Good Young Men

By Gary Lonesborough

Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey

Kallum lost his scholarship to a fancy school and is sent home confused about footy and how he feels about boys. Jordy is parenting because his dad drinks too much and is dealing with a closeted boyfriend. Dylan was the only witness to his best friend Brandon’s death and is due to stand up in court and face his best friend’s killer.

These four Aboriginal boys grew up together – friends on the same street of their idyllic coastal town. But friends grow apart, and their town doesn’t seem so idyllic amid homophobia and rampant racism, and the trial for the white cop who killed Brandon is creeping closer. They’ve each wrestled with their own demons through high school, and in Year Twelve their lives are threading together again. Each boy has a story and a secret that could change the direction of their life, and the time to make decisions seems to be on the horizon. The boys must each decide if they can stand up and do what’s right: for the community, for Brandon, and for each other.

Good Young Men is the latest release from multi-award winning Yuin author Gary Lonesborough, who was awarded 2025 CBCA Book of the Year for Older Readers for I’m Not Really Here. Addressing racism, homosexuality, self-acceptance and changing friendship dynamics, Good Young Men is in turns heart-wrenching and heartwarming. The story unfolds in stages, with each of the three surviving former friends recounting part of the year in a first-person narrative. Although many of the characters and themes cross over into each section, all three narrators have a clear voice, all resonating as strongly as each other.

A wonderful book for YA readers 14 years and up, with a note there is alcohol and drug use, discussions of sex, and a bit of coarse language. An eye-opener for readers who may not have much exposure to the racism Aboriginal people are faced with every day. Still leaving it up to readers to do the learning, Lonesborough provides a good recipe card of how not to treat one another, along with a reminder you have no idea what else might be going on in someone else’s life.

Age 14 – 18

Reading Notes

Teaching Resource

A & U Children 2026

Gary Lonesborough