The Boy Lost in the Maze by Joseph Coelho: contemporary verse inspired by ancient mythology ⋆ Wonderfully Bookish

Genre: YA Verse, Contemporary, Mythology
Date Published: October 6, 2022
Rating: ★★★★

This story is about two boys, separated by centuries, parted by myth, divided by reality. Two boys hoping to be men. Two boys severed from their fathers. Two boys searching a maze of manhood.

This spellbinding YA novel told in poems blends the ancient legend of Theseus and the Minotaur with the quest of a modern-day teenage boy to find his biological father. Each story tells of a boy becoming a man and discovering what true manhood really means…

Theseus kills or conquers his enemies – a psycho Cyclops, a tree-bending murderer, a monstrous pig – on the path to find his father, while Theo, in his final school year, is tricked and double-crossed on his own journey of discovery – from treacherous Sinis Solutions to depraved Sciron the lawyer.

Behind both boys is the shadowy, tragic figure of the Minotaur, bringing Thesus and Theo together across space and time for a life-changing confrontation at the centre of the Labyrinth.

In this immersive and gripping narrative the reader must also make choices, helping Theseus and Theo find their true path to the future.

Title: The Boy Lost in the Maze
Author: Joseph Coelho
Illustrator: Kate Milner
Publisher: Otter-Barry Books
Date Published: October 6, 2022
Genre: YA Verse, Contemporary, Mythology

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The Boy Lost in the Maze: My Thoughts

I love verse novels and have reviewed quite a few of them. I also co-host a general knowledge podcast that often covers various mythology, particularly Greek. So when I saw that The Boy Lost in the Maze combines both of these things, as well as including “choose your own adventure” elements that are reminiscent of the Goosebumps books I used to love as a kid (and still love now), I knew I had to be a part of this blog tour!

This book feels so unique with a combination of two stories: one following Theo in the modern day, and one following Theseus in Greek mythology. The two stories are connected together not just by similar themes, but also by Theo doing a project about Theseus and the Minotaur in school. It all blends together so well, and I loved seeing the parallels between the two stories.

The story is written in verse, which if you haven’t read a verse novel before might be a little jarring to read – it’s basically told as a series of poetry, and in this case, some is in free verse while other follow a rhyming pattern. I loved the way it was written and I flew through it so quickly. The stories are so character-driven, which I love, and you really see each of the young characters grow as they set out on their journeys to manhood.

What makes the book even more special and unique is the illustrations included throughout, and I was very surprised by the “choose your own adventure” style choices the book asks the reader to make when a character has to make a pivotal decision. I can’t imagine how much work it took to craft this whole book, but it feels like such an immersive, unique reading experience.

This is the kind of book that can be read and loved by adults and young people alike, and it’s definitely the kind of book that I can imagine being in my school library (next to our copies of The Girl Who Became a Tree!). It’s perfect for those who want a contemporary story about growing up and finding yourself, but also love a bit of Greek mythology thrown in for good measure!

The Boy in the Maze by Joseph Coelho is out now, and you can get your copy using the links above.

About the Author

Joseph Coelho became the Waterstones Children’s Laureate in 2022. His debut poetry collection Werewolf Club Rules, published by Frances Lincoln, won the CLiPPA Poetry Award in 2015. He has written plays for young people for the Theatre Royal York, Pied Piper, Polka and The Unicorn Theatres. As well as poetry and plays, Joseph also writes picture books including Luna Loves Library Day (Andersen Press) and non-fiction books including How To Write Poems (Bloomsbury). All of his work has poetry and an element of performance at its heart making his festival and school sessions dynamic occasions. Joseph is a staunch ambassador for Britain’s straitened public libraries. He lives in Kent.