Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Being Billy

4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 · rating details · 160 ratings · 33 reviews

Faces flashed before my eyes. And for every face there was a time that they had let me down. Each punch that landed was revenge, my chance to tell them I hadn't forgotten what they did.

Eight years in a care home makes Billy Finn a professional lifer. And Billy's angry - with the system, the social workers, and the mother that gave him away. As far as Billy's concerned, he'...more

Paperback, 264 pages

Published January 6th 2011 by Puffin

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Best #UKYA Books

56th out of 298 books — 201 voters

Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff

Kids in Foster Care

32nd out of 87 books — 53 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 684)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Dec 20, 2012 Maree rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Maree by: Jo

Shelves: ya-contemp, uk, 2012-read, favourites-2012

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Although I am a fan of contemporary novels and recently read another novel set in the UK with a male protagonist (review here), Being Billy still managed to take me by surprise. I was expecting it to be confronting and gritty, it seems to be something the Brit’s excel at, but I was not expecting it to make me so angry or have a protagonist I didn’t particularly like.

I know that sounds harsh, but in my opinion, Billy wasn’t meant to be instantly likeable or endearing. No, he was...more Rating: 4.5 Stars

Although I am a fan of contemporary novels and recently read another novel set in the UK with a male protagonist (review here), Being Billy still managed to take me by surprise. I was expecting it to be confronting and gritty, it seems to be something the Brit’s excel at, but I was not expecting it to make me so angry or have a protagonist I didn’t particularly like.

I know that sounds harsh, but in my opinion, Billy wasn’t meant to be instantly likeable or endearing. No, he was angry and he showed it and that’s always confronting to read. I felt deeply sorry for Billy and I could never begin to imagine what it must have been like to have been through what he had. However, he also made me angry when it came to his relationship with his main carer Ronnie. I could see Ronnie was trying to help and Billy’s constant anger toward him annoyed me, but ultimately I could understand why he found it so hard to trust anyone. In saying that, I did eventually come to care deeply for Billy. He was so incredibly loving towards his brother and sister, and so brave and mature when it came to realising he had to let them go. By the end of the novel, I was cheering him on, hoping he could make everything right.

In terms of the pacing of this novel, it was spot on. It was relatively fast-paced and very compelling, yet portrayed the more ‘mundane’ aspects of life in the home and at school. And those last few chapters…WOW. I’m still trying to get my head around it all. I was torn between desperately hoping for a magical happy ending and knowing that I wouldn’t be happy unless the conclusion was realistic, however heartbreaking. Well, Earle certainly delivered a realistic ending, but there was a dash of hope in there.

Being Billy was a wonderful read and one that really did take me by surprise. It was raw, heartbreaking, confronting...everything I’ve come to expect from those marvellous British writers. Although I didn’t instantly take to Billy, he won me over in the end and made this a book I won’t forget in a hurry.

This review and many more can be found at Maree's Musings.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 12, 2011 Sammee (I Want to Read That) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review-read

4.5 Stars

This really is such a great book! I apologise in advance for my (rather) gushing review but I really did love it.

The story follows Billy, a boy who has been in care for the past 8 years, a 'lifer' as he calls it. He's angry with everyone - the only meaning in his life are his younger brother and sister. Then one night he runs into a girl called Daisy and they develop a friendship. As he starts to open up to her he begins to learn that people do care...and that he cares too...

Phil Earle'...more 4.5 Stars

This really is such a great book! I apologise in advance for my (rather) gushing review but I really did love it.

The story follows Billy, a boy who has been in care for the past 8 years, a 'lifer' as he calls it. He's angry with everyone - the only meaning in his life are his younger brother and sister. Then one night he runs into a girl called Daisy and they develop a friendship. As he starts to open up to her he begins to learn that people do care...and that he cares too...

Phil Earle's writing in this is spot on and the voice he gives to Billy is remarkably authentic. Not only did I absolutely adore his character but his story made me reconsider all the things I take for granted - having a home, having parents who have always been there for me, knowing that I am loved by them - there are just so many things that just are that I haven't really thought it might not be the case for everybody. No, that's not completely true. I think I know that's the case but by making Billy so real, it makes it heartbreaking to realise that there are many, many kids out there just like him.

So I admit I cried A LOT reading this but please believe me when I say there is humour present too. I loved how Billy is constantly trying to wind Ronnie up! But Billy's story really struck a cord with me. I can't even begin to understand what it must be like - to essentially be rejected not once but twice, and all before you are 15 years old. To be told: yes you are wanted and then no, sorry you are not. Back to care you go. It made me really sad (and angry) but I also began to understand why this might happen. How do you go from living in care - where everything is decided for you, with a bunch of other kids and people who look after you on shifts and then go home to their 'real' family - to being part of a family where suddenly you are supposed to fit in and make all these choices, to really believe that someone cares? I wondered if that's why Billy calls himself a lifer? Because he knows he will never have anything else?

I loved taking Billy's journey with him. At the start he's angry with everyone - constantly lashing out and refusing to let anyone close. His lifeline is his brother and sister and you really see how different he is with them, how caring and vulnerable. The addition of Daisy in his life seems to change all that anger and their friendship seems to open him up and make a real difference. I also loved his relationship with Ronnie and how that changes and develops over the course of the novel. If I had to criticise, there was one aspect of the story that felt a little too coincidental for my liking, but at the same time it did get Billy to the place he needs to be. The pay-off made it worth it so to speak!

What I really enjoyed about this book, as well as everything I mentioned above, was how all the characters felt real. Ronnie, Daisy, Billy's brother and sister, his mother - I felt completely invested in all of them. I think Phil Earle's experience working in a care home really added to this novel by giving us insight into not just Billy but also in the characters that surround him. A truly awesome debut and I'm really looking forward to reading more by this author.(less)

1 like · like · see review

May 14, 2011 Susan Mann rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was very lucky in winning a signed copy of this book from the wonderful book blog Wonderous Reads.
I woke up at 5am this morning and read this book in one sitting could not put it down
.
I found it a very emotional book, it gave you an insight into the mind of a 15 year old boy in care. He is aggressive anti- establishment, school, care home etc. The only people he cares about is the twins his little brother and sister.His mother had given up her rights to him and allowed him to be put forward f...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 09, 2011 Zarina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, review-books

Fifteen year-old Billy is a lifer. Stuck in the care system for the past eight years he is mad at the entire world. His mother for not protecting him and giving him away. His stepfather for the physical violence he had to endure when he was younger. The Colonel for pretending to care for him only to go home every night after his shift at the care home has ended; home to his real family. The only people he truly and deeply cares for are Lizzie and Louise his ten year-old twin siblings to which he...more

like · see review

Jan 08, 2011 Tasha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Billy Finn has lived in a care home since he was seven years old. His Step-father used to beat him and his mum was always too drunk to look after him and his younger siblings. Billy has anger issues, hates the cares system, school ... pretty much everything really - with the exception of the twins, Lizzie and Louie, his younger siblings. They are the two people in the world Billy would do anything for. The only problem is the social workers want to take them away from him - to send them back to...more

like · see review

Dec 26, 2010 Kirsty (overflowing library) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-books, signed, uk-author

I really enjoyed this moving and poignant tale about Billy an angry young man who has spent a lifetime living in care.

I liked this book because I thought it gave real insight into what life is like for children like Billy and highlights an issue that many people do not give a second though to. It showed how simply the effect of being in care can affect every aspects of a childs life even affecting their future aspirations and acheivements.

I found Billy as character really fascinating. He had thi...more

like · see review

Apr 28, 2013 Nicky rated it 5 of 5 stars

Let's say 4.5 stars, because some parts were a bit Mwaaah. But overall this book was pretty good. Completely different from the things I usually read, but still interesting.

We follow Billy Finn, a 14 year old boy who has been in care for the past 8 years. He ended up being a 'lifer' after his stephdad beat him up and his mother was drowned in booze. Together with the twins he has lived and ruled over their new home. But Billy has one problem: he's angry. Not just one-moment-angry, but lifetime a...more

like · see review

Mar 29, 2011 Sharon Goodwin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Straight away I have to say I absolutely loved this story. Any book (that isn’t of the romance genre) which involves you so much that you cry ………………. has to have something special about it!

Having worked in the past on the streets as leader-in-charge for a youth work project and for the past ten years working in schools, I can tell you for certain that Billy’s story is the real deal – real life.

The blurb gives you all the background you need and to which the story is built around. I found Billy’...more

like · see review

Apr 13, 2012 Gail Jones rated it 5 of 5 stars

Being Billy by Phil Earle. This is another good book. Phil really gets inside the head of Billy who has been in care since he was six years old. His younger twin siblings come into care at the same time and he has been both father and mother to them. Billy is constantly in trouble, but he doesn't mean to be. He is just so full of anger that his mother abandoned him, she allowed her new husband to beat him and now as she has access to his younger siblings, she doesn't want him. He's sick of being...more

like · see review

Nov 07, 2011 Nicola rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cover-appeal, library-books, young-adult

Being Billy was so much better than I expected it to be! I found the description to be only vaguely intriguing and certainly nothing original at all. I didn't expect it to be so engaging and unique! I thought Billy was an excellently developed character and had no problems empathizing with him and his whole situation. While Billy is certainly not perfect, he's still a good person who has just been through a lot. I loved his relationship with his little siblings and I loved that he wasn't afraid...more

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 08, 2011 Vivienne Serendipity Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Being Billy is one of the reasons I love Twitter. If I hadn't been on there, this book would have definitely passed under my radar. Thankfully, I heard the whispers about how good the book was and the more I heard about it the more I wanted to read it. This book did not disappoint!

This book is a gritty, hard hitting contemporary novel that makes Tracy Beaker look quite innocent. If you ever wanted to read about what living in a children's home is really like, then this is the book for you. The m...more Being Billy is one of the reasons I love Twitter. If I hadn't been on there, this book would have definitely passed under my radar. Thankfully, I heard the whispers about how good the book was and the more I heard about it the more I wanted to read it. This book did not disappoint!

This book is a gritty, hard hitting contemporary novel that makes Tracy Beaker look quite innocent. If you ever wanted to read about what living in a children's home is really like, then this is the book for you. The main character Billy, has issues and lots of them, but you can't blame him as his life before the children's home was just terrible. He wasn't a bad kid, he was just angry and rightly so. He has spent the last ten years in care and that is a long time to feel unloved and alone. He is very protective of his younger siblings who are twins and you can easily relate to this. He is a mother and father figure to them and wants them to experience the love that he never felt. He feels totally responsible for them. So even though others seem to have a poor view of Billy, he really is rather mature in the way he deals with his brother and sister. Billy is definitely one of my favourite characters for 2011, his complexities draw me to him.

I wasn't expecting this book to affect my emotions but it did. I found myself feeling quite protective over Billy and wanting to stand up for him and shout in his corner. He needed love, real family love and the only one who seemed to be able to see it was Ronnie, his carer. Ronnie had known the family since they first came into care and you could see he felt strongly for them, just in the way he did for his own kids. At the beginning of the book you really dislike him, but as you move through the story you realise his true intentions and see that he is only trying to do what is right for the family.

Daisy is a rather complex character, who has suffered in life too. Instantly she brightens Billy's life, because he can see a kindred spirit in her. She has suffered just like he has, so she understands, even if she doesn't reveal a lot about her own life. He has found a friend to make each day a little easier.
The twist at the end of the book was surprising. I really didn't see that coming at all and yet I felt that I should have.

This book is just fantastic. For a debut, I thought it was extremely well written with strong characters that tug at your heart strings. It is an emotional read, that stays with you long after you turn the last page.
(less)

like · see review

Mar 04, 2011 Michelle (Clover Hill Book Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: brit-author-challenge-2011, 2011-debut

The cover on this is fresh and bright. Being Billy is a sensitive yet powerful book about a lad in care. He's a 'lifer' and has adapted to his environment. The story is told from Billy's point of view and has some stark insights into how children in care feel they have to act and behave.
This has also been posted on my blog.

From Chapter 1 readers get an immediate sense of anger, frustration and empathy for this troubled and misunderstood boy. He's had to act so tough just to find his place in hi...more The cover on this is fresh and bright. Being Billy is a sensitive yet powerful book about a lad in care. He's a 'lifer' and has adapted to his environment. The story is told from Billy's point of view and has some stark insights into how children in care feel they have to act and behave.
This has also been posted on my blog.

From Chapter 1 readers get an immediate sense of anger, frustration and empathy for this troubled and misunderstood boy. He's had to act so tough just to find his place in his world. He puts up barriers between anyone wanting to be friends with him, and treats those who dare to come close with distrust and violence. Later his life story begins to unravel as he makes friends with Daisy, another child in care who is currently staying with friends. All is not as it first seems, and things escalate in Billy's life. His siblings that he holds so dear and are the family he has kept safe, are sent back to be at home and Billy is left behind, hurt and rejected as he is not wanted by his maternal parent.

Phil Earle has really brought home to me how different a child's life in care is to that of a supportive or family environment. Within the pages you could see that Billy was being torn apart by not being understood. He felt he had no one to tell his secrets to, and his nightmares reflected the life that led to him and his siblings being placed in care. The job the care workers did was a very hard one, but seen from Billy's eyes from the beginning, they are there as a dictatorship rather than for his support and to help him.

A quote from Bing Billy which is sure to pull at your heart strings:
"Because this time they're leaving me behind. And the difference is, Annie wants them. Jan and Grant didn't want me. Not once I realized what I was"

A read that I couldn't put down, as I did get engrossed in Billy's life and his reactions to those around him, as well as being shocked by some of the scenes and taken in by Billy's love for his siblings. He has some really sweet moments, especially where his siblings are concerned. A heart breaking book in places which had me in tears more than once as we understand what Being Billy really means. A highly recommended read. (less)

like · see review

Mar 04, 2011 Lee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: waiting-for-follow-up, one-off

First time I saw this on Goodreads, I decided that I weren't interested. After seeing it in my local library and deciding to give it ago and i'm glad I did as some other books have also recently proved.

The book's main character as you may have guessed is Billy. Billy is a professional lifer who has a little brother and sister. Nobody can keep him out of trouble and as we read the book, we start to see Billy develop and as the blur states "He can't be anything else. Can he?" ~ we start to see if...more

like · see review

May 08, 2012 Manuela rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, abuse

4.5 stars

This was an intense and often heartbreaking reading. It's the story of Billy, a kid that is still 14 years old but has already gone through so much heartbreak and problems in his life, that he can't help but be very angry at everyone. He acts out, he committs petty crimes, sometimes he gets violent, he thinks everyone is out there to get him. Only his two siblings manage to get out of him something different than anger. With them, he's a loving brother, always doing what's best for them...more

like · see review

Apr 18, 2012 Jo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: hometown-glories-uk, ya, own, 2012, good-grief, just-been-cutting-onions, you-got-a-friend-in-me, hometown-ya

Woosh.
This book was fantastic. I think my heart is still pounding from those last couple of chapters.
I don’t mind admitting that the majority of my knowledge of children in care is from reading Tracey Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson. And I know that might sound odd because Ms Wilson doesn’t really write young adult books, but if you’ve ever read a Jacqueline Wilson you will know that she is not one to shy away from the truth or darker aspects of life because they’re uncomfortable to read. Tracey B...more

13 likes · like · see review

Nov 13, 2011 Stephanie (Stepping out of the Page) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-read, awful-cover, young-adult, realistic-fiction, read-in-2011, abuse

Being Billy was a very realistic book. It is clear from the beginning that Phil Earle has previously worked in care - the authenticity of Billy and the relationships he has with others is incredible. Though I didn't find Billy completely endearing, I found him to be a very interesting character and I could see where he was coming from in a lot of his thoughts and I could admire the fact that he knew he wasn't perfect and had made mistakes. I adored Billy's relationship with his siblings as it sh...more

3 likes · like · see review

May 13, 2011 Carly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, favourites

Wow – I honestly cannot believe Being Billy is a debut novel. The writing is first class and I was moved from beginning to end. I am officially in love with this book.

Being Billy touches on a subject I haven’t read about much in YA literature – children in a care home. Earle writes with a stark honesty and it’s quite clear he knows his subject matter inside out. Some of the little stories within Being Billy’s pages can only be real life anecdotes and they really help to bring the book alive. The...more Wow – I honestly cannot believe Being Billy is a debut novel. The writing is first class and I was moved from beginning to end. I am officially in love with this book.

Being Billy touches on a subject I haven’t read about much in YA literature – children in a care home. Earle writes with a stark honesty and it’s quite clear he knows his subject matter inside out. Some of the little stories within Being Billy’s pages can only be real life anecdotes and they really help to bring the book alive. The one that springs to my mind now is the story of the hotel biscuits!

I read Being Billy in a single sitting on Christmas Eve while I was waiting for my working day to come to an end. Yes, I had finished my work for the day so was allowed to read, I wasn’t pulling some incognito ninja page turning under the desk, rest assured. Embarrassingly enough I cried not once, not twice but THRICE while reading this book. Luckily none of my work pals noticed, or if they did they were kind enough not to ask why I was huddled behind my desk weeping.

For me the garage scene on Billy’s birthday is the runaway show stealer of the book. Absolutely beautifully written and so emotionally charged, I dare any of you to make it through without a sniffle or two. For me this was the turning point that made Being Billy go from being a great book to one of my favourites. Yup, instant classic right here.

Billy is a complex but loveable character. Years of terrible treatment at the hands of his mother and alcoholic stepfather have forced him to keep his emotions hidden and his guard permanently up. He cares about nothing in life but his nine year old twin siblings, who are clearly his only reason for being. It was lovely to see the way Billy interacted with the twins as we saw a much softer side to his personality. His blossoming friendship with Daisy was great as well and I really warmed to her as a character – she reminded me a little of Caro from the Zelah Green books (which is a good thing).

Phil Earle is definitely one to watch, I’m so impressed that this is his first book and I cannot wait to see what he brings to the table next. So tomorrow morning I strongly suggest you rush off to your nearest bookshop now and spend some of that Christmas cash on Being Billy because it’s an absolutely corker.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Feb 16, 2011 Vicki rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, young-adult

Wow. This book was intense indeed. Right from the very start Phil Earle creates in Billy a character so full of depth and complexities and so perfectly crafted it’s impossible to not think of him as a real person and become completely involved with his story.

Everything about this story rings true. Phil Earle worked in the care sector before he moved into book related jobs and this more than shows. He gets how a child in care really does feel; something I don’t believe just comes from the job its...more Wow. This book was intense indeed. Right from the very start Phil Earle creates in Billy a character so full of depth and complexities and so perfectly crafted it’s impossible to not think of him as a real person and become completely involved with his story.

Everything about this story rings true. Phil Earle worked in the care sector before he moved into book related jobs and this more than shows. He gets how a child in care really does feel; something I don’t believe just comes from the job itself but from a person who sees beyond it. Having experience of local authority care myself many years ago I recognised Billy: the anger, fear, distrust, vulnerability and feelings of hatred at others and himself.

What was especially fascinating with this book was seeing Billy’s relationships, which in turn allow the reader to see him from very different angles. With his mother he is resentful, distant and angry, with the twins he is caring, gentle and protective while the other kids at the home provoke a nasty and violent reaction. Then there’s the relationship with Daisy, new girl at school and fellow child of the care system. Here we see him unsure but hopeful and for the first time opening up to another person.

My favourite relationship however was with Ron, Billy’s long-term care worker at the home and pretty much the only consistent adult in his life. Seeing this relationship develop was just stunning. Billy detests Ron as he represents everything about the system he so hates being a part of. As we read from Billy’s perspective throughout the book I felt pretty much the same way about him to begin with, until little things are dropped in which slowly gives the reader a bigger picture and had me urging Billy to see what was right there in front of him. This relationship had me brimming with tears more than once.

Being Billy isn’t an easy read, far from it. However it is a book that should be read. This is an emotional book, one that will really make you stop and think and get right under your skin. It’s gripping from the first page and by the end you will be sure these characters actually do exist and care deeply for them. I felt every injustice Billy endures and was thinking about him long after the last page. Possibly one of the most realistic books I’ve read for a long time, I highly recommend it. (less)

like · see review

Jan 18, 2011 Clover (Fluttering Butterflies) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, british-reading-challenge, favorites

I loved this one entirely. Being Billy by Phil Earle felt real and heartbreaking and I cried absolute buckets for Billy. I knew that this book would probably be sad but I wasn't expecting the shuddering, messy sobs that came out of me while reading this book. And it isn't as if any one major thing happened to make me feel so much, rather than absolutely everything put together makes this book so beautiful and sad and able to pull my heart out and squeeze it. A huge, huge thank you to Puffin for...more I loved this one entirely. Being Billy by Phil Earle felt real and heartbreaking and I cried absolute buckets for Billy. I knew that this book would probably be sad but I wasn't expecting the shuddering, messy sobs that came out of me while reading this book. And it isn't as if any one major thing happened to make me feel so much, rather than absolutely everything put together makes this book so beautiful and sad and able to pull my heart out and squeeze it. A huge, huge thank you to Puffin for providing me with this review copy.

Right from the very first page I identified with Billy. He's such a great character, so complex. His anger covers up so many other emotions. Scared and vulnerable, I couldn't imagine what it would be like to have spent most of my childhood in a care home. Billy's mother gave him up 8 years ago after an incident with her boyfriend at the time. And that's left Billy bouncing between social workers and carers. And he's angry at them all. Angry that no one seems to care about him. That his carers are only there doing a job and forgets about him when they go home to their own families. But he's got his little brother and sister there that he needs to take care of, and the twins are the only things keeping Billy going. What else is there? He's all alone.

I have to say, Billy reminds me a great deal of my own brother, which might explain the huge emotional impact this book had on me. Billy's just so angry at how unjust the hand that he's been given is. There's so many instances in the book, where it's clear to see how much of a disadvantage Billy is, living in a care home. Especially emotionally. He doesn't have a great deal of self-worth and you can see how much Billy likes to test his limits, see how far he can go. Whereas Billy projects an image of not caring, I think instead, Billy cares too much.

And you can see a very soft and more vulnerable side to Billy as he cares for his little brother and sister. Providing them with a bedtime routine, staying outside the bathroom door to protect his little sister, staying with them both until they've fallen asleep. I think these scenes were especially hard for me to read, as a parent. Such little things, nobody should have to do without.

I don't think I've ever read a book like this one, that shows life in a care home. Billy's voice is one that I've not heard before and with this book Phil Earle shines a light on something that more people should know about and understand. I didn't know very much about care homes or what would happen to a child without parents to look after them. And it isn't a pretty picture looking at life through Billy's eyes. The confusion for the children as carers come and go on different shifts. No real stable influence or guiding hand. The ways in which Billy and other 'lifers' are treated by other people, by teachers and other students. The ways in which they see themselves, that life gets so hard that these kids end up with a hard, uncaring stare. Billy believes himself to be all alone, but I did very much love the relationship between him and Ronnie. Those two together make this book a lot less grim and give me hope.

This one is definitely one to look out for. Published 6th January, it comes incredibly highly recommended from me. (less)

like · see review

Oct 28, 2011 Julia Phillips rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: literature

This was a really great read and very well-written, but challenging in its subject matter. The author got right inside the head of a teenage boy in care and explored his world brilliantly. The story is from Billy's point of view and it showed just how easy it is for damaged children to become more damaged as those around them fail to notice or interpret correctly signals relating to isolation, mental abuse, and family ties.

like · see review

Aug 24, 2012 Abbey rated it 5 of 5 stars

I LOVE this book! I already read Saving Daisy and thought it was one of the best books I've ever read and that's saying something! This book sent chills down my spine and warmed up my heart till the point where I just sobbed!! Billy really spoke to me and I felt his pain and I felt his anger. To put this in the most simple words I can: IT IS AMAZING!!!!

like · see review

Oct 15, 2011 Alexey Marshall rated it 4 of 5 stars

being billy had a few intresting parts but over all waz a grate book from betrails to grate freindships it had a few turns in the end but all came clean in the end.

being billy starts of as billy the main guy is sent to a bording house for the nonceard and he has lived there for 8 years with his bro and sis they are twins and a lot younger.

but the news hits hard wen he finds out his mum wants the twins back he looks for ways to stop them from being split up becoause when they lived with her she...more

like · see review

Jul 07, 2012 Samar rated it 4 of 5 stars

incredibly real. very touching, with believable characters. i felt every emotion possible for 'billy' whilst reading the book. at times, he angered me, at times i was shocked at his behaviour, but for the most part, i wanted him to succeed.

like · see review

Feb 06, 2013 Princess Alaa rated it 5 of 5 stars

this book has affected me deeply it was the first book that touched me that deep that i actuly cried its changed so much in me and opened my eyes to a lot of new stuff truly an amazing book recommend it to any one

like · see review

Jan 22, 2013 Vikki rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Billy Flin has been stuck in care his entire life and is only kept sane by his brother and sister.
Being Billy, is a gripping and page turning book which will keep any reader engrossed. With a realistic and imaginative take on life in the system Phil Earle takes you on an emotional roller coaster with a character that can make you laugh and cry as well as relish in his own anger. A must read for anyone!

like · see review

Jan 28, 2013 Katy Noyes rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well-written insight into the life of a youth in care.
You care for Billy and are led to understand why he behaves the way he does. His brotherly love for the twins is moving, the way he changes his opinion of his key worker Ronnie realistic and heart-warming.
Very good YA book.

like · see review

Oct 11, 2012 Jodie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. One of the best books I have read for a long time. Would also recommend other books by this order.

like · see review

Mar 21, 2012 Miriam Halahmy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Excellent portrayal of how it is to live years of your life in care. Thoroughly recommended

like · see review

Mar 29, 2013 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, ya, ya-contemporary-challenge

A powerful read. Reminded me of Kes.

like · see review

May 10, 2012 Freefallen ~ YA Reviewer rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this. You felt Billy's emotions very clearly; and while the story was dragging near the middle, it comes to an epic conclusion. Can't wait to read Saving Daisy! :)

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 22 23 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (2)

Genres

Young Adult

11 users

Contemporary

5 users

European Literature > British Literature

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Naked
by Kevin Brooks
When I Was Joe
by Keren David
Fifteen Days Without a Head
by Dave Cousins
Emma Hearts LA
by Keris Stainton
The Long Weekend
by Savita Kalhan

About Phil Earle

Phil was born in Hull in 1974, and he studied English and Drama at Hull University. He worked for a year as a carer in a children’s home, then after training as a drama therapist, he worked in a therapeutic community in London, which cared for multiply abused adolescents. Then, changing tack completely, he chose a marginally more sedate life as a children’s bookseller. It was here that he develope...more

More about Phil Earle...

Books by Phil Earle

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Being Billy

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Being Billy
avg rating	preview: Being Billy Goodreads rating: 4.03 (160 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8624532-being-billy?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336340838l/8624532.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8624532-being-billy?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Being Billy by Phil Earle[/url]

Being Billy

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website