A review by thegreatmanda
The Scottish Boy by Alex de Campi

adventurous emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

There are certain peculiarities that we commonly overlook in fanfiction for the sake of getting the stories we know canon will never give us (why do so many authors write in present tense? could they please expend some effort to make us care about their characters even though they already know we’re here because we already do? does every interpersonal problem really need to be resolved via hot sex?), and the weirdness of those things is that much harder to ignore when you’re holding a physical paperback in your hands.

When I first heard of this book, it was because The Scottish Boy started out as a Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes fanfiction epic, and that is the sort of thing I regularly read on purpose, and enjoy. That’s a significant bias, and I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone outside of those preferences. 

However, having gone into this book with that bias alive and well, I loved it. 

Favorite Quotes:

“I will always come back to you. Always. Even if I have to drag myself out of the grave to do it.”

Harry holds up his hands, palms toward Rabbie, with a calm expression on his face. "I remember Lord Montagu once telling me that a cage was the safest way to transport a prisoner. Perhaps we have more in common with our French cousins than we thought."