" A funny tender poignant debut with a believable sympathetic protagonist. " - The Guardian
" Tender truthful and touching. " - The Times " A really lovely book so tender and
truthful. " - Jacqueline Wilson bestselling author of The Story of Tracy Beaker " Fox writes
with great warmth and humour: his triumph is to turn this story of modern domestic strife into
an uplifting read with plenty of surprises en route. " - Daily Telegraph " An urgent
nuanced book...[James Fox writes a] deceptively breezy tale of austerity and mental illness
with deft compassion would that real kids in Solo's battered shoe should be so lucky " -
Observer " Addressing complex real-world issues (the cost-of-living crisis mental health
friendship problems...) with honesty clarity and compassion. " - Teach Primary " Expect to
have your heart broken and mended in one reading of this must-read novel. " - Belfast
Telegraph " A tender moving story beautifully capturing life in all its light and shade " -
Hannah Gold author of Waterstones Children's Book Prize Winner The Last Bear " It is a
beautiful heartfelt gem of a book I loved it. " - Tom Vaughan author of Hercules " This
story is full to the brim with heart " - Helen Rutter author of The Boy Who Made Everyone
Laugh " Honest funny and touching Solo's story will stay with you long after the last
page. " - Lisa Williamson " A moving...and thought-provoking story " - Cath Howe author of
Ella on the Outside " Heart-wrenching and heart-warming. " - Editor's choice The School
Librarian 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.
