SuitabookBoy Like Me
Simon James Green
- Reading
- If the historical context is unfamiliar, briefly explain that Section 28 restricted how gay relationships could be discussed in UK schools. Pause after the early marginal notes to consider why anonymous contact feels both inviting and risky, then revisit the ending together.
- Themes
- Queer self-discovery and connection: Jamie’s feelings towards boys become more recognisable through a concealed book and notes from another reader, leading to correspondence and romance. The connection is presented as meaningful and hopeful, though the complete development of the relationship is not known.
- Institutional restriction and queer history: The 1994 school setting is shaped by Section 28, which restricted teaching about the acceptability of homosexuality or promoting homosexuality. The restriction functions as an obstacle to the characters’ openness and is framed as a difficult historical condition rather than a desirable arrangement.
- Humour and experimental presentation: The novel uses stage directions, parenthetical asides to an off-page editor and footnotes containing additional information and levity. These devices are presented as distinctive and humorous, potentially balancing the seriousness of the historical and romantic conflict.
- Worth knowing
- The central relationship is between teenage boys, and the story includes sexual content. Section 28, concealed reading and the possibility that romance could bring trouble create prejudice- and restriction-related material; the extent and detail of difficult scenes remain unclear.