Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Children's books

Join in for children's book recommendations.

Original poster

What was this book (YA /teen)

7 replies

drumlit · 10/08/2023 19:37

I read a book years ago, and I have just recently remembered it. I don't think I got to finish it and it was quite a good storyline.
Basically a teenage girls mum leaves her at home to go and visit her boyfriend in Bournemouth and she doesn't tell anyone and eventually they have a school trip to Bournemouth and she runs off on the school trip to go and find her mum
Thanks

OP posts:
Richardchamberlainrocks · 23/08/2023 23:39

Break in the Sun by Bernard Ashley? Also a tv series.

ShermansSherberts · 07/10/2023 00:49

@Richardchamberlainrocks I think Break in the Sun was where the protagonist ran away from the mothers boyfriend because he hit her.

@drumlit it sounds like maybe The Secret by Ruth Thomas ? Did the mum go to visit her boyfriend but was in an accident and lost her memory? And her daughter and son were left at home alone? I remember them going on a school trip to the seaside to find their mother and having to pretend they had proper sandwiches , (they had ran out of food aside from bread)

RaeHitsEbSire · 07/10/2023 01:07

It's not Break in the Sun - Patsy lives in Deptford and runs away to Margate to find the landlady of her old flat, Mrs Broadley, who was like a gran to her. She is very much running away from her mum and abusive stepfather.

ChequeredPastel · 07/10/2023 01:09

Ask chatgpt, it’s pretty good at guessing a book. Sounds like a Jaqueline Wilson book to me

piglet81 · 07/10/2023 01:11

ShermansSherberts · 07/10/2023 00:49

@Richardchamberlainrocks I think Break in the Sun was where the protagonist ran away from the mothers boyfriend because he hit her.

@drumlit it sounds like maybe The Secret by Ruth Thomas ? Did the mum go to visit her boyfriend but was in an accident and lost her memory? And her daughter and son were left at home alone? I remember them going on a school trip to the seaside to find their mother and having to pretend they had proper sandwiches , (they had ran out of food aside from bread)

I loved that book (The Secret)! Thanks for reminding me of it. There was a really kind headteacher in that story if I remember rightly.

Justfotoday · 07/10/2023 19:27

Yes definitely the Secret, great book. I also loved the Runaways by the same author. (Ruth Thomas)

User3735 · 13/10/2023 22:33

I've just read this and it is indeee The Secret by Ruth Almond as mentioned above. It was in a pile of books donated to my DD. I was sucked in by the dated cover, but after just a few pages I realised I had to vet it before letting my DD read it! A mum leaves her two children Nicky (10 I think) and Roy who is younger, home alone while she goes to spend the weekend in a caravan at the seaside with her boyfriend. She changes her mind and goes for the last train home, but gets mugged and then hit by a car, and ends up in hospital with concussion with no memory of who she is and no identification as her bag was stolen. So Nicky has to look after Roy for a couple of weeks with hardly any money, and they don't tell anyone as they are scared of being taken into care or their mum getting in trouble. It's really quite a harrowing story ending in them both nearly dying, and mum not getting in trouble at all. I was really shocked by it and my family kept teasing me for being gripped by it and asking for updates 'are the children still alive?' etc I must read The Runaways now. If I can remember where I put it I'm happy to send it to you, I don't think it's one for my DD!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread