Review by Elaine Swan, Langlees Primary School, Falkirk
Suitable for: 2nd level
Themes – family, friendships, rivalry, big feelings, influencers, online presence, perceived perfection, morality, honesty, integrity
‘Boy Vs Reality’ is a thoughtful, funny and timely tale which warns us of the massive influence social media has nowadays on our lives. The story is superbly told through the eyes of the loveable main character of 10-year-old Ethan Lacey who seems to have a better handle on what really matters in life (families, friends, wellbeing) than his family who are only concerned about vlogging their every move, seeking to present perfection, getting maximum likes and collecting the revenue all whilst losing sight of life’s priorities. All Ethan wants is to enjoy his life in an authentic way without every moment being filmed and shared with millions of followers.
But that is not to be, and the perfect influencer family begins tearing itself apart, with forced smiles and the offline chat fractious and hate-filled, the grown-up plan is ‘fake it’ and keep quiet. No wonder hanging out with his good mates, Arlo and Omar, brings Ethan welcome relief or why he goes to Grandad and Colin the Dog for sanctuary and solace. Because confiding in and collaborating with true friends and, eventually, accepting professional counselling and moving towards reconciliation, is surely the better way.
This book has a contemporary and engrossing storyline with a good balance of humour and heart which had me laughing at one point (the parts with his friends Arlo and Omar) and then feeling so sorry for Ethan just a few pages later as he puts his deepest thoughts, his ‘sticky thoughts’ into Fidget.
The cover is picture-perfect too and the illustrations opening each chapter are a nice touch and quite fitting for the feel of the book.
This book is ideal for reading as a class before discussing the positives and negatives of the online world. It would be an incredibly helpful introduction for teachers in exploring YouTube aspirations, the concept of online celebrity and protecting our privacy in the digital world, the real worth of online celebrity versus authentic, real experiences or discussing how other people’s actions can make you feel.
In a time of YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, Boy vs Reality is exactly what we all need.
