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Amelia C Wilson
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Smalltown Boy Kindle Edition

by Amelia C Wilson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 32 ratings
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It's 1983. London has everything and Maxwell Atkinson is determined to experience it all. Following years of cajoling from his childhood friend Hannah, Max abandons his uninspiring life for a weekend of opportunity and excess in the big city. Captivated by those who inhabit a world of nightclubs and saunas, Max makes the decision never to return home and forges a friendship with his neighbour Adam. As whispers about a new disease grow louder, Max's feelings for Adam deepen. When a friend is hospitalised, Max is forced to face the reality behind his decisions. Take the test or risk harming those closest to him.
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  1. Print length
    337 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    August 5, 2019
  4. File size
    2.2 MB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07W7MG49D
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ (August 5, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 5, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.2 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 337 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1088489524
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 32 ratings

About the author

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Amelia C Wilson

Amelia C Wilson

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Amelia C. Wilson is a purveyor of romantic subplots, pantser extraordinaire and occasional smut pedlar from the North West of England who views the 20th century as her literary toy box.

Her novel Smalltown Boy was heavily influenced by research she did for her dissertation whilst studying History in 2013.

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
32 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoyed the book's authenticity and attention to detail. They found the setting and story true to the decade, with a perfect portrayal of young adulthood. The book was described as worth the money and spectacular by customers.

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AuthenticityValue for money
3 customers mention "Authenticity"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's authenticity. They find the setting and details true to the 1980s decade. The book evokes the feelings of being young and adrift well.

"...I appreciated the attention to detail paid to the time period in which the story is set...." Read more

"...both the world of the 80s and of being young and adrift are evoked perfectly...." Read more

"...The book was authentic and honesty rained true throughout the story about the AIDS epidemic that began in the early 1980's...." Read more

3 customers mention "Value for money"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book worth the price and say it's a spectacular debut.

"Wilson's debut is nothing short of spectacular...." Read more

"...If you lived through the time this might be hard reading but worthwhile. If you didn't live through it, this is a must read about an important time...." Read more

"...That said, this book was totally worth it for me. The Author set young gay Max in England...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Roberta Blablanski
    5.0 out of 5 stars Raw, humorous, and hopeful
    Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Wilson's debut is nothing short of spectacular. It's an epic tale of a gay young man who moves to the "big city", London, and gets a crash course in debauchery. The group of friends he surrounds himself with, with the help of his childhood best friend, introduce him to all the things his mall town existence wouldn't ever imagine.

    Max is flawed, and some of his decisions are more than questionable, but Wilson still manages to make the reader root for him. He's young and sheltered, and London is the proverbial candy store.

    I appreciated the attention to detail paid to the time period in which the story is set. I grew up in the 80s, and the setting felt very authentic and true to the decade. One of the most sensitive topics, the AIDS epidemic, is handled respectfully and honestly. Nothing is sugarcoated. There is suffering and lives lost.

    Smalltown Boy is raw, humorous at times, and, ultimately, hopeful. Wilson is one to keep an eye on .
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  • Lyn
    5.0 out of 5 stars Evokes a time well
    Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Smalltown Boy is largely set in 1980s London. Max escapes his small town and mean, homophobic mother to experience everything the city has to offer.
    In this book, both the world of the 80s and of being young and adrift are evoked perfectly. The book spans the early years of AIDS and the suddenness with which it cut a swathe through a generation.
    I found myself drawn into the story from the first pages. If you lived through the time this might be hard reading but worthwhile. If you didn't live through it, this is a must read about an important time. With a love story.
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  • K. Mann
    4.0 out of 5 stars 80's boy - experience it from Max's perspective
    Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    3.5 stars to be honest.
    For me, I love getting to know a new to me Author writing and story telling style. I had to take my mind to a different place which I like now and again. This Author challenged me a bit before I was able to follow well in the writing style. Not quite British or American English. I had to often reflect and try to make sure I understood. That said, this book was totally worth it for me.

    The Author set young gay Max in England. London would be where he could finally identify in a new culture beyond his expectations. His best friend Hannah was amongst the leading character for me.

    The book was authentic and honesty rained true throughout the story about the AIDS epidemic that began in the early 1980's. Not much sex or anything, just a eye opening story about young adults growing up in this scary deathly time of life.

    It ended a bit abrupt. Would have appreciated an epilogue no matter the ending.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Bookworm
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written
    Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2020
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    Beautiful book. I highly recommend it.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Andie Lawless
    5.0 out of 5 stars This was absolutely beautiful
    Reviewed in Canada on December 25, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I cried, and I laughed, and I loved every second. Every single character in this story was compelling. Smalltown Boy gutted me and then put the pieces back together. It's a moving story you don't want to miss.
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  • li cran
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excruciating, real, full of everything good and bad
    Reviewed in Italy on November 13, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Having lived through the years of the beginning of the modern plague of AIDS, this story took me back to the terrible times of finally conquered personal freedom combined with the unforeseen agony that arrived soon afterwards.
    Excellent, perhaps too well done descriptions of the prejudices, the shaming, the fight to be oneself in an unaccepting world, the self-doubt - the struggle to love until that same love becomes a condemning illness that brought suffering to everyone, and death to too many, before research even began to be useful.
    This is a very strong emotion builder, and even with the sensibility and delicate treatment of the themes involved, the reader will be swept into the despair, the desperate hope, the fears, doubts, uncertainties, hates, and loves of an era that was very difficult to survive.
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 17, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    An excellent debut - though I suspect this may not be Amelia C Wilson’s first work judging by the skillful writing.

    Twenty year old Max Atkinson lives an unfulfilling life in a northern English village, enduring constant berating from his contentious mother. An offer to escape to London with his best friend, Hannah, proves irresistible and he travels to the big city feeling excited about what this land of opportunity might offer.

    He soon becomes acquainted with a group of Hannah’s friends and is pulled into the world of gay night clubs and saunas. It’s the eighties and this is a young man free from the chains of his parents in a tempting and promiscuous new environment. His first encounters are frequent and reckless. Realising he likes London too much to return back home, he takes on jobs and decides to move there permanently. And it’s not long before he starts to grow find of his new neighbour, Adam.

    Without giving key plot points away, this story is a well told drama set during the eighties at the height of the outbreak of HIV and AIDS. It deals with friendship, family dynamics, a young man discovering his sexuality and falling in love at the same time as dealing with the fear and stigma surrounding the disease.

    Amelia C Wilson writes this romantic drama well, paying particular attention to the dynamics between the characters. There are happy and sad moments and it is stark in the telling of its subject matter. The description is great and the dialogue is sharp and natural. I can’t wait to see what this talented author comes up with next.
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  • Allan’s Reviews
    3.0 out of 5 stars Small town Boy
    Reviewed in Canada on August 2, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    It’s a fairly standard plot, with few surprises, but still a compelling look at gay men in London in the early days of AIDS. The book certainly suffers from poor editing though
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  • RenN
    3.0 out of 5 stars Challenging read about a tough subject.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 8, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I really struggled to get into this book. I found Max annoying and borderline childish. I almost DNF.

    Something - probably my stubborn nature - convinced me to continue. The second two thirds picked up enormously. I still wasn’t sure about Max but I decided I did now care about him enough to want to know how it ended.

    It is harsh and stark in its depiction of the AIDS crisis of the 80s and as such might not be a book everyone wants to read. The writing definitely improved as the book moved on, and by the end I was pleased I’d stuck with it. I won’t read it again though.
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