About a Boy

About A Boy, by Nick Hornby, is just what the book is about. It shows how a relationship between Will, a rich, fashionable, shallow, thirty-six-year-old and Marcus, an awkward, naive, twelve-year-old begins on shaky ground but ends up blossoming into a beautiful friendship. In order to meet women, Will invents a kid of his own and joins SPAT (Single Parents - Alone Together). He spends the day with Suzie, a single mother, and her friend's son, Marcus. At the end of the day they take Marcus back to his flat, where they find to their horror that his mom , who had recently been divorced and was quite depressed, has attempted suicide. Marcus is devastated and has no one to turn to for help, so by default turns to Will.

Will Freeman has what many people would call "the perfect life". He lives richly off of royalties from a song his dad wrote, "Santa's Super Sleigh", a song which he now loathes. He isn't tied down by a wife, kids, or even a job, and spends his day trying to fill his time with tasks such as eating, watching TV, going to movies, shopping, and doing crossword puzzles. He enjoys his life, but sometimes has a fleeting yearning (which usually comes when he's drunk) to actually do something with it, like get a job or start a family. Will doesn't want to be bothered by a pesky boy and even wants to distance himself from Marcus and his weird, hippie mom. When Marcus comes by his house, however, he has no choice but to let him in. And that's when Will starts to get involved with reality, something he's not that accustomed to.

This story takes on many issues that are pertinent today such as single parents, suicide, and relationships. With it's light, British humor, this book weaves a tale of two people, Will and Marcus, who are different in most aspects yet they are both ultimately searching for the same thing - who they really are. Marcus and his mom have had numerous talks about why it's good that they're vegetarians and how the clothes a person wears don't really matter; however, after his mom attempts suicide, Marcus, for the first time in his life, questions whether or not his mom knows all the right answers. He is entering adolescence, a time known for questioning and self-examination. Will hates kids and despises the people who bring them into the world. After Marcus started making his trips to Will's house daily, Will got used to

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