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Boy Like Me
It's 1994 and thanks to Section 28, there can be no mention of gay relationships in schools. When a school librarian leads Jamie to a disguised novel in the library that reflects his own confused feelings towards boys, he notices that he's not the only one who has checked the book out. In the margins of the pages, he and another student start to leave messages for each other, and Jamie starts to believe that he's not alone ... and maybe also has a shot at finding love. That is, until the secret novel is discovered by the head teacher and all hell breaks loose.
368 pages, Paperback
First published March 2, 2023
48 people are currently reading
2821 people want to read
About the author
Simon James Green
22 books773 followersSimon James Green grew up in a small town in Lincolnshire that definitely wasn’t the inspiration for Little Fobbing – so no-one from there can be mad with him, OK? He enjoyed a classic British education of assorted humiliations and barbaric PE lessons before reading Law at Queens’ College, Cambridge, where he further embarrassed himself by accidentally joining the rowing team despite having no upper body strength and not being able swim. When it turned out that being a lawyer was nothing like how it looks in Suits or The Good Wife, and buoyed by the success of his late night comedy show that involved an inflatable sheep, he travelled to London to pursue a glamorous career in show business. Within weeks he was working in a call centre, had been mugged, and had racked up thousands of pounds worth of debt. Finding strength and inspiration in the lyrics of "Tubthumping" by Chumbawumba, he eventually ended up working on a range of West End shows and UK tours, co-wrote a feature-length rom-com for the BBC and directed Hollyoaks for C4 / Lime Pictures. After trying really, really hard, he also managed to write Noah Can’t Even. If you are interested in stalking him, he still lives in London, where he spends a lot of time telling people that Noah Can’t Even is only partly autobiographical, and his mum has definitely never done a Beyoncé tribute act.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 334 reviews
March 23, 2024
I first read about Section 28 in The Outrage by William Hussey. A chest-tightening, incredibly scary, and so important story! Please pick that one up if you haven’t yet! Simon James Green will definitely approve!
Section 28 was effective from 1988 until 2003 in the UK; because of this legislation, there could be no mention of homosexual relationships in schools. You can’t imagine that anymore, right? Because it’s prehistoric, ancient, and outdated. We’re all incredibly progressive now. Inclusive. People can be who they want to be. Period.
No? They can’t? But section 28 doesn’t exist anymore, does it? For G#ds sake, it’s twenty years later now. We can be who we want to be. Oh sh#t. Really? We can’t? LGBTQ+ books should be wrapped in paper in bookstores in Hungary? Queer books are forbidden in certain libraries in the US? There are LGBTQ+ free zones in Poland? D#mn.*
Back to 1994 and section 28. Imagine not standing out. Not being popular, but not a nerd either. Imagine feeling different. But not knowing why. Imagine dressing like the other lads. To fit in because they called you queer. And then getting a book from your school librarian and suddenly being unable to stop reading. Even though it felt … illegal. Although you felt … shame. And found out … you felt exactly like the boys in that book. And above all, a boy from your school wrote in that book and felt the same way, too. *
We don’t allow books that promote homosexual lifestyles in the library for the same reason we don’t allow books that promote being a Nazi – because they’re damaging and dangerous.*
Boy Like Me is very different from SJG’s other books, and I believe this one is his best so far. Written like an autobiography without being one while acknowledging the reader all the time, using screenplay elements, flashbacks (called interior), imaginations (called exterior), footnotes*, etc., it’s a genre-bending story that was impossible to put aside. It’s powerful and incredibly important.*
A boy who I’d just assumed was straight, was borderline dangerous, would hate someone like me, and no … he was actually … just like me.
I loved Jamie and loved how he found out there was another boy like him at school. I rooted for those boys so much while rushing through this story. Some stories don’t really need a review but just need to be read. Sometimes, there’s no discussion about a rating because those five stars are set in stone the moment you start reading. And sometimes I’m just in awe …
Thank god he showed me that life could be so saturated with vibrant colour it could make you breathless.
————————————————————
*I’m sorry for cursing so much. Gay marriage became legal in my country in 2001, and still, section 28 was effective in the UK! 20 years after section 28 stopped existing, we still ban books!! In Europe! In the US!
*Some of these words like illegal and shame are quotes from SJG. The book Jamie was reading is mentioned in other reviews.
*What??? Being gay comparing to Nazis???
*Those footnotes were hilarious. I chuckled, and I grinned and I laughed out loud so many times.
* Please pick up this book if you haven’t yet! 5 beautiful stars (inevitably Amazon review)!!
Section 28 was effective from 1988 until 2003 in the UK; because of this legislation, there could be no mention of homosexual relationships in schools. You can’t imagine that anymore, right? Because it’s prehistoric, ancient, and outdated. We’re all incredibly progressive now. Inclusive. People can be who they want to be. Period.
No? They can’t? But section 28 doesn’t exist anymore, does it? For G#ds sake, it’s twenty years later now. We can be who we want to be. Oh sh#t. Really? We can’t? LGBTQ+ books should be wrapped in paper in bookstores in Hungary? Queer books are forbidden in certain libraries in the US? There are LGBTQ+ free zones in Poland? D#mn.*
Back to 1994 and section 28. Imagine not standing out. Not being popular, but not a nerd either. Imagine feeling different. But not knowing why. Imagine dressing like the other lads. To fit in because they called you queer. And then getting a book from your school librarian and suddenly being unable to stop reading. Even though it felt … illegal. Although you felt … shame. And found out … you felt exactly like the boys in that book. And above all, a boy from your school wrote in that book and felt the same way, too. *
We don’t allow books that promote homosexual lifestyles in the library for the same reason we don’t allow books that promote being a Nazi – because they’re damaging and dangerous.*
Boy Like Me is very different from SJG’s other books, and I believe this one is his best so far. Written like an autobiography without being one while acknowledging the reader all the time, using screenplay elements, flashbacks (called interior), imaginations (called exterior), footnotes*, etc., it’s a genre-bending story that was impossible to put aside. It’s powerful and incredibly important.*
A boy who I’d just assumed was straight, was borderline dangerous, would hate someone like me, and no … he was actually … just like me.
I loved Jamie and loved how he found out there was another boy like him at school. I rooted for those boys so much while rushing through this story. Some stories don’t really need a review but just need to be read. Sometimes, there’s no discussion about a rating because those five stars are set in stone the moment you start reading. And sometimes I’m just in awe …
Thank god he showed me that life could be so saturated with vibrant colour it could make you breathless.
————————————————————
*I’m sorry for cursing so much. Gay marriage became legal in my country in 2001, and still, section 28 was effective in the UK! 20 years after section 28 stopped existing, we still ban books!! In Europe! In the US!
*Some of these words like illegal and shame are quotes from SJG. The book Jamie was reading is mentioned in other reviews.
*What??? Being gay comparing to Nazis???
*Those footnotes were hilarious. I chuckled, and I grinned and I laughed out loud so many times.
* Please pick up this book if you haven’t yet! 5 beautiful stars (inevitably Amazon review)!!
March 15, 2023
fuck this book for ripping my heart out
July 18, 2023
✰ 4.5 stars ✰
“Why did you risk it?” I asked. “There’s a thing called Section 28, you know!”
“Jamie…” She chuckled. “It’s a great book; it deserves to be in the school library, whatever certain people say. Why shouldn’t you be able to read a book that features gay characters? Gay people exist, after all.”
Boy Like Me is Simon James Green's proud and loud statement against censorship and a beautifully expressed challenge to those who wish to silence it. It's the equivalent of William Wallace's impassioned speech that 'you can break our hearts, but you can't break our spirits'. It is the fierce plea to the masses, that don't be swayed by the crowd, without even knowing what you're rising up against.
When Jamie's librarian gives him a book to read - he has no idea what world he was about to stumble upon - nor was he expecting that there would be another boy out there, someone who read it, too - who shared the same feelings that he has and is also too uncertain to express it aloud. But, in the hidden spaces of the margins of the book, they can throw caution to the wind and ask that one question aloud - if there was a boy like me. And what starts as just for Jamie to find someone he can talk to, becomes someone he might have a chance to belong with, as well.
“I know. But what’s the alternative? We don’t exist just because they don’t want us to exist? We can’t change who we are. I don’t want to change it, either. I love us. Individually and together. I want to be with you.
Whatever happens. Because having something, even for a bit, is still better than never having it. And what’s the point in being alive if you can’t actually, live, anyway? If you can’t be you. If you’re not allowed to love?”
The tender and pure love story of a romance that blossomed between Jamie and his mystery boy may have been the catalyst for pandemonium, but it was still the most precious and untainted feelings of love and adoration that Jamie got to experience. That heady realization that - oh, there is a boy like me here - and that exhilarating and joyous desire to express your feelings out loud. 🤍🤍🤍 I loved how open they became, how much they learned from each other - shared with each other - just because they found someone like each other - and then to see, that 'In all that hate, there can still be love'. The supporting cast of characters - real or figments of imagination - offered such words of comfort and support that showed that there are still people out there who aren't afraid to speak their voice - no matter the time. Because SJG then shows us that something that is so pure and true as theirs, can be suddenly hurled into this tragedy of resentment and mockery, and the cruelty of humanity, simply because of ignorance and misunderstanding. 😔😔
“Burning, pining love. And the torment of being denied it. I’m not saying that what I had in the margins of Dance on My Grave was love, but how was it possible to feel so much for someone I didn’t even know the identity of? I suppose it was just the power of shared experience. Of finally finding what I didn’t know I’d even been looking for – a boy like me.”
As someone who read the subjected book of such uproar, I loved how indirectly this was - in a way - a slight homage to the titular book in terms of the writing style. Consistently breaking the fourth wall in the footnotes, ensuring that these two boys will get their happy ending and that they do all the things that the book couple failed to do. There is such a soft strength in his writing of keeping the levity in Jamie's inserted thoughts about the future that parallels the onslaught of slander, not only his relationship was facing, but the book, itself. 😟
“The tears came again, rolling down my face, and streaming down his. Anger, pain, fear, injustice – all of that. And yet, buried somewhere deep, he was right, there was love, and it felt like that was somehow safe.
That it was ours. And the tears were tears of love too, because I loved him so, so much.”
The sheer audacity of slander hurled against them and this book - without even reading it or knowing it's context - I was appalled and stunned that they could pass these judgments without reading the book - without even knowing Jamie - of all that he has to offer besides his sexuality - and that's what hit me, that is exactly what the author is trying to show!
That not only with books, you can judge it without reading it, but you can judge people and their love for each other - without seeing past of what offends you. It's like when you read a sign that says 'do not enter' - somehow, it's your first reaction is that it's exactly what you have to do. And the more you silence something, the more it stirs up attention. And love - no matter what in what form - should not be silenced.
“I feel proud of you. Of everything you are. Everything we are. I love you. I want to show the world I love you. And I fancy going to the ball. So? How about it?”
Like a lynch mob, seeking out it's next intended victim - what was their crime? That they simply cared for each other - who decides what makes it wrong or right, except for those who are involved in it? And it just fueled such a rage inside me that they could direct such resentment and scorn and ridicule to two people without reason or justification and that, people are so quick to do so without even reading the book. And it made me inwardly laugh with tears of anger and disappointment of the bittersweet irony that a book that was not at all!!! what they claimed it to be, could be the target of such cruel and ill-intended words. 😢😢
And yes, I know I'm always bringing up book covers in my reviews, but can I just appreciate this cover? 😊 It is so perfect and so fitting to this moment which captured the stir in the stomach that arises - the attraction of wanting to reach out and touch that most sensitive and intimate part of another boy - and still feel in your gut that you shouldn't - but yet, your eyes can't help but be drawn to it - time and time again and again. 🥺🥺
“Then … his neck again … maybe it was the cologne that drew me there, but the curve of it into his shoulder … it seemed tender, somehow … his cheek … the merest hint of stubble just below his sideburns, but otherwise baby-faced and fresh, his dark hair – neat, preppy, short back and sides – blended into his neck. Back to his neck again.”
And lastly, not only express a deep gratitude to the librarians and bookstore owners who don't shy away from keeping these books on the shelves and encourage readers to give them a chance, but to the authors who continue to write stories that tell their stories in a fresh perspective. ❤️🩹❤️🩹 There's still so much I have to read - so much more I have to learn; but the few that I have read, that have opened my eyes to a time and place, when love was not celebrated, when people fought in the light to be who they are, and still won't back down to hide in the shadows - thank you. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
“Here were stories of loss and pain and hardship and difficulty, of being hated and despised, and yet they were also all stories of strength and power and fighting spirit and, ultimately, love. It wasn’t just me. There were loads of us. Thousands of us. Hundreds of thousands.
Yes, I’d been looking for just one boy like me. But actually, there were people, so many people, like us.”
“Why did you risk it?” I asked. “There’s a thing called Section 28, you know!”
“Jamie…” She chuckled. “It’s a great book; it deserves to be in the school library, whatever certain people say. Why shouldn’t you be able to read a book that features gay characters? Gay people exist, after all.”
Boy Like Me is Simon James Green's proud and loud statement against censorship and a beautifully expressed challenge to those who wish to silence it. It's the equivalent of William Wallace's impassioned speech that 'you can break our hearts, but you can't break our spirits'. It is the fierce plea to the masses, that don't be swayed by the crowd, without even knowing what you're rising up against.
When Jamie's librarian gives him a book to read - he has no idea what world he was about to stumble upon - nor was he expecting that there would be another boy out there, someone who read it, too - who shared the same feelings that he has and is also too uncertain to express it aloud. But, in the hidden spaces of the margins of the book, they can throw caution to the wind and ask that one question aloud - if there was a boy like me. And what starts as just for Jamie to find someone he can talk to, becomes someone he might have a chance to belong with, as well.
“I know. But what’s the alternative? We don’t exist just because they don’t want us to exist? We can’t change who we are. I don’t want to change it, either. I love us. Individually and together. I want to be with you.
Whatever happens. Because having something, even for a bit, is still better than never having it. And what’s the point in being alive if you can’t actually, live, anyway? If you can’t be you. If you’re not allowed to love?”
The tender and pure love story of a romance that blossomed between Jamie and his mystery boy may have been the catalyst for pandemonium, but it was still the most precious and untainted feelings of love and adoration that Jamie got to experience. That heady realization that - oh, there is a boy like me here - and that exhilarating and joyous desire to express your feelings out loud. 🤍🤍🤍 I loved how open they became, how much they learned from each other - shared with each other - just because they found someone like each other - and then to see, that 'In all that hate, there can still be love'. The supporting cast of characters - real or figments of imagination - offered such words of comfort and support that showed that there are still people out there who aren't afraid to speak their voice - no matter the time. Because SJG then shows us that something that is so pure and true as theirs, can be suddenly hurled into this tragedy of resentment and mockery, and the cruelty of humanity, simply because of ignorance and misunderstanding. 😔😔
“Burning, pining love. And the torment of being denied it. I’m not saying that what I had in the margins of Dance on My Grave was love, but how was it possible to feel so much for someone I didn’t even know the identity of? I suppose it was just the power of shared experience. Of finally finding what I didn’t know I’d even been looking for – a boy like me.”
As someone who read the subjected book of such uproar, I loved how indirectly this was - in a way - a slight homage to the titular book in terms of the writing style. Consistently breaking the fourth wall in the footnotes, ensuring that these two boys will get their happy ending and that they do all the things that the book couple failed to do. There is such a soft strength in his writing of keeping the levity in Jamie's inserted thoughts about the future that parallels the onslaught of slander, not only his relationship was facing, but the book, itself. 😟
“The tears came again, rolling down my face, and streaming down his. Anger, pain, fear, injustice – all of that. And yet, buried somewhere deep, he was right, there was love, and it felt like that was somehow safe.
That it was ours. And the tears were tears of love too, because I loved him so, so much.”
The sheer audacity of slander hurled against them and this book - without even reading it or knowing it's context - I was appalled and stunned that they could pass these judgments without reading the book - without even knowing Jamie - of all that he has to offer besides his sexuality - and that's what hit me, that is exactly what the author is trying to show!
That not only with books, you can judge it without reading it, but you can judge people and their love for each other - without seeing past of what offends you. It's like when you read a sign that says 'do not enter' - somehow, it's your first reaction is that it's exactly what you have to do. And the more you silence something, the more it stirs up attention. And love - no matter what in what form - should not be silenced.
“I feel proud of you. Of everything you are. Everything we are. I love you. I want to show the world I love you. And I fancy going to the ball. So? How about it?”
Like a lynch mob, seeking out it's next intended victim - what was their crime? That they simply cared for each other - who decides what makes it wrong or right, except for those who are involved in it? And it just fueled such a rage inside me that they could direct such resentment and scorn and ridicule to two people without reason or justification and that, people are so quick to do so without even reading the book. And it made me inwardly laugh with tears of anger and disappointment of the bittersweet irony that a book that was not at all!!! what they claimed it to be, could be the target of such cruel and ill-intended words. 😢😢
And yes, I know I'm always bringing up book covers in my reviews, but can I just appreciate this cover? 😊 It is so perfect and so fitting to this moment which captured the stir in the stomach that arises - the attraction of wanting to reach out and touch that most sensitive and intimate part of another boy - and still feel in your gut that you shouldn't - but yet, your eyes can't help but be drawn to it - time and time again and again. 🥺🥺
“Then … his neck again … maybe it was the cologne that drew me there, but the curve of it into his shoulder … it seemed tender, somehow … his cheek … the merest hint of stubble just below his sideburns, but otherwise baby-faced and fresh, his dark hair – neat, preppy, short back and sides – blended into his neck. Back to his neck again.”
And lastly, not only express a deep gratitude to the librarians and bookstore owners who don't shy away from keeping these books on the shelves and encourage readers to give them a chance, but to the authors who continue to write stories that tell their stories in a fresh perspective. ❤️🩹❤️🩹 There's still so much I have to read - so much more I have to learn; but the few that I have read, that have opened my eyes to a time and place, when love was not celebrated, when people fought in the light to be who they are, and still won't back down to hide in the shadows - thank you. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
“Here were stories of loss and pain and hardship and difficulty, of being hated and despised, and yet they were also all stories of strength and power and fighting spirit and, ultimately, love. It wasn’t just me. There were loads of us. Thousands of us. Hundreds of thousands.
Yes, I’d been looking for just one boy like me. But actually, there were people, so many people, like us.”
January 10, 2024
FANTASTIC!
What a great YA novel to start this year.
Despite the sad circumstances (Section 28) and all the bigotry and ignorance our adorable MCs have to deal with, this book was unexpectedly funny. The author knows how to keep you smiling with humorous footnotes and comments directed to the reader.
Highly recommended! ❤️❤️❤️
“Jamie…” She chuckled. “It’s a great book; it deserves to be in the school library, whatever certain people say. Why shouldn’t you be able to read a book that features gay characters? Gay people exist, after all.“
(Mrs C, the school librarian, deserves a medal, that’s for sure!)
**************
“Shut up, Jamie,” Beth said. “I don’t mean to be rude but shut up. You have the right to wear what you like, be who you like, and love who you like. And none of those things are anyone’s business but yours. And if other people don’t like that, that’s their problem.”
(Beth, Jamie’s friend - I love her!)
**************
Well, let them hate. They could hate all they wanted. They couldn’t stop me loving.
What a great YA novel to start this year.
Despite the sad circumstances (Section 28) and all the bigotry and ignorance our adorable MCs have to deal with, this book was unexpectedly funny. The author knows how to keep you smiling with humorous footnotes and comments directed to the reader.
Highly recommended! ❤️❤️❤️
“Jamie…” She chuckled. “It’s a great book; it deserves to be in the school library, whatever certain people say. Why shouldn’t you be able to read a book that features gay characters? Gay people exist, after all.“
(Mrs C, the school librarian, deserves a medal, that’s for sure!)
**************
“Shut up, Jamie,” Beth said. “I don’t mean to be rude but shut up. You have the right to wear what you like, be who you like, and love who you like. And none of those things are anyone’s business but yours. And if other people don’t like that, that’s their problem.”
(Beth, Jamie’s friend - I love her!)
**************
Well, let them hate. They could hate all they wanted. They couldn’t stop me loving.
July 4, 2023
I didn't think I'd need a book about Section 28 of the Local Government Act but it turns I did and what a story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2025
This book was stunning and wonderfully written. Jamie was an incredibly endearing and sweet character. His optimism was infectious and I wanted so badly to protect him from all the ways the world would disappoint him. Every domino in his story was presented in such a relatable way. I started crying multiple times as he began to pick up on all of the little clues that finally brought him to the realization that he was gay. I loved the mystery of who was writing the notes in the margins of the book about (cough) British wildflowers. It definitely kept me guessing, even with the subtle hints interjected by the author here and there. The love story that bloomed from those notes was so pure and beautiful because it was about so much more than attraction or raging teenage hormones. It was about finding someone who understands you. Someone who makes the world feel a little brighter and a lot less lonely.
Needless to say, I loved this book. I loved the conversational tone and occasional screenplay structure. I also loved the way the author communicated with the reader throughout (no one star review from me, SJG). The footnotes were fantastic and I looked forward to reading them at the end of each chapter. The side characters (the ones who weren't deplorable, anyway) were the best kinds of allies (accomplices!) and the manifestation of Jamie's subconscious mind in the form of a certain female gladiator made me laugh out loud on many occasions. The messaging was impossible to miss and so, so important. I truly hope this book makes it's way into the hands and homes that need it, even if it has to be wrapped in a different cover to make it there. And I hope people who see themselves in these characters find solace in knowing that they're not alone, even on the days when that's hard to believe. Those negative voices you hear might be loud, but they do not speak for all, or even most, of us.
Needless to say, I loved this book. I loved the conversational tone and occasional screenplay structure. I also loved the way the author communicated with the reader throughout (no one star review from me, SJG). The footnotes were fantastic and I looked forward to reading them at the end of each chapter. The side characters (the ones who weren't deplorable, anyway) were the best kinds of allies (accomplices!) and the manifestation of Jamie's subconscious mind in the form of a certain female gladiator made me laugh out loud on many occasions. The messaging was impossible to miss and so, so important. I truly hope this book makes it's way into the hands and homes that need it, even if it has to be wrapped in a different cover to make it there. And I hope people who see themselves in these characters find solace in knowing that they're not alone, even on the days when that's hard to believe. Those negative voices you hear might be loud, but they do not speak for all, or even most, of us.
March 28, 2023
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.
April 8, 2023
Objectively, this book is worth all the five stars I'm going to rate it. Personally, I have to say this book didn't really work for me.
Unlike SJG's other books this one isn't the usual contemporary young adult novel. It's set in the 1990s which makes it kind of a historical fiction. But if you're also a child of the 80s/90s it's sort of contemporary again for you. And this is were my problems begin. I didn't grew up in England but some things were globally the same, like the AIDS scare of the 80s. And Reagan and Thatcher did cast long shadows that reached everywhere in the western world, even down to the present day. So a lot of things in this book felt eerily familiar. It would probably be okay if it was just pure fiction or a real autobiography. But this strange mix puts this book in some sort of uncanny valley for me.
I also struggled with the writing. If you know SJG you're prepared for over-the-top, but this is basically SJG unhinged. Constantly breaking the forth wall, taking to the reader, the editor and whoever. Footnotes everywhere. Since this book is some sort of autobiographical I'd say the author is doing a lot of overcompensating here. And I can relate to that. But it just makes it harder to read.
So, do I love this book? Yes, of course, with all my heart. Did I enjoy reading it? Well, most of the time.
P.S. I was surprised to learn that the book in the book, Dance on My Grave. actually exists. Goodreads in it's mysterious ways did recommend it to me. I was even more surprised to learn that the movie Été 85 (Summer of 85) from two years ago is based on this book.
Unlike SJG's other books this one isn't the usual contemporary young adult novel. It's set in the 1990s which makes it kind of a historical fiction. But if you're also a child of the 80s/90s it's sort of contemporary again for you. And this is were my problems begin. I didn't grew up in England but some things were globally the same, like the AIDS scare of the 80s. And Reagan and Thatcher did cast long shadows that reached everywhere in the western world, even down to the present day. So a lot of things in this book felt eerily familiar. It would probably be okay if it was just pure fiction or a real autobiography. But this strange mix puts this book in some sort of uncanny valley for me.
I also struggled with the writing. If you know SJG you're prepared for over-the-top, but this is basically SJG unhinged. Constantly breaking the forth wall, taking to the reader, the editor and whoever. Footnotes everywhere. Since this book is some sort of autobiographical I'd say the author is doing a lot of overcompensating here. And I can relate to that. But it just makes it harder to read.
So, do I love this book? Yes, of course, with all my heart. Did I enjoy reading it? Well, most of the time.
P.S. I was surprised to learn that the book in the book, Dance on My Grave. actually exists. Goodreads in it's mysterious ways did recommend it to me. I was even more surprised to learn that the movie Été 85 (Summer of 85) from two years ago is based on this book.
March 4, 2023
Wow. This book. I love Simon’s books, usually twists and turns and laughs and sweet love stories. But this is a step up from that. Maybe having grown up at a similar time (I’m two years older than Jamie was in 1994) helps as I loved all the cultural references that probably only make sense if you were there (even with the footnotes!). It was such a personal, powerful story and I laughed, cried and got angry that the shit Jamie and boys like me went through growing up is still going on. It was a brilliant read and I hope everybody reads it and remembers where we’ve come from and hopefully work to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself. I just can’t praise this book enough, 5/5!
March 12, 2023
Oh my god. I literally wrote an ESSAY of a review but I accidentally swiped away. ARGHHH. This is terrible I put my whole soul in that review. Anyways I’ll give a short one.
First of all: I love you Simon James Green! I think I’ve told you when we met but you’re books have changed my life in the best way possible. This book as well does a lot for me and makes me both sad and hopeful at the same time. I’ve looked up to you ever since I’ve read your first book and after this one I look up to you even more. I wish I could give all the Jamie’s in the world the warmest hug and beat up the people who hurt them. This book angered me because I grew up with two extremely loving parents and I can vividly remember the first time I was faced with homophobia. It’s unfair and the worst pain ever and I don’t wish that upon anyone. I’m glad I am living in a time where books like these are legal and out there to educate people because I can’t imagine what it must have been like for Jamie & *Spoiler* growing up in such a hateful time.
Okey I hope I’ve made it clear what this book has done to me and how good I think it is. I want to end this review on one note: f*ck you disgusting bigots who still, to this day, are homophobic, racist, sexist, ableist and what not. I wish you all the best but please for the love of GOD leave my life. I’ve dealt with enough pain ever since I was little for being different and I am tired to see homophobic people blatantly hate on my sexuality for nothing. I am in a very good relationship and I am very happy. My family loves me, my friends do and especially my boyfriend so I have no room for you and your bullshit opinions in MY sexuality. Get a life and get out of mine.
AND SIMON FOR PRESIDENT!!!
First of all: I love you Simon James Green! I think I’ve told you when we met but you’re books have changed my life in the best way possible. This book as well does a lot for me and makes me both sad and hopeful at the same time. I’ve looked up to you ever since I’ve read your first book and after this one I look up to you even more. I wish I could give all the Jamie’s in the world the warmest hug and beat up the people who hurt them. This book angered me because I grew up with two extremely loving parents and I can vividly remember the first time I was faced with homophobia. It’s unfair and the worst pain ever and I don’t wish that upon anyone. I’m glad I am living in a time where books like these are legal and out there to educate people because I can’t imagine what it must have been like for Jamie & *Spoiler* growing up in such a hateful time.
Okey I hope I’ve made it clear what this book has done to me and how good I think it is. I want to end this review on one note: f*ck you disgusting bigots who still, to this day, are homophobic, racist, sexist, ableist and what not. I wish you all the best but please for the love of GOD leave my life. I’ve dealt with enough pain ever since I was little for being different and I am tired to see homophobic people blatantly hate on my sexuality for nothing. I am in a very good relationship and I am very happy. My family loves me, my friends do and especially my boyfriend so I have no room for you and your bullshit opinions in MY sexuality. Get a life and get out of mine.
AND SIMON FOR PRESIDENT!!!
December 5, 2023
A gay book about the ban of gay books (in the UK in the 90s, but still…history repeats huh?), all packed around a gay YA romance? Say no more.
It’s a book about small acts of defiance, little riots and a librarian who deserves an award…and became my favourite book of November.
.
I expected this to be all serious and sad, the cover looking very different from the usual colourful illustrated ones, being a bit of an autobiographical book, but it’s absolutely not. Yes, it’s a story about bigots and what hate and ignorance can lead to, but overall it has the usual SJG humour, a lovely romance story and a wonderful friend group. It only gets very serious near the end, but I swear you’ll finish this book wanting to start a riot of your own, being proud, and not only with tears of sadness, but with tears of joy and love.
It makes you want to overthrow and change the system, because the themes in this are more topical than ever.
It’s an important book, that still never looses his humour and the message of friendship, solidarity and found family.
Fuck the system, change the system!
It’s a book about small acts of defiance, little riots and a librarian who deserves an award…and became my favourite book of November.
.
I expected this to be all serious and sad, the cover looking very different from the usual colourful illustrated ones, being a bit of an autobiographical book, but it’s absolutely not. Yes, it’s a story about bigots and what hate and ignorance can lead to, but overall it has the usual SJG humour, a lovely romance story and a wonderful friend group. It only gets very serious near the end, but I swear you’ll finish this book wanting to start a riot of your own, being proud, and not only with tears of sadness, but with tears of joy and love.
It makes you want to overthrow and change the system, because the themes in this are more topical than ever.
It’s an important book, that still never looses his humour and the message of friendship, solidarity and found family.
Fuck the system, change the system!
March 26, 2025
Set in 1994 with memoir pieces from the author's life, this story constantly talks to the reader with both footnotes, and written pretend-movie-script paragraphs on how to maybe film the next scene. The MC has thoughts in his own head that he manifests by pretending a poster-woman from his bedroom wall (given by mom's boyfriend) is giving him advice.
These quirks bugged me a bit in the beginning, but they were used quite well and with consistency throughout the entire book. They provided a steady stream of hints to upcoming events, which kept me very addicted to keep reading.
Jamie, age 16, must barely telegraph enough to the librarian to get advised to read a certain book in the nonfiction area about wildflowers. But the cover doesn't match the contents! Another boy that has read this book has left a short message expressing similar feelings about the 'actual' replacement book here (Dance on My Grave by Aidan Chambers).
Jamie reads the mystery boy's question:
I feel like this too. Anyone else?
A lot happens in this book, so I don't want to give elements away.
I started putting little happy-tears in pencil next to passages. I count ten tears as I write this. This book will make you feel good. A fair amount of harsh 1990's phobias and Margaret Thatcher and AIDS fear, and 90's music references, but the focus remained on Jamie breaking out of his 'Oxbridge/head-boy-wanna-be' image and learning to be brave and be himself.
4.5* The quirky use of the footnotes/talking-to-the-reader kept pulling me out of the story. Sure, I was happy reading, but I prefer to get 'lost' into the stories I read. Kind of like some movies, the actor might occasionally look at the camera and either wink or say something. However...
It made me feel so good to see the bravery we all wish we had at 16/17. YA readers can come out empowered by this story. Just a right-book/right-time for me right-now.
Some quotes:
Yet, being with him, I realize something I was missing something myself. I was incomplete. Part of me was empty, and now, with him, it's there. And it feels so good.
This wasn't normal. Normal boys don't lie next to each other, talking and cuddling. The boys who do that are the boys they talk about in the newspapers, and they are despised, and dirty, and usually end up dead.
What did i want? I wanted someone like me. Someone to talk with. Someone who got me. It wasn't anything more!
Hiding is so lonely. And it's hard work.
What about work?
There are people who literally travel the world following the sun, working summer seasons in bars and hotels everywhere they go.
But don't you want a career?
Not especially.
But---
I don't want to be a little hamster on a treadmill. What's the point?
...
I don't want to live the life other people think I should or want me to . I'm not interested in following the crowd. I don't want to just exist. I want to live. I want to fucking fly.
It is a song about the gulf between dreams and reality. But it's also a song about how life is an unknown, and if you don't try for a happy ending, well, you'll never know. You might get one, you might not, but... maybe you've just gotta try.
Everything about this terrified me. All I could see were the headlines, flashing in my head, years and years of the. I would never admit this to him, but I was convinced if anything happened I would die of AIDS. That's what I'd been told happened to boys like me. And nobody has ever said any different.
What you were thinking, I expect, was how lovely it would be, to have a little piece of normal. To be able to be with some friends and show them what we mean to each other. I think about that too. It's embarrassing, but I sometimes fantasize about bringing you round for supper, with my dad, and we're just open about it all, and he's OK with it, he even likes you, and we have dinner, and we laugh, and it's all just what everyone else gets to do.
I'm scared.
Someone walks out of your life, that isn't 'the end', that's just leaving that story for the moment and walking into another one, and maybe those stories intersect again, one day, and ultimately we're all just this bunch of captive atoms in the universe being reconfigured until...
Quote below is the point of this entire book, really
I know. But what's the alternative? We don't exist just because they don't want us to exist? We can't change who we are. I don't want to change it, either. I love us. Individually and together. I want to be with you. Whatever happens. Because having something, even for a bit, is still better than never having it. And what's the point in being alive if you can't actually, live, anyway? If you can't be you. If you're not allowed to love?
Living isn't about the big stuff, it's what happens in between the big stuff.
Thank god he showed me that there can be beauty on the other side of terror.
Thank god he showed me that life could be so saturated with vibrant colour it could make you breathless.
Thank god for xxxx xxxx (no spoiler)
These quirks bugged me a bit in the beginning, but they were used quite well and with consistency throughout the entire book. They provided a steady stream of hints to upcoming events, which kept me very addicted to keep reading.
Jamie, age 16, must barely telegraph enough to the librarian to get advised to read a certain book in the nonfiction area about wildflowers. But the cover doesn't match the contents! Another boy that has read this book has left a short message expressing similar feelings about the 'actual' replacement book here (Dance on My Grave by Aidan Chambers).
Jamie reads the mystery boy's question:
I feel like this too. Anyone else?
A lot happens in this book, so I don't want to give elements away.
I started putting little happy-tears in pencil next to passages. I count ten tears as I write this. This book will make you feel good. A fair amount of harsh 1990's phobias and Margaret Thatcher and AIDS fear, and 90's music references, but the focus remained on Jamie breaking out of his 'Oxbridge/head-boy-wanna-be' image and learning to be brave and be himself.
4.5* The quirky use of the footnotes/talking-to-the-reader kept pulling me out of the story. Sure, I was happy reading, but I prefer to get 'lost' into the stories I read. Kind of like some movies, the actor might occasionally look at the camera and either wink or say something. However...
It made me feel so good to see the bravery we all wish we had at 16/17. YA readers can come out empowered by this story. Just a right-book/right-time for me right-now.
Some quotes:
Yet, being with him, I realize something I was missing something myself. I was incomplete. Part of me was empty, and now, with him, it's there. And it feels so good.
This wasn't normal. Normal boys don't lie next to each other, talking and cuddling. The boys who do that are the boys they talk about in the newspapers, and they are despised, and dirty, and usually end up dead.
What did i want? I wanted someone like me. Someone to talk with. Someone who got me. It wasn't anything more!
Hiding is so lonely. And it's hard work.
What about work?
There are people who literally travel the world following the sun, working summer seasons in bars and hotels everywhere they go.
But don't you want a career?
Not especially.
But---
I don't want to be a little hamster on a treadmill. What's the point?
...
I don't want to live the life other people think I should or want me to . I'm not interested in following the crowd. I don't want to just exist. I want to live. I want to fucking fly.
It is a song about the gulf between dreams and reality. But it's also a song about how life is an unknown, and if you don't try for a happy ending, well, you'll never know. You might get one, you might not, but... maybe you've just gotta try.
Everything about this terrified me. All I could see were the headlines, flashing in my head, years and years of the. I would never admit this to him, but I was convinced if anything happened I would die of AIDS. That's what I'd been told happened to boys like me. And nobody has ever said any different.
What you were thinking, I expect, was how lovely it would be, to have a little piece of normal. To be able to be with some friends and show them what we mean to each other. I think about that too. It's embarrassing, but I sometimes fantasize about bringing you round for supper, with my dad, and we're just open about it all, and he's OK with it, he even likes you, and we have dinner, and we laugh, and it's all just what everyone else gets to do.
I'm scared.
Someone walks out of your life, that isn't 'the end', that's just leaving that story for the moment and walking into another one, and maybe those stories intersect again, one day, and ultimately we're all just this bunch of captive atoms in the universe being reconfigured until...
Quote below is the point of this entire book, really
I know. But what's the alternative? We don't exist just because they don't want us to exist? We can't change who we are. I don't want to change it, either. I love us. Individually and together. I want to be with you. Whatever happens. Because having something, even for a bit, is still better than never having it. And what's the point in being alive if you can't actually, live, anyway? If you can't be you. If you're not allowed to love?
Living isn't about the big stuff, it's what happens in between the big stuff.
Thank god he showed me that there can be beauty on the other side of terror.
Thank god he showed me that life could be so saturated with vibrant colour it could make you breathless.
Thank god for xxxx xxxx (no spoiler)
March 5, 2023
This story will resonate with so many LGBT people who grew up in the 90s as we all lived through the same pain and fear. But it also has so much love, heart, friendship and alot of humour! Hopefully it will also ensure we remember societies past wrongs and hope we don't repeat the same mistakes! As always, much love for SJG novels xxx
March 25, 2023
Truly exceptional. A YA must-read for all.
December 21, 2023
5-Stars
If you read only one coming of age story this year, make it Simon James Green’s Boy Like Me!
Boy Like Me is easily the best romance novel I’ve read this year. And that's saying a lot because I've read several 5-star novels over the past 12 months.
Written from the point of a young teenager, Boy Like Me tells the story of his coming of age in 1994 England when a law known as Section 28 was still in force. Section 28 mandated that there could be no mention of gay relationships in schools. (Sound familiar?)
In a bet with his boyfriend, the novel's ‘narrator’, Jamie Hampton, says “In twenty-nine, thirty year’s time, [i.e. 2023-24] imagine how much better it’ll be…Gay people will be free to be themselves. Books won’t be banned. Nobody’s gonna be talking about ‘indoctrination’ because people will accept that some people are different from them and it’s not about choice, it’s just about who you think you are. I think people will learn from history”
If only Jamie had been right.
If you read only one coming of age story this year, make it Simon James Green’s Boy Like Me!
Boy Like Me is easily the best romance novel I’ve read this year. And that's saying a lot because I've read several 5-star novels over the past 12 months.
Written from the point of a young teenager, Boy Like Me tells the story of his coming of age in 1994 England when a law known as Section 28 was still in force. Section 28 mandated that there could be no mention of gay relationships in schools. (Sound familiar?)
In a bet with his boyfriend, the novel's ‘narrator’, Jamie Hampton, says “In twenty-nine, thirty year’s time, [i.e. 2023-24] imagine how much better it’ll be…Gay people will be free to be themselves. Books won’t be banned. Nobody’s gonna be talking about ‘indoctrination’ because people will accept that some people are different from them and it’s not about choice, it’s just about who you think you are. I think people will learn from history”
If only Jamie had been right.
June 12, 2023
A stunning, heartbreaking, sweet and powerful story!
I'm a big fan of Simon James Green, I love the humour in his books, the absurdity, the teenage angst, the storytelling, the side-characters. All of them are unique despite sharing some common traits.
Boy Like Me is even more unique, it is heavier, this is an "origin story" of sorts, since it's inspired by real events in Simon's teenage years. It's writing style reflects this from the get-go, using script segments, footnotes, breaking the fourth wall and interacting with the reader.
A brave librarian ignores the homophobic and harmful "Section 28", a law which during the 90s in the UK banned LGBT material from schools, and hands over a disguised book with gay protagonists to Jamie. Jamie is questioning himself but is far from accepting himself, much more coming out.
He finds notes in the book written by another boy who had borrowed it from the library, and they start talking via messages written in the book. Jamie's world changes, as he discovers himself and gets to meet his mysterious pen-pal, who turns out to be so much more...
Boy Like Me is a brutal reminder of how horrible some aspects of the world were during the 90s (an era that is often romanticized in the media). There is homophobia, violence, bullying, teacher misconduct, abusive parents...it is not as easy a read as you would be used to from Simon's bibliography.
It's so powerful: despite all the hardships, the bigots don't get to win. Love beats bigotry, small step by small step, and every tiny action creates a domino, like the action of the school librarian in this story. And the dark aspects of the past should never be forgotten, because some kids suffered a lot until we reached the (not perfect but significantlly better than 30 years ago) current environment for LGBT teens.
This is a book that needs to be in all school libraries, promoted by every teacher who cares about the teens they teach, and read by every young adult who can get their hands on it.
Simon blended his comedic, cheerful and hopeful writing skill with his own experiences, and produced a masterpiece of a story, which punches you in the gut and makes you shed tears of joy.
I'm a big fan of Simon James Green, I love the humour in his books, the absurdity, the teenage angst, the storytelling, the side-characters. All of them are unique despite sharing some common traits.
Boy Like Me is even more unique, it is heavier, this is an "origin story" of sorts, since it's inspired by real events in Simon's teenage years. It's writing style reflects this from the get-go, using script segments, footnotes, breaking the fourth wall and interacting with the reader.
A brave librarian ignores the homophobic and harmful "Section 28", a law which during the 90s in the UK banned LGBT material from schools, and hands over a disguised book with gay protagonists to Jamie. Jamie is questioning himself but is far from accepting himself, much more coming out.
He finds notes in the book written by another boy who had borrowed it from the library, and they start talking via messages written in the book. Jamie's world changes, as he discovers himself and gets to meet his mysterious pen-pal, who turns out to be so much more...
Boy Like Me is a brutal reminder of how horrible some aspects of the world were during the 90s (an era that is often romanticized in the media). There is homophobia, violence, bullying, teacher misconduct, abusive parents...it is not as easy a read as you would be used to from Simon's bibliography.
It's so powerful: despite all the hardships, the bigots don't get to win. Love beats bigotry, small step by small step, and every tiny action creates a domino, like the action of the school librarian in this story. And the dark aspects of the past should never be forgotten, because some kids suffered a lot until we reached the (not perfect but significantlly better than 30 years ago) current environment for LGBT teens.
This is a book that needs to be in all school libraries, promoted by every teacher who cares about the teens they teach, and read by every young adult who can get their hands on it.
Simon blended his comedic, cheerful and hopeful writing skill with his own experiences, and produced a masterpiece of a story, which punches you in the gut and makes you shed tears of joy.
August 17, 2023
An important read as I wasn't aware of Paragraph 28 and the unfortunate consequences that followed. Loved the story around the book and the secret conversation in the margins. However, it became a bit too ya for my taste after the reveal and also wasn't into the writing style with the footnotes.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
July 25, 2024
Fantastisch semi-autobiografisch boek over hoe het stond met de HoLeBI-rechten midden jaren '90. We zijn van ver gekomen. Het verhaal speelt zich af in '94 en de protagonist ontdekt van zichzelf dat hij andersgeaard is, dankzij 'Je moet dansen op mijn graf', een in schoolbibliotheken verboden boek. Soit: er worden mensen verliefd, het loopt fout, een heleboel homofobie,... maar dat allemaal verpakt in een luchtige, humoristische stijl.
Ik was 19 in '94, zat op de Normaalschool en was al twee jaar uit de kast. Een jaar later zou ik bij een Holebi-jongeren beweging gaan en in de raad van bestuur zetelen.
Wat in dit boek verteld wordt is dus net iets anders dan mijn eigen beleving uit diezelfde periode. Ja, ik was de enige op een school met zo'n 700 andere jongens, die uit de kast was. Ja, ik werd wel eens nageroepen toen het nieuws zich als een razend vuurtje verspreidde en... de week erna was het al oud nieuws en kraaide er geen haan meer naar. Nooit in elkaar getimmerd (ze hadden het eens moeten proberen :p ), weinig of geen scheldpartijen (ik had altijd een antwoord klaar)... ook wel geen vriendje zoals de protagonist (daarvoor moest ik nog meer dan twee jaar wachten).
Nu wordt moord en brand geschreeuwd omdat er op secundaire scholen geen genderneutrale toiletten zijn of omdat een leerkracht de verkeerde voornaamwoorden gebruikt. Dat al die roeptoeters zich even in dit boek (en de geschiedenis van de holebi-gemeenschap verdiepen) om te beseffen dat ze het nog nooit zo goed hebben gehad. En ja: HoLeBi want alle andere letters van het LGTBQ+ alfabet hebben niets met geaardheid te maken en laat het daar nu net over gaan.
Ik was 19 in '94, zat op de Normaalschool en was al twee jaar uit de kast. Een jaar later zou ik bij een Holebi-jongeren beweging gaan en in de raad van bestuur zetelen.
Wat in dit boek verteld wordt is dus net iets anders dan mijn eigen beleving uit diezelfde periode. Ja, ik was de enige op een school met zo'n 700 andere jongens, die uit de kast was. Ja, ik werd wel eens nageroepen toen het nieuws zich als een razend vuurtje verspreidde en... de week erna was het al oud nieuws en kraaide er geen haan meer naar. Nooit in elkaar getimmerd (ze hadden het eens moeten proberen :p ), weinig of geen scheldpartijen (ik had altijd een antwoord klaar)... ook wel geen vriendje zoals de protagonist (daarvoor moest ik nog meer dan twee jaar wachten).
Nu wordt moord en brand geschreeuwd omdat er op secundaire scholen geen genderneutrale toiletten zijn of omdat een leerkracht de verkeerde voornaamwoorden gebruikt. Dat al die roeptoeters zich even in dit boek (en de geschiedenis van de holebi-gemeenschap verdiepen) om te beseffen dat ze het nog nooit zo goed hebben gehad. En ja: HoLeBi want alle andere letters van het LGTBQ+ alfabet hebben niets met geaardheid te maken en laat het daar nu net over gaan.
March 4, 2023
Big out loud laughter, charming witty story telling, and moments that hit you and make you cry. This book feels like you’re sat in a coffee shop listening to the author telling this personal, intimate story and being treated like a trusted friend. I can’t recommend this book enough for anyone in the LGBTQ+ community who wants to feel validated that it’s not just them.
March 30, 2023
Autobiographical turned fiction with real asides sprinkled throughout inside and as footnotes. What an interesting and fun way to write a novel. Confusing at times but if you want to set your coming out story out as it were, what better way than to mess up the story structure, and some play writing, TV pitching, and announce that you are not following the story structure expected.
It all works well and has me loving whom I’m supposed to love and hating… you get the idea.
Reminding us all of the violence and rhetoric attacks LGBTQ people have endured and still endure is essential.
This is enjoyable, painful at times for the powerlessness of injustice, inspiring, and heartfelt.
It all works well and has me loving whom I’m supposed to love and hating… you get the idea.
Reminding us all of the violence and rhetoric attacks LGBTQ people have endured and still endure is essential.
This is enjoyable, painful at times for the powerlessness of injustice, inspiring, and heartfelt.
March 4, 2023
I absolutely loved the way SJG constantly ‘spoke’ to me during this book. He’s so funny. I loved Noah Can’t Even and don’t get me started on Jack from Heartbreak Boys.
I wish I could give this more than five stars. A very brilliant book 🧡
I wish I could give this more than five stars. A very brilliant book 🧡
July 28, 2024
When I started the book, I didn’t enjoy the style of writing. (SJG even has footnotes about this where he states people will give the book a 1-star review on Amazon, and it was in these self-referential moments where I admittedly rolled my eyes.) However, as I settled into the story, I found this book achingly beautiful, a golden tale of perseverance and courage in an era of uncertainty and pain. I worried the novel would teeter too heavily into trauma tropes, yet for me, it never did. On the whole, this book is wonderful, telling a story of the past that is just as poignant today.
June 4, 2023
Ha! What a brilliant book.
In the Summer of 1994, I was 15 and one of those very confused boys at school, this book hit hard at just what it was like to be different and try to fit in so this book was an excellent read for me.
Jamie is the ultimate hero here, facing his fears and fighting back againstbwhat he knows is wrong.
I laughed LOUDLY, I winched at the sheer stupidity of adults and lived EVERY word!
Perfect Pride Month reading.
In the Summer of 1994, I was 15 and one of those very confused boys at school, this book hit hard at just what it was like to be different and try to fit in so this book was an excellent read for me.
Jamie is the ultimate hero here, facing his fears and fighting back againstbwhat he knows is wrong.
I laughed LOUDLY, I winched at the sheer stupidity of adults and lived EVERY word!
Perfect Pride Month reading.
June 16, 2023
Fuck this hit me hard in the emotions, especially with the section 28 and the way the world is going at the moment due to it. Like there is hope in this book but fuck it felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest 💔
October 3, 2024
One of the best YA books I’ve ever read. Beautiful comedic writing, packed full of emotion.
January 24, 2025
this book made me so ANGRY 😭😭😭
October 27, 2025
So many lines in this hit me like a punch to the gut and even though I was winded and crying I loved every moment of it, ‘Boy Like Me’ is an incredibly important read for everyone who wakes up each day and keeps fighting for the right to just be.
Easy 5 stars.
Easy 5 stars.
October 25, 2024
Wow what a read. So far from where we are today. Thank goodness we are on the whole a much more inclusive world. I loved the footnotes - they did make me chuckle (maybe an age thing!)
June 29, 2024
A beautiful story completely ruined by its narrative style.
Half-autobiography, half-TV screenplay — stuffed with meta-commentary and 'Jim Halpert looking at the camera' (or outright winking) — let’s just say the writing was not what I expected when I picked up this book. I was excited for a Simon vs the Homo Sapiens equivalent: after all, both have the same premise.
And then, there were footnotes (footnotes!) such as:
Well, here's me, the inevitable disgruntled Goodreads reviewer: it just wasn't as funny as the author thought that was. It was downright infuriating.
Furthermore, the TV screenplay concept is forgotten halfway through, while the autobiographical elements can't withstand any scrutiny when the novel (1.) is structured like a bloody novel, (2.) has unrealistic and over-the-top characters/events throughout.
What a disservice the narrator was to what could have been such a lovely coming-of-age story.
* This is the quote that truly boiled my piss and made me knock one more star off.
Half-autobiography, half-TV screenplay — stuffed with meta-commentary and 'Jim Halpert looking at the camera' (or outright winking) — let’s just say the writing was not what I expected when I picked up this book. I was excited for a Simon vs the Homo Sapiens equivalent: after all, both have the same premise.
And then, there were footnotes (footnotes!) such as:
“I absolutely hated the way SJG constantly ‘spoke’ to me during this book. He’s so annoying. I hated Noah Can’t Even too and don’t get me started on Jack from Heartbreak Boys. One star.” (Inevitable Amazon review) *
Well, here's me, the inevitable disgruntled Goodreads reviewer: it just wasn't as funny as the author thought that was. It was downright infuriating.
Furthermore, the TV screenplay concept is forgotten halfway through, while the autobiographical elements can't withstand any scrutiny when the novel (1.) is structured like a bloody novel, (2.) has unrealistic and over-the-top characters/events throughout.
What a disservice the narrator was to what could have been such a lovely coming-of-age story.
* This is the quote that truly boiled my piss and made me knock one more star off.
January 9, 2024
5⭐️
A beautifully raw YA LGBT novel about censorship, injustice, and most importantly, love. ❤️
This has to be one of the easiest five stars I’ve given to a book! Right from the onset this book clutched my attention and had me turning the page. The writing style and footnotes to break the fourth wall and speak to the reader was incredibly unique and engaging. I’ve read thrillers that were less tense than this book and I simply couldn’t put it down.
The book is based around Jamie, a sixteen year old boy in Lincolnshire, who reads a novel in his school library about two boys falling in love and notices someone has scrawled a message in the margins. Jamie relates to the message and writes back, and that’s the beginning of this intricate, exhilarating and heartwarming read.
Set in 1994, this book highlights the devastating impact of Section 28 legislation which was introduced by the Conservative Government and became law in 1988. It was illegal for schools to ‘promote homosexuality’ or allow homosexuality to be accepted as a ‘pretended family relationship’ and the way that Green has written a personal book about this topic is outstanding.
The way the level of censorship, injustice and homophobia ingrained in society was outlined in this book through the story of two sixth formers, was very clever. The characters were fantastic, especially Jamie, and I’m not going to speak about them otherwise I’ll ruin the fun of this read, but they truly were amazing. I will say though that I was doubting who Jamie could trust at times surrounding his sexuality, and unfortunately, this still mirrors society today.
This book hit me hard and I felt entwined in the story. I laughed out loud, I sobbed and I was also so angry with Section 28 and the impact it had, not only then, but how it is also prevalent today. We still have such a long way to go!
I loved the contravention to the Section and the bigots and found myself rooting for the protagonists throughout. This read was difficult at times, but is incredibly impactful and this book will always hold a special place in my heart.
This was an impromptu buddy read with Clair and we absolutely adored this book and devoured it in two days. I loved our messages throughout and I’m glad we got to share this book journey together!
This book was unpredictable, tugged at my heartstrings and I thought the ending was faultless. Even the dedication, the acknowledgements and the about the author sections were perfect!
I’ve tried to give this book the justice it deserves, and I’m not sure how well I have, but honestly, you really have to give this book a read.
What a brilliant first five star read of the year! ❤️🥹
⚠️ Please check out the trigger warnings! ⚠️
A beautifully raw YA LGBT novel about censorship, injustice, and most importantly, love. ❤️
This has to be one of the easiest five stars I’ve given to a book! Right from the onset this book clutched my attention and had me turning the page. The writing style and footnotes to break the fourth wall and speak to the reader was incredibly unique and engaging. I’ve read thrillers that were less tense than this book and I simply couldn’t put it down.
The book is based around Jamie, a sixteen year old boy in Lincolnshire, who reads a novel in his school library about two boys falling in love and notices someone has scrawled a message in the margins. Jamie relates to the message and writes back, and that’s the beginning of this intricate, exhilarating and heartwarming read.
Set in 1994, this book highlights the devastating impact of Section 28 legislation which was introduced by the Conservative Government and became law in 1988. It was illegal for schools to ‘promote homosexuality’ or allow homosexuality to be accepted as a ‘pretended family relationship’ and the way that Green has written a personal book about this topic is outstanding.
The way the level of censorship, injustice and homophobia ingrained in society was outlined in this book through the story of two sixth formers, was very clever. The characters were fantastic, especially Jamie, and I’m not going to speak about them otherwise I’ll ruin the fun of this read, but they truly were amazing. I will say though that I was doubting who Jamie could trust at times surrounding his sexuality, and unfortunately, this still mirrors society today.
This book hit me hard and I felt entwined in the story. I laughed out loud, I sobbed and I was also so angry with Section 28 and the impact it had, not only then, but how it is also prevalent today. We still have such a long way to go!
I loved the contravention to the Section and the bigots and found myself rooting for the protagonists throughout. This read was difficult at times, but is incredibly impactful and this book will always hold a special place in my heart.
This was an impromptu buddy read with Clair and we absolutely adored this book and devoured it in two days. I loved our messages throughout and I’m glad we got to share this book journey together!
This book was unpredictable, tugged at my heartstrings and I thought the ending was faultless. Even the dedication, the acknowledgements and the about the author sections were perfect!
I’ve tried to give this book the justice it deserves, and I’m not sure how well I have, but honestly, you really have to give this book a read.
What a brilliant first five star read of the year! ❤️🥹
⚠️ Please check out the trigger warnings! ⚠️
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