
Fifteen-year-old Laurence Roach just wants a normal life, but it's not easy when your mum is a depressed alcoholic, and your six-year-old brother thinks he's a dog. When Mum fails to come home one night, Laurence tells nobody, terrified he and his brother will be taken into care if anyone finds out. Instead, he attempts to keep up the pretence that Mum is still around: dressing up in her clothes to trick the neighbours and spinning an increasingly complicated tangle of lies. After two weeks on their own, running out of food and money, and with suspicious adults closing in, Laurence finally discovers what happened to his mother. And that's when the trouble really starts... A compelling thriller filled with some hilarious and surreal moments. Fifteen Days Without A Head is a tender, honest story about family, forgiveness and hope.
When his mother disappears, fifteen-year-old Laurence Roach must maintain the facade of a functioning household to prevent social services from separating him from his younger brother. Laurence navigates the precarious reality of living in a home where his mother is an alcoholic and his six-year-old brother, Jay, exhibits persistent behavioral quirks. The narrative follows Laurence as he adopts increasingly desperate measures, including cross-dressing to deceive neighbors, to conceal his mother's absence. The story is told through a first-person perspective that emphasizes the mounting pressure of his isolation and the logical constraints of surviving without adult supervision or financial resources.
Readers frequently highlight the balance between the grim reality of Laurence's situation and the moments of levity provided by his brother's antics. Discussion often centers on the protagonist's moral dilemma and the ethical weight of his decision to hide his mother's disappearance. Critics note the effectiveness of the author's voice in capturing the internal monologue of a teenager forced into an adult role. Many readers appreciate the honest portrayal of family dysfunction without resorting to overly sentimental resolutions. The narrative is often praised for its ability to maintain tension while exploring complex themes of forgiveness and hope.
Page Count:
0
Publication Date:
2012-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press - Children
ISBN-10:
0192732579
ISBN-13:
9780192732576
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