The Ant Colony by Jenny Valentine
Published by HarperCollins 2009

How do you know when a kid who spends most of her time out and about on her own is really missing? When do you tell someone about it?

It looks like Sam, aged 17, has left home by choice but as the story progresses, it becomes clear that leaving home to be ALONE, where his family will never find him is the only option his conscience offers because of what he has done to his friend, Max.

Bohemia, on the other hand is the young victim of her mother’s chaotic life in which alcohol and transient relationships with numerous boyfriends is the norm. Only when she goes missing is her mother shocked into realising that Bo is all that’s important to her.

Through sharing the same accommodation in Camden Town, London, Sam and Bohemia begin to lean on each other without even realising it.

The Ant Colony culminates in the coming together of the two very different backgrounds of the two main characters whose personalities will make a lasting impression on the reader. The story will make you smile and make you sad and as always there’s the characteristic twist in the tale, that’s guaranteed in Jenny Valentine’s excellent books for teenagers.

Also by Jenny Valentine:
Finding Violet Park
Broken Soup