The Young Team: Granta Best of Young British Novelists 2023

From start to finish it grips you and makes you want to read on. The ability to break up the slang of Glasgow accompanied with the well spoken words of an Oxford dictionary makes you really appreciate the the writer’s insight. Would recommend to anyone who grew up in the culture of Ajax tracksuits and Gary McF playing through a Sony Walkman 10/10

Spot on

This book was incredible, gripping from start to finish and an important and chaotic look into the life many of us were part of and or related to in the past, and even for those who weren't it's still a great read. Well done Graeme Armstrong!

Thoroughly enjoyed the book , I'm not too far from there and it gave me some proper good laughs , had to stop myself from reading on more ever time I read it as I wanted to make the book last while I'm away working was hard to put down, I'm roughly the same age as the author and went to same places as stated in the book ( dance places ) brought back some great and not so great memories haha , a great insight into Scottish youth culture at the time and probably still the same the now , most people around that time could relate to alot of the characters , a great read especially if you are Scottish , could be a tough read if your not tho 😁

From the first page I knew this book would be phenomenal... and it didn’t disappoint!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀It’s not everyday you get the chance to read a piece of amazing literature set in your own home town. This book brought back so many memories for me - my old pals, empties, wandering the streets... the same streets of Airdrie pictured above. And while I was taking these pics a group of wee guys came cycling by shouting “smell yer maw” and if that doesn’t sum up NL then I don’t know what does 😂⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀First impressions of this book I thought it would be a story of gangs and ned culture in NL. I didn’t expect for it to cover so many social issues the way it did - male mental health, suicide, addiction, violence, murder. The author, Graeme, has spoken about his own youth and how TYT is inspired by his own experiences. Let that put into perspective that although this story is a work of fiction, our young people do face these big issues and as young as 11/12 years old.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I enjoyed the writing style of this book so much - Airdrie dialect! I loved hearing old sayings I hadn’t heard in years, and the banter in this book is top form, quality stuff👌🏼⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Our main boy, Azzy, takes us on a journey of experiences, discovery and life changing choices. We follow along from his early teens to young adulthood and, just like any loveable character, you want what’s best for him. I cried, I laughed (a lot), I got angry, I got so caught up in his story and what it represents - tragic youth.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I cannot wait to see the transformative impact this book will have on our country’s young people in the years to come. It needs to be rolled out everywhere where there’s a chance of reaching out to the unreachable.

It's actually genuinely difficult to convey how good this is. You want it to be a book when the going is calm, and you want it to be a novel when the going is tough, which it mostly is. I reckon any author no matter how many works they've had printed would be proud of this. That it is Graeme Armstrong's first one is honestly nothing but stunning. The passion (and I assume knowledge) he has put in speak for themselves, to the point where it should (imho) be used as an educational read, as well as a gripping, explosive and un-put-down-able one. 10/10 only because it can't be more.

A great book well worth a read

I am a Glasgow man now. Who has read this book relating to the turbulence and triumphs depicted in the book to own life turmoil tragedies loss of friends, family, loved ones and mostly brotherhood who we would've died for and beverage thoughts of repercussions as actions or reprisals what's round next corner. It's that what's made us and can relate to almost 90% of this reading this is just like reliving my own life but only different being I had been bullied before I had been any Y.T that was my sanctuary and solitude as wasn't only u now was u and ur team so thank u for the first book I've read in years and the effect it's had on me is unfounded and stark reality of what u can and do in life there's choices but in all honesty only thing that really made more sense is end where u realise no matter beliefs schemes or cliques (the bigger man walks away)..... Tam Thomson Glasgow West end ned no more....THANKS ..