Changes

|title=15 Days Without a Head

|author=Dave Cousins

|borrow=Yes

|isbn=978-0192732569

|pages=288

|publisher=Oxford University Press

|date=January 2012

|website=http://www.davecousins.net/

|video=

|summary=A fantastic debut novel that had me hooked with its realistic and beautifully written narrative voice.

}}

Laurence is fifteen years old. Ever since the day his father died in a car crash, his mum has sunk into depression and alcoholism. But now she has disappeared, and he has no idea where she is, or even if she is still alive. He has a mischievous six-year-old brother to look after, no money for food, and a home that is barely fit for living. He could just call social services, but there is no guarantee that they'll keep him and his brother together, and he can't let go of the hope that his mother will return. But even if she does return, just how much longer can he keep their dysfunctional family together?

[[My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher]] immediately came to mind as a further recommendation, with both books sharing a highly engaging narrative voice and a protagonist under great pressure. For younger readers, I would recommend Jacqueline Wilson's [[The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson|The Illustrated Mum]], which shares similar themes.

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