5.5/10, this was a book that I couldn't really describe in words other than the fact that it was a bit of an interesting one, to say the least, but that doesn't mean that I enjoyed it. The plot was essentially a mixed bag with some good parts and some bad and there were more of the latter parts than of the former, now where do I start? The story begins with the main character Ben Fletcher or Ben for short who committed a crime and conveniently instead of going to juvie, he participates in a program to apparently make him a better person in which he takes up a hobby and writes in a diary. He chose knitting much to his father's chagrin. He could've picked anything else and he chose that hobby. Surprising, but okay since that was what set the book up and I was reading on to see what would happen. I was quite shocked when in just less than 300 pages he went from not even knowing how to knit to knitting well after a few days, in the end, he won a knitting championship and he even beat people more experienced than him which is possible but highly unlikely. I think Ben did all of that just to get a girl that he liked a lot named Megan Hooper but I think that should have been cut out as well as the other mature bits like the racy double-meaning jokes and the part where his friend wrote a knockoff Fifty Shades of Grey just for money or whatever which completely missed the point of the book. If I could describe Boys Don't Knit (in Public) by T.S. Easton in one sentence it was a mess. There's a sequel to this book called An English Boy in New York but I doubt that my library will get this book nor will I read it if they get it since this book is 9 years old now. If you like realistic books you might enjoy this one though there are better ones you can read like Where the Road Leads Us by Robin Reul. ( )

An unwilling accomplice to petty theft organized by his dim friends, English teen Ben Fletcher is annoyed that he was the one busted when he collided with a crossing guard.

Probation requires him to keep a journal using a template, which he considers beneath him, as he’s been keeping a diary for years. But he soldiers on, hilariously recounting the details of the “Great Martini Heist” and its aftermath. He’s also required to take a community college class. The pathetic choices include car maintenance, taught by his father, a mechanic who’s always trying to get Ben (not a sports fan) to go with him to soccer matches. Ben opts for knitting because he has a crush on the teacher. When it turns out she’s actually teaching pottery, he’s stuck with knitting and stuck in a lie, unable to admit to his father and friends what he’s up to. It turns out that he’s a natural at knitting, able to appreciate the mathematical precision of the patterns and create his own. When Ben’s coerced into entering a knitting contest, the jig is up. Despite some unnecessary Americanization of the text, this wonderfully funny novel is infused with British slang, including dozens of terms easily understood in context.

Wacky characters, a farcical plot and a fledgling romance are all part of the fun in this novel that will appeal to fans of Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging . (Fiction. 12-16)
(Kirkus Review)

Highly amusing knitting related adventure, as related by a very interesting and a-typical narrator, that is: Ben Fletcher, who is frequently dragged both into and out of trouble by his band of delinquent friends, who is serving out a probationary term after a somewhat nutty bicycle-related incident, and who likes to keep a journal, keep track of several crushes, and has recently discovered the mathematical joy of knitting. Weird, funny, excellent. ( )

YA book from boy's perspective with a knitting theme--what's not to like? Thought it might be good for my 9 year old, but definitely canted to teens. ( )

What a super fun YA novel about finding yourself, breaking societal expectations, and creating a found family. It had a few rough patches (really did not need all the ink spent on pervy teenaged boy antics) but overall a solid pick. ( )