Hot Key Books King of Nothing by Nathanael Lessore - Waterstones Children's Book Prize Winner - YA Paperback for Teens 12+ - Hilarious, Heartwarming Coming-of-Age

King of Nothing by Nathanael Lessore is a Waterstones Children's Book Prize-winning YA novel about reputation, friendship, and finding out who you really are. The story follows Anton, a South London school student who rules with a sharp tongue and fearsome reputation, until trouble forces his mum to intervene. Packed off to the Happy Campers club, Anton expects only boredom, but instead meets Matthew, the boy everyone else ignores, who ends up saving his life. This coming-of-age story explores masculinity, grief, and unlikely friendship, balancing razor-sharp humour with genuine emotional depth. Nathanael Lessore crafts a tight, character-driven narrative that reveals a boy lonelier and more afraid than his reputation suggests. The Happy Campers sessions become an unlikely stage for Anton's growth and self-discovery.