National Network for Equitable Library Service

Fifteen-year-old Laurence Roach just wants a normal life, but it’s far from easy with his little brother who acts like a dog and their depressed alcoholic mother. If Laurence can win the luxury vacation in a local radio contest, he’s certain his mum will finally be happy again. Then one night she doesn’t come home from work, and Laurence must face the reality that she might not come back at all. Terrified that child services will separate him from his brother, Laurence does whatever he can to keep their mother’s disappearance a secret. For two weeks, he spins a web of complicated lies to friends, neighbors and the authorities—even dressing up in his mother’s clothes to convince everyone she’s still around. But Laurence can’t hide the truth forever. He begins a desperate search for her, and that’s when the real trouble starts in this powerful story about family, forgiveness and hope. Praise: “Incredible lightness of touch and humour, but also seriously weighty…reminded me a lot of Frank Cottrell Boyce.” —Anthony McGowan, author of The Knife that Killed Me "A teenager holds his crumbling family life together in this finely crafted debut that strikes a delicate balance between humor and pathos." —Kirkus Reviews