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Published Mar 2023
104 pages
Genre: Graphic Novels
Publication Information
Friendship, masculinity, sex—Anthony Stevenson has a lot of questions. Is it different for boys who like boys? A poignant and frank story filled with meta-humor by renowned author Patrick Ness.
Anthony "Ant" Stevenson isn't sure when he stopped being a virgin. Or even if he has. The rules aren't always very clear when it comes to boys who like boys. In fact, relationships of all kinds feel complicated, even with Ant's oldest friends. There's Charlie, who's both virulently homophobic and in a secret physical relationship with Ant. Then there's drama kid Jack, who may be gay and has become the target of Charlie's rage. And, of course, there's big, beautiful Freddie, who wants Ant to ditch soccer, Charlie's sport, and try out for the rugby team instead. Ant's story of loneliness and intimacy, of unexpected support and heart-ripping betrayal, is told forthrightly with tongue-in-cheek black-bar redactions over the language that teenagers would actually use if, you know, they weren't in a story. Award-winning author Patrick Ness explores teen sexuality, friendship, and romance with a deft hand in this structurally daring, illustrated short novel.
"Rough pencil sketches add to the heightened emotion, reflecting the jagged, difficult emotional realities… The brevity of this story adds to its power, distilling the plot to its most necessary, brutal, loving elements. [Blanking] masterful." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Ness delivers an authentic-feeling story that interrogates the idea that teens are 'too young to read about the stuff we actually do.' Black-and-white pencil illustrations by Bendix provide an expressive complement to concise, sensitive, and thought-provoking text in this un-put-downable, easily devoured read." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Ness superbly blends Ant's philosophical musings with realistically voiced teen thoughts and dialogue, where expletives and sexual content are curtained by heavy black rectangles yet blatantly present. The near-melancholy tone is beautifully matched by Bendix's inspired artwork... Within this beautifully crafted package lies a poignant story of a boy reaching out in loneliness to another boy and grasping unvarnished truth." - Booklist (starred review)
"This spare story by Carnegie Medal-winner Patrick Ness says a great deal within a limited number of pages... . The best quality of this narrative is its brutal honesty... Young adults will recognize the feeling of being alone as they process their own inner monologues." - School Library Connection
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Patrick Ness
Patrick Ness is the author of ten novels, including his New York Times bestselling The Rest of Us Just Live Here, the Chaos Walking trilogy, More Than This, A Monster Calls, which was made into a major motion picture with a screenplay adaptation by Patrick himself, Release, and And The Ocean Was Our Sky. Born in Virginia, Patrick lives in London.
Author Interview
Link to Patrick Ness's Website
Name Pronunciation
Patrick Ness: As it looks
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