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Everything Not Saved
A debut Queer YA novel combining the power of video games, and the potential of young love with magic, horror and the supernatural.
Praise for Everything Not Saved :
"THINK SEX EDUCATION MEETS BUFFY. MY MIND WAS BLOWN!" - Justin Arnold
"RIVETING...TOLD WITH HEART AND PASSION BY AN EXCITING NEW VOICE IN YA FICTION" - Benjamin Dean
"A GRIPPING PAGETURNER FOR GAYMERS YOUNG AND OLD" - Will Kostakis
"A BREEZY AND HEARTWARMING ODE TO GAY GEEK CULTURE" - L.C. Rosen
'CHILD OF DARKNESS,
CHILD OF LIGHT,
ONE BORN TO MOURN,
THE OTHER TO FIGHT.
TEACH WHAT YOU KNOW.
SEAL THE BELOW.'
Everything Not Saved follows two very different teenage Mikey Redman & Kris Dwyer and the unlikely bond between them.
The boys' shared love of computer games glues them together over the years and helps them overcome struggles at school and at home.
While they try and understand what is happening to their friendship, and figure out why increasingly unpleasant things are happening in Pytt End.
There's more magick about both of them than they realise.
There's also more than it seems to the creepy well in Mikey's back garden, where an ancient evil is stirring underneath the village.
Can they save the world without losing each other?
Trigger Warnings
This book contains serious content which might be upsetting to some readers.
This includes depictions alcoholism, bullying, childhood trauma, domestic abuse, death, gender dysphoria, homophobia, queerphobia, sexual health scares, sex, sexual assault and violence. Please be mindful of these, and other potential triggers, and consult the resources listed on page 299 if affected.
Praise for Everything Not Saved :
"THINK SEX EDUCATION MEETS BUFFY. MY MIND WAS BLOWN!" - Justin Arnold
"RIVETING...TOLD WITH HEART AND PASSION BY AN EXCITING NEW VOICE IN YA FICTION" - Benjamin Dean
"A GRIPPING PAGETURNER FOR GAYMERS YOUNG AND OLD" - Will Kostakis
"A BREEZY AND HEARTWARMING ODE TO GAY GEEK CULTURE" - L.C. Rosen
'CHILD OF DARKNESS,
CHILD OF LIGHT,
ONE BORN TO MOURN,
THE OTHER TO FIGHT.
TEACH WHAT YOU KNOW.
SEAL THE BELOW.'
Everything Not Saved follows two very different teenage Mikey Redman & Kris Dwyer and the unlikely bond between them.
The boys' shared love of computer games glues them together over the years and helps them overcome struggles at school and at home.
While they try and understand what is happening to their friendship, and figure out why increasingly unpleasant things are happening in Pytt End.
There's more magick about both of them than they realise.
There's also more than it seems to the creepy well in Mikey's back garden, where an ancient evil is stirring underneath the village.
Can they save the world without losing each other?
Trigger Warnings
This book contains serious content which might be upsetting to some readers.
This includes depictions alcoholism, bullying, childhood trauma, domestic abuse, death, gender dysphoria, homophobia, queerphobia, sexual health scares, sex, sexual assault and violence. Please be mindful of these, and other potential triggers, and consult the resources listed on page 299 if affected.
312 pages, Hardcover
Published September 30, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 26, 2025
Everything Not Saved is my favourite sort of story. Full of voice, refreshingly unique, original, emotionally earnest, authentic, interesting, and fun.
Mikey and Kris make a loveable duo who support each other in figuring themselves out in a gentle friendship dynamic before figuring out who they are together and what that means for them. The pair's connection also seems important to the fate of the world as events take a supernatural edge and the corruption of the local hellmouth threatens to seep into our boys soppy beating hearts. The story steadily builds momentum with neurodivergent friendly chapter lengths toward a climactic series of events that had me on the edge of my seat and crying on the tube on my way home from work as I read. It's a treat to read a story where you get time and connection to truly care about the characters, not just what happens to them on a mortal coil apocalypse level, but about them as people and where they end up together.
Lots of ground is covered: firsts and lasts, true to life and modern magical trials and tribulations, but everything comes together to create a deep and meaningful story not just of fantastical things happening but the queer young people dealing with them, bright, front, and centre. Through the darker moments, there are overwhelming themes of love, trust, and acceptance--even when things threaten to be heartbreaking. I don’t remember the last time I read a book in a day, but this one I did happily. 'Sex Education' meets 'Buffy' is a good description for a coming of age magical adventure drama, but give it a dash of 'Scott Pilgrim' for the delightful gaymer escapism and a sprinkle of 'I Kill Giants' for the moody and haunting ominous threat creeping between the real world trauma our heroes face. All of this culminates in an ending that will stay with me for a long time and I think may be one of my favourite endings of any book I've read.
Be sure to check out the content warnings which are extensive and linked to a list of resources, and consider signing up with your player 2 because this debut is something special and is something you'll want to enjoy, and definitely keep it saved.
Mikey and Kris make a loveable duo who support each other in figuring themselves out in a gentle friendship dynamic before figuring out who they are together and what that means for them. The pair's connection also seems important to the fate of the world as events take a supernatural edge and the corruption of the local hellmouth threatens to seep into our boys soppy beating hearts. The story steadily builds momentum with neurodivergent friendly chapter lengths toward a climactic series of events that had me on the edge of my seat and crying on the tube on my way home from work as I read. It's a treat to read a story where you get time and connection to truly care about the characters, not just what happens to them on a mortal coil apocalypse level, but about them as people and where they end up together.
Lots of ground is covered: firsts and lasts, true to life and modern magical trials and tribulations, but everything comes together to create a deep and meaningful story not just of fantastical things happening but the queer young people dealing with them, bright, front, and centre. Through the darker moments, there are overwhelming themes of love, trust, and acceptance--even when things threaten to be heartbreaking. I don’t remember the last time I read a book in a day, but this one I did happily. 'Sex Education' meets 'Buffy' is a good description for a coming of age magical adventure drama, but give it a dash of 'Scott Pilgrim' for the delightful gaymer escapism and a sprinkle of 'I Kill Giants' for the moody and haunting ominous threat creeping between the real world trauma our heroes face. All of this culminates in an ending that will stay with me for a long time and I think may be one of my favourite endings of any book I've read.
Be sure to check out the content warnings which are extensive and linked to a list of resources, and consider signing up with your player 2 because this debut is something special and is something you'll want to enjoy, and definitely keep it saved.
August 5, 2026
I received the audiobook to give this a listen for the Indie Ink Awards. I actually had to listen to it off my phone out of my Files app, so for the first time in years, I listened to a book at normal speed! I also think it was created after a successful Kickstarter campaign (maybe?), and I may be one of the earliest listeners, as the audio doesn’t seem available yet, so what a treat. The three narrators do a fantastic job.
Mikey’s mom moves him and his brother to a new town. A new school, which usually provides new anxieties for a nerdy kid like Mike, ends up being something of a blessing, as he immediately falls in with new friend Kris. Kris is the effortlessly athletic football player. Girls find him attractive, and boys respect him. While this may seem like a strange friendship, it still offers some form of shield for Mikey, as bullies tend to avoid picking on the best friend of the school’s lead player. The thing is, Mikey finds Kris attractive too, but in fear of ruining what they have, keeps it to himself for a long time.
Kris, who comes from an abusive home, finds solace in his supportive and present grandmother. This grandmother though, has some interesting things to say about his friendship with Mikey. The house Mike’s family rents has been considered haunted for years. Strange things happen to, and around, it, and over time it’s revealed that Kris’ Granny knows more than she’s letting on. What she will say is this: in one way or another, Mikey and Kris are meant to be bound for life. Through their love of video games and free time, they simultaneously push back the horde of evil, managing this through pure friendship and love.
This one is really unique. Such a love letter to video games with epigraphs throughout from games the author loves. There’s also a through line where chapters will begin with, or are followed by interludes of, an in-universe game created by the author that shadows their friendship and the town’s more magical aspects. Personally for me, I struggled with these at the beginning though. The tone is quite different from that of the main plot, and I didn’t feel like the side plot felt very much like a video game. With games being such visual storytelling, it’s certainly hard to nail. The video game character dialogue wasn’t really on par with the rest of the novel either, although if the goal was to sounds like VG writing, it succeeds. Not bad whatsoever, and the plot does come back around into play in an important way, it can just be jarring at times. Personally, I did enjoy the more sci-fi tilt (the game itself is fantasy) to the story though.
It’s also a love letter to being a young gay kid. Mikey and Kris might be the slowest slow burn of all time—I listened to 59 sections of audio for a first kiss! And damn does it feel earned by then. While in many aspects, being LGBTQ has become much more “accessible” these days, kids are still notorious for being awful to each other. This story doesn’t shy from that. From teasing, to bullying, to outright slur calling. It tackles insecurities and fears, especially when those are also being projected as jokes in front of the other classmates. Even when those jokes were yelled long before Mikey and Kris really knew themselves. I appreciated the author making the slow burn tick away until both characters were over 18, but I’m not really a fan of sex scenes in novels regardless—though these were far more tame than many I’ve seen. I really enjoyed the two main characters and their stewardship of the friendship. I loved how protecting each other came first and foremost, always. The juxtaposition between Kris’ abusive father and emotionally unavailable mother (there’s plenty to unpack there, but it’s not the focus in this story), and the supportive and spot on parenting of Mikey’s mom, was not only necessary, but really well woven into the story. A firm hell yeah for displaying supportive family. The world can be bad, often it is, but not everything or everyone is out to get you. Sometimes, like the love of a mother, or the love of a grandmother, people want you to be exactly who you are.
Somehow I’ve typed this much while still not really talking about the plot itself, maybe it’s better this way. The author has curated a hometown romance story, a video game sci-fi tinged world, a dark fantasy, or even horror, tilting world with its magical realism and world-ending scale. The boys are just like any other, millions of others, and yet they hold the strength and power to save their town, the world at large, and each other. If you know me, I always vote for more horror, especially with such a creepy set up as this, but it works well as is too. This book is not without its faults, but it is a hell of a good debut.
https://fanfiaddict.com/everything-no...
Mikey’s mom moves him and his brother to a new town. A new school, which usually provides new anxieties for a nerdy kid like Mike, ends up being something of a blessing, as he immediately falls in with new friend Kris. Kris is the effortlessly athletic football player. Girls find him attractive, and boys respect him. While this may seem like a strange friendship, it still offers some form of shield for Mikey, as bullies tend to avoid picking on the best friend of the school’s lead player. The thing is, Mikey finds Kris attractive too, but in fear of ruining what they have, keeps it to himself for a long time.
Kris, who comes from an abusive home, finds solace in his supportive and present grandmother. This grandmother though, has some interesting things to say about his friendship with Mikey. The house Mike’s family rents has been considered haunted for years. Strange things happen to, and around, it, and over time it’s revealed that Kris’ Granny knows more than she’s letting on. What she will say is this: in one way or another, Mikey and Kris are meant to be bound for life. Through their love of video games and free time, they simultaneously push back the horde of evil, managing this through pure friendship and love.
This one is really unique. Such a love letter to video games with epigraphs throughout from games the author loves. There’s also a through line where chapters will begin with, or are followed by interludes of, an in-universe game created by the author that shadows their friendship and the town’s more magical aspects. Personally for me, I struggled with these at the beginning though. The tone is quite different from that of the main plot, and I didn’t feel like the side plot felt very much like a video game. With games being such visual storytelling, it’s certainly hard to nail. The video game character dialogue wasn’t really on par with the rest of the novel either, although if the goal was to sounds like VG writing, it succeeds. Not bad whatsoever, and the plot does come back around into play in an important way, it can just be jarring at times. Personally, I did enjoy the more sci-fi tilt (the game itself is fantasy) to the story though.
It’s also a love letter to being a young gay kid. Mikey and Kris might be the slowest slow burn of all time—I listened to 59 sections of audio for a first kiss! And damn does it feel earned by then. While in many aspects, being LGBTQ has become much more “accessible” these days, kids are still notorious for being awful to each other. This story doesn’t shy from that. From teasing, to bullying, to outright slur calling. It tackles insecurities and fears, especially when those are also being projected as jokes in front of the other classmates. Even when those jokes were yelled long before Mikey and Kris really knew themselves. I appreciated the author making the slow burn tick away until both characters were over 18, but I’m not really a fan of sex scenes in novels regardless—though these were far more tame than many I’ve seen. I really enjoyed the two main characters and their stewardship of the friendship. I loved how protecting each other came first and foremost, always. The juxtaposition between Kris’ abusive father and emotionally unavailable mother (there’s plenty to unpack there, but it’s not the focus in this story), and the supportive and spot on parenting of Mikey’s mom, was not only necessary, but really well woven into the story. A firm hell yeah for displaying supportive family. The world can be bad, often it is, but not everything or everyone is out to get you. Sometimes, like the love of a mother, or the love of a grandmother, people want you to be exactly who you are.
Somehow I’ve typed this much while still not really talking about the plot itself, maybe it’s better this way. The author has curated a hometown romance story, a video game sci-fi tinged world, a dark fantasy, or even horror, tilting world with its magical realism and world-ending scale. The boys are just like any other, millions of others, and yet they hold the strength and power to save their town, the world at large, and each other. If you know me, I always vote for more horror, especially with such a creepy set up as this, but it works well as is too. This book is not without its faults, but it is a hell of a good debut.
https://fanfiaddict.com/everything-no...
December 31, 2025
The book I wish I could have had at 15. Beautifully written and full of drama and emotion. You feel by the end you know the characters deeply. The twist at the end too was so in keeping with the book yet also a surprise. Wonderful. I want more :).
October 2, 2025
A phenomenal story full of heart, nerdy references, queerness, and magic.
September 17, 2025
Ummm where do I start. I have found that this book is perfection it has encapsulated many aspects of what young LGBTQIA+ people face at some point in time.
The MMCs were perfectly done as they highlighted and helped me resonate with a lot on the challenges I had faced growing up as a young bi man.
It also being in video game style was so perfect as well. I’m proud to have read this book and need to give props to the author who has done an amazing job.
Also my favourite chapter is definitely the internal realms chapter 16 so sweet and spice was perfect.
My favourite character is definitely M! I related to him so much when reading.
The MMCs were perfectly done as they highlighted and helped me resonate with a lot on the challenges I had faced growing up as a young bi man.
It also being in video game style was so perfect as well. I’m proud to have read this book and need to give props to the author who has done an amazing job.
Also my favourite chapter is definitely the internal realms chapter 16 so sweet and spice was perfect.
My favourite character is definitely M! I related to him so much when reading.
September 28, 2025
This was a stunning debut that had me hooked from the very first page. Told between alternating povs featuring our MMC’s and snippets of a video game, it was so refreshing to read and an absolute joy to experience.
It scratched so many itches and I loved it. It was nostalgic, calling back to Buffy and video games from my childhood. It was emotional, hopeful, dark, creepy, exciting.
I couldn’t fault it at all and I am so proud of Nick for writing such a stunning story. I didn’t want it to end.
It scratched so many itches and I loved it. It was nostalgic, calling back to Buffy and video games from my childhood. It was emotional, hopeful, dark, creepy, exciting.
I couldn’t fault it at all and I am so proud of Nick for writing such a stunning story. I didn’t want it to end.
May 8, 2026
A really good read.
It's an imaginative blend of Buffy, Heartstopper, and Kingdom hearts, which is both to it's benefit and it's detriment. There's so much packed into this book that, at times, means the pace is breakneck and there's a little too much telling rather than showing. However, the concept is strong, fantastic, and well thought out.
The book has a great cast of characters, each one a very defined personality- I think the characters are the best part IMO.
The ending was very creative (I won't spoil it, but what a great idea!)
I really hope we get a sequel!
It's an imaginative blend of Buffy, Heartstopper, and Kingdom hearts, which is both to it's benefit and it's detriment. There's so much packed into this book that, at times, means the pace is breakneck and there's a little too much telling rather than showing. However, the concept is strong, fantastic, and well thought out.
The book has a great cast of characters, each one a very defined personality- I think the characters are the best part IMO.
The ending was very creative (I won't spoil it, but what a great idea!)
I really hope we get a sequel!
February 28, 2026
What a brilliant debut from Coveney. I’m a sucker for the supernatural and for a well-developed, slow-burn queer romance - and this book delivers both. Huge praise to the author for keeping the characters so grounded and authentic across such a long span of time.
The Buffy-inspired vibes are definitely there, but with a distinctly British, video game–infused twist that makes the story feel fresh rather than derivative. It takes a darker turn toward the end, which really elevated the story for me. What Coveney puts his main characters through is brutal at times, but it’s handled with such care and skill that you truly feel for these boys by the final pages.
I’d highly recommend this to anyone looking for a thoughtful coming-of-age story with supernatural thrills and a charming friends-to-lovers romance.
The Buffy-inspired vibes are definitely there, but with a distinctly British, video game–infused twist that makes the story feel fresh rather than derivative. It takes a darker turn toward the end, which really elevated the story for me. What Coveney puts his main characters through is brutal at times, but it’s handled with such care and skill that you truly feel for these boys by the final pages.
I’d highly recommend this to anyone looking for a thoughtful coming-of-age story with supernatural thrills and a charming friends-to-lovers romance.
December 25, 2025
Love this book with a passion. The perfect melding of speculative, witchy, gaymer fiction with LGBTQ+ narrative. Was on my reading list long before my Book Club pushed the read, but I’m glad they did. Cannot recommend highly enough.
January 31, 2026
Every queer fantasy/comic book nerd needs to read this. Fun, touching, scary when needed. A true adventure.
March 4, 2026
I was totally gripped by this book, not just by the underlying mystery but by the development of the two wonderfully well written main characters.
Kris and Mikey are realistic and relatable. I was rooting for their relationship, all the while getting flashbacks to my own time stumbling awkwardly through school and teenage romance.
The supernatural elements to the book are really fun and makes you think that this magic could really be out there in secret... just waiting for us to be properly introduced to it.
I listened to the audiobook production which was fantastically done. The voice actors are really acting, not just reading out a script.
There is also original music added tastefully to some parts of the story involving video games.
I've not seen this done in an audiobook before and it really worked well. There's something iconic about video game music and it definitely invoked the feelings and memories of the hours I spent playing video games with my best friend.
I highly recommend this book for everyone, teens and adults.
Kris and Mikey are realistic and relatable. I was rooting for their relationship, all the while getting flashbacks to my own time stumbling awkwardly through school and teenage romance.
The supernatural elements to the book are really fun and makes you think that this magic could really be out there in secret... just waiting for us to be properly introduced to it.
I listened to the audiobook production which was fantastically done. The voice actors are really acting, not just reading out a script.
There is also original music added tastefully to some parts of the story involving video games.
I've not seen this done in an audiobook before and it really worked well. There's something iconic about video game music and it definitely invoked the feelings and memories of the hours I spent playing video games with my best friend.
I highly recommend this book for everyone, teens and adults.
July 4, 2026
Very nerdy, very queer, very good!
It's surprising how a book full of magic and fantasy manages to have some of the most believable and touching young queer experiences and characters I have read in a very long time.
I listened to the audiobook, the acting is brilliant and the music so good I rewound some bits just to listen to it again!
It's surprising how a book full of magic and fantasy manages to have some of the most believable and touching young queer experiences and characters I have read in a very long time.
I listened to the audiobook, the acting is brilliant and the music so good I rewound some bits just to listen to it again!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews