29 Locks

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All except Zoe, the spoilt but emotionally denied girl in school who becomes not only his best friend but the beginning of the new Donny. It tells the story of Donny, who has grown up in a violent, cruel and brutal world of drugs and crime. Locks does not shy away from the realities of growing up in poverty, and it is an eye-opening read, but most of all, it is a tender, fully-realised portrait of a wonderful character that everyone needs to meet. Donny's fate as I say, seems sealed and he's to be either an addict or responsible for others no matter what he does. I gather that this book is getting a great reception among teenagers, and I can imagine that lots of young people will see themselves in Donny.

When his mum is jailed for drugs offences, Donny is fostered outside London to the Hertfordshire countryside. As someone who is interested in urban change and once really enjoyed a canal boating holiday this book instantly intrigued me.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. 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. But when Donny and his best friend Zoe plan a day trip to France ahead of their sixth form exams, Donny loses his passport and is arrested as an ‘illegal’ migrant. Nicola Garrad has painted a harsh and vivid picture that is an immersive, entertaining and educating (for some anyway) read.

I am a child of a underprivileged family and could empathise with Donny on some levels and Nicola Garrard has excellently portrayed this in 29 Locks. 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. Donny is a great narrator – his voice feels fresh and real and engaging, and he is another character, like Aoife in Iron Annie, that I refuse to believe does not exist in real life. 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. I’m really looking forward to bringing 29 Locks to readers, and to publishing many more stories from Nicola.Urgent, authentic, satisfying and an anthem for the ordinary spirit that burns so fiercely inside each of us. 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 give regular talks for schools, libraries and colleges (including World Book Day), as well as prisons. 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.

But it is Donny's work experience with canals and helping out Andrew the gatekeeper of the lock gates who truly changes the lost boy into being the strong and determined young man he becomes. The different sections of Donny’s life keep the book fast-paced and attention-grabbing, while allowing for small moments of reflection which add depth and tenderness to the story.Beautifully written with compassion and urgency, this is a thrilling read for both children and adults. Her writing is gritty and gripping but full of compassion, and from the very first page I felt completely invested in Donny’s story.

Donny as a character feels startlingly real: naive at times but still someone who has seen far too much too soon. The book is full of rich descriptions, fantastic characters, and hard hitting reality, mix all that with Donny’s first person narrative and you have the recipe for a fantastic debut.Now 15 years old, he and Zoe, his posh girlfriend and aspiring model, make the journey back to London to reunite with Donny’s mother. But as each lock is navigated and conquered, their adventures take on a new dimension, and life will never be the same again. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Locks by Nicola Garrard is a Young Adult book which I was drawn to immediately with the bright cover and the synopsis. Set between the violent estates of inner-city London and the rural home counties, 29 Locks tells the story of 15-year-old Donny, an ex-gang member from Hackney who is fostered outside of London after the disappearance of his beloved mother.