Wanted Boys

"In McPherson’s speculative novel, two teenage boys struggle with romantic feelings while living under a repressive regime... McPherson’s detailed characterization and a distinct lack of melodrama enhance this story of two boys learning what it means to be human in inhuman conditions. Jace is a wonderfully nuanced character; like Steerforth in Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield, his brashness, casual disregard for rules, and devotion make him ambiguous, unpredictable, and compelling. McPherson wisely foregrounds the central relationship, revealing enough about the dystopian regime and its history to underscore its danger to the boys, but refusing to let it eclipse the romantic drama. The author’s meticulous attention to character development is rewarded in the poignant final chapters. A skillfully constructed and refreshingly grounded coming-of-age story."

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-- Kirkus Reviews

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"McPherson (A King’s Trust) launches her Wanted Boys series with a melancholy coming-of-age tale of first queer love triumphing in a dark dystopia... This first book introduces the two protagonists and promises more installments to come. The unhurried growth of these vividly drawn characters—and their sexual awakening—propels this solemn storytelling with heart, tenderness, and a spark of hope and humanity, as both Logan and Jace navigate their deep feelings for each other amid a world that asks them to surrender the very parts that make them whole."

-- Booklife