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Gus Green #1
Gus and the Missing Boy
True crime buff Gus Green has always felt out of place in the world. He's overweight, gay, his injured mum's primary carer, and he only has two real sporty Kane and feisty Shell, who are both dealing with their own problems.
Gus's life is flipped on its head one day when he finds a missing persons website with a digitally aged picture of a missing boy who looks eerily like him. Could he be a kidnapping victim? It would explain a lot about his patchy background, but what would that make his mum - his kidnapper?
As Gus and his friends dive into the mystery, their investigation reveals more questions than answers. Can they unravel the case before his world falls apart? And what will they do if the truth is too much to handle?
Gus's life is flipped on its head one day when he finds a missing persons website with a digitally aged picture of a missing boy who looks eerily like him. Could he be a kidnapping victim? It would explain a lot about his patchy background, but what would that make his mum - his kidnapper?
As Gus and his friends dive into the mystery, their investigation reveals more questions than answers. Can they unravel the case before his world falls apart? And what will they do if the truth is too much to handle?
245 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 15, 2024
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153 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
June 21, 2024
Gus And The Missing Boy is the first novel by Australian author Troy Hunter. With a long-standing ambition to become a police detective, Angus Green, at almost sixteen and living in suburban Melbourne, is fascinated by anything crime-related. It’s a great distraction from being overweight, unpopular and caring for his injured mum. When idly scrolling through a website that shows AI aged-up photos of missing children, he is shocked to see himself.
Three-year-old Robin Winter went missing while his mother napped on 1st March 2010. Both his friends, classmate, Shell Oliver (trying to decide on gender and sexual orientation), and his neighbour, Kane Parker (injured knee means no football means who is he now?) agree that the aged-up photo looks exactly like Gus, and the three of them float ideas, both plausible and way out, that might explain this: Is Gus in witness protection? Is Robin his unknown twin? Is the AI photo a fake?
Or was Gus kidnapped as a baby (and is his mother, then, a kidnapper)? But if he is Robin, it might explain why there are no baby photos of him, why he doesn’t even vaguely resemble Tom or Megan Green, why he’s always felt that he doesn’t quite fit.
Understandably, Gus can’t stop thinking about it. But when he shows his mother the website, Megan Green dismisses the whole thing as ridiculous. Gus can’t let it go, though. He scours the internet for press reports of the abduction from Bellanta in rural NSW; he wonders if the local cop who investigated before the Sydney detectives took over might know something, might have an answer.
Even though both his friends have issues of their own, they are there for Gus every step of the way with practical suggestions, help with research, emotional and financial support, reality checks, and even transport. Between them, they prove to be capable detectives, tracking down suspects and witnesses, but some of wat they learn is quite confronting. Anxiety already has Gus in therapy; will this information have him spiralling back into self-harm?
What a marvellous tale! Hunter hits on some topical themes but also offers enough intrigue to keep the reader guessing and the pages turning right up to the final reveal, with only minimal suspension of disbelief required. It may be aimed at the young adult reader, but is likely to have wide appeal. A brilliant debut.
Three-year-old Robin Winter went missing while his mother napped on 1st March 2010. Both his friends, classmate, Shell Oliver (trying to decide on gender and sexual orientation), and his neighbour, Kane Parker (injured knee means no football means who is he now?) agree that the aged-up photo looks exactly like Gus, and the three of them float ideas, both plausible and way out, that might explain this: Is Gus in witness protection? Is Robin his unknown twin? Is the AI photo a fake?
Or was Gus kidnapped as a baby (and is his mother, then, a kidnapper)? But if he is Robin, it might explain why there are no baby photos of him, why he doesn’t even vaguely resemble Tom or Megan Green, why he’s always felt that he doesn’t quite fit.
Understandably, Gus can’t stop thinking about it. But when he shows his mother the website, Megan Green dismisses the whole thing as ridiculous. Gus can’t let it go, though. He scours the internet for press reports of the abduction from Bellanta in rural NSW; he wonders if the local cop who investigated before the Sydney detectives took over might know something, might have an answer.
Even though both his friends have issues of their own, they are there for Gus every step of the way with practical suggestions, help with research, emotional and financial support, reality checks, and even transport. Between them, they prove to be capable detectives, tracking down suspects and witnesses, but some of wat they learn is quite confronting. Anxiety already has Gus in therapy; will this information have him spiralling back into self-harm?
What a marvellous tale! Hunter hits on some topical themes but also offers enough intrigue to keep the reader guessing and the pages turning right up to the final reveal, with only minimal suspension of disbelief required. It may be aimed at the young adult reader, but is likely to have wide appeal. A brilliant debut.
May 8, 2024
Gus and the Missing Boy is an Australian YA novel by Troy Hunter. Fifteen-year-old Angus Green has always felt like he doesn’t fit in although, his two best friends Kane and Shell, have his back. Gus is gay, overweight and deals with his problems by inflicting self-harm to calm himself. He is also a true crime enthusiast. When Gus stumbles upon a mystery involving a kidnapped child that looks like himself, he refuses to let the case go. With thanks to Better Reading, the author and publisher for my preview copy. This book was an enjoyable mystery that I believe both adults and teens will enjoy.
May 15, 2024
Loved it! Stayed up late to power through the final chapters because I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen to Gus and his friends. This is a touchingly told story that also has an intriguing, driving mystery at its heart. I wasn’t sure right until the end what Gus was going to discover about himself. As other reviewers have said there are deeper themes around identity and sexuality and friendship, but they’re handled deftly and with a light (but respectful) touch. Highly recommended for teens and adults who enjoy YA and/or books with a mystery twist.
February 7, 2024
Strong issues, great friendship, clever mystery.
May 6, 2024
I adored this big hearted mystery. Technically it's YA (young adult - for teens) but personally I think that subgenre in the publishing industry is misleading! This is a book about teens but it's complex and delves into issues about family, identity, friendship and sexuality that are intriguing to all ages. Anyone who has been a teenager will relate to, and enjoy this story.
The novel opens with 15-year-old Gus helping his disabled mother put on her compression stockings. These help her cope with terrible injuries she sustained in a car accident in which Gus's father died. Gus describes his mother lying around in her dark bedroom, smoking cigarettes, wearing a fancy silk dressing gown, 'hiding like some reclusive old movie star'. Helping her, he feels like he's her carer, not a son - at times he says he feels like her servant. He's observant, sweet and sharply funny. Gus has got a harmless crush on his hot, athletic, teenaged neighbour Kane who is also a good mate. Kane is teaching Gus to drive in his 1970s Kingswood station wagon.
Gus's best friend is straight-talking Shell. At school they're cool outsiders: 'We like the same books, the same TV crime shows, the same podcasts. Basically anything with a big mystery arc that we can try and solve before the reveal, and then sit about feeling all smug about it when we do... We also think sport is for 'other' people. We both hate airheads, Hazelton High is full of them... Shell and I are the fattest kids in the school and we kinda own that.'
The characters are delightful and the plot offers a unique and cool twist on the mystery narrative. Gus finds a digitally aged photo, on a missing persons website, that looks like him. Is this connected to his father's cryptic deathbed words? Does it explain the absence of baby photos in the house? The three teens set out on a roadtrip to discover if Gus's mother is hiding a dark and devastating secret....
It's clever, deliciously witty, heartwrenching and intriguing. A great read for adults and teens. I'll be passing it on to both my 15 and 16 year old kids, I think they'll enjoy it too.
The novel opens with 15-year-old Gus helping his disabled mother put on her compression stockings. These help her cope with terrible injuries she sustained in a car accident in which Gus's father died. Gus describes his mother lying around in her dark bedroom, smoking cigarettes, wearing a fancy silk dressing gown, 'hiding like some reclusive old movie star'. Helping her, he feels like he's her carer, not a son - at times he says he feels like her servant. He's observant, sweet and sharply funny. Gus has got a harmless crush on his hot, athletic, teenaged neighbour Kane who is also a good mate. Kane is teaching Gus to drive in his 1970s Kingswood station wagon.
Gus's best friend is straight-talking Shell. At school they're cool outsiders: 'We like the same books, the same TV crime shows, the same podcasts. Basically anything with a big mystery arc that we can try and solve before the reveal, and then sit about feeling all smug about it when we do... We also think sport is for 'other' people. We both hate airheads, Hazelton High is full of them... Shell and I are the fattest kids in the school and we kinda own that.'
The characters are delightful and the plot offers a unique and cool twist on the mystery narrative. Gus finds a digitally aged photo, on a missing persons website, that looks like him. Is this connected to his father's cryptic deathbed words? Does it explain the absence of baby photos in the house? The three teens set out on a roadtrip to discover if Gus's mother is hiding a dark and devastating secret....
It's clever, deliciously witty, heartwrenching and intriguing. A great read for adults and teens. I'll be passing it on to both my 15 and 16 year old kids, I think they'll enjoy it too.
September 5, 2024
Great mystery, great characters, and i hear the author is great too ;-)
October 16, 2024
it was ok the twists were great
February 9, 2025
Gus and the Missing Boy is the debut novel from Troy Hunter and it’s a compelling YA mystery with plenty of heart.
Gus Green misses his dad. His mum hasn’t been the same since the accident which took his father and injured her. She drinks a lot and Gus often feels more like her carer, than her son. Gus is having his own problems, feeling out of place and grappling with anxiety. As an overweight gay teen with only two real friends, life can be a lot. Gus is a true crime buff and wants to be a police detective one day, but when he stumbles across a missing persons’ site with a digitally aged picture of a missing boy, his world is turned upside down, because that missing kid looks just like him. Could he be a kidnapping victim? Gus enlists his friends to investigate, but it seems they are revealing more questions than answers. And what will happen when he does uncover the truth?
Gus and the Missing Boy is an incredibly intriguing mystery read, but it also has many more layers to it. It’s very emotional and also traumatic as Gus deals with his life teetering on a precipice and the uncertainty of all that he’s discovered. His relationship with his mum is difficult and she seems to be keeping secrets, making Gus more and more suspicious that something isn’t right. To add to his challenges, his two best friends Shell and Kane are also dealing with their own problems.
I really felt invested in Gus as a character and wanted everything to turn out well for him. There were parts of this story where I would have loved to just give him a big hug as he grappled with so much uncertainty. I also loved his friend Shell and her loyalty and support of Gus.
Gus and the Missing Boy is a fabulous coming of age story with a mystery at its heart. It’s a novel focused on themes of identity and growing up feeling like you don’t fit and I highly recommend it, not just to teens, but to adults as well.
Gus Green misses his dad. His mum hasn’t been the same since the accident which took his father and injured her. She drinks a lot and Gus often feels more like her carer, than her son. Gus is having his own problems, feeling out of place and grappling with anxiety. As an overweight gay teen with only two real friends, life can be a lot. Gus is a true crime buff and wants to be a police detective one day, but when he stumbles across a missing persons’ site with a digitally aged picture of a missing boy, his world is turned upside down, because that missing kid looks just like him. Could he be a kidnapping victim? Gus enlists his friends to investigate, but it seems they are revealing more questions than answers. And what will happen when he does uncover the truth?
Gus and the Missing Boy is an incredibly intriguing mystery read, but it also has many more layers to it. It’s very emotional and also traumatic as Gus deals with his life teetering on a precipice and the uncertainty of all that he’s discovered. His relationship with his mum is difficult and she seems to be keeping secrets, making Gus more and more suspicious that something isn’t right. To add to his challenges, his two best friends Shell and Kane are also dealing with their own problems.
I really felt invested in Gus as a character and wanted everything to turn out well for him. There were parts of this story where I would have loved to just give him a big hug as he grappled with so much uncertainty. I also loved his friend Shell and her loyalty and support of Gus.
Gus and the Missing Boy is a fabulous coming of age story with a mystery at its heart. It’s a novel focused on themes of identity and growing up feeling like you don’t fit and I highly recommend it, not just to teens, but to adults as well.
March 24, 2024
As a middle aged woman I didn't realise at the time of registration to review this novel, that it was a novel targeted at the YA audience. Having said that, I found the novel very entertaining. Set between the Australian states of Melbourne and NSW. Easy read, good content and likeable, authentic characters. I found the mystery and suspense gripping, the insecurities of the teens was interestingly translated for presentation to the reader, and the intrincisities of relationships between friends and families. Not everyone feels like they fit in the square of life, or the dynamic of family expectation and it was a well described ride of teens finding oneself and deepening their connection with themselves and eachother. I enjoyed the novel a lot and would highly recommend to young adult readers. Thank you Better Reading and Wakefield Press for providing the opportunity to preview/review.
April 6, 2024
Gus, Shell and Kane are all misfits in their own way.
Gus has never felt he quite fits in with his life, Shell is questioning her identity, and Kane is trying to find his place in the world after an injury takes him away from the sport he excelled at... making them characters that will resonate with so many young readers.
There are some difficult topics tackled in this book, including depression, anxiety, and self-harm... but they are tackled in such a sensitive and honest way... and these are all real-world issues that teen readers are often also grappling with.
I loved the serendipity of true crime loving Gus discovering his own kidnapping and deciding to investigate. His hunt for the truth felt real, compelling, and left me guessing until the very end.
I highly recommend this debut novel by Troy Hunter.... come for the mystery and stay for the heartfelt friendships, real-world issues and totally engrossing writing.
Gus has never felt he quite fits in with his life, Shell is questioning her identity, and Kane is trying to find his place in the world after an injury takes him away from the sport he excelled at... making them characters that will resonate with so many young readers.
There are some difficult topics tackled in this book, including depression, anxiety, and self-harm... but they are tackled in such a sensitive and honest way... and these are all real-world issues that teen readers are often also grappling with.
I loved the serendipity of true crime loving Gus discovering his own kidnapping and deciding to investigate. His hunt for the truth felt real, compelling, and left me guessing until the very end.
I highly recommend this debut novel by Troy Hunter.... come for the mystery and stay for the heartfelt friendships, real-world issues and totally engrossing writing.
May 3, 2024
What an absolute treat of a book. It is literally a page-turner. I stayed up way too late at night flipping through chapters desperate to get to the bottom of the mystery, and terrified of the deep psychological cost on the already fragile protagonist. Unflinching in its portrayal of trauma response, these are nevertheless characters I really enjoyed spending time with, and if they were to find themselves another mystery to solve, I would happily go on other journeys with them.
Disclaimer: I am thanked in the afterword, and as I told Troy, I would have liked anything he published, regardless, but this is really good!
Disclaimer: I am thanked in the afterword, and as I told Troy, I would have liked anything he published, regardless, but this is really good!
October 6, 2024
"That pub next door looks shit in either a retro way, or it's just straight up shit."
I was promised "meta-AF" by an author blurb on the cover. Nope. The story is everything else it says on the box, so I guess I can't get a refund, also its a library book.
Content warning: self harm
As a person who formerly self harmed, I almost dnf at p.41. At the start there's a list of the pages where it happens so you can skip them. I didn't (possibly because I ignored the list??) but I don't think skipping them would interrupt the flow of the story.
I really liked that it was listed. More books should do it
April 4, 2024
5 stars for the perfect debut
What an absolutely wonderful read!! From the minute I started I was intrigued and couldn’t put the book down. I found the characters loveable and the friendship between them was a joy to be part of. Also who doesn’t love a good mystery?
The book nerd in me also loved the paper quality of the book. An all round joy! Round of applause for Troy Hunter on his debut novel
What an absolutely wonderful read!! From the minute I started I was intrigued and couldn’t put the book down. I found the characters loveable and the friendship between them was a joy to be part of. Also who doesn’t love a good mystery?
The book nerd in me also loved the paper quality of the book. An all round joy! Round of applause for Troy Hunter on his debut novel
April 27, 2024
A good story line, easily imagined true!
A great read, hard to put down! Even when I woke during the night, I just had to read one more page!
Every action, every event, all were easy to imagine real.
Thanks Troy, I’m now ready for another of your books please! 😘
A great read, hard to put down! Even when I woke during the night, I just had to read one more page!
Every action, every event, all were easy to imagine real.
Thanks Troy, I’m now ready for another of your books please! 😘
May 6, 2024
Gus and The Missing Boy by Troy Hunter is a wonderful debut. The story, written for young adults but most likely will be enjoyed by adults as well, follows Gus as he tries to uncover a mystery. He has found a photo of a missing child who looks like him and his mum isn’t answering his questions about it.
It’s hard not to fall for Gus who feels like an outsider in his world. He’s gay, his mum’s a mess and has been since his father died and his two friends Shell and Kane also feel like outsiders.
Through Gus’s investigation he and his friends learn more about themselves and each other.
Congratulations Troy! Looking forward to see what comes next.
#gusandthemissingboy #troyhunter #loveozya @troyhunterwriter #whatmegreadnext
It’s hard not to fall for Gus who feels like an outsider in his world. He’s gay, his mum’s a mess and has been since his father died and his two friends Shell and Kane also feel like outsiders.
Through Gus’s investigation he and his friends learn more about themselves and each other.
Congratulations Troy! Looking forward to see what comes next.
#gusandthemissingboy #troyhunter #loveozya @troyhunterwriter #whatmegreadnext
April 25, 2024
From the prologue this book had me hooked!
Gus is the epitome of teenage sleuth 🕵️♂️ and this book takes us through his investigation of ‘Robin’ while he begins to unravel his own life alongside his friends Kane & Shell who are both struggling in their own right.
This is such a well written detective mystery novel and I really felt that I was part of the investigation and the twists and turns it took.
Honestly this book had my sitting up it shock, on the verge of tears, and then laughing.
It is a great read and Troy Hunter really brought me back to my childhood/youth detective days reading Nancy Drew and sleuthing.
This is a great YA book that touches on some heavy content throughout (so please read triggers before deciding to read !)
Gus is the epitome of teenage sleuth 🕵️♂️ and this book takes us through his investigation of ‘Robin’ while he begins to unravel his own life alongside his friends Kane & Shell who are both struggling in their own right.
This is such a well written detective mystery novel and I really felt that I was part of the investigation and the twists and turns it took.
Honestly this book had my sitting up it shock, on the verge of tears, and then laughing.
It is a great read and Troy Hunter really brought me back to my childhood/youth detective days reading Nancy Drew and sleuthing.
This is a great YA book that touches on some heavy content throughout (so please read triggers before deciding to read !)
December 5, 2024
MAN Hunter nailed this book on the head I just finished it and BOY it was so good we follow a fifteen year old gay boy called Gus aka Angus who wants to know about his life and a boy that was missing years ago called Robin and his two friends Shell and Kane work together with Gus to help him discover what happened there was lots of ups and downs along the way but Gus managed to enjoy the life within his friends in the end!
The way Troy wrote this book I couldn’t put it down I loved Angus as a character he was the sweetest at times I just wanted to give him a big fat hug for all that he went through along with his mother struggling with chronic illness was something I adored because it showed the relationship Gus had with his mother whilst things weren’t always what Angus wanted but tried to be there for her I can’t wait to read the sequel which comes out next year! I’m so thankful I read this as a kindle book instead of paperback really loved it!
The way Troy wrote this book I couldn’t put it down I loved Angus as a character he was the sweetest at times I just wanted to give him a big fat hug for all that he went through along with his mother struggling with chronic illness was something I adored because it showed the relationship Gus had with his mother whilst things weren’t always what Angus wanted but tried to be there for her I can’t wait to read the sequel which comes out next year! I’m so thankful I read this as a kindle book instead of paperback really loved it!
September 8, 2024
(3.5)
A fun but also unique and insightful mystery set in Melbourne Australia. A nice change of pace from the typical mysteries I've read lately too, which I feel always focus on murders, whilst this follows a cold case kidnapping.
Characters were okay, they definitely had to grow on me.... but they did, in the second half especially. I think it was just me personally though, I'm starting to not enjoy teenage characters in my books as much - obviously it's to be expected a teenager might whine or be a bit immature, it wouldn't be good representation or an accurate depiction otherwise. I think for me it can just be a bit tedious or 'annoying' at times, but it didnt ruin my enjoyment of the story by any means and again, they grew on me.
The main cast (the Trio: Gus, Shell and Kane) made for a pretty cool dynamic and I liked how they developed as the stakes got higher.
Really enjoyed the suspect list, was very easy to follow and the cast/their voices were written with strong distinction between them, which I appreciated and enjoyed! Nothing worse than spending half the book trying to remember who's who.
Did not suspect the ending either which is always great. It wasn't the most shocking twist of all time, but it was a nice conclusion and felt fitting. Without spoling too much here though, the ending did feel a TAD anti climactic to me and I wish there was a bit more time spent on unravelling the 'consequences' that were apparently so dooming and inevitable.
It seemed a bit rushed, and I think this book could have actually used an extra few chapters properly fleshing out the impact of what they discovered, and even the backlash of them conducting investigation itself. So much talk of consequences and opening cans of worms the entire time, only for it to be rather... underwhelming I guess. It was a nice ending, just didn't go as deep as I'd have hoped.
However I did really love (and have been loving in general, recently) the Australian setting, I felt really immersed and it came off authentic and realistic: its the subtle references and small language/dialogue choices which really make a difference in making a novel encapsulate that 'Aussie' feel. It felt like home, in a book! And was really well done.
This was a lot of fun to read, really immersive, and easy to fly through pretty quickly too, which is exactly what we need sometimes!
A fun but also unique and insightful mystery set in Melbourne Australia. A nice change of pace from the typical mysteries I've read lately too, which I feel always focus on murders, whilst this follows a cold case kidnapping.
Characters were okay, they definitely had to grow on me.... but they did, in the second half especially. I think it was just me personally though, I'm starting to not enjoy teenage characters in my books as much - obviously it's to be expected a teenager might whine or be a bit immature, it wouldn't be good representation or an accurate depiction otherwise. I think for me it can just be a bit tedious or 'annoying' at times, but it didnt ruin my enjoyment of the story by any means and again, they grew on me.
The main cast (the Trio: Gus, Shell and Kane) made for a pretty cool dynamic and I liked how they developed as the stakes got higher.
Really enjoyed the suspect list, was very easy to follow and the cast/their voices were written with strong distinction between them, which I appreciated and enjoyed! Nothing worse than spending half the book trying to remember who's who.
Did not suspect the ending either which is always great. It wasn't the most shocking twist of all time, but it was a nice conclusion and felt fitting. Without spoling too much here though, the ending did feel a TAD anti climactic to me and I wish there was a bit more time spent on unravelling the 'consequences' that were apparently so dooming and inevitable.
It seemed a bit rushed, and I think this book could have actually used an extra few chapters properly fleshing out the impact of what they discovered, and even the backlash of them conducting investigation itself. So much talk of consequences and opening cans of worms the entire time, only for it to be rather... underwhelming I guess. It was a nice ending, just didn't go as deep as I'd have hoped.
However I did really love (and have been loving in general, recently) the Australian setting, I felt really immersed and it came off authentic and realistic: its the subtle references and small language/dialogue choices which really make a difference in making a novel encapsulate that 'Aussie' feel. It felt like home, in a book! And was really well done.
This was a lot of fun to read, really immersive, and easy to fly through pretty quickly too, which is exactly what we need sometimes!
April 11, 2024
I was lucky enough to be given a copy of Gus and the Missing Boy by Troy Hunter to review by Better Reading. It is a great Australian based young adult mystery.
After a tragic car crash that killed his father and injured his mum Gus became his mother’s carer. One escape he has is delving into true crime.
One day Gus is looking at a missing persons website and sees a digitally aged photo of someone who looks exactly like him. The missing boy Robin has been gone for years and there has been no trace of him. Could this boy actually be Gus? Could his mum and dad be kidnappers? This would explain why he has always felt out of place, and being gay and overweight hasn’t helped.
Gus and his friends Shell and Kane decide to go on a road trip to the town Robin went missing in to find out if this can possibly be true.
After a tragic car crash that killed his father and injured his mum Gus became his mother’s carer. One escape he has is delving into true crime.
One day Gus is looking at a missing persons website and sees a digitally aged photo of someone who looks exactly like him. The missing boy Robin has been gone for years and there has been no trace of him. Could this boy actually be Gus? Could his mum and dad be kidnappers? This would explain why he has always felt out of place, and being gay and overweight hasn’t helped.
Gus and his friends Shell and Kane decide to go on a road trip to the town Robin went missing in to find out if this can possibly be true.
August 2, 2024
What a top class first young adult novel. The perfect way to get a 14 year old plus hooked onto detective/ crime fiction. Not an easy book to read in parts as young Gus self harms & Troy Hunter doesn’t shy away from describing how he feels happy in his pain. ( page 41)Plus his great friend, Shell, is having her own identity issues. But the book is so easy to read with 34 quite short chapters. I am always grateful to authors who give each chapter a title. In this book Troy Hunter uses just one word. I loved Sledgehammer as the final title. I was a primary school principal so I have a clear understanding of what books are suitable for Year 6 students. I feel the content of this is just a bit too challenging for 11 or 12 year olds especially if they are unaware of issues like drug use, gender identity, child neglect and police protocols. However my own teenage children would have really enjoyed the cracking pace of this novel. Congratulations to Troy for writing such a powerful YA novel. I hope he writes more & even tries out an adult crime novel.
September 18, 2024
5 stars! 🌟
this was soooo good! it was such a fast paced and intriguing read.
we get straight into the action which i loved, and from then on it becomes one big ride that keeps me on edge. i was constantly questioning what is what. i had my ideas on how this would end, yet i was so unsure lol.
i couldn’t take my keep my hands off this book as i just had to know what happens in the end. it was so intriguing throughout and the ending was so thrilling.
i can’t wait to read more from troy hunter! i love thrillers and mysteries written by aussie authors as it’s easier and more fun to relate to.
this was soooo good! it was such a fast paced and intriguing read.
we get straight into the action which i loved, and from then on it becomes one big ride that keeps me on edge. i was constantly questioning what is what. i had my ideas on how this would end, yet i was so unsure lol.
i couldn’t take my keep my hands off this book as i just had to know what happens in the end. it was so intriguing throughout and the ending was so thrilling.
i can’t wait to read more from troy hunter! i love thrillers and mysteries written by aussie authors as it’s easier and more fun to relate to.
June 10, 2024
Loved this! Had one particularly late mid-week night unable to abandon Gus, following the action. Smart, Trent Dalton-esque, cracker concept and characters. Can’t wait for the next one.
July 19, 2024
I found this an absorbing read.
YA may be the classification but it gives an insight to some of the issues 'the young' confront in these times.
It is original and well written.
YA may be the classification but it gives an insight to some of the issues 'the young' confront in these times.
It is original and well written.
October 1, 2024
A thoroughly engaging, thoughtful and riveting debut. Keen to read more from this author.
September 18, 2024
DISCLAIMER: I met the author, Troy Hunter, at the Melbourne Emerging Writer's Festival Short Story Masterclass, which he ran. I rate any authors I know personally as 5 stars via Goodreads, especially debut authors, in order to help my community break through the algorithm.
Rated personally, I'd give Gus and the Missing Boy 3.5 stars; a pleasurable read, and definitely bump it up a little higher if you're the target audience of high school-aged readers.
===SPOILERS AHEAD|tw: self-harm, gender & body dysphoria===
Gus and the Missing Boy excels in taking the feeling of otherness that many young readers would feel - most notably body and gender dysphoria - and expanding it outward to encompass the entire mystery and its main cast. A young boy's discovery that he might've been kidnapped as a child is immediately a hooky premise, and that mystery alone kept me engaged as I tore through this book in a matter of hours.
With that said, I think there is somewhat of a disconnect between two halves of the book. The first half is highly emotional and introspective, as we follow Gus and his friends through their dysphoria and disconnection. It builds to a crescendo when Gus is found passed out on whiskey in the granny flat.
After this point, the cast enters Bellanta and the plot takes centre stage. While it is an engaging mystery, the dialogue hereon focuses more on relaying and re-establishing information, in stark contrast to the emotionality of the first half. Most notably, whilst the stakes and search build, Gus feels no compulsion or takes any action to go back to the self-soothing/destructive habits that were established in the first half. While there is an argument to be made that Gus's friends are on watch or the mystery distracts him, it does mean that the mystery and the characters feel less cohesive.
All that said, though, the characters are still incredibly likeable, and the pacing chapter-by-chapter is absolute top-notch. If you are looking for something that keeps you engaged and turning page after page, Hunter keeps your attention to the last sentence.
Rated personally, I'd give Gus and the Missing Boy 3.5 stars; a pleasurable read, and definitely bump it up a little higher if you're the target audience of high school-aged readers.
===SPOILERS AHEAD|tw: self-harm, gender & body dysphoria===
Gus and the Missing Boy excels in taking the feeling of otherness that many young readers would feel - most notably body and gender dysphoria - and expanding it outward to encompass the entire mystery and its main cast. A young boy's discovery that he might've been kidnapped as a child is immediately a hooky premise, and that mystery alone kept me engaged as I tore through this book in a matter of hours.
With that said, I think there is somewhat of a disconnect between two halves of the book. The first half is highly emotional and introspective, as we follow Gus and his friends through their dysphoria and disconnection. It builds to a crescendo when Gus is found passed out on whiskey in the granny flat.
After this point, the cast enters Bellanta and the plot takes centre stage. While it is an engaging mystery, the dialogue hereon focuses more on relaying and re-establishing information, in stark contrast to the emotionality of the first half. Most notably, whilst the stakes and search build, Gus feels no compulsion or takes any action to go back to the self-soothing/destructive habits that were established in the first half. While there is an argument to be made that Gus's friends are on watch or the mystery distracts him, it does mean that the mystery and the characters feel less cohesive.
All that said, though, the characters are still incredibly likeable, and the pacing chapter-by-chapter is absolute top-notch. If you are looking for something that keeps you engaged and turning page after page, Hunter keeps your attention to the last sentence.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2024
This is much more than simply a teen crime novel. Gus is a teen with weight issues and now he's also beginning to doubt his family history. Why is his mother so secretive about his birth certificate? Then he sees a photo on the internet that makes him question his background and with the aid of unlikely friends, he sets on a quest to unravel the mystery of who he really is.
This is mainly about coming of age and family. It's about finding yourself - but in Gus's case, finding who he really is means solving a long abandoned crime. There are some scenes that require a little suspension of disbelief - I was wondering how easily some people would Gus info on such a case (surely that's a bit sensitive?) - but it is well-written and brings together the characters well. I felt the thoughts and dialogue of the characters were particularly realistically portrayed and really made the story come alive.
Gus was a character - mainly because of the vivid portrayal by Troy Hunter, as well as the idea of the character as an ordinary guy with issues in his life - who is compelling and sympathetic. I liked that the representation of a gay character did not fall into cheap stereotypes and this is one book where there's a gay character who doesn't need to have a romance storyline let alone struggling with sex on his mind let alone that having to be casual cheap sex. Not that books about gays should never have sex in them, but it's also good to have some books which show that gay people are just ordinary people and books with them in it do not have to be "issues" books.
This is mainly about coming of age and family. It's about finding yourself - but in Gus's case, finding who he really is means solving a long abandoned crime. There are some scenes that require a little suspension of disbelief - I was wondering how easily some people would Gus info on such a case (surely that's a bit sensitive?) - but it is well-written and brings together the characters well. I felt the thoughts and dialogue of the characters were particularly realistically portrayed and really made the story come alive.
Gus was a character - mainly because of the vivid portrayal by Troy Hunter, as well as the idea of the character as an ordinary guy with issues in his life - who is compelling and sympathetic. I liked that the representation of a gay character did not fall into cheap stereotypes and this is one book where there's a gay character who doesn't need to have a romance storyline let alone struggling with sex on his mind let alone that having to be casual cheap sex. Not that books about gays should never have sex in them, but it's also good to have some books which show that gay people are just ordinary people and books with them in it do not have to be "issues" books.
April 27, 2024
I was recently gifted this book by a dear friend who is also a close friend of the author. It was with great trepidation that I started reading, as I really wanted to like the book for what it was rather than who wrote it and happily that was the case.
The book is narrated by Angus 'Gus'Green, who is a teenage boy who has been dealt a tough hand, overweight, gay and battling with mental health issues. His father was killed in a car accident, and he lives as an only child with his mother who was left with significant injuries after the accident that she self medicates with alcohol.
Gus has a passion for true crime podcasts and aspires to one day be a professional investigator. When he discovers a website about missing persons and someone who looks very much like him. Gus shares this with his closest friends Shell and Kane who try to help Gus work through something that could shatter everything that he has believed to be true about himself.
Be aware that this book does reference self harm and some child neglect.
Bravo to Troy Hunter on his wonderful debut novel. To launch with such an engaging and well written book is to be commended - the benchmark for your future books has been set high! I feel that there is a subsequent book waiting in the wings as I was left with a few questions.
The book is narrated by Angus 'Gus'Green, who is a teenage boy who has been dealt a tough hand, overweight, gay and battling with mental health issues. His father was killed in a car accident, and he lives as an only child with his mother who was left with significant injuries after the accident that she self medicates with alcohol.
Gus has a passion for true crime podcasts and aspires to one day be a professional investigator. When he discovers a website about missing persons and someone who looks very much like him. Gus shares this with his closest friends Shell and Kane who try to help Gus work through something that could shatter everything that he has believed to be true about himself.
Be aware that this book does reference self harm and some child neglect.
Bravo to Troy Hunter on his wonderful debut novel. To launch with such an engaging and well written book is to be commended - the benchmark for your future books has been set high! I feel that there is a subsequent book waiting in the wings as I was left with a few questions.
July 2, 2024
✍️ Gus Green is an avid True Crime fan who has always felt out of place. He's overweight, gay and his mum's carer. His two friends are Shell and Kane. One day upon looking at a missing person's website he comes across a digitally altered photograph of a boy that looks exactly like him and wonders if he was a kidnapping victim.
After reading the Synopsis I Ascertained straight away that I was going to be Hooked and I certainly was. A Fabulous Debut that I couldn't put down.
True Crime and Whodunnits are my all time Favourite Categories of Books so I was Immediately Hooked from start to finish by the Storyline as well as the air of Mystery and Intrigue that had me immersed in the story.
I Relished the characters that were well developed especially the voice of Gus who was perfectly written and expressed as a young teenager and his sweet and compassionate nature. The portrayal of Young Adults was Appropriately Perceived by the Author.
The themes of Depression, Anxiety and Self Harm were a strong feature of the book which brought to light a sense of awareness of the importance of childhood experiences in this Coming of Age story.
The investigative work that Gus underwent with his Friends was a key element in the book which was delivered in a very timely, detailed and comprehensive manner. I was kept guessing till the end.
Highly recommend.
After reading the Synopsis I Ascertained straight away that I was going to be Hooked and I certainly was. A Fabulous Debut that I couldn't put down.
True Crime and Whodunnits are my all time Favourite Categories of Books so I was Immediately Hooked from start to finish by the Storyline as well as the air of Mystery and Intrigue that had me immersed in the story.
I Relished the characters that were well developed especially the voice of Gus who was perfectly written and expressed as a young teenager and his sweet and compassionate nature. The portrayal of Young Adults was Appropriately Perceived by the Author.
The themes of Depression, Anxiety and Self Harm were a strong feature of the book which brought to light a sense of awareness of the importance of childhood experiences in this Coming of Age story.
The investigative work that Gus underwent with his Friends was a key element in the book which was delivered in a very timely, detailed and comprehensive manner. I was kept guessing till the end.
Highly recommend.
November 1, 2024
A debut crime mystery, Gus and The Missing Boy (2024) by Troy Hunter is a delightful Young Adult fiction tale. Seventeen-year-old Gus is raised by his mother after his father was killed in a car accident five years earlier. Suffering anxiety and attending counselling Gus, like his two friends Shell (Michelle) and Troy, Gus feels they don’t fit in. Gus enjoys mysteries and wants to be a policeman one day. When on a missing person’s website, Gus discovers an age picture of a missing child that looks remarkably like him. Together with his friends, Gus investigates the mystery and discovers secrets of the past and a better understanding of who he really is. A touching coming of age story with teenage angst, identity, gender and self-discovery elements. There is also a trauma response that some readers may find distressing (trigger warning), but nonetheless, it’s a genial and truly satisfying four and a half stars read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement.
March 22, 2024
Troy Hunter's debut novel is an engaging YA read. The protagonist, Gus, is an overweight 15yo, who feels very out of place. He has two friends; Shell, 15, also overweight and a misfit at school too, and Kane ,18, school drop-out and sports fanatic. Five years after his father's death he is very unsure of himself. He is self harming and attending therapy. Gus and Shell both are addicted to true crimes. When Gus finds an AI image of what a lost boy may look like now he is shocked to find his similarity to the image. This starts a search for more information by him and his friends.
This is a story of identity, teenage insecurity, family ties, secrets and strong friendships. I found the story believable on an emotional level and was an absorbing read. An excellent debut novel.
Thanks to Better Reading and Wakefield Press for my copy.
This is a story of identity, teenage insecurity, family ties, secrets and strong friendships. I found the story believable on an emotional level and was an absorbing read. An excellent debut novel.
Thanks to Better Reading and Wakefield Press for my copy.
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