The Boy at the Top of the Mountain

It’s impossible to put down: devastating and devastatingly good, one of my top three children’s novels of the year so far … A difficult story to pull off, but with his perfect pacing, lack of sentimentality and refusal to submit to a neat end, Boyne has won me over – all over again * The Times *
A remarkable feat … Compelling * Guardian *
Disturbingly vivid, utterly readable and appealing to audiences of all ages * The Bookbag *
There is a sureness and a simplicity to the writing that is very impressive … In The Boy at the Top of the Mountain, Boyne has delivered a powerful account of how one boy was seduced by Hitler and Nazism and paid the price. The final pages, in which he meets the Jewish friend of his boyhood and seeks redemption, are very moving. Younger readers will lament the corruption of Pierrot; older ones will perceive what Boyne is trying to tell us: if this could happen to Pierrot, it could happen to us * Irish Independent *
An affecting morality tale … It is the chilling portrayal of adolescent corruption and atonement that lingers * Daily Mail *
Forceful … Reminding us that silence and compromise can foster their own overwhelming guilt * Australian *
Exciting and thought-provoking … An excellent novel * Star, Malaysia *
With his perfect pacing, lack of sentimentality and refusal to submit to a neat end, Boyne has written one of the children’s books of the year * The Times *
A powerful new novel from the author of the highly acclaimed The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, and it is equally atmospheric and disturbing … Mesmerizing * Parents in Touch *
Another winner * Glasgow Sunday Herald *

John Boyne is the author of fifteen novels for adults, six novellas, six for younger readers, a picture book, and a collection of short stories. His 2006 novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide and has been adapted for cinema, theatre, ballet, and opera. His many international bestsellers include The Heart’s Invisible Furies and A Ladder to the Sky.

He has won four Irish Book Awards, including Author of the Year in 2022, along with a host of other international literary prizes, including most recently both the 2025 Prix Femina Étranger and the 2025 Prix du Roman FNAC for The Elements. His novels are published in sixty languages.

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