The Boy in the Suit

Solo and his mum Morag are always gatecrashing parties. But not the ones with balloons and party poppers.  

They go to funerals. A lot of funerals. Because there is free food and Solo and Morag are almost always hungry. 

Solo hates it – and that’s not all. He hates the fact that he doesn’t have proper school uniform, that his mum lies to get free bus rides and begs food from the corner shop. But what he hates most is the Big Bad Reds when Morag takes to her bed for days or spends what little money they have on ‘grown up’ drinks. 

And then they gatecrash the funeral of someone famous and end up splashed all over the newspapers and the internet. Could life get even worse for Solo? Or might it be the beginning of something better? 

Despite the difficult subject matter, there are many moments of humour, compassion and joy in Solo’s story.  

While it highlights the reality of life with a parent experiencing mental health issues and the difficulties caused by child poverty, it also carries a message of hope, the value of friendship, and the courage it can take to accept help from others.