This Boy I Hardly Know

by Lisa Heathfield

Sixteen-year-old Dusty is smart, talented and fiercely protective of her younger sister Poppy. They’ve been moved from foster carer to foster carer, until one day the unthinkable Dusty and Poppy are separated.
Dusty is sent to a children’s home in a different town; Poppy to a family hundreds of miles away. No one can say when they will see each other again.
Devastated but determined, Dusty has to find a way to reach Poppy. Everything seems stacked against her until she meets beautiful, fearless Cooper at the home, and together they decide to run…
What follows is a heart-breaking love story, road movie, tense police hunt, and hope-filled celebration of sibling bonds and kindness, which shines a light on a failing care sector where a quarter of children are living apart from their siblings.

'Packed with colour and burning with life’s force… Lisa Heathfield’s brilliant protagonist is full of urgent love, complex betrayals, and ferocious secrets' Luke Palmer

336 pages, Paperback

Published May 7, 2026

About the author

Before becoming a mum to her three sons, Lisa Heathfield was a secondary school English teacher and loved inspiring teenagers to read.

Award-winning author Lisa Heathfield launched her career with SEED in 2015. Published by Egmont it is a stunning YA debut about a life in cult. PAPER BUTTERFLIES is her beautiful and heart-breaking second novel. FLIGHT OF A STARLING is another heart-breaking read with an important message.

Lisa lives in Brighton with her family.

Reviews

[Emma Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

❤️ Blurb Sixteen-year-old Dusty is smart, talented and fiercely protective of her younger sister Poppy. They’ve been moved from foster carer to foster carer, until one day the unthinkable Dusty and Poppy are separated.
Dusty is sent to a children’s home in a different town; Poppy to a family hundreds of miles away. No one can say when they will see each other again.
Devastated but determined, Dusty has to find a way to reach Poppy. Everything seems stacked against her until she meets beautiful, fearless Cooper at the home, and together they decide to run…
What follows is a heart-breaking love story, road movie, tense police hunt, and hope-filled celebration of sibling bonds and kindness, which shines a light on a failing care sector where a quarter of children are living apart from their siblings.
💚 Review -
This was such a cute and thought provoking read. Even though it's a YA novel, I feel that it can be read by adults too. From the very first page I was hooked and I kept reading until the end as I wanted to know what happened. Even though there were some sensitive subjects they were written and handled with care. I loved Dusty's character and I felt sorry for the things that she went through. Overall a brilliant novel that I highly recommend to other readers. I look forward to reading more by the author.
💖 Thank you to Insta Book Tours, the author Lisa Heathfield and the publisher for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very lucky to have access to this book in advance of the publication date. I thought that Dusty was such an excellent depiction of how a teenage girl would respond to such an impossible situation. She is fiery, passionate, foolish, creative and, above all else, devoted to her sister. At times I found the decisions she made really frustrating, but those are probably the same decisions that I would have made. It took me longer to warm to Cooper, but by the end of the book he was breaking my heart. While there were some elements of the story I didn’t connect with, I felt that at its heart this book is about wanting to be loved and wanting to belong. I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t be able to see a part of themselves in Dusty and Cooper.

[Kirsty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me angry. The way in which Dusty is treated and constantly let down by a system that is supposed to support her is absolutely mind blowing. Her strength of character absolutely shines through as you see her dealt blow after blow each one completely up ending and derailing her life. Everyone who works with young people in care should be made to read it.

[Anya Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great YA contemporary novel highlighting the experiences of young people in the UK (foster)care system - a system that often fails to protect the most vulnerable. While this story is on the younger side of YA than would I typically read now, the core themes and messaging of this story still resonated with me.

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.

THIS BOY I HARDLY KNOW is a heart-breaking story about children in the care system.

It is a love story. Yes, there is a romance, but the driving love of the story is Dusty's for her sister. It is about siblings desperate to be together from Dusty and Poppy to Cooper and his brother. It's about connections forged between people that let us keep going even when we don't want to. I loved that focus on family and friendship, balanced with the tender romance blossoming between Dusty and Cooper. The story, though, is not a romance. It definitely does not fit that category (not only is it not the focus, but it also doesn't have a HEA/HFN).

The book is also about the failures of our care system. The systems that let siblings be split up without plans to even let them see each other. The system that lets children with complex needs - which are intensified by the system itself - be seen as the problem and treated as criminals. The children's home section was so infuriating, the way these children were treated, the adults assuming they knew best and stopping the children from caring for each other, deciding their methods (which are far harsher) were better because they were faster, but ultimately caused harm. Yes, there are amazing people working on our care system (and this book does show some of them), but it's also fundamentally broken, and the story doesn't shy away from that.

The ending is so bittersweet. I appreciated that it gave some hope for the future, that it's not a bleak book with an underlying message of "all is terrible for this children" as that would be truly harmful messaging. There is hope that the system isn't going to fail all of the children, but it is still so sad. Dusty ends up in a situation where she doesn't have a choice about her immediate future - and that she has to lose something precious to gain something more so. It's an ending that will stick with you.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Andersen Press for the finished copy.

When Dusty is separated from her sister and sent to a children's home hundreds of miles away, she promises she will find a way for them to be together again. As she grows close to Cooper, another teenager at the home, they decide to run away together so Dusty can be reunited with her sister.

I found myself completely swept up by Dusty's story that I ended up reading this book in one sitting. At times it was such a raw and uncomfortable read, the story does not shy away from the difficulties children face in the care system. My heart was constantly breaking for these characters, their complex traumas and desire to have stable, loving homes.

"Years and years of hurt have become a boiling river that burns my insides. I scream because it's agony and I'm caught in a current I can't swim against."

But there were really beautiful moments throughout. The strongest themes of this book are sibling bonds and found family aspects. I love that this was explored so differently with each character—Dusty was fiercely protective of her sister and Cooper allowed her to have someone to rely on. Even the other children at the home represented something for Dusty—what it means to understand and relate to others, to show compassion to those who are struggling.

I appreciated Dusty's love for art, and Cooper's love for poetry and music, how these hobbies shaped the way they could relate to each other and how they could find moments of calm.

"He opens his eyes and smiles at me, but he doesn't stop singing, his fingers swift over the strings, his foot against the stool, his song wrapping me in a safety that I didn't even know could exist."

Lisa Heathfield has created an emotional yet authentic story, with core themes that can resonate with anyone.

[Jodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book broke my heart in so many different ways, but also made me incredibly angry. This feels like a very raw and authentic depiction of what it’s sadly like for some children who are growing up in care and Heathfield does a marvellous job of shining a spotlight on this sector, in an utterly compelling way.

Dusty is continually let down time and time again by adults and a system that’s supposed to have her best interests at heart. Not only is she living with the trauma of what happened in her past with her Mom and Step-Dad, but her placements with foster carers are problematic, and she has to deal with emotional abuse, being physically restrained and torn away from her younger sister, Poppy.

The other children she meets in the care system are also being failed in similar ways and while they understand with what each other are experiencing and feeling, the adults constantly intervene in unhelpful ways.

The only bit of joy she finds is meeting Cooper, who is dealing with a whole complex set of emotions and trauma himself. Watching the two of them grow close and bring sparks of happiness and hope into each other’s lives is wonderful.

I highly recommend everyone reads this, but especially those who work with or look after young people in the care system.

💫 What to expect 💫

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 An exploration of the care system
💚 Found family
👧 Strong sibling bonds
💔 Heart-breaking love story
😞 Themes of abuse

💖 Thank you to Andersen Press for providing a physical arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

💌 Follow me on Instagram and TikTok at @jodierosereads

[Nessa’s Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this thinking I was getting an emotional YA read… I was not prepared for how much this book would actually hit me.

Dusty completely pulled me in from the start. She’s smart, creative, and so fiercely protective of her little sister Poppy that it honestly hurt to read at times. Their bond felt so real and so strong, which just made everything that happens after even more devastating. When they’re separated? Yeah… that broke me a bit.

This book doesn’t sugarcoat anything. The portrayal of the care system felt raw and uncomfortable in a way that made it impossible to look away. Knowing that situations like this actually happen. Siblings being split up with no say…just made the whole story hit even harder. I felt angry, helpless, and completely invested in Dusty’s fight to get back to Poppy.

Then there’s Cooper. I didn’t quite know what to expect at first, but I ended up really loving what they brought to the story. There’s something messy and real about their connection with Dusty. It’s not perfect or idealised, but it feels genuine. Two people trying to find something good in a really difficult situation.

The whole “running away” part had me so tense. It genuinely felt like they could get caught at any moment, and I was constantly rooting for them while also worrying about what would happen if things went wrong (which… let’s be honest, they often do).

This isn’t a light or easy read, but it’s a powerful one.

[Emma Poland · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding book about the trials and tribulations in our difficult child care system. Lisa Heathfield has successfully managed to catalogue and show the difficulties faced by children in care today. This book follows the sadness of two siblings separated in the care system, and how distraught they become by the impact it has on their lives of not being together, with drastic actions being taken to reunite. This author has empathetically nailed just how hard it is to be in the child care and government run system today with devastating consequences. I cannot recommend this excellent book highly enough. For me it was difficult to put down. The final page lists statistics which are horrifying and really bought me up short realising the very sad and vulnerable world these children face. I think this book is her very best yet.

[Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger warnings for This Boy I Hardly Know include: foster care, use of physical restraint, sibling death, car accident, attempted sexual assault; child abuse and neglect; and emotional trauma.
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The first thing to say about this book is that I loved it. I really enjoyed the relationship between Dusty and Cooper. The way they related to each other and understood the experiences of the other, especially with regards to having younger siblings that they can't see.
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I think this book might be shocking and eye opening for some people, and I can understand why. But as someone who has read a lot of fostering memoirs and nonfiction about foster care, the restraints and trauma that creates isn't new to me.
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Seeing the way the children's care home functions is a little painful to read, even though I know that's the sad reality in many of them.
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Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC copy of this book.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's safe to say that I have fallen in love with Dusty and Cooper. Lisa Heathfield brings their story alive, a story which  needs to be told. I laughed, I cried, and every emotion in between. This is a book that you will not want to put down. A book which makes you think and makes you want to tell the world of Dusty and Cooper's story. Heathfield writes beautifully as always, enticing us in to the immersive world of her book. It is a story which will stay with me forever and one which I would go so far as to say that everyone should read ❤️

[DJBookgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Gifted proof from publisher*

Review

Oh this was such a gorgeous book. I loved it but I need to know what happened to a certain character.

This is a YA that completely touches your heart with the FMC desperate to find her sister after being separated in foster care. We see her unite with the MMC on an adventure that sees her experience new situations, not always nice ones, and also fall for a boy who always has her back.

❤️

[Preston Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a song of a book! A heart-wrenching, road-tripping chase that takes you straight into the mind-set of the dispossessed young protagonists. It rendered me both angry and helpless, but then also hopeful as Dusty and Cooper's love fights to be free. A very important book that honestly highlights the plight of kids in care, as well as being a fabulous adventure-romance.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this.

It had me laughing, crying and so gripped that I read it in one sitting.

The author's first hand knowledge of care homes shows and make it even more heartbreaking.

It left me wanting more and needing to know what happened when they turned 18.

I loved it and will definitely be checking out more of Lisa Heathfield's work.

[Boo · Rating 5 out of 5]

i haven't cried at a book in forever but you best believe i cried at this

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most important books of the present day, bringing to light the issues faced by young children in care.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went through so many emotions reading this book which I think shows just how beautifully written it is. I felt sad and emotional at times. I also felt angry on Dusty's behalf. It also made me hopeful and I felt it was heartwarming.

Dusty, her sister and also so many of the children in care have been let down by the system. A system that's supposed to help, care and support. It made me feel emotional thinking about all the real life children going through similar situations.

I thought Dusty was wonderful and strong though. Her character has been brilliantly written. I felt we really got to know her and understand why she reacts the way she does.

I became so invested in the story. I read start to finish very quickly as once I began I just felt I needed to see her story through and find out what the future held for her.

Emotional, poignant and also eye opening. I highly recommend this book.