The Boy I Hardly Know

At a glance

Dusty and her sister Poppy live with foster parents. This is Dusty’s final chance as she is a disruptive and angry 16-year-old. She loves to paint, but punishment means her painting equipment is taken away. Other events lead to Dusty being sent to a children’s home, miles away from her sister. Here she encounters other difficult children in the care system. She meets Cooper, a 16-year-old boy. Each child is emotionally damaged and a part of a dysfunctional care system where they have been passed from family to family, often brutalised if they do not conform. Dusty and Cooper plan to run away. She is looking for Poppy who has moved on yet again, and both Dusty and Cooper plot to find her. They meet good and bad characters along the way. Their feelings for each other and need for companionship make them agree to marry at Gretna Green. On their journey, the car they are travelling in, belonging to new friends they have made crashes. The police and social workers find them and both Dusty and Cooper are sent back to their children’s home. Meanwhile, Poppy is now being fostered by Amira, a wonderful foster mum who realises very quickly that Poppy cannot survive without Dusty and offers to foster Daisy as well. Cooper is sent miles away but Dusty can write to him, and in two years time, they will be adults and free to make their own choices.

This is a bravely written book. The author clearly knows the system and its flaws. She has worked in the care system and the characters she writes about show the depth of understanding of these children in care. This book is brutal in parts and honest. There are so many damaged children through no fault of their own, and through her story Lisa Heathfield is able to open the door and challenge us to read her book where she is brutally honest and critical of the care system.

Perfect for 14+ and every child in the care system to show they are not alone in their pain and anguish. Guaranteed to prompt some challenging discussions.

Published by Andersen Press, 2026