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By Lisa Heathfield (author)
"Sibling love, first-love soulmates, questionable care system ethics, and the cathartic, calming power of art and poetry — this YA novel amounts to a powerfully beautiful book."
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May 2026 Book of the Month
Centred on unforgettable characters who were “inspired by the many brilliant children in care I’ve had the privilege of working with”, as author Lisa Heathfield explains in the Afterword to her remarkable novel, This Boy I Hardly Know is an emotionally impactful story that shares brutal truths of the care system, including the widespread separation of siblings and the widespread use of restraint in run-for-profit care homes, through the story of two sisters, and the boy who changes everything for one of them.
16-year-old Dusty, a talented artist, loves her younger sister like nothing else, and will do anything to protect her. We first meet the siblings in the fractious context of yet another care placement: “Poppy and I have been shifted from place to place so often that I don’t bother trying to make friends any more”.
Their current carers aren’t “nice to us”, Dusty makes clear to Poppy. All their “little cruelties” add up. And then the worst happens when Dusty is sent to a residential care home, while Poppy is placed with a new carer, hundreds of miles away.
Set on being reunited with Poppy, Dusty finds a friend and soulmate in poetry-loving musician Cooper, who also knows how it feels to be separated from a sibling. When they go on the run together to find Poppy, a beautiful love story unfolds against a tense backdrop of being searched for by the police. “I swear his star has been hurtling towards mine since the day we were born”, Dusty remarks, ahead of an edge-of-your-seat climax fuelled by desperation, deep love, and a stirring sense of light through darkness.
Honest and empathetic, This Boy I Hardly Know is a richly-rewarding read for teenagers who respond to stories rooted in reality, and tales that glow with love and believable hope.
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 happens: 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.
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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.
‘Raw, real, and ful of heart’ - Ciara Smyth
'Daisy and Cooper have my heart entirely' - Louisa Reid
'Fu l of urgent love, complex betrayals and ferocious secrets' - Luke Palmer
Lisa Heathfield ’ s YA novels have a l won or been shortlisted for awards, including the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize (twice), the YA Book Prize, the Virginia Reader’s Choice Award, the North East Teen Award, the Fabulous Book Award, the Leeds Book Award, the Concorde Book Award, the Southern Schools Book Award and the GDST Award.
Having worked in a school for students with mental health challenges and also a residential children’s home, Lisa now teaches teens who are unable to be in school for a variety of reasons. She lives in Brighton, UK, with her husband and three sons.
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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 happens: Dusty and Poppy are separated.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed This Boy I Hardly Know and determined it is suitable for children aged 13-18 years old
This Boy I Hardly Know features in the following genres: Featured Books for 13+ readers, Featured Books for Young Adults, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Star Books, Stories about Family and Friends, Romance / Relationship Stories, Gritty Reads, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
Paperback. £8.09, down from the £8.99 cover price. In Stock.
This Boy I Hardly Know was written by Lisa Heathfield and published by Andersen Press an imprint of Andersen Press Ltd
This Boy I Hardly Know has 322 pages
£8.09, reduced from £8.99. In Stock.
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