Review of Such a Nice Boy by Rebecca Spargo

Amanda is a feminist. She’s worked in organisations that advocate for women facing domestic violence and she’s always taught her daughter to stand up for what is right. Especially after her own bad experiences as a young woman in the 90s. But what if, during the time she spent protecting her daughter, her son was slipping into a dangerous world of online misogyny right before her eyes? This is the impossible scenario Amanda finds herself in when one of her children’s teenage classmates takes her own life due to sexual bullying and it’s revealed that her son, Nathan, was involved. How could this be when he’s always been such a nice boy? As tensions rise in the community and fingers start pointing her way, Amanda must find a way to balance her motherly instincts to protect her son with her desire, as a woman, to see him face consequences.

This is an intensely gripping novel that reads like a thriller but handles it’s themes with grace. Spargo shows us the impact of the manosphere on an ordinary British family and community. It shows us that the problem is not simply in the basements of middle-aged bachelors or ‘incels’ but in all online spaces and leaking into our schools and into the minds of young people. We see the problem from a mother’s perspective and, importantly, a mother who has seemingly ‘done everything right’ to prevent this sort of thing from happening in her home. We see Amanda handle blame in a way Nathan’s father does not, we see her struggle to communicate with her son on topics where they strongly disagree and we see her navigate difficult conversations with everyone in her life in a way that feels, more than anything, profoundly human.

This is a novel that packs a real punch, tackling important and timely issues whilst still being a truly engrossing read. I could not put it down and I think it will stick with me for a long time to come.

I urge everyone to read this - especially parents. An unmissable book for anyone interested in examining online culture, tackling misogyny, navigating mother/son relationships and how we communicate with people of opposing views in the face of violence.

Published on 08.10.2026 by Canelo

Reviewed by Abi