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4.53 AVERAGE
4.53 AVERAGE
This was my second Simon James Green book. I read Heartbreak Boys this year and absolutely adored it. One of my top 5 of the year as of March 2023, easily.
Boy Like Me was very different. It was not without its own sense of humor and levity. But it was also not without its own sense of dread, pain, and emotional intensity. Simon James Green is a talented writer, because he can shift so easily between those two modes -- and quite often, can blend those modes flawlessly.
I adored Jamie. What a strong, brave character. Daring, perseverant, and bold. I rooted for him throughout the entire book, despite knowing that unfortunately no matter how much you root for a fictional character ... they don't always get what they really deserve. And that was the sad reality for countless LGBTQ+ kids who were impacted by Section 28.
Jamie's romance with [ REDACTED ] was everything. But that beautiful bond was also tarnished with tragedy, violence, and doubt. And it broke my heart. The assault actually made me sick to my stomach, and it's sometimes hard to do that via text in a novel. My heart was broken for these kids who deserved so much more, and Simon James Green made these characters so lovable that I truly felt their anguish viscerally.
The biggest moment, the reason we read this story to begin with, comes at the end. And it hits like a sack of bricks. The ending, during which Jamie explains how he promised to tell this story if things weren't different 30 years from the present was a complete gut-punch. Reading it gave me chills. It made me furious. It made me so very sad. Because here we are in 2023 where queer people are being targeted simply for existing. In the U.S., we have censorship of queer literature happening daily. We have the barbaric "Don't Say Gay" legislation passing as history quite literally repeats itself.
This book is not only a retrospective tale, it's a prediction of what's to come (return) if we don't fight the good fight. And Boy Like Me made me want to do just that. Fight for what's right so that LGBTQ kids don't have to have this become their reality.
Bravo, Simon James Green. Thank you.
Boy Like Me was very different. It was not without its own sense of humor and levity. But it was also not without its own sense of dread, pain, and emotional intensity. Simon James Green is a talented writer, because he can shift so easily between those two modes -- and quite often, can blend those modes flawlessly.
I adored Jamie. What a strong, brave character. Daring, perseverant, and bold. I rooted for him throughout the entire book, despite knowing that unfortunately no matter how much you root for a fictional character ... they don't always get what they really deserve. And that was the sad reality for countless LGBTQ+ kids who were impacted by Section 28.
Jamie's romance with [ REDACTED ] was everything. But that beautiful bond was also tarnished with tragedy, violence, and doubt. And it broke my heart. The assault actually made me sick to my stomach, and it's sometimes hard to do that via text in a novel. My heart was broken for these kids who deserved so much more, and Simon James Green made these characters so lovable that I truly felt their anguish viscerally.
The biggest moment, the reason we read this story to begin with, comes at the end. And it hits like a sack of bricks. The ending, during which Jamie explains how he promised to tell this story if things weren't different 30 years from the present was a complete gut-punch. Reading it gave me chills. It made me furious. It made me so very sad. Because here we are in 2023 where queer people are being targeted simply for existing. In the U.S., we have censorship of queer literature happening daily. We have the barbaric "Don't Say Gay" legislation passing as history quite literally repeats itself.
This book is not only a retrospective tale, it's a prediction of what's to come (return) if we don't fight the good fight. And Boy Like Me made me want to do just that. Fight for what's right so that LGBTQ kids don't have to have this become their reality.
Bravo, Simon James Green. Thank you.
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book explores the complex history of section 28 - a law which prohibits the 'promotion of homosexuality' in the United Kingdom in a really clever way.
It is the story of a young boy who is given a queer love story by his school librarian which causes him to come to terms with his own sexuality. During this discovery he also finds out that there is another boy in his form taking out the same lgbt book and they proceed to communicate through writing on the margin of the novel.
Whilst the love story in this book is sweet its the discussion of the topic of homophobic ideals and laws in the past and the clever writing style (through the portrayal of a boy writing as though his life is a movie - with stage directions and camera angles) that make this book what it is.
I also really enjoyed that character of the librarian and her perseverance to help these young boys (and others) discover themselves despite powerful, influential figures trying to stop her and the impact her actions can have on her life if found out.
Overall yes. Glad I found this book but sad that I read it online on Borrowbox as now it's harder to re-read.
It is the story of a young boy who is given a queer love story by his school librarian which causes him to come to terms with his own sexuality. During this discovery he also finds out that there is another boy in his form taking out the same lgbt book and they proceed to communicate through writing on the margin of the novel.
Whilst the love story in this book is sweet its the discussion of the topic of homophobic ideals and laws in the past and the clever writing style (through the portrayal of a boy writing as though his life is a movie - with stage directions and camera angles) that make this book what it is.
I also really enjoyed that character of the librarian and her perseverance to help these young boys (and others) discover themselves despite powerful, influential figures trying to stop her and the impact her actions can have on her life if found out.
Overall yes. Glad I found this book but sad that I read it online on Borrowbox as now it's harder to re-read.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A beautiful book about two boys finding each other in a small town in the UK in the 90s, at the height of Section 28. Simon James Green's sense of humour still doesn't vibe with me but being a more serious book, I enjoyed this more than his other work. He does dramatic well, I kind of hope he tells other stories like this.
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was amazing. It is definitely one I will be thinking about for a long time and recommending to everyone. It had some gut wrenching moments and as a queer person it hit home in a lot of places. It made me laugh it made me cry and most of all it made me feel proud for every queer person that came before me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Violence
emotional
hopeful
reflective
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is not a book I would typically read, but did so for my reading group and was pleasantly surprised. Overall, I found this book relativel enjoyable despite my reservations about the annoying nature of the character's internal monologue.
I enjoyed this book. The self-aware prose with the footnotes had the potential to be exhausting, and sometimes it teetered on the edge, but mostly I found that it was used sparingly enough that I enjoyed the little asides.
This is exactly my kind of book, queer historical fiction that looks at time period-accurate homophobia head-on and finds something worth going on for anyway, but I struggled with parts of this book. I think part of it is how instantaneously Jamie and Rob fell in love; I know they’re teenagers, but they said and reaffirmed “I love you” so quickly and so many times that I found myself wondering what development of their relationship I had missed. The time spent communicating through the book felt too short, and that also moved too quickly for me as well, so by the time they met and were making grand declarations, I was still in the “curious about their relationship but not That invested” stage.
Still, I enjoyed this book for what it was. The characters were the best part— every one of them shone, and everyone felt like they possessed hidden depths that made me take them all seriously. The harshness of the story also felt real and impactful to me;no teachers came to Jamie and Rob’s aid except for Mrs. C because they were just as prejudiced as the students, which I could see easily happening in my own high school. I like books that don’t shy away from how rough homophobia is, and this book not pulling punches felt affirming.
Overall, I’d recommend this book. It dragged in places but never fully lost its stride, and the characters are worth the places where I struggled.
This is exactly my kind of book, queer historical fiction that looks at time period-accurate homophobia head-on and finds something worth going on for anyway, but I struggled with parts of this book. I think part of it is how instantaneously Jamie and Rob fell in love; I know they’re teenagers, but they said and reaffirmed “I love you” so quickly and so many times that I found myself wondering what development of their relationship I had missed. The time spent communicating through the book felt too short, and that also moved too quickly for me as well, so by the time they met and were making grand declarations, I was still in the “curious about their relationship but not That invested” stage.
Still, I enjoyed this book for what it was. The characters were the best part— every one of them shone, and everyone felt like they possessed hidden depths that made me take them all seriously. The harshness of the story also felt real and impactful to me;
Overall, I’d recommend this book. It dragged in places but never fully lost its stride, and the characters are worth the places where I struggled.