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Pieces of Us
Two secrets, an unbreakable bond . . . a powerful and heartbreaking love letter to a life-changing friendship, from award-winning author, Stewart Foster.
I wish you were here, because maybe this isn’t a story, or a diary. Perhaps it’s just the longest thank you letter a friend could ever write.
As the summer before college begins, Jonas is hiding a secret. He suffers with bulimia, but no one knows. Not even he knows how bad it really is. Until he meets Louis, a confident dreamer who believes in a better future for Jonas and together they enjoy a sun-kissed summer filled with music, memories and life-changing moments. But when tragedy strikes, Jonas must decide if he has the strength to face things alone . . .
Writing from personal experience, an award-winning author shines an important light on difficult themes of illness, mental health, and grief in a redemptive story of friendship, for readers of Meg Rosoff and Sarah Crossan.
Warning: contains some themes that readers may find upsetting, including disordered eating.
I wish you were here, because maybe this isn’t a story, or a diary. Perhaps it’s just the longest thank you letter a friend could ever write.
As the summer before college begins, Jonas is hiding a secret. He suffers with bulimia, but no one knows. Not even he knows how bad it really is. Until he meets Louis, a confident dreamer who believes in a better future for Jonas and together they enjoy a sun-kissed summer filled with music, memories and life-changing moments. But when tragedy strikes, Jonas must decide if he has the strength to face things alone . . .
Writing from personal experience, an award-winning author shines an important light on difficult themes of illness, mental health, and grief in a redemptive story of friendship, for readers of Meg Rosoff and Sarah Crossan.
Warning: contains some themes that readers may find upsetting, including disordered eating.
- GenresContemporaryYoung Adult
288 pages, Hardcover
Published February 27, 2025
6 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Stewart Foster
14 books105 followersStewart Foster lives in Bath and wishes he'd never left school. So he went back to university far too many years later and he wrote a book, We used to be Kings, and then he wrote another, The Bubble Boy, that was loved by The Guardian and many others. It won Sainsbury's book of the year 2016 (10+) and The Trinity Schools Book Award 2017 and many other library awards
'All the things that could go Wrong" has also won many school and library awards, and continues to be shortlisted.
His next novel will be published in May 2019
Like his page on Facebook - Stewart Foster Author and follow him on twitter @stewfoster1.
'All the things that could go Wrong" has also won many school and library awards, and continues to be shortlisted.
His next novel will be published in May 2019
Like his page on Facebook - Stewart Foster Author and follow him on twitter @stewfoster1.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 11, 2025
Any book that makes me cry is an automatic 5⭐️, i mean wow!
As someone who was a teenaged girl, struggling with eating for a long time (but not bullimic), loves poetry and picked english lit and lang just to be able to write more, it felt as if i was destined to pick up this book🥹
I mean I cried two pages in for goodness sake. I felt like I was Jonas, every tear he shed, I did too, every emotion he guarded I kept with him🥹🥲 I became Jonas and what an experience it was.
This was so well written in my opinion but especially with the complex emotions of grief. The avoidance of Caroline and Louis’ mum because of the fact that he saw pieces of him in them made me tear up everytime! Don’t even get me started when Jonas and Caroline saw each other at the funeral and she begged him to go and visit, I SOBEED🥲🥲
Jonas’ ‘Penfriend’ poem about the boy in a war stricken country he had saw on TV had me in a puddle of tears I couldn’t get through a line without crying🥲 especially the line “and when I hug my brother, we just can’t - get - warm”🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲 oh how relevant that is to today’s times and what a devastating image🥲 it really had me bawling like a baby. how sad that those are fiction words that many kids of today sadly relate to, they have each other yet it is not enough to keep a spark of joy in their already desolate lives☹️☹️.
Jonas and Louis’ friendship perfectly captures the friendship of two broken teenagers hoping to make it through life together and being the shining light in their darkness. Usually we get these types of friendships in girls as girls stereotypically tend to be more emotionally vulnerable with each other and so I was so glad to see it through the lens of a male character. It was beautiful to see men vulnerable, even if it was only between them as they felt as if they couldn’t be vulnerable with everyone.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the nitty gritty scenery with the tower blocks and council estates and that vibe. It really reminded me of my childhood in the 2000s growing up skint with a group of mates all equally as poverty stricken, looking out for each other, bunching up money so we could all pitch in for food. It was the exact same community feel in this book which made for a good happy nostalgia session in this painfully beautiful book🥹💕💕💕.
I also liked how many real issues we saw in his book, I already touched on the bulimia and the eating disorder, but there was also homophobia, depression, possible rage and anger (from Liam), and just the fact that home lives were all so different and challenging with one parent households and complex relationships with parents. It really made the book feel that much more real and meaningful👌🏾
What an emotional, well written book, emotionally destroyed me, 10/10 would recommend to anyone and everyone😃
As someone who was a teenaged girl, struggling with eating for a long time (but not bullimic), loves poetry and picked english lit and lang just to be able to write more, it felt as if i was destined to pick up this book🥹
I mean I cried two pages in for goodness sake. I felt like I was Jonas, every tear he shed, I did too, every emotion he guarded I kept with him🥹🥲 I became Jonas and what an experience it was.
This was so well written in my opinion but especially with the complex emotions of grief. The avoidance of Caroline and Louis’ mum because of the fact that he saw pieces of him in them made me tear up everytime! Don’t even get me started when Jonas and Caroline saw each other at the funeral and she begged him to go and visit, I SOBEED🥲🥲
Jonas’ ‘Penfriend’ poem about the boy in a war stricken country he had saw on TV had me in a puddle of tears I couldn’t get through a line without crying🥲 especially the line “and when I hug my brother, we just can’t - get - warm”🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲 oh how relevant that is to today’s times and what a devastating image🥲 it really had me bawling like a baby. how sad that those are fiction words that many kids of today sadly relate to, they have each other yet it is not enough to keep a spark of joy in their already desolate lives☹️☹️.
Jonas and Louis’ friendship perfectly captures the friendship of two broken teenagers hoping to make it through life together and being the shining light in their darkness. Usually we get these types of friendships in girls as girls stereotypically tend to be more emotionally vulnerable with each other and so I was so glad to see it through the lens of a male character. It was beautiful to see men vulnerable, even if it was only between them as they felt as if they couldn’t be vulnerable with everyone.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the nitty gritty scenery with the tower blocks and council estates and that vibe. It really reminded me of my childhood in the 2000s growing up skint with a group of mates all equally as poverty stricken, looking out for each other, bunching up money so we could all pitch in for food. It was the exact same community feel in this book which made for a good happy nostalgia session in this painfully beautiful book🥹💕💕💕.
I also liked how many real issues we saw in his book, I already touched on the bulimia and the eating disorder, but there was also homophobia, depression, possible rage and anger (from Liam), and just the fact that home lives were all so different and challenging with one parent households and complex relationships with parents. It really made the book feel that much more real and meaningful👌🏾
What an emotional, well written book, emotionally destroyed me, 10/10 would recommend to anyone and everyone😃
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2025
I genuinely don’t know how to get across how utterly amazing this book is!! From the very beginning I was just drawn in. I loved meeting Jonas and Louis. Some incredibly difficult but necessary topics hit on. I cried through the last 10/20 pages. Just AMAZING!!
September 30, 2025
Stewart Foster’s Pieces of Us left me feeling… unsettled? Unfinished? I’m not sure how to describe it! Jonas and Louis’s story is so beautiful it made my heart glow. Jonas is struggling with bulimia, the stress of finishing school and his father’s disapproval and disinterest in his life. Although he has a small group of friends, he is very withdrawn until he meets Louis, who blows his worlds open. They have a lovely summer together, filled with music and writing until Louis has to move for university, leaving Jonas to struggle on alone. I felt a similar vibe to the Perks of Being a Wallflower, reading the protagonist suffer with mental health, watching their friends move on while they remain at home, a recluse trying to experience ‘normal’ teenage life although it terrifies them coincided with a lot of the same themes as the cult classic.
Although Jonas suffers with bulimia, it doesn’t take over the whole novel, the theme of connection and friendship really shows through despite Jonas’s mental health. Foster writes about mental illness very sensitively and respectfully, he doesn’t romanticise it while not shirking away from the reality of it. It’s a hard balance to grasp but his writing really controlled without making eating disorders look glamorous. We see Jonas’s character develop a realistic amount, beginning to share his lyrics with his loved ones and share his writing through Louis’s positive influence.
I loved the format of the novel, Jonas writing their story after Louis has passed away, some in the present and some in the past but it blends together seamlessly. The mix between presence and past reminds us that it cannot have a happy ending, although the more we get to know Louis, readers will desperately hope it does. But the ending threw me, I think Jonas and Louis should have ended up together, yes it is great that they could ‘just’ be friends, showing that lgbtq+ and straight people can of course, love one another platonically. But they had such great chemistry the whole time, I was waiting for them to kiss. They seemed like the perfect couple, their long distance phone calls and support felt like old school romance. Although the novel showed the value of friendship, I felt these two would have made the cutest couple.
Also, despite this seeming controversial, I was surprised by Louis’s death. I was 100% under the belief while reading that Louis was going to take his own life. I believed that the novel was showing us how sometimes the happiest people can be hiding their mental health and that we need to reach out to everyone, not just those whose mental health issues are more visible, like Jonas. When exploring Louis’s depression, his darker moments going to the tower, at the party, his isolation at university and his struggle for his identity to be accepted, I thought that either he would sadly take his own life, or that he would be killed in a homophobic attack. His random death, being in a car accident, surprised me. Of course, I didn’t want him to take his life, or to be attacked, but I thought the novel was leading to this chaotic ending, rather than the almost random one. When Jonas was discussing his guilt and wishing he had stayed in London, I was under the impression it was for this reason, not one of life’s tragic accidents.
Both these things sort of left me feeling unfulfilled at the novels conclusion. However, that does not take away from the lovely story of human connection and the positive impact we can have on one another.
Although Jonas suffers with bulimia, it doesn’t take over the whole novel, the theme of connection and friendship really shows through despite Jonas’s mental health. Foster writes about mental illness very sensitively and respectfully, he doesn’t romanticise it while not shirking away from the reality of it. It’s a hard balance to grasp but his writing really controlled without making eating disorders look glamorous. We see Jonas’s character develop a realistic amount, beginning to share his lyrics with his loved ones and share his writing through Louis’s positive influence.
I loved the format of the novel, Jonas writing their story after Louis has passed away, some in the present and some in the past but it blends together seamlessly. The mix between presence and past reminds us that it cannot have a happy ending, although the more we get to know Louis, readers will desperately hope it does. But the ending threw me, I think Jonas and Louis should have ended up together, yes it is great that they could ‘just’ be friends, showing that lgbtq+ and straight people can of course, love one another platonically. But they had such great chemistry the whole time, I was waiting for them to kiss. They seemed like the perfect couple, their long distance phone calls and support felt like old school romance. Although the novel showed the value of friendship, I felt these two would have made the cutest couple.
Also, despite this seeming controversial, I was surprised by Louis’s death. I was 100% under the belief while reading that Louis was going to take his own life. I believed that the novel was showing us how sometimes the happiest people can be hiding their mental health and that we need to reach out to everyone, not just those whose mental health issues are more visible, like Jonas. When exploring Louis’s depression, his darker moments going to the tower, at the party, his isolation at university and his struggle for his identity to be accepted, I thought that either he would sadly take his own life, or that he would be killed in a homophobic attack. His random death, being in a car accident, surprised me. Of course, I didn’t want him to take his life, or to be attacked, but I thought the novel was leading to this chaotic ending, rather than the almost random one. When Jonas was discussing his guilt and wishing he had stayed in London, I was under the impression it was for this reason, not one of life’s tragic accidents.
Both these things sort of left me feeling unfulfilled at the novels conclusion. However, that does not take away from the lovely story of human connection and the positive impact we can have on one another.
January 22, 2025
This books needs some serious trigger warnings. Quite harrowing reading and definitely not for children (older teens should be ok if not sensitive to the triggers) Hard-hitting account of two 17 year olds looking back on their friendship, after the funeral of the elder boy, age 18. It deals with sexuality and eating disorders. A powerful and emotional story which will definitely stay with me but just want to warn sensitive readers, as this is much more mature than the author’s other books that I have read previously.
May 2, 2025
"Pieces of Us" is a raw exploration of teenage friendship, loss, grief, eating disorders and sexuality. I found the themes quite dark which was interesting in contrast to the YA feel of the book. It feels confusing to who this book is for exactly because of that.
Nevertheless, I cried. Something about the quote on page 200 got me.
"But some nights
I see the light going on in your living room
and for one moment
for one stupid moment, I think,
Yes! He's home."
Nevertheless, I cried. Something about the quote on page 200 got me.
"But some nights
I see the light going on in your living room
and for one moment
for one stupid moment, I think,
Yes! He's home."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2025
Upsetting and brutally honest teenage friendship, with hard issues at its heart.
Written to a friend who we know has died, Jonas is clearly grieving and trying his best to tell the story of their friendship and his own problems. Which, from an author's note - were shared by the writer at a similar age.
Quiet Jonas is always seen with a notebook. He's writing lyrics, not to show anyone, just for himself. His dad doesn't understand this, wants him to quit college and get a job. Jonas can't even make himself join writing clubs. He has friends but also keeps a distance.
Enter Louis. Who forces conversation upon Jonas, with his actorly ambitions and interest in Jonas's writing. And who notices how little his new friend eats and the huge clothes he covers himself with.
Jonas finds that his new friend, with drive, talent and confidence, isn't always this when nobody is looking. Everybody has a weakness, a worry, and the two of them together quickly develop an open and moving relationship that everyone around them notices. Not only that - Louis starts to push Jonas to share his lyrics, his deepest thoughts, with the world, setting them to rhythms.
We share Jonas's writing throughout, see the personal connection between the lines and his experiences and thoughts. And we gradually work our way through the story to the time we know is coming from the beginning.
It's well constructed, readers know what's ahead, making everything before it that more poignant as we see snippets of the funeral, the 'time after' even as we are delving further with the boys into their friendship and possible futures for these students.
It felt like a very honest portrayal of an eating disorder. It's a time of telephone boxes and screen-free adolescence. With less acceptance of difference possibly, less understanding, but a story that speaks to young people about real issues that don't change at their core.
Very sad, but very well written and clearly from the author's heart.
With thanks to the publisher for providing a sample reading copy.
Written to a friend who we know has died, Jonas is clearly grieving and trying his best to tell the story of their friendship and his own problems. Which, from an author's note - were shared by the writer at a similar age.
Quiet Jonas is always seen with a notebook. He's writing lyrics, not to show anyone, just for himself. His dad doesn't understand this, wants him to quit college and get a job. Jonas can't even make himself join writing clubs. He has friends but also keeps a distance.
Enter Louis. Who forces conversation upon Jonas, with his actorly ambitions and interest in Jonas's writing. And who notices how little his new friend eats and the huge clothes he covers himself with.
Jonas finds that his new friend, with drive, talent and confidence, isn't always this when nobody is looking. Everybody has a weakness, a worry, and the two of them together quickly develop an open and moving relationship that everyone around them notices. Not only that - Louis starts to push Jonas to share his lyrics, his deepest thoughts, with the world, setting them to rhythms.
We share Jonas's writing throughout, see the personal connection between the lines and his experiences and thoughts. And we gradually work our way through the story to the time we know is coming from the beginning.
It's well constructed, readers know what's ahead, making everything before it that more poignant as we see snippets of the funeral, the 'time after' even as we are delving further with the boys into their friendship and possible futures for these students.
It felt like a very honest portrayal of an eating disorder. It's a time of telephone boxes and screen-free adolescence. With less acceptance of difference possibly, less understanding, but a story that speaks to young people about real issues that don't change at their core.
Very sad, but very well written and clearly from the author's heart.
With thanks to the publisher for providing a sample reading copy.
March 2, 2025
“Fragments of Truth: A Story That Speaks in Silence”
Book Review: Pieces of Us by Stewart Foster
I’ve been a fan of Stewart Foster’s writing ever since I arranged for him to visit my school. His books consistently tackle important societal issues, presenting them in a way that is both honest and deeply relatable for young readers. Pieces of Us is, without a doubt, his best work yet.
From the very first page, I was blown away by Foster’s effortless writing—his words seem to lift off the page, speaking volumes while leaving even more for the reader to uncover. The subject matter is raw and deeply affecting, but Foster is a master at weaving emotions into his prose, allowing the reader to stand shoulder to shoulder with the characters as their lives unfold.
Louis and Jonas are extraordinary characters, and Foster allows us to observe them in their most vulnerable moments. Their friendship is beautifully complex, filled with love and deep connection—whether platonic or something more, it doesn’t matter. Their bond defies labels, and that’s what makes it so pure. As their secrets are revealed, there are moments when reading feels almost intrusive, as if we are eavesdropping on their most private thoughts. Yet, this intimacy is what makes the novel so powerful.
Foster’s storytelling is unique, as the narrative is told through a singular voice, guiding us through the devastation of adolescence with an almost haunting inevitability. The conversation between the characters is heartbreakingly real, and the reader is left with the overwhelming question—not of what will happen, but how it will all unfold.
For young adults who may be carrying their own secrets, this book serves as a powerful reminder that they are not alone. It highlights the importance of talking, of finding someone to trust, and of sharing burdens before they become too heavy to bear. If Pieces of Us helps even one reader find that trust, then it is more than just a brilliant novel—it’s a beacon of hope.
I cannot recommend this book enough. Pieces of Us is a stunning, emotional masterpiece. 10/10.
Book Review: Pieces of Us by Stewart Foster
I’ve been a fan of Stewart Foster’s writing ever since I arranged for him to visit my school. His books consistently tackle important societal issues, presenting them in a way that is both honest and deeply relatable for young readers. Pieces of Us is, without a doubt, his best work yet.
From the very first page, I was blown away by Foster’s effortless writing—his words seem to lift off the page, speaking volumes while leaving even more for the reader to uncover. The subject matter is raw and deeply affecting, but Foster is a master at weaving emotions into his prose, allowing the reader to stand shoulder to shoulder with the characters as their lives unfold.
Louis and Jonas are extraordinary characters, and Foster allows us to observe them in their most vulnerable moments. Their friendship is beautifully complex, filled with love and deep connection—whether platonic or something more, it doesn’t matter. Their bond defies labels, and that’s what makes it so pure. As their secrets are revealed, there are moments when reading feels almost intrusive, as if we are eavesdropping on their most private thoughts. Yet, this intimacy is what makes the novel so powerful.
Foster’s storytelling is unique, as the narrative is told through a singular voice, guiding us through the devastation of adolescence with an almost haunting inevitability. The conversation between the characters is heartbreakingly real, and the reader is left with the overwhelming question—not of what will happen, but how it will all unfold.
For young adults who may be carrying their own secrets, this book serves as a powerful reminder that they are not alone. It highlights the importance of talking, of finding someone to trust, and of sharing burdens before they become too heavy to bear. If Pieces of Us helps even one reader find that trust, then it is more than just a brilliant novel—it’s a beacon of hope.
I cannot recommend this book enough. Pieces of Us is a stunning, emotional masterpiece. 10/10.
March 2, 2025
A love letter to a best friend looking back at a life-enhancing, maybe even life-changing friendship. An exploration of how pivotal friendship can be.
Devastating and yet, life-affirming.
***
There’s lots of turmoil and change in Jonas’s friendship group; the fact that there’s something going on with him hasn’t exactly gone unnoticed but there are more pressing concerns, and Jonas swears he’s fine.
His parents and friends have all noticed the weightloss and that Jonas is keeping himself to himself more than ever. Probably just a phase, like the Agony Aunts in his mum’s magazines say.
When Louis -gorgeous, effervescent Louis - shows up, Jonas tries his best to repel his attempts at friendship and keep shut off. Thankfully, Louis’s charm and persistence pay off and the two begin an incredible friendship that makes each boy accept themself that little bit more. Jonas soon realises that despite Louis’s seemingly effortless social skills & outward reasons for being happy, he isn’t; he is also consumed by a secret.
Stewart Foster has written a beautiful and moving account of male friendship, which flies in the face of the models of masculinity being pushed elsewhere and shows the cathartic power of such relationships.
He also shows:
A realistic portrayal of how eating disorders- specifically Bulimia Nervosa-affect lives.
A snapshot of life in Britain for gay people before Section 28 was repealed. A vital reminder of the need for LGBTQ+ representation, and education, everywhere in society and how it can change, and save lives.
A depiction of working class lives. Plus insight into how strange, alienating FE/HE experiences can be for people from these backgrounds, particularly when class intersects with other identities and or mental health issues.
A fantastic read, which will be important to many readers.
Devastating and yet, life-affirming.
***
There’s lots of turmoil and change in Jonas’s friendship group; the fact that there’s something going on with him hasn’t exactly gone unnoticed but there are more pressing concerns, and Jonas swears he’s fine.
His parents and friends have all noticed the weightloss and that Jonas is keeping himself to himself more than ever. Probably just a phase, like the Agony Aunts in his mum’s magazines say.
When Louis -gorgeous, effervescent Louis - shows up, Jonas tries his best to repel his attempts at friendship and keep shut off. Thankfully, Louis’s charm and persistence pay off and the two begin an incredible friendship that makes each boy accept themself that little bit more. Jonas soon realises that despite Louis’s seemingly effortless social skills & outward reasons for being happy, he isn’t; he is also consumed by a secret.
Stewart Foster has written a beautiful and moving account of male friendship, which flies in the face of the models of masculinity being pushed elsewhere and shows the cathartic power of such relationships.
He also shows:
A realistic portrayal of how eating disorders- specifically Bulimia Nervosa-affect lives.
A snapshot of life in Britain for gay people before Section 28 was repealed. A vital reminder of the need for LGBTQ+ representation, and education, everywhere in society and how it can change, and save lives.
A depiction of working class lives. Plus insight into how strange, alienating FE/HE experiences can be for people from these backgrounds, particularly when class intersects with other identities and or mental health issues.
A fantastic read, which will be important to many readers.
June 10, 2025
I cried so much reading this book and it was a no brainer that it was gonna get 5 Stars.
The Story itself is told beautifully by Jonas and it jumps from the past to current events without disrupting the flow of the reading experience. This book isn't for the weak and brought me to this right from the first page. I started reading it in public and actually had to put it down to continue in private.
The hard topics in the content are told authentically and I especially felt Jonas' personal story to my core. At first I was unsure if I were to like each of the characters but somehow mostly all of them grew on me and brought me to shed some bittersweet tears.
𝗪𝗵𝘆 5 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀? ⭐
Truly no other rating would do this book justice. It was very fast to read and good to understand, I was emotionally invested and my heart broke a bit for the story. Somehow I also felt understood and welcome in the embrace of the lines and essence of the book. I recommend this for everyone who is open to books dealing with mental health and loss.
The Story itself is told beautifully by Jonas and it jumps from the past to current events without disrupting the flow of the reading experience. This book isn't for the weak and brought me to this right from the first page. I started reading it in public and actually had to put it down to continue in private.
The hard topics in the content are told authentically and I especially felt Jonas' personal story to my core. At first I was unsure if I were to like each of the characters but somehow mostly all of them grew on me and brought me to shed some bittersweet tears.
𝗪𝗵𝘆 5 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀? ⭐
Truly no other rating would do this book justice. It was very fast to read and good to understand, I was emotionally invested and my heart broke a bit for the story. Somehow I also felt understood and welcome in the embrace of the lines and essence of the book. I recommend this for everyone who is open to books dealing with mental health and loss.
April 14, 2025
This book has some wonderful poetry, and I don’t mean the lyrics. The words and experiences between the 2 main characters were so beautiful; the way each of their secrets were handled were raw and emotional. There were so many lines I wanted to cut out and stick on my wall because of how deep they were.
The story was interesting, I couldn’t wait to read the next chapter. It was such a heavy book because of the main topics, but it’s so important that people, especially the youth, can read literature like this to understand what people go through.
Personally, I loved the format of past and present. The reason it’s only a 4 is because I would have liked more - what happened next for Jonas? Also, the lyrics were a great touch and really furthers the story as well as giving readers an insight to how powerful Jonas’ mind was, but I found that they weren’t always relevant or sometimes just a bit cringey (again, that’s personal opinion - there were several that were beautiful).
The story was interesting, I couldn’t wait to read the next chapter. It was such a heavy book because of the main topics, but it’s so important that people, especially the youth, can read literature like this to understand what people go through.
Personally, I loved the format of past and present. The reason it’s only a 4 is because I would have liked more - what happened next for Jonas? Also, the lyrics were a great touch and really furthers the story as well as giving readers an insight to how powerful Jonas’ mind was, but I found that they weren’t always relevant or sometimes just a bit cringey (again, that’s personal opinion - there were several that were beautiful).
June 11, 2025
I love Stewart Foster's writingStewart Foster But this raw, honest book just tore me to pieces. It is an amazing story of two teenage boys, each with a secret. Jonas has disordered eating - he is bulimic and has body dysmorphia, and Louis is in the closet. The story of the friendship between them is beautiful, and heartbreaking. They navigate their way through a world where they have to hide who they truly are, only revealing their secrets to each other. Foster is honest about this being an own voices story, and that is what makes it so powerful - that insight. Beautifully written, I wouldn't be surprised to see this on the Carnegie shortlist next year. It is a must have for your older teen shelves.
June 4, 2025
Quality writing from Stewart Foster, in what is possible his first foray into the world of YA. The story starts at the funeral a Louie and this book feels like a is a long letter to him from his new friend, Jonas chronicling their friendship story. It touches on bulimia and on sexuality but also has more light hearted moments such as their trip to Reading Festival, which can only be based on reality given my own personal knowledge of that place in the early 90's. Its a quality coming of age story tinged with more than a bit of sadness from teh outset. An enjoyable read with sort of a twist at the end that i'm not going to go into here, and also good to see Foster step away from his usual type of story aimed at uppr KS2, Y7 type people. NetGalley ARC.
September 29, 2025
Okay so this was recommended as part of a book group and at first I wasn’t into it at all, thinking it was a little young for me and the themes weren’t compatible with what I usually enjoy however I still kept reading appreciate the subtle beauty in this book but more importantly the very realistic depiction of bulimia and having an eating disorder.
The characters are very defined and well written especially Louis, you can really see how Jonas looks up to him throughout. I appreciate how the less main characters like Jonas’s friends even have depth often sympathising with them as they don’t understand what’s going on with Jonas, getting frustrated but for the most part being understanding. It’s hard to hit that balance and make a reader feel that way which is really great :).
The read overall is hard in place due to the accuracy and raw emotion in some of the harder chapters but that’s what brings more beauty to the book. A very good and educational read for older teens. :)
The characters are very defined and well written especially Louis, you can really see how Jonas looks up to him throughout. I appreciate how the less main characters like Jonas’s friends even have depth often sympathising with them as they don’t understand what’s going on with Jonas, getting frustrated but for the most part being understanding. It’s hard to hit that balance and make a reader feel that way which is really great :).
The read overall is hard in place due to the accuracy and raw emotion in some of the harder chapters but that’s what brings more beauty to the book. A very good and educational read for older teens. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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February 24, 2025This is one for readers who like Young Adult novels that cover several big themes at the same time, in this case: grief, body dysmorphia, bulimia, sexuality, parental expectation, friendship, starting university, and trying to make it in the music industry.
The main narrative is told in the 'you' second person and there are also several separate addresses to the departed friend in the 'you' form, plus many of the narrator's song lyrics.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
The main narrative is told in the 'you' second person and there are also several separate addresses to the departed friend in the 'you' form, plus many of the narrator's song lyrics.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
March 5, 2025
A beautiful and heartbreaking book that looks at the friendship between two boys, each with their own issues and how they affect and change each others lives over a short period of time, how they come to mean so much to each other. The book deals with serious issues like eating disorders, grief, mental health. They are important factors of the book, but at the core it's about friendship and love of all kinds and how people can change each other over a short space of time but become part of someone for a lifetime.
July 6, 2025
This was a reading club book, and is a different vibe from what I usually read (and what book club usually reads.) I’ve read highly emotional and triggering books before (see A Little Life) so I was prepared going in to this. I left it very late in terms of being prepared for book club, beginning it the night before we were going to go and read it. It really wasn’t a book that was calling to me or that I was particularly excited to read, which added in to my experience of the book. It was an interesting format and idea, it didn’t work for me personally but lots of others enjoyed it.
April 10, 2025
An angsty read that a lot of people can relate to. The author's message is clear - that speaking out can change lives. For me, a bit too reminiscent of the Big Boys storyline to feel new or unique but a good read.
March 11, 2025
Pieces of Us was a poignant, beautifully written book that really hit home for me.
This was such an impactful and gorgeously crafted book, with a story that will resonate with so many readers. Foster examines some difficult topics here, so do be mindful of content warnings, but it is done with clear heart and sensitivity. These are things that teenagers are facing and they deserve to see themselves reflected authentically on the page. This is a book unafraid to handle hard discussions. Foster faces it with grit and determination, unflinching in the face of difficulty. It explores mental health, grief, homophobia and classism in particular – all topics that deserve to be shouted about.
It is hard-hitting and tough, but shines because of how wonderfully Foster fleshes out our central characters. Even though we start in a place of raw grief, we become invested in these people and their story. We know how it will end but wish for it to end differently anyway. It is an exquisite modern tragedy, full of love and beauty amongst the darkness. Jonas and Louis are these complicated teenagers trying to find their place, drawn together by a spark that grows into a flame. Their dynamic was rich and heart-warming, sharing highs and lows together. I love the way music influenced their relationship, adding another textural layer to the story. There is a throughline about performance and the appearance we present to the world versus the reality hiding beneath. Both Jonas and Louis are hiding their own secrets that could change their lives forever.
Pieces of Us was a wonderful exploration of friendship, love, mental health and grief.
CW: homophobia, death, grief, eating disorder
This was such an impactful and gorgeously crafted book, with a story that will resonate with so many readers. Foster examines some difficult topics here, so do be mindful of content warnings, but it is done with clear heart and sensitivity. These are things that teenagers are facing and they deserve to see themselves reflected authentically on the page. This is a book unafraid to handle hard discussions. Foster faces it with grit and determination, unflinching in the face of difficulty. It explores mental health, grief, homophobia and classism in particular – all topics that deserve to be shouted about.
It is hard-hitting and tough, but shines because of how wonderfully Foster fleshes out our central characters. Even though we start in a place of raw grief, we become invested in these people and their story. We know how it will end but wish for it to end differently anyway. It is an exquisite modern tragedy, full of love and beauty amongst the darkness. Jonas and Louis are these complicated teenagers trying to find their place, drawn together by a spark that grows into a flame. Their dynamic was rich and heart-warming, sharing highs and lows together. I love the way music influenced their relationship, adding another textural layer to the story. There is a throughline about performance and the appearance we present to the world versus the reality hiding beneath. Both Jonas and Louis are hiding their own secrets that could change their lives forever.
Pieces of Us was a wonderful exploration of friendship, love, mental health and grief.
CW: homophobia, death, grief, eating disorder
April 30, 2025
This is aimed at a bit older age range than Stewart’s usual books. It’s not a light read at all- starting at the funeral of Louis and then going back over the friendship of Louis and Jonas (who has poor body image and disordered eating).
Set in the early ‘90s, it beautifully describes the growth of their friendship and how they help and support each other. As their story unfolds, bits and pieces are revealed about Jonas’s issues with food and how he perceives himself and his worth to others, Although the eating is a key part of the story, it is not the focus. Brilliantly, when Louis is outed as gay, it doesn’t change anything about their friendship and closeness. There isn’t a happy ending, but there are glimmers of hope for Jonas in his future.
Set in the early ‘90s, it beautifully describes the growth of their friendship and how they help and support each other. As their story unfolds, bits and pieces are revealed about Jonas’s issues with food and how he perceives himself and his worth to others, Although the eating is a key part of the story, it is not the focus. Brilliantly, when Louis is outed as gay, it doesn’t change anything about their friendship and closeness. There isn’t a happy ending, but there are glimmers of hope for Jonas in his future.
September 22, 2025
Had a lot to say about grief. Really well done
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