Walker swoons for Ness’ ‘heartripping’ YA novel

Walker Books has acquired Different for Boys by Patrick Ness, a “tender and piercing” novel that explores male friendships and romantic relationships.

Publisher Denise Johnstone-Burt acquired world English language rights for the title from Michelle Kass at Michelle Kass Associates. Different for Boys will publish in hardback globally in March 2023 with Walker Books in the UK, Walker Books Australia, and Walker US in the United States.

First published in 2010 in the anthology Losing It, Different for Boys has been revised and updated by Ness and illustrated throughout in black and white by Danish artist Tea Bendix.

“Ant Stevenson has many questions, like when did he stop being a virgin,” the synopsis reads. “Are there degrees of virginity? And is it different for boys? Especially for boys who like boys? Ant tries to figure out the answers to his questions as he balances his relationships with three very different boys: Charlie, who is both virulently homophobic and yet close friends with Ant; Jack, whose camp behaviour makes him the target of Charlie’s rage; and finally Freddie, who just wants Ant to try out for the rugby team.”

Johnstone-Burt added: “Publishing a story by Patrick Ness is an important event in YA fiction as he always surprises us as he develops and challenges the form. He does so once again in this wonderfully humane story as he explores what it is to be young. His daring prose combined with Tea Bendix’s powerful illustrations make a book of touching intimacy, of unexpected support and heartripping betrayal. We are proud to publish it.”

Ness’ books include the Chaos Walking trilogy, A Monster Calls, More Than This, The Rest of Us Just Live Here, Release and And the Ocean Was Our Sky. Among other prizes, he has won the Carnegie Medal twice.

“Different for Boys is a special story to me, and I am amazed and genuinely delighted to see it in this special book illustrated by the great Danish illustrator Tea Bendix,” Ness said. “It’s about that time in your life when you realise the ‘rules’ may not actually apply to you and how liberating that is. Plus, it’s a fun chance to satirise how YA novels are never allowed to show how real teenagers actually talk. Honestly, when I was 15, I swore like a longshoreman. I still grew up to be a nice young man who was polite to grandmothers.”

Bendix is a Danish illustrator, author, graphic designer and live drawing performer based in Copenhagen. She graduated from the Danish School of Design and works across different media, including picture books, non-fiction, apps, children’s radio and drawings for TV.

“Candlewick is thrilled to be chosen as the US home for Patrick Ness’ new YA, which we will proudly publish under the Walker Books US banner,” said Karen Lotz, group m.d. “Through his masterpiece A Monster Calls, the TikTok favourite More Than This, and the magnificent Chaos Walking, we have seen first-hand how important his books are to young readers. Different for Boys promises to continue Patrick’s reign as one of the most honest, accessible, acclaimed and allied voices in contemporary young adult fiction.”

“I am a long-time admirer of Patrick Ness’ singular writing, and so honoured to publish this book. It’s a romance about boys and it’s funny, tender and piercing,” added Susan Van Metre, executive editorial director of Walker Books US. “Everything you could hope from a Patrick Ness book, and strikingly illustrated by award-winning artist Tea Bendix.”