True crime buff Gus Green has always felt out of place in the world. He’s overweight, gay, his injured mum’s primary carer, and he only has two real friends: sporty Kane and feisty Shell, who are both dealing with their own problems.
Gus’s life is flipped on its head one day when he finds a missing persons website with a digitally aged picture of a missing boy who looks eerily like him. Could he be a kidnapping victim? It would explain a lot about his patchy background, but what would that make his mum – his kidnapper?
As Gus and his friends dive into the mystery, their investigation reveals more questions than answers. Can they unravel the case before his world falls apart? And what will they do if the truth is too much to handle?
Recommended for ages 14+.
Buy a copy of Gus and the Missing Boy here.
Read some great reviews from our Preview readers here:
Gus and the Missing Boy is an Australian YA novel by Troy Hunter. Fifteen-year-old Angus Green has always felt like he doesn’t fit in although, his two best friends Kane and Shell, have his back. Gus is gay, overweight and deals with his problems by inflicting self-harm to calm himself. He is also a true crime enthusiast. When Gus stumbles upon a mystery involving a kidnapped child that looks like himself, he refuses to let the case go. With thanks to Better Reading, the author and publisher for my preview copy. This book was an enjoyable mystery that I believe both adults and teens will enjoy. Sharah, QLD, 5 Stars
What an absolutely wonderful read!! From the minute I started I was intrigued and couldn’t put the book down. I found the characters loveable and the friendship between them was a joy to be part of. Also who doesn’t love a good mystery? This book is set in Australia so it made me all warm and fuzzy knowing and this. The book nerd in me also loved the paper quality of the book. I also appreciate naming the chapters, a tiny touch that adds so much. An all round joy! Round of applause for Troy Hunter on his debut novel. Tamara, VIC, 5 Stars
Thank you Better Reading for the opportunity to read Gus And The Missing Boy by Troy Hunter. I really enjoyed this mystery, it was easy to read and I didn’t want to put it down!! Gus has always felt like he didn’t fit in his family. One day he finds a photo of a boy who went missing and the new photo of what he would look like now and it looks exactly like Gus. Gus and his friends start to investigate the missing boy, what they find will change Gus’s life forever. This is one of the best mysteries I have read! A must read, highly recommended ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Judy, NSW, 5 Stars
Wow what a page turning book! Cool, hip & with the times. Totally enjoyed this read & it kept me guessing! Still wondering what happened to Gus’s birth Mum but loved the dynamic of the three friends solving the ‘cold case’. Highly recommend. Mel, VIC, 5 Stars
Have just finished Gus and the Missing Boy and it was a great read. Not meant for my age group, I think but enjoyable just the same. Gus Green is a plus size gay young adult who self harms because he feels he doesn’t fit in anywhere. He has 2 staunch friends who have their own problems to deal with but they are there for each other. Gus has an interest in detective work and after seeing an aged picture of a missing boy, the three friends set out to investigate. This book is an easy read. Characters are well written and the 3 friends are endearing with their strong loyalty and friendship. Plot holds your attention from start to finish. A real page turner. Thank you Better Reading for giving me the opportunity to read this novel. I hope we are lucky to have more from this new talented author. Sharon, ACT, 5 Stars
Gus has always had aspirations to one day have a career in the police force. He spends his spare time Gus exploring podcasts that deal with missing persons. One day he comes across a website that has uploaded a Robin Winter, a little boys who was kidnapped ten years ago when he was three. The child was never found but the photo Gus finds is digitally-updated and looks uncannily like Gus does now. When Gus tries to talk to his mum about this she is evasive. Of course that makes Gus even more curious and he sets about to solve the mystery… This is a good story about finding your identity and looks at what family really is. I enjoyed this book. As a parent, teacher and librarian I would highly recommend for mid teens (YA) who love a good mystery. It is always wonderful to find books that boys will enjoy. With its well drawn characters, strong themes and sense of a detective who-dunnit, this is one of those books! Nell, NSW, 5 Stars
As a middle aged woman I didn’t realise at the time of registration to review this novel, that it was a novel targeted at the YA audience. Having said that, I found the novel very entertaining. Set between the Australian states of Melbourne and NSW. Easy read, good content and likeable, authentic characters. I found the mystery and suspense gripping, the insecurities of the teens was interestingly translated for presentation to the reader, and the intrincisities of relationships between friends and families. Not everyone feels like they fit in the square of life, or the dynamic of family expectation and it was a well described ride of teens finding oneself and deepening their connection with themselves and eachother. I enjoyed the novel a lot and would highly recommend to young adult readers. Thank you Better Reading and Wakefield Press for providing the opportunity to preview/review. Sharon, QLD, 5 Stars
This is much more than simply a teen crime novel. Gus is a teen with weight issues and now he’s also beginning to doubt his family history. Why is his mother so secretive about his birth certificate? Then he sees a photo on the internet that makes him question his background and with the aid of unlikely friends, he sets on a quest to unravel the mystery of who he really is. This is mainly about coming of age and family. It’s about finding yourself – but in Gus’s case, finding who he really is means solving a long abandoned crime. There are some scenes that require a little suspension of disbelief – I was wondering how easily some people would Gus info on such a case (surely that’s a bit sensitive?) – but it is well-written and brings together the characters well. I felt the thoughts and dialogue of the characters were particularly realistically portrayed and really made the story come alive. Gus was a character – mainly because of the vivid portrayal by Troy Hunter, as well as the idea of the character as an ordinary guy with issues in his life – who is compelling and sympathetic. I liked that the representation of a gay character did not fall into cheap stereotypes and this is one book where there’s a gay character who doesn’t need to have a romance storyline. Rebecca, NSW, 5 Stars
Gus wants to join the police force. He spends all his spare time exploring missing person podcasts until presto! He finds a website about a child kidnapped ten years ago, never found, and thinks it may be him. Needless to say he sets about to solve the mystery. I loved this story with its well drawn characters, strong themes and mystery. Harlan, NSW, 4 Stars
I believe this great book is not just for YA but for anyone who enjoys a quick mystery with twists and turns. The main character Gus is loveable you can understand the emotional struggles he is experiencing. The support characters are believable and the storyline is well-crafted. It is a well-paced read and gets tense but not too intense and brings up some current issues facing the teens of today. Very refreshing to not have a dictionary nearby for all the obnoxious big words of adult fiction. Jonathan, NSW, 4 Stars
A great new novel Gus and the Missing Boy from Troy Hunter. A moving story for young adults on family, identity, teenage doubts, friendships and hidden secrets. This was an emotional and interesting read with the characters being believable. I am looking forward to reading another novel by Troy. Christine, WA, 4 Stars
What a great debut! A wonderfully written YA story about finding your true identity, Family and place in the world all whilst solving a mystery. You can’t help wanting to reach out and wrap your arms around Gus. Deanne, VIC, 4 Stars
I really enjoyed this book. Read it in a weekend and could not wait to get to the end. Well done, looking forward to more in future. Terin, QLD, 4 Stars
After a tragic car crash that killed his father and injured his mum Gus became his mother’s carer. One escape he has is delving into true crime. One day Gus is looking at a missing persons website and sees a digitally aged photo of someone who looks exactly like him. The missing boy Robin has been gone for years and there has been no trace of him. Could this boy actually be Gus? Could his mum and dad be kidnappers? This would explain why he has always felt out of place, and being gay and overweight hasn’t helped. Gus and his friends Shell and Kane decide to go on a road trip to the town Robin went missing in to find out if this can possibly be true. Tanya, VIC, 4 Stars
Thank you for my preview copy. Gus and the Missing Boy is a YA book full of big emotions about identity, finding yourself, growing up and being yourself. The characters were realistic and relatable so you really connected with the storyline. The portrayal of Gus was not stereotypical it was sympathetic and real making him a likeable character that you wish gets his happy ending. I liked the fact that along with Gus the characters of Shell and Kane were also well rounded and the storyline potrayed their struggles with identity and life just as well as Gus. Definetly recommend Gus amd the Missing Boy Simone, VIC, 4 Stars
Gus is misfit and doesn’t feel he belongs, and let’s be honest, what teenager doesn’t feel that? He finds an image of a missing child and the enhanced photo looks exactly like him. This leads him and his friends on a quest to find answers to the mystery. I quite enjoyed this clever, cheeky mystery. It was a really fun read while also discussing relevant issue like belonging and self harm. Alice, NSW, 4 Stars
Troy Hunter’s debut novel is an engaging YA read. The protagonist, Gus, is an overweight 15yo, who feels very out of place. He has two friends: Shell, 15, also overweight and a misfit at school too, and Kane ,18, school drop-out and sports fanatic. Five years after his father’s death he is very unsure of himself. He is self harming and attending therapy. Gus and Shell both are addicted to true crimes. When Gus finds an AI image of what a lost boy may look like now he is shocked to find his similarity to the image. This starts a search for more information by him and his friends. This is a story of identity, teenage insecurity, family ties, secrets and strong friendships. I found the story believable on an emotional level and was an absorbing read. An excellent debut novel. Annette, ACT, 4 Stars
Gus and The Missing Boy by Troy Hunter. A YA whodunit story of 15 year old Gus who hopes one day to join the Police Force and become a detective. One day while scrolling through websites on his phone he finds a missing persons website which has digitally aged images of missing people one is of a boy about his age and the image is unmistakable it’s him. So begins the search for information, Gus enlists the help of his 2 best friends and so their investigation starts. I found this book a quick read, not giving too much away I had trouble believing some of the questions and answers Gus and his friends were after. But hey maybe that can be put down to my 70 years of life experience. Leigh, WA, 3 Stars
A very entertaining young adolescent novel. Suitable for youth between 12 and 15. The subject matter may have had some triggering for some children reflecting on self harm and finding ones sexuality. The ending was left open for each reader to reflect on the outcome. Ainsley, QLD, 3 Stars
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