Outlaws

By Author / Illustrator

E.L. Norry

Genre

Friends and family

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

Bloomsbury Children's Books

ISBN

9781526686510

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

02-07-2026

Synopsis

Unlikely school friends Robyn, Will and Scarlet first meet in detention - and find themselves banding together to fight for justice.

Robyn is not looking for friends - being new in Year 8 and everything changing at home is more than enough for her to cope with. Will is smiling, as usual - he's got it under control: acing his schoolwork, caring for his sick mum, looking after his little brothers. He's even got a side hustle to help out with the bills. Scarlet just wants to keep her head down. Her latest foster parents are the best ever - so if she can just be quiet and avoid their bullying daughter, she really hopes she can stay there.

But the three of them soon notice that the new headteacher is making life really hard for the kids least able to defend themselves. Banding together, these three unlikely 'outlaws' come up with a crazy idea to help those in need, only to find just what they need themselves . . .

Gripping, heartfelt ... unforgettable' Jenny Pearson, author of The Super-Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates, on E.L. Norry's previous book, Runaways. 'An exciting, heartrending story' Jacqueline Wilson on Fablehouse

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Reviews

Beverley

Robyn, Will and Scarlet are in Y8 at Sherwood High School. Robyn's parents have split up and her father is working abroad, so Robyn lives with her Grandad above his bike shop, where she loves helping to fix bikes with him. Scarlet is in foster care; she really likes her new foster parents and is keen for the placement to work out. However, their daughter, Megan, does not want to share her home and parents, and is bullying Scarlet. Will's family life is also fraught - his father has left, his mother is sick, so Will acts as her carer as well as looking after his two younger brothers. Money is scarce, and Will is trying to help out by doing homework for other pupils for cash.

The three are all loners, but when they meet in a Y8 detention, they bond and become good friends. The school's headmaster, Mr Nottingham, is strict and unpleasant; Wiil, Robyn and Scarlet discover that he is cutting bursaries for the more disadvantaged pupils and decide to investigate, little realising what trouble it will bring them.

I loved Outlaws and its great cast of characters; Will covers up his difficult home life by appearing cheerful. His escape is acting, but when Mr Nottingham increases the fees for the after-school drama club, he can't afford to go there. Scarlet hides the fact that she is fostered because she has found that people judge her when they find out. Robyn is autistic and finds it hard to make friends. These three unlikely heroes become a great team, determined to help those less fortunate.

The main theme of the novel is friendship - Will, Robyn and Scarlet do not realise how much they needed a friend until they form their bond. They realise that, together, they can do anything. The three friends support each other throughout their various troubles without judging.

The author highlights the hardships faced by young carers as Will struggles to cope with everything going on in his life. Robyn has to face up to the fact that her beloved Grandad is becoming dangerously forgetful, and the author shows the reader how important it is to seek help - Robyn shares her concerns with the pastoral head at her school and receives support. As her father says in the novel, "Sometimes just telling someone 'This is too much' is the bravest thing to do."

Outlaws is a well-written, accessible novel that will prove very popular in school libraries with both boys and girls. Highly recommended. Reviewed by Beverley Somerset, School Librarian