What if the only way to escape your past... was to face it head-on?
The Boy Who Played With Fire is a powerful coming-of-age story set on the gritty streets of Newcastle, Australia - where survival often depends on how hard you can hit or how well you can hide.
Sixteen-year-old Jax Page was born into chaos. His father walked out after the steelworks shut down. His mother, once a kind and loving nurse, is slowly unravelling under the weight of addiction. And through it all, Jax clings to the one thing that makes sense: rugby league, the rough, working-class heartbeat of Australia. On the field, he finds control. Off it, he's a storm of hurt and hunger, longing for connection but terrified to be seen.
Then comes Troy Mathers, a washed-up former professional player turned coach with demons of his own. He sees something in Jax, not just raw talent, but fire. The same fire he once had before life broke him. Together, they form a bond that could save them both, if they can outrun the ghosts of their pasts.
And when Charlotte Walton, a girl haunted by her brother's death, sees through Jax's walls, he begins to realise that courage isn't about how hard you hit, but how deeply you feel.
Told with brutal honesty and aching beauty, The Boy Who Played With Fire is a raw, redemptive story about heartbreak and hope, masculinity and vulnerability, and the burning need to find your people and yourself before the flame goes out.
For fans of Good Will Hunting, The Blind Side, and Boy Swallows Universe, this is a story that will stay with you long after the final whistle.
Written by Liam Mulhall - former soldier, firefighter, rugby league coach, and youth mentor and author of the best-selling self-help book A Teenager's A-Z Guide to Earth School, this debut fiction novel shines a light on resilience, redemption, and the power of second chances.
