Extraordinary... The narrative is by turns surprising and tragic in equal measure while its troubling conclusion will stay with readers long after they've closed the book

Powerful, poignant and beautifully written. This will become a classic war novel

Compulsive, stylish and gripping

A wonderful, sad, tender book

John Boyne brings a completely fresh eye to the most important stories. He guides us through the realm of history and makes the journey substantial, poignant and real. He is one of the great craftsmen in contemporary literature

A superb evocation of the Great War and its very human effects

A fiercely interrogative novel that asks not just what it means to be a man but also what it means to be a human being in the extreme circumstances of war

Boyne's fluid writing and strong characterisation brings the story to life and delivers a strong, unexpected emotional punch at the end

There is an old-fashioned feeling to this readable and well-written novel

Boyne's twinning of the subjects of homosexuality and conscientious objection is inspired

Boyne skillfully draws a thread through from sexual to moral to social shame... he tells a good story

A really enjoyable, if rather sad, read, full of historical and human interest

Felix Quinn, the narrator of the book...explains it beautifully - and this is a very good novel... Feeling unsafe makes him feel alive. And loss, of course, is the wellspring of good storytelling

The Act of Love is an ambitious and at times extremely uncomfortable novel

It is an almost frighteningly brilliant achievement. Why did the Booker judges not recognise it?

This is a very good novel

Jacobson's 10th novel is a moving, thought-provoking and darkly witty story of desire and love