Silent Boy
Book not yet available in English
Summary:
Anton is 16. He is at a difficult boarding school, far from home. He tries his best to stay under the radar and always follows the opinions of his most popular friends. The only place he can freely express himself is on a chat forum, where he uses the handle Silent Boy. One day, he meets Nathan, who is bullied by classmates who suspect he is gay. Anton doesn’t really know how to act with the boy who will now be sharing his room, and when the school holds a gender equality workshop, he violently refuses to attend. But when the bullies push Nathan to attempt suicide, Anton is forced to face up to reality and speak up to change things.
Edited by: Université Sorbonne Paris Nord
Comment:
An original novel switching between narration and online chat, standard language and textspeak. The novel touches on many topics of interest to teens – friendship groups, sexuality, and bullying. It keenly analyses the major problem of groupthink among teenagers. The author tackles the tricky topic with tact, demonstrating that it is difficult but important to break away from other people’s opinions and think for yourself. A novel about tolerance and self-acceptance.