An unforgettable teen comedy about figuring out who you are online and offline from the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize-winning author of KING OF NOTHING!
An unforgettable teen comedy about figuring out who you are online and offline from the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize-winning author of KING OF NOTHING!
Rib-achingly funny, poignant, thoughtful and sly, Lessore's second novel confirms him as a uniquely talented writer
Guardian, on KING OF NOTHING
Funny, original and heart-warming
The Times, on STEADY FOR THIS
Online, Fred goes by Existor@stmarks. His alter ego is the best gamer around – constantly on a winning streak, with tonnes of followers, and the confidence to go with it.
But offline, Fred’s life is miserable. His dad’s always working, his mum’s struggling, and at school, everyone looks straight through him. Until Existor’s notoriety spreads to his school, and Fred sees an opportunity: everyone listens to what Existor has to say, so why not use that?
Soon, Fred is coming up with outlandish rumours about his classmates, and everyone’s lapping it up. His bullies are shunned, and people are finally taking notice of him. But it’s a slippery slope and Fred struggles to keep track of all the stuff he’s posted as his lies start to wreak unexpected havoc.
Fred will have to answer for his crimes against reality, but will he ever find someone to like him for who he really is?
Nathanael Lessore was born in Camberwell, South East London, as one of eight children to French and Madagascan parents. Although he has spent most of his life in Peckham, Nathanael has also lived in Paris, Strasbourg and Singapore. Nathanael can run 100 metres in under 10 minutes and has trouble finding sunglasses that frame his face properly. His debut book Steady For This was shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing 2024 and won the Branford Boase Award 2024. He is also the author of King of Nothing, and writes stories that show his South East London childhood as the funny, warm, adventurous world that wasn’t always represented as such.
