The Boy with Big Decisions

Decisions can be overwhelming – from what to have on your toast to what trousers to wear – but what if your decisions change the course of your life? This is Fred’s main concern – or more that decisions are being made for him that are affecting what his life will look like!

We join Fred Durst at a pivotal time in his life – he has just moved to a new town and is looking to start at a new school. He is presented with two options – the vaguely oppressive Gains School (of which his dad is a former pupil) or the amply provisioned art rooms of Bowtree High. The first of many decisions that our readers have to make is which school to attend – both options have immediate and serious impacts on Fred’s life and the lives of those around him.

Fred has to ask some big questions about who he thinks he is and the reader can see this play out in lots of different ways. There are many different themes throughout the book, with each having its own distinctive messages.

Helen Rutter does a brilliant job of highlighting the subtle ways young people can be stripped of agency both at home and in the educational environment. The book does an equally fantastic job conveying what caring and approachable role models can do for children that might need a little extra support in making decisions. The book is paced brilliantly and holds lots of teachable moments around the importance not only of young people using their voices but of being expected to be heard when they do.