I loved the scenes of Donny and Zoe escaping down the canal – it was especially engaging for me, as I lived in Hertfordshire briefly, and I can picture that stretch of the canal so vividly. His voice is lively and endearing, and because he's such a cracking storyteller I was happily taken in to the story from page one. It tells the story of Donny, who has grown up in a violent, cruel and brutal world of drugs and crime. A story that is narrated in first person, which I prefer as you get to know the character and Donny is a lad that I warmed to immediately on his and Zoe's journey of the 29 locks. Her writing is gritty and gripping but full of compassion, and from the very first page I felt completely invested in Donny’s story.

As someone who is interested in urban change and once really enjoyed a canal boating holiday this book instantly intrigued me.The story itself is great – there are moments of sadness and tragedy, but there is also an adventure, and one that is both unusual and very funny. When Donny's posh new friend Zoe is offered a dubious modelling audition in London, the pair decide to 'borrow' a canal barge and navigate the 29 locks down to Kings Cross. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. My debut novel, 29 Locks, was shortlisted for both the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize and Mslexia Children’s Novel Competition and was longlisted in the Berkshire Book Award 2022.

Growing up in Hackney with his loving but troubled single mum, fifteen-year-old Donny’s life has been shaped by poverty, crime and casual violence, including grooming by a local gang. I know about some aspects of the world painted on these pages, and found the complicated relationship between Donny and his mum particularly real and moving.Heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful, the exhilarating plot and memorable characters combine to create a true page-turner. Locks is suitable for students over 13 years of age and provides a nuanced route to discussing issues such as poverty, drugs, knife crime and racism. Later in the book, Donny’s journey back to London to reunite with his mother has the fierce desperation of someone willing to do anything for those they love.

Beautifully written with compassion and urgency, this is a thrilling read for both children and adults.Hotjar sets this cookie to know whether a user is included in the data sampling defined by the site's pageview limit. Locks is dark, the world within the book is gritty and one that opens the reader's eyes to the reality of the world some have no choice of being a part of but there is also hope. Urgent, authentic, satisfying and an anthem for the ordinary spirit that burns so fiercely inside each of us. Payments made using National Book Tokens are processed by National Book Tokens Ltd, and you can read their Terms and Conditions here. This is a gritty, harsh story of someone's life who hasn't had it easy and hasn't had the chances a lot of people have in their lives.