The Young Team
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- Create Date：2021-04-24 09:52:01
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Graeme Armstrong
- ISBN：152901736X
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Summary
The Times top ten bestseller。
‘An instant Scottish classic’ – The Skinny
‘A swaggering， incendiary debut’ – Guardian
‘Trainspotting for a new generation’ – Independent
‘Raw and lyrical’ – Observer
‘One of the most admired young voices in British fiction’ – The Times
2005。 Glasgow is named Europe’s Murder Capital， driven by a violent territorial gang and knife culture。 In the housing schemes of adjacent Lanarkshire， Scotland’s former industrial heartland， wee boys become postcode warriors。
2004。 Azzy Williams joins the Young Team [YTP]。 A brutal gang conflict with their deadly rivals， the Young Toi [YTB] begins。
2012。 Azzy dreams of another life。 He faces his toughest fight of all – the fight for a different future。
Expect Buckfast。 Expect bravado。 Expect street philosophy。 Expect rave culture。 Expect anxiety。 Expect addiction。 Expect a serious facial injury every six hours。 Expect murder。
Hope for a way out。
‘An instant Scottish classic’ – The Skinny
‘A swaggering， incendiary debut’ – Guardian
‘Trainspotting for a new generation’ – Independent
‘Raw and lyrical’ – Observer
‘One of the most admired young voices in British fiction’ – The Times
2005。 Glasgow is named Europe’s Murder Capital， driven by a violent territorial gang and knife culture。 In the housing schemes of adjacent Lanarkshire， Scotland’s former industrial heartland， wee boys become postcode warriors。
2004。 Azzy Williams joins the Young Team [YTP]。 A brutal gang conflict with their deadly rivals， the Young Toi [YTB] begins。
2012。 Azzy dreams of another life。 He faces his toughest fight of all – the fight for a different future。
Expect Buckfast。 Expect bravado。 Expect street philosophy。 Expect rave culture。 Expect anxiety。 Expect addiction。 Expect a serious facial injury every six hours。 Expect murder。
Hope for a way out。
Reviews
Suzanne Smith
，
Graeme Armstrong’s The Young Team is an abrasive and visceral portrayal of Scottish “ned” culture and the plight of young male identities warring over postcodes in the schemes of Airdrie， North Lanarkshire。 Azzy Williams， our protagonist and self-proclaimed “YT legend in the making”， guides us through his own coming of age and involvement with the Young Team amongst a cacophony of territorial gang violence， addiction and abandoned mental health。 It’s about choices， or the lack thereof， and who s Graeme Armstrong’s The Young Team is an abrasive and visceral portrayal of Scottish “ned” culture and the plight of young male identities warring over postcodes in the schemes of Airdrie， North Lanarkshire。 Azzy Williams， our protagonist and self-proclaimed “YT legend in the making”， guides us through his own coming of age and involvement with the Young Team amongst a cacophony of territorial gang violence， addiction and abandoned mental health。 It’s about choices， or the lack thereof， and who stays trapped in the endless cycles of gang warfare and who gets to leave， but above all， it’s an unflinching tale of friendship， hope and redemption。Understandably， The Young Team has drawn comparisons to Trainspotting， the cult classic of Scottish working-class fiction， and there are several nods to the influence of Irvine Welsh speckled throughout Azzy’s narrative。 However， early 00’s North Lanarkshire is a far stretch from the heroin-laced scene of 80’s Edinburgh， and its fair to say that The Young Team occupies and represents a different Scottish landscape， both geographically and culturally， marking it as distinct and avant-garde in its own right。Its most defining feature is the use of the regional Lanarkshire dialect throughout， which slices open every norm around novelistic standard English。 It’s a gritty， colloquial voice that simmers on every sentence and will fall off the tongue naturally for anyone brought up in the Central Belt。 It also has the potential to alienate readers unfamiliar with it， but I get the sense that Armstrong is more concerned in reaching a readership who rarely find themselves represented in the pages of literary fiction than satisfying those readers who will struggle to decode the vernacular。 。。。more
Laura （Reading is a Doing Word）
，
I read this for the #ScottishBookClub and I don’t think I’d have picked it up otherwise - but I’m glad I did！The Young Team tells the story of Alan “Azzy” Williams and his growing up in North Lanarkshire immersed in the gang culture of violence， drink and drugs。 It’s written in the dialect of the area and this serves to enhance the impact of the experiences the Young Team have throughout。The overwhelming sense of this book is a contrast between fellowship and abandonment。 The friendships between I read this for the #ScottishBookClub and I don’t think I’d have picked it up otherwise - but I’m glad I did！The Young Team tells the story of Alan “Azzy” Williams and his growing up in North Lanarkshire immersed in the gang culture of violence， drink and drugs。 It’s written in the dialect of the area and this serves to enhance the impact of the experiences the Young Team have throughout。The overwhelming sense of this book is a contrast between fellowship and abandonment。 The friendships between The Young Team members are often heartwarming and often devastating。 The ideal of loyalty is highly regarded but can often come at a personal cost - when does loyalty to The Young Team （or a nostalgic idea of The Young Team） stop being admirable and start becoming detrimental to personal safety and freedom？The Young Team are written off by many who see them as ne'er do well wee neds with no future。 They’re threatened with expulsion from school， their towns are forgotten by councils and government and the police are more willing to judge them than help them。Azzy grows up surrounded by all this。 As a young wee guy he loves the camaraderie and getting “on it” with his mates。 They live in a constant cycle of fighting with and retaliation against the other gang in their area - but how and when will this end？As he gets older he sees the danger of the road he’s on and takes steps to extricate himself from a doomed future。 Returning home after a few years away only serves to highlight Azzy’s need to do something - something to break the cycle and something to give him a future。I grew up in the rural Highlands so the experience and dialect are not something I relate to personally， however that didn’t matter。 The characters and language draw you in。 I really cared about Azzy and his friends from The Young Team。 Despite not having similar experiences there is a universally relatable nostalgia for youth and the strength of attachment you feel for friends at that time。 The dialect is an interesting aspect - the language is lyrical and emotive and the dialect in no way represents a lack of vocabulary or means of expression， rather it puts everything into a blindingly clear context and raises questions about how we judge people based on how they speak。There’s a lot more I could say but it’s hard to articulate all the thoughts I had。 There is an inevitable comparison with Trainspotting and I remember being so gripped by that book back in the late 90s - carrying it around school in my blazer pocket to sneak a read whenever the opportunity arose。 The Young Team felt the same， it sucked me in and was an honest and sympathetic portrayal of a community and lifestyle that I would otherwise not have experienced。 。。。more
Kelly Martin
，
TW - Gang violence， death， drug abuse， murder， suicide。 I read this book as part of my Scottish book club。 What a pick。 This book was more than a book about gang culture and young teams。 At its very core it’s about friendships and hope。 The nostalgia this book brought me was so unreal。 I’ll admit I was a bit of a goody two shoes growing up。 But I still knew about all the goings on and who the “neds” were。 I may have partook in a wee drink session in the park once or twice but that was about as f TW - Gang violence， death， drug abuse， murder， suicide。 I read this book as part of my Scottish book club。 What a pick。 This book was more than a book about gang culture and young teams。 At its very core it’s about friendships and hope。 The nostalgia this book brought me was so unreal。 I’ll admit I was a bit of a goody two shoes growing up。 But I still knew about all the goings on and who the “neds” were。 I may have partook in a wee drink session in the park once or twice but that was about as far as it went for my YT。 But the one liners in this book had me creased。 And made me reminisce of days past and times spent at school and in the park with a drink （never Bucky though - sorry I never could go the look of it）。 One of my very favourite things was the Scottish dialect。 I loved this and some of my favourite quotes where about our intelligence being linked to our dialect as this is something I’ve personally struggled with for years so I really felt a connection with this。 It’s told in such a raw， hard hitting fashion that one minute I was laughing my head off and the next I had tears misting in my eyes。 Azzy Williams is a character I’ll long remember because he’s one of our own。 For this being Graeme Armstrong debut novel， I can only imagine what he will give us next because this was just something else。 This was one of the best books I’ve read this year。 。。。more
Dick
，
Flew through this debut novel and I look forward to seeing what Armstrong does next。
Lorraine
，
Brilliantly written， raw， emotional and very inspiring
Ross Cruickshank
，
I really enjoyed this。Was never part of the young team type groups as a teen but occasionally spoke to those at school who were & generally had no issues with them。 Myself & 2 friends had to share a room during a school trip with a boy who was widely considered 'the toughest kid in our year' as he had a reputation of being a bit rough & known fighter。 That image was shattered that first night when he refused to turn the light off to sleep as he was afraid of the dark。Soon after that I realised a I really enjoyed this。Was never part of the young team type groups as a teen but occasionally spoke to those at school who were & generally had no issues with them。 Myself & 2 friends had to share a room during a school trip with a boy who was widely considered 'the toughest kid in our year' as he had a reputation of being a bit rough & known fighter。 That image was shattered that first night when he refused to turn the light off to sleep as he was afraid of the dark。Soon after that I realised a lot of the hard man image of that group was just an act。 Deep down these kids were often just using the tough guy image to mask broken family lives or personal insecurities & were afraid to share these fears/ feeling to their friends in case its seen as a weakness。 Sometime anger & violence was their answer- often with little thought of the consequences。This book perfectly captures that mentality as the characters struggle to face up to the consequences of their past， question their friendships & try to breakaway from the life of acting the tough guy of a small council scheme。 The story has real highs， lows & a good mix of humour thrown in too。 The characters are also relatable & chances are you'll likely have encountered similar people growing up （especially if you grew up in the West of Scotland）。 。。。more
Jessica H
，
Aw wow， admit that when I started this didn’t know if I’d enjoy it but it was so worth getting to the good stuff。 We follow the life of young Azzy Williams starting at his age of about 13-14 through the years to his early 20s。 In the beginning， his Young Team Posse is all Friday night feeling， chasing the buzz from hanging out in the woods， drinking， smoking some hash - and fights。 Lots of fighting。 As he gets older and the stakes are raised — with the drug use and violence- his perspective star Aw wow， admit that when I started this didn’t know if I’d enjoy it but it was so worth getting to the good stuff。 We follow the life of young Azzy Williams starting at his age of about 13-14 through the years to his early 20s。 In the beginning， his Young Team Posse is all Friday night feeling， chasing the buzz from hanging out in the woods， drinking， smoking some hash - and fights。 Lots of fighting。 As he gets older and the stakes are raised — with the drug use and violence- his perspective starts to change as well。 It may have just been me getting into the rhythm of the book but it may just be part of the genius of the author- the early chapters’ chaos give way to a more mature look at drug use， addiction， mental health， suicide， the deterioration of the town centres in Scotland， deprivation。 It’s all just so good and rings true from someone who lived this life and thankfully was able to get through it。 It’s been said this is largely autobiographical- and I’m just glad Armstrong had that English teacher and Headmaster who saw his potential because he is a great writer。The Scots dialect it’s written in may be difficult for a non-native Scot - I live in Scotland so I have an advantage I think but as an American， I think after awhile you’d pick it up。 Could be a better one to listen on audio which I’ve heard is excellent too。 。。。more
Jenny Benson
，
I grew up as middle-class in the noughties in Scotland。 I also went to a school that’s was just off being classed as impoverished。This meant that I lived in one of the nicest areas in my town with two lawyers as parents， but also meant that by 12 I wanted to rebel。 I wandered the streets with a huge group every single night of the week， standing outside corner shops in other neighbourhoods trying to get people to by us alcohol。 By 13， I was staying on the beach overnight all summer buying “pills I grew up as middle-class in the noughties in Scotland。 I also went to a school that’s was just off being classed as impoverished。This meant that I lived in one of the nicest areas in my town with two lawyers as parents， but also meant that by 12 I wanted to rebel。 I wandered the streets with a huge group every single night of the week， standing outside corner shops in other neighbourhoods trying to get people to by us alcohol。 By 13， I was staying on the beach overnight all summer buying “pills” from random older men， chucking them away when my friends weren’t looking because I was too scared to take them。 I was secretly meeting up with a guy in the park who was the boyfriend of the “hardest” （or tap 😂） girl in the school。 I was petrified of her but I also wanted the boy。 One day I was walking through the park and she was going to beat me up until the boy stopped her。 I left that part of my life behind when I got a long-term boyfriend at 14。 I stopped drinking on the streets and “taking” drugs。 I became a bit of a goody-two shoes， drinking in houses that parents had left to their kids for the weekend because they trusted them。The only thing separating me from anyone in this book is privilege。 I had the privilege of not going down a drinks/drugs route because the system wasn’t pitted against me。 My parents have money， my parents are still together， I was encouraged to study， it was assumed that I’d be intelligent and academic， I was supported through school by teachers because I was seen as smart because I spoke “well”。 ALL of this is privilege that isn’t afforded to a lot of children in Scotland， including today。 This book is about the people that the system leaves behind and the different paths they might take。 There comes an interesting moment in the book where everything sort of shifts。 Most people move past the violence and drugs as they leave teenagehood， but some people cling on to it and go down a deep， dark pathway。 This book is about both of these types， and we find ourselves hoping and praying that those on the dark pathway will somehow find the light。 Often， they don’t。There are a lot of really interesting insights into classism in Scotland and Graeme emphasises that the people in this situation are no less intelligent than anyone else， even though people treat them like they are。 They just haven’t had the chance at life， or the tools to give them the chance at life， that other people have。 They have to fight to get out of a dead-end life。 Reading this book felt so familiar and also so distant from me。 I can’t deny the privilege that’s been afforded to me， but I also can’t deny that I’ve gone through similar experiences to Azzy。 So I had a weird amalgamation of feeling like an insider and an outsider all at once。 Let me just say that this book is an instant Scottish classic。 It speaks to a time of growing up in the early noughties in Scotland that 99% of Scottish people my age can relate to。 Not only that， it touches on issues in Scotland that can’t be ignored; classism， alcoholism， mental health， drug addiction， youth violence。 。。。more
Anna
，
A book with a lot of heart， pain and great ending。
HollyPotter
，
So， I read this book， and it was absolutely superb 🖤🏴。。if you’re Scottish， get this read！ If you’re not Scottish， get it read， but maybe invest in a translator 😂👀 or listen to the audiobook。 - I went back and forth between the physical book and audiobook and they’re both great， but obviously， listening to Graeme read the words out loud is a whole different experience 👌🏽。This book just made me wanty get on it 😂💃🏽🍻 as I was reading， it felt as though I was listening to a friend。 I think most So， I read this book， and it was absolutely superb 🖤🏴。。if you’re Scottish， get this read！ If you’re not Scottish， get it read， but maybe invest in a translator 😂👀 or listen to the audiobook。 - I went back and forth between the physical book and audiobook and they’re both great， but obviously， listening to Graeme read the words out loud is a whole different experience 👌🏽。This book just made me wanty get on it 😂💃🏽🍻 as I was reading， it felt as though I was listening to a friend。 I think most people in Scotland have either lived through a similar experience， or at least know someone who has。 I’m around about the same age as the author so it really took me back in time and reminded me of experiences I’d long since forgotten。 The first half of this book is fun， and it reminds you of the good times， being a bit cheeky and getting up to mischief， fighting， drugs and drinking， but on the whole， a good time 👀😅。。 the second half of the book hits right in the feels。 The way you grow up， and you don’t hate your friends， you just don’t really know them anymore。 So you go your separate ways。 Or Azzy describing his panic attacks and the hopeless feelings he goes through， not knowing who to turn to， embarassed to admit that he needs help in fear of seeming weak etc。。 it’s all too familiar。 Alot of boys/men have a really hard time， because they feel like they need to put on a “hard front”。 Hopefully some of the younger people who read this， that relate to Azzy in some way， will see that there is always a way out。 There IS hope。 Can’t recommend this book highly enough， （I’ve been trying to get everyone I know to read it 😅） 。。 and I’m keeping my eyes peeled for more books from Graeme in the future 😁👏🏽 。。。more
scottiesandbooks
，
“Azzy Williams is ready”“Ready to smoke， pop pills and drink wine， and he’s ready to fight。 But most of all， he’s ready to do anything for his friends， his gang， his young team。 Round here， in the schemes of the former industrial heartland of Scotland， your troops， your young team- they’re everything”The Young Team is so much more than a story。 To me it’s a guide on how to grow up and （hopefully） survive in a run down Scottish town left to rot by the powers that be; along with the young men who “Azzy Williams is ready”“Ready to smoke， pop pills and drink wine， and he’s ready to fight。 But most of all， he’s ready to do anything for his friends， his gang， his young team。 Round here， in the schemes of the former industrial heartland of Scotland， your troops， your young team- they’re everything”The Young Team is so much more than a story。 To me it’s a guide on how to grow up and （hopefully） survive in a run down Scottish town left to rot by the powers that be; along with the young men who never stood a chance。 The forgotten generation with nothing to do but drink， take drugs， fight and shag- constantly looking for that high， that euphoria， happiness。This is such a nostalgic read， one that had me looking back to those days and reminiscing over some of the best （and worst） days with my muckers， ma pals， ma family。 This is the book for our generation， with most Scottish books looking back at the poverty stricken days of the 80s or 90s。 We were the forgotten youth and through The Young Team， Graeme has given us our platform。 A book for the mad ravers and the buckie drinkers of old- yeehaa！However， as much as it has you longing for the days of old- it is also a stark reminder of why it’s been left in the past。 Why those that could escape did。 Addiction， murder， mutilation， depression， suicide and PTSD are very much an issue for Scotland’s young men。 They should be spoken about- and Graeme has given young men a platform， a safe space to read about and discuss these issues with pals。 All because of an absolute belter of a book。 And all of this written in our very own Scots dialect。 Giving us our stories and our history in as authentic a way as possible。 Absolute perfection！ We will forever be talking about Azzy and his troops， his squad， his Young Team。 。。。more
Genevieve
，
Gang culture， drugs， violence， raves and good times！ Amazing debut from Graeme Armstrong。 All written in Scots which I loved。
Nicola
，
Wow， what a book！ It was raw， honest - I laughed and I gret。 Written in Scots slang， I flew threw it but didn’t want it to end。 I think most people growing up in particular areas of Scotland， especially in the 00s， can relate to this book。 The Young Teams in my area were the ‘HF’ And ‘YBE’ and this book brought all those school memories of the rival groups of （mainly） lads back。 Throughout the whole book I felt myself going from sympathising with Azzy to wanting to give him a good shake to rooti Wow， what a book！ It was raw， honest - I laughed and I gret。 Written in Scots slang， I flew threw it but didn’t want it to end。 I think most people growing up in particular areas of Scotland， especially in the 00s， can relate to this book。 The Young Teams in my area were the ‘HF’ And ‘YBE’ and this book brought all those school memories of the rival groups of （mainly） lads back。 Throughout the whole book I felt myself going from sympathising with Azzy to wanting to give him a good shake to rooting him on again。 A big thing that stood out for me was the male mental health representation and the portrayal of how easy it is to get sucked into the vicious cycle of drugs， gangs， violence。 But also how friendship/bonds/loyalty shone ultimately shone through。 It’s a book that will stick with me for a long time。 Can’t recommend this book enough， especially to my fellow Scots - get it read！ 。。。more
Coley
，
From the first page I knew this book would be phenomenal。。。 and it didn’t disappoint！⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀It’s not everyday you get the chance to read a piece of amazing literature set in your own home town。 This book brought back so many memories for me - my old pals， empties， wandering the streets。。。 the same streets of Airdrie pictured above。 And while I was taking these pics a group of wee guys came cycling by shouting “smell yer maw” and if that doesn’t sum up NL then I don’t know what does 😂⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀F From the first page I knew this book would be phenomenal。。。 and it didn’t disappoint！⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀It’s not everyday you get the chance to read a piece of amazing literature set in your own home town。 This book brought back so many memories for me - my old pals， empties， wandering the streets。。。 the same streets of Airdrie pictured above。 And while I was taking these pics a group of wee guys came cycling by shouting “smell yer maw” and if that doesn’t sum up NL then I don’t know what does 😂⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀First impressions of this book I thought it would be a story of gangs and ned culture in NL。 I didn’t expect for it to cover so many social issues the way it did - male mental health， suicide， addiction， violence， murder。 The author， Graeme， has spoken about his own youth and how TYT is inspired by his own experiences。 Let that put into perspective that although this story is a work of fiction， our young people do face these big issues and as young as 11/12 years old。 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I enjoyed the writing style of this book so much - Airdrie dialect！ I loved hearing old sayings I hadn’t heard in years， and the banter in this book is top form， quality stuff👌🏼⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Our main boy， Azzy， takes us on a journey of experiences， discovery and life changing choices。 We follow along from his early teens to young adulthood and， just like any loveable character， you want what’s best for him。 I cried， I laughed （a lot）， I got angry， I got so caught up in his story and what it represents - tragic youth。⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I cannot wait to see the transformative impact this book will have on our country’s young people in the years to come。 It needs to be rolled out everywhere where there’s a chance of reaching out to the unreachable。 。。。more
Michelle
，
Absolutely brilliant。 ❤
Hannah
，
An uncompromising but electrifying debut novel based on the author's personal experiences， told in a highly authentic Scots voice， about gang culture in North Lanarkshire。 An uncompromising but electrifying debut novel based on the author's personal experiences， told in a highly authentic Scots voice， about gang culture in North Lanarkshire。 。。。more
Reece Ferguson
，
This book is an absolute masterpiece ， it really brought me back to my time serving in the D。Y。T "Runnin amok non stop" ， at weekenda partaking in "tannin eh Bucky"， defecating in bus shelters and listening to crawfty ，what a fantastic trip down memory lane。I couldn't put young team down Inbetween giving sociology lectures。 This book is an absolute masterpiece ， it really brought me back to my time serving in the D。Y。T "Runnin amok non stop" ， at weekenda partaking in "tannin eh Bucky"， defecating in bus shelters and listening to crawfty ，what a fantastic trip down memory lane。I couldn't put young team down Inbetween giving sociology lectures。 。。。more
Ryan Shaw
，
First book that I’ve listened to on audiobook and thought it was a perfect choice。 Would have been cringing at a lot more of the text had I not heard Armstrong’s voice with the various characters。 Was nearly going to give this four stars as I was really enjoying it but felt there were too many cliches towards the end which spoiled it。
Lisa Hough-Stewart
，
This was an incredible book， a 4。5 star read for me。I bought it after being impressed by the author at a Paisley book festival event about Scottish masculinities。 One thing he said at that event which continued to strike me throughout the book is that Azzy's thoughts and feelings play out almost entirely internally。 The contrast between his inner world and the dialogue is striking。 It's one of the tragedies the book highlights， the extent to which generations of young Scottish men have been cult This was an incredible book， a 4。5 star read for me。I bought it after being impressed by the author at a Paisley book festival event about Scottish masculinities。 One thing he said at that event which continued to strike me throughout the book is that Azzy's thoughts and feelings play out almost entirely internally。 The contrast between his inner world and the dialogue is striking。 It's one of the tragedies the book highlights， the extent to which generations of young Scottish men have been culturally forbidden to express themselves or emotionally connect with each other （verbally at least）。The scenes depicted in the novel are vivid and the use of "slang" Scots is masterful。 It's familiar to me yet I'm not used to reading it。 After a few pages it felt really comfortable， and I don't think the book or the character of Azzy would have felt so real or made such an impact if it wasn't written this way。The only thing that stops it being a 5 star read for me is that I felt the female characters weren't fully realised， especially Azzy's poor maw。 This is possibly deliberate， as we're in his inner world and the women in his life are described in relation to him and what they do for him。 I'd have liked to understand them better as people in their own right， though， on the same level as the male characters who are all multi dimensional。 Can't wait to see what this author does next。 。。。more
Nadia McVey
，
being from north Lanarkshire， I felt like I knew who these characters were and really enjoyed reading from the perspective of someone so close to home。 a gripping and fast paced read that had me so invested in and rooting for the characters。 although it took some getting used to， I grew to adore reading in the dialect too！
Shannon King
，
literally how is this book so good - read it twice within 6 weeks
Calum Falconer
，
（Audiobook） Raw and authentic with powerful and poetic language。
Cheryl McDade
，
This was the best book I’ve read in recent years， and one of the best books I’ve every read。 If you spent your youth -even if you weren’t part of a gang - in Lanarkshire or Glasgow in the 90s/00s then this is such a relatable read。 It touches on knife crime， sectarianism， gangs， mental health， social class in a realistic way and you can really tell how these issues are close to the author’s heart。 Written in the local dialect， it depicts a realistic portrayal of life in Airdrie， and many other s This was the best book I’ve read in recent years， and one of the best books I’ve every read。 If you spent your youth -even if you weren’t part of a gang - in Lanarkshire or Glasgow in the 90s/00s then this is such a relatable read。 It touches on knife crime， sectarianism， gangs， mental health， social class in a realistic way and you can really tell how these issues are close to the author’s heart。 Written in the local dialect， it depicts a realistic portrayal of life in Airdrie， and many other small towns， for young people in the 00s。 It brought back memories of the music and the way of life back in the school days。 The author has done a great job developing and describing the characters and you really get a feel for their personalities。 There are some brutal descriptions that even shocked me as I didn’t quite realise how bad it could be at times， but there are also some lovely endearing moments between friends。 It’s a real must-read for everyone， but especially for Scots。 I’ve already recommended it to everyone I’ve spoken to recently！ I tend to give most books away when I’m finished but this is one I’ll keep forever。 。。。more
Mairi Deans
，
Highly recommend this
Catherine Jeromson
，
Brilliant。 Not something I would normally have chosen， but I really enjoyed it。 Insightful。 Relatable。 Great listen as an audiobook！
Sandra
，
I read this book within two weeks， it is written in the Scottish dialect （I didn't find it difficult to follow the dialogue as I'm Scottish and used to listening to the Scottish language。 The main character is called ''Azzy William's''， who lives in an impoverished town in North Lanarkshire; to understand what his life is like the author Graeme Armstrong takes the reader into world of what it is like to be a member of a gang and to experience 'turf wars' between rival gangs。 The book isn't for t I read this book within two weeks， it is written in the Scottish dialect （I didn't find it difficult to follow the dialogue as I'm Scottish and used to listening to the Scottish language。 The main character is called ''Azzy William's''， who lives in an impoverished town in North Lanarkshire; to understand what his life is like the author Graeme Armstrong takes the reader into world of what it is like to be a member of a gang and to experience 'turf wars' between rival gangs。 The book isn't for the faint hearted as it's Azzy's life and his escapism from the reality of living in poverty and how to blot it out with drugs， cheap drink， and using knives to defend his turf with his 'young team' from the age of 14， fast track a few years and Azzy remains in the vicious circle we call the human condition which he finds it hard to break; his young team mature some move on and settle down but in the back ground there is always the reminder of how drugs can take you into a vortex which spirals out of control you either survive or fall into a chasm。 The dialogue in the book sweeps at an excellent pace but one subject it's not often addressed in society amongst men is suicide and the author addresses a taboo subject as men find it difficult to speak about their inner emotions。 Armstrong has his own unique style of writing and has been compared to the likes of Irvine Welsh （Trainspotting）; but I disagree with this comparison。 The reality of the book is whenever dusk falls no one knows what is happening in their own community and Armstrong opens the readers minds to what is happening in Azzy's life， on every street corner there is a boy like him trying to survive 。。 。。。more
Kara
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Raw and honest， a brilliant book。 It looks like it’s about gangs and violence， but what shines through is the fact it’s about rites of passage and loyalty
ssloves books - sheeshee
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This coming of age story is a debut from the author and gives voice to some of the boys and young men in central Scotland。 Seeking security and friendship with the Young Team we witness Azzy Williams find his feet and start to understand the norms of gang culture in his local community。 However， this is so much more， it's a multi-layered story and Azzy’s journey takes the reader through an energetic， at times frenetic read with both tension and humour and wit flung in there for good measure。 Thi This coming of age story is a debut from the author and gives voice to some of the boys and young men in central Scotland。 Seeking security and friendship with the Young Team we witness Azzy Williams find his feet and start to understand the norms of gang culture in his local community。 However， this is so much more， it's a multi-layered story and Azzy’s journey takes the reader through an energetic， at times frenetic read with both tension and humour and wit flung in there for good measure。 This book， written in local dialect allowed me to immerse myself in the lives of the characters， I read at the same time listening to the author narrating his own work which I think was such a great experience for me。 I was watching these characters navigate the community they were brought up in and as a resident of North Lanarkshire I recognised so many of the boys on the pages and the setting was so familiar。 “the Campsies” seen from my bedroom window are always there and Armstrong is bang on when he describes them as a sense of navigation in and out of Glasgow from this side of the city。 Azzy and his Young Team provide a sense of belonging for each other as they share experiences in drink， drugs， raves， and violence。 Within are some of the best descriptions I have read about the impact of drugs on a person's body and mind and made from some devastating reading。 However， there was such humour in the writing， the patter， the clothes， the “sheepy sheep”， the “jaggies” are amongst some of the bits that made me laugh out loud。 There are so many social themes in this book。 Poverty， drugs， alcohol。 violence， mental health， family， community， territory， working-class experiences， west of Scotland masculinity – such a backdrop to Azzy Williams’ personal journey。 I am still thinking about Azzy’s inner thoughts and emotions and his understanding of himself and those around him， they are not what many people assume boys like Azzy are like。 As a teacher in this area， I have seen the potential in many real life Azzys， I have believed in their potential and told them I believed， in the hope that they would listen。 There is hope in this book， there are good people who only want the best for their friends and families， they understand to love them is to let them go。 I feel quite sad to be leaving Azzy Williams， he has left an imprint on my heart。 I hope he is living his best life wherever that may be。 。。。more
Donna
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So cleverly written。 Very thought provoking as someone living in this area。 Gives great insight inti the life on a council estate as a young male trying to survive and how easily you can be sucked in to a slippery slope of drugs and a life in prison。 Great inspiration for many young men in all areas of the uk living this life x
Aiden
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The Young Team put simply is first class。Armstrong sets to not only deliver a quality plot but also get a message across。 It was a struggle to read at times due to the shocking reality of the violence and the volatility of it。 There is simmering violence on every page so its a very intense read。 Armstrong tells the story of Azzy who at the start of the book is an outgoing teen part of The Young Team and all he cares about are his troops， drinking a bottle of Bucky and getting laid。 As Azzy gets The Young Team put simply is first class。Armstrong sets to not only deliver a quality plot but also get a message across。 It was a struggle to read at times due to the shocking reality of the violence and the volatility of it。 There is simmering violence on every page so its a very intense read。 Armstrong tells the story of Azzy who at the start of the book is an outgoing teen part of The Young Team and all he cares about are his troops， drinking a bottle of Bucky and getting laid。 As Azzy gets older he gets more involved with drugs and violence 。 At 21 the friends he grew up with are addicts or enemies and all he wants is to get out of the violent cycle。 Cleverly written as the story develops Armstrongs writing style changes to show Azzys maturity。 This book is depressing but that's the shocking reality of this book - the drug， alcohol and violence portrayed in this book is still happening and its shocking to read。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Young Team
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Young Team&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Young Team&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0