First love and found family in Lisa Heathfield's This Boy I Hardly Know
Posted on Monday, June 1, 2026
Category: Authors Q&As
Exploring sibling bonds, first love and the broken care system in Lisa Heathfield's This Boy I Hardly Know.
Lisa Heathfield's This Boy I Hardly Know is a powerful coming-of-age novel that takes readers into the broken care system in the UK, with a story about siblings and separation, first love and found families.
When Dusty and her younger sister Poppy are separated within the care system, Dusty is lost. Then she meets Cooper, a gorgeous teenager in the same care home, and they go on the run to find Poppy.
ReadingZone caught up with Lisa to find out more about the passions that drive her writing, and why she wants to give all teenagers a voice through her novels.
Read the first chapters from This Boy I Hardly Know Find out more in our indepth Q&A with Lisa Heathfield
