yet contemplative ending. This is for mature ‘Young Adult’ readers 13/14 years old and above. It isn’t an easy read but I loved it.
May 23, 2025
This was a powerful and sometimes shocking novel charting the teenage years and coming of age of a group of boys. We experience the raw reality of their experiments and relationships and the effects on them of the adults who shape their world. There is frank and graphic depiction of drug taking, drug carrying and sexual relationships. This is a moving and valuable read for older teenagers and adults.
October 5, 2023
I was absolutely blown away by this book- by the complexity of the characters, the mixture of humour and pathos and the incredible, unforgettable ending. As a school librarian, I know that we need more books about male friendships and the challenges our boys are facing. and I will be recommending this book enthusiastically to the pupils at our school.
November 18, 2024
As a school librarian, we need more books about male friendships. Luke Palmer has written a very real and relatable story, powerful, honest, funny and heart-wrenching.
Highly recommended for all secondary school libraries. Order his first book, 'Grow,' at the same time. You won't be disappointed. Plus the covers are magnificent.
Highly recommended for all secondary school libraries. Order his first book, 'Grow,' at the same time. You won't be disappointed. Plus the covers are magnificent.
April 16, 2025
Brilliantly written novel about the changing dynamics between four boys floundering around their teenage years. It does a great job of portraying how friendships at that age can be vital and completely dysfunctional at the same time.
Imbued with a dark tone that warns you disaster is approaching, but you can never be sure what direction it's coming from.
Imbued with a dark tone that warns you disaster is approaching, but you can never be sure what direction it's coming from.
October 12, 2025
Adolescence is a game where you don't know the rules & they change anyway. You've got to juggle expectations & perceptions, maintain the facade, act normal, & win at all costs. All while figuring out your identity & where you want to be in life. Expertly written - these boys are crystal clear. I didn't just read about them, I felt them. Bloody brilliant.
October 8, 2023
Outstanding follow up to Grow from two years ago. Palmer knows how to write boys in all their guises. A tense exploration of teenage friendship and the risks boys can take everyday to exist and thrive in the world of school.
March 27, 2025
This book makes so many actions out to be 'normal' teen behaviour and does little to challenge or question. Drugs, assault, dealing and challenging behaviour are to name but a few of the subjects covered.
April 12, 2025
An extremely clever book about four friends, all boys, as they go through secondary school. Written from their perspective, they would have you believe they are simply going to school and having fun. In reality, they are drug dealing, bullying, sexual predators and more. Brilliantly written.
June 18, 2025
Play is about a group of boys doing their own games each boy coming up with a different one, they all are unique and keeps the friendship alive. This book was very fun and interesting this book explores friendship, love and all sorts of other emotions.
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