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A powerful, warm, funny and moving novel from the author of When Mr Dog Bites . The story of two friends, one shed, a war and a terrible choice. Perfect for readers of John Boyne, Patrick Ness and Malorie Blackman

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Fourteen-year-old Charlie Law has lived in Little Town, on the border with Old Country, all his life. He knows the rules: no going out after dark; no drinking; no litter; no fighting. You don´t want to get on the wrong side of the people who run Little Town. When he meets Pavel Duda, a refugee from Old Country, the rules start to get broken. Then the bombs come, and the soldiers from Old Country, and Little Town changes for ever.

Sometimes, to keep the people you love safe, you have to do bad things. As Little Town´s rules crumble, Charlie is sucked into a dangerous game. There´s a gun, and a bad man, and his closest friend, and his dearest enemy.

Charlie Law wants to keep everyone happy, even if it kills him. And maybe it will ...

Perfect for readers of Patrick Ness, John Boyne and Malorie Blackman.

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A dark, powerful tale of survival, morality and loyalty Scotsman

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Conaghan, Brian
Brian Conaghan was born and raised in the Scottish town of Coatbridge but now lives in Dublin. He has a Master of Letters in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow. For many years Brian worked as a teacher and taught in Scotland, Italy and Ireland. His first YA novel, When Mr Dog Bites, was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal in 2015 and attracted both praise and controversy for its honest, moving and humorous depiction of a teenage boy with Tourette´s syndrome. His second, The Bombs That Brought Us Together, won the Costa Children´s Book Award in 2016. We Come Apart, a verse novel co-authored with Carnegie Medal winner Sarah Crossan, published in 2017 to widespread critical acclaim.

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