Publication Date: 12 September 2024

The Blurb

It’s not easy to fit in when you’re the boy in the suit…

Ten-year-old Solo – embarrassingly, that isn’t short for anything – just wants to be normal.

He wants a name that doesn’t stand out. He wishes he had a proper school uniform that fitted him. He dreams about a mum who doesn’t get the Big Bad Reds, like his mum Morag. But most of all he longs to stop crashing funerals for the free food.

But when Solo and Morag crash the funeral of a celebrity and get caught, the press are there to witness their humiliation. The next day it’s splashed across the papers. Before Solo knows it, he becomes a viral sensation, and life may never be normal again.

Solo’s uphill pursuit of security, community and connection will break your heart and then mend it.

The Review

A poignant and heart-warming exploration of a young boy’s struggle to find his place in a world that seems determined to keep him on the outside. From a mismatched school uniform to a mother battling mental health issues, Solo’s story is a delicate balance of humour, sadness, and resilience.

Solo’s life is far from ordinary. He is thrust into the public eye in the most humiliating of ways when he and his mother, Morag, are caught crashing a celebrity’s funeral for free food. This incident, captured by the press, catapults Solo into an unwanted viral fame, exposing the harsh realities of his life to a judgmental world. James masterfully uses this moment to explore themes of dignity, poverty, and the intense scrutiny that comes with sudden notoriety.

Solo is a beautifully crafted character who embodies the innocence and resourcefulness of a child trying to make the best of a difficult situation. His desire for a normal life – basics like a proper school uniform that actually fits, and a life where he isn’t forced to attend funerals for food – resonates deeply, and had me reaching for the tissues more than once.

Morag, Solo’s mother, is depicted with a raw and honest complexity. Her struggle with the “Big Bad Reds” adds another layer of realism to the story. James doesn’t shy away from the impact of Morag’s condition has on Solo, yet he also highlights the deep bond and love that exists between them, and creates a character deserving of understanding and empathy, who again had me reaching for my tissues.

The Boy in the Suit is a remarkable debut that tackles important issues such as mental health, poverty, and the quest to fit in with sensitivity and grace. James has crafted a story that is not only a page-turner but also a life-affirming testament to the resilience of the human spirit, and is a timely reminder of the importance of empathy, community, and the strength found in the unlikeliest of places.

Great for fans of:

• The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow
• The Wrong Shoes by Tom Percival
• Has Anyone Seen Archie Ebbs? by Simon Packham

Huge thanks to Tina at Scholastic for sending me an early review copy.