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Better the Devil

£9.99

Desperate to escape conversion therapy, a queer 16-year-old runaway steals the identity of a missing boy. But when Nathaniel Beaumont’s family come to take him home, ‘Nate’ is trapped in a web of lies. Then he meets Miles – the cute, clever and true-crime-obsessed boy next-door – and his cover is blown. Rather than turn him in, Miles agrees to help ‘Nate’ in exchange for exposing the truth about what happened to his childhood friend. But as their investigation turns dangerous and their feelings turn real, time is running out to discover why Nathaniel Beaumont disappeared – and who might want to keep it that way.

In Stock

ISBN: 9781444973556 Category: Young Adult Tags: Children's / Teenage fiction: Thrillers, Children's / Teenage personal & social issues: Sexuality & relationships, Interest age: from c 14 years
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Description

Get ready for queer mayhem in this gritty psychological thriller filled with stolen identity, true crime and first love, from the bestselling author of All That’s Left in the World. For fans of One of Us Is Lying, The Reappearance of Rachel Price and They Both Die at the End.

Desperate to escape a family who will never accept him, a queer runaway in police custody borrows the identity of a boy who vanished years ago: Nate Beaumont. But when Nate’s family come to take him home, he’s trapped in a web of lies.

Then he meets Miles – the cute, clever and true-crime obsessed boy next door – who knows more than it seems. Unexpectedly, Miles agrees to help, in exchange for uncovering the truth about what happened years ago to his childhood best friend. As their investigation turns dangerous, their feelings turn real.

Time is running out.
They don’t know who to trust.
And someone is watching who wants to keep this case cold.

Will they find the missing boy . . . or will they find each other?

—

“Brimming with darkness and suspense, each page of Better the Devil ramps up on a slow, creeping dread until the explosive, incredibly tense climax. A smart, sinister book that also explores themes of self-acceptance and identity – I flew through it”
– Ravena Guron, author of This Book Kills

“Twisty, thrilling, unputdownable – Better the Devil will grip you, break your heart, and make you constantly look over your shoulder.”
– David Fenne, author of Overemotional

Additional information

Weight 0.283 kg
Dimensions 19.6 × 12.8 × 3 cm
Author

Brown, Erik J.

Publisher

Hodder Children's Books

Imprint

Hodder Children's Books

Cover

Paperback

Pages

392

Language

English

Edition

Paperback original

Dewey

813.6 (edition:23)

Readership

Children – juvenile / Code: J

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Big news for book lovers! 📚🎧

http://Bookshop.org has heard our love for audiobooks and are stocking them on their UK platform! 🎉

Already on a mission to support independent bookshops with every purchase, http://Bookshop.org is now making it even easier to enjoy your next great read, whether you're commuting, walking, or relaxing at home.

Who's adding a few audiobooks to their wishlist? 👀

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Join author and illustrator Navya Raju on 16th July for a free live portrait and book signing event! Navya will be with us from 12pm – 2pm, offering live illustrations of you and your little bookworms, as well as signing copies of her books ‘The Twirly Wiggly Dance’ and ‘Not Now, Goldilocks!’. Books will be available to purchase on the day.

Attendance is free; we recommend arriving early to avoid disappointment as each portrait takes time and there may be a queue.

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When Yesteryear started flying off our shelves, the majority of us at HOBAF needed to see what the hype was all about - causing an accidental 7 person buddy read!😀
We were surprised to find that our average staff rating was 3.8/5! ⭐
Comment your opinions on Yesteryear and the format you read it

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FUN HOME opens this week! 🎼

Winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, FUN HOME makes its Northern premiere at the Royal Exchange theatre! AND two of our booksellers have be lucky enough to receive tickets!

Based on Alison Bechdel's groundbreaking graphic memoir of the same name, the musical follows Alison as she reflects on family, identity, memory and first love, creating a deeply personal story that has resonated with audiences around the world. 📚

As past and present intertwine, Alison uncovers family secrets and unexpected connections, revealing a powerful story of love, loss and discovering who you really are... It's safe that Mollie and Jessica are going to love this. 

Experience this major new Royal Exchange revival from 3 July – 1 August.

🎟️ Book now via the Royal Exchange Theater website!

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🔥BOOK CLUB NEWS🔥
Thanks to everyone who came and discussed The Director with us in June! For July, we will be reading Cooking in the Wrong Century by Teresa Präauer.

We have multiple sessions available to choose from, including our baby-friendly session on Thursday mornings.

Information and tickets available in-store or on our website.

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We are halfway through 2026, and so here is a little check in with our booksellers reading goals for the year! We have booksellers who keep track of every book they read and others who don't bother, but everyone at HOBAF shares a voracious love of literature! Feel free to share where you're at with your 2026 reading goals in the comments!


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