The Boy in the Suit

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.

Page-turning, moving, but ultimately life-affirming, this story is perfect for fans of The Boy at the Back of the Class, The Goldfish Boy, Wonder and Jacqueline Wilson. A sensitive, empathetic, timely portrayal of a family struggling during the cost of living crisis. This extraordinary debut will make you laugh and cry.

About the Author

James Fox works in the international division of a children's publisher. He has previously worked as a children's and YA buyer for retail.

He has picked up writing credits for The Huffington Post, LYRA Magazine, Door is a Jar Journal, and Flash Fiction Online, and has taken writing courses with The Poetry School and City Lit.

The Boy in the Suit is his debut novel.