This novel centres Alfie who believes he has found ‘the one’. Meet Maya, his best friend and girl of his dreams. Alfie and Maya share a long, intimate history together.
They spend both the highs and lows of their life together, their loves and
losses, their pains and gains. They share everything, right? Or that’s what
they both thought until they discover an underlying romance to their
relationship that blurs the line between friends and lovers.
Alfie’s
desperate search for love finds him falling for Gwen, one of the close members
in their friendship circle and becomes confused when she doesn’t share the same
feelings for him. It turns out Gwen was hiding a bigger secret of her own…
Alfie believes all his problems stem from the fact that he is yet to find a girlfriend, with his supposed ‘best mate’ Jack being distant and pushing all of his attention to his new girlfriend Lily. He looks down upon Alfie and the tension between the boys causes their whole friendship group to erupt.
Will Alfie,
the hopeless romantic and underdog find the perfect romance with fragile
hearted Maya that they have longingly searched for?
Tomlinson
delves into the complexity of teenage relationships, fighting for the
characters to recognise their feelings and find the freedom to express
themselves without judgement. This novel is truly insightful and will have you
gunning for the underdog throughout the whole journey.
Firmly recommend.
Title: LoverboyAuthor: Ben Tomlinson
Publisher: Walker Books, $19.99
Publication Date: 1 January 2024
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781839135194
For ages: 12+
Type: Young Adult
