The Boy I Love
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Book Information
Characteristics
1 reviews
Mood
Protagonist(s)
Pace
Writing Style
Posts
WHERE IS THE CROWD?
This book is amazing. I really love how the author captures Stephen and Danny. I can absolutely recommend the book if you’re looking for a sad historical romance. I didn’t see the ending coming like this, I really hoped for something better. Not that the ending is bad, it’s just very sad and depressing. In my opinion the message of the book is very important. Love is love y’all, live it until you can but stay save doing it ❤️ Oh Danny, my Danny.. such a good lad and Stephen? Stephen deserves so SOOOO much better, they all do. WW1 is no joke and I really liked how the author wrote the book so respectfully with so much research. There is a glossary that explains words that are used in the story which was very helpful. This book will stay in my heart forever, I’ll daydream a happy end in my head. 😭
That's another case of "Did I finish the book or did the book finish me?" - of course I anticipated pain because it is a World War I romance. William Hussey describes a realistic scenario of two boys falling in love in the trenches, facing not only the horror of the war but also the danger of being found out by their own men. Those stories happened and my heart breaks for the men who lost their love to war, without being able to openly grief. I can assure you tho for this book, their is a sort of happy ending, I wouldn't exactly call it a HEA, because it's a realistic portrayal of the early 1900's, but it's sort of suiting and equally frustrating.The storytelling is poetic, and therefore sometimes a bit slow, and it definitely is not a war-action-romanticising-book. There are the horrors of the war, but they're more prominent towards the ending of the book, and tbh, they were missing a bit over the majority of the story - it sometimes even felt more like a scouts' summer camp with drill instructors or something, because the war wasn't really present, but the evil instructors were. I really liked the approach with showing that no one at war is completely good or evil, and especially not soldiers at the bottom of the food chain - and that the real villain can be someone from your own side. MAJOR trigger warning for homophobia, kinda obvious for a historical romance, but I was actually a bit thrown off of two specific events towards the ending - suiting the time, yes, but man, they were brutal.I liked both of them as characters, but I especially thought Danny is an interesting character - he talks back and has morals, and while that's definitely something the military will put a stop to eventually, it suits him being barely 18 and new in this whole surrounding. Of course, their relationship is a bit insta-lovey, but while that usually throws me off, it suited the setting - I'm sure there are psychological studies about how feelings can be amplified under stress situations and that that's realistic in all the horrors of war, you're more prepared to take risks and all that while you definitely know you're life could be over any second. Regarding the accuracy of the war, especially the Battle of the Somme is portrayed accurately and how that happened in reality and things happening in this book are matching - I won't tell more details, because those could be considered spoilers.The Fighting Temeraire btw really is a gorgeous painting that will have a place in my heart from now on, especially with how it was woven into the story.
Characteristics
1 reviews
Mood
Protagonist(s)
Pace
Writing Style
Book Information
Posts
WHERE IS THE CROWD?
This book is amazing. I really love how the author captures Stephen and Danny. I can absolutely recommend the book if you’re looking for a sad historical romance. I didn’t see the ending coming like this, I really hoped for something better. Not that the ending is bad, it’s just very sad and depressing. In my opinion the message of the book is very important. Love is love y’all, live it until you can but stay save doing it ❤️ Oh Danny, my Danny.. such a good lad and Stephen? Stephen deserves so SOOOO much better, they all do. WW1 is no joke and I really liked how the author wrote the book so respectfully with so much research. There is a glossary that explains words that are used in the story which was very helpful. This book will stay in my heart forever, I’ll daydream a happy end in my head. 😭
That's another case of "Did I finish the book or did the book finish me?" - of course I anticipated pain because it is a World War I romance. William Hussey describes a realistic scenario of two boys falling in love in the trenches, facing not only the horror of the war but also the danger of being found out by their own men. Those stories happened and my heart breaks for the men who lost their love to war, without being able to openly grief. I can assure you tho for this book, their is a sort of happy ending, I wouldn't exactly call it a HEA, because it's a realistic portrayal of the early 1900's, but it's sort of suiting and equally frustrating.The storytelling is poetic, and therefore sometimes a bit slow, and it definitely is not a war-action-romanticising-book. There are the horrors of the war, but they're more prominent towards the ending of the book, and tbh, they were missing a bit over the majority of the story - it sometimes even felt more like a scouts' summer camp with drill instructors or something, because the war wasn't really present, but the evil instructors were. I really liked the approach with showing that no one at war is completely good or evil, and especially not soldiers at the bottom of the food chain - and that the real villain can be someone from your own side. MAJOR trigger warning for homophobia, kinda obvious for a historical romance, but I was actually a bit thrown off of two specific events towards the ending - suiting the time, yes, but man, they were brutal.I liked both of them as characters, but I especially thought Danny is an interesting character - he talks back and has morals, and while that's definitely something the military will put a stop to eventually, it suits him being barely 18 and new in this whole surrounding. Of course, their relationship is a bit insta-lovey, but while that usually throws me off, it suited the setting - I'm sure there are psychological studies about how feelings can be amplified under stress situations and that that's realistic in all the horrors of war, you're more prepared to take risks and all that while you definitely know you're life could be over any second. Regarding the accuracy of the war, especially the Battle of the Somme is portrayed accurately and how that happened in reality and things happening in this book are matching - I won't tell more details, because those could be considered spoilers.The Fighting Temeraire btw really is a gorgeous painting that will have a place in my heart from now on, especially with how it was woven into the story.