Runaway Road

A great read has characters that step off the page into the heart and mind of the reader, appealing to their emotions whilst also engaging their senses. Derry-based author Sue Divin's YA debut novel Guard Your Heart, shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, beguiled with a tender testament to love against all the odds. Her powerful multi-layered third novel possesses the same qualities.

Runaway Road is a perceptive, caring portrait of neuro-diverse nine-year-old Evie, who worships her troubled, self-deprecating 16-year-old brother Ezra. Having grown up in the care system, they have faced many challenges together, although she cannot remember anything "before the bookshop". Evie's intuitive and humorous observations, typed on a battery-depleting IPad, complement Ezra's frantic central narration as events spiral out of control.

Set post-Covid in 2023, the book opens with scenes fraught with tension and danger, causing Ezra to run for the Irish border. Convinced that he will be safe in the wilds of County Donegal, he has not reckoned on the determination of his sister Evie or the loyalty of his friend Alannah, who are determined that he will have the second chance that he so desperately needs in spite of his guilty efforts to push them away. As Ezra, Evie and Alannah navigate beautifully observed locations along the Inishowen Peninsula, mirroring where Sue walked herself, in search of solace, they realise that they are in Amazing Grace country, named after reformed slave trader John Newton.

Divin's strong authorial voice delves into thought-provoking themes with her Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies and her experiences of neuro-diverse parenting informing her empathetic writing. Her narrative weaves in the origins of an 18th Century hymn, the search for identity and belonging, the traumatic effects of adverse childhood experiences, the structure of the Care and Youth Justice Systems in Northern Ireland, racism and reconciliation. This is fuelled by vivid representations of grief, loss, guilt, survival and the release that musical expression can bring.

The book's socio-political themes never overshadow the heart of the narrative or slow the momentum of the plot as it gallops towards further revelations. At its core, Runaway Road is about believing in redemption, owning one's mistakes, clinging to hope in the face of adversity and accepting help from kind and understanding people.

Launched with an energetic cross-county eight day tour, boosted by Evie's favourite snacks of Freddo chocolate bars and Monster Munch crisps, encompassing 30 bookshops, two literary festivals and 17 locations, Runaway Road will appeal to a wide readership looking for a fast-paced novel with compassion, courage, diversity, friendship, nuanced characters, wisdom and a real sense of time and place.

The author's note at the back poses important questions. Its educative value provides ample opportunities for insightful book group and class discussions about problems arising in contemporary post-conflict, post-Brexit, post-Covid Northern Ireland.

304 pages / Reviewed by Tanja Jennings, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 11+

It's very hard not to feel for 16-year-old ezra, a teenager in care whose overwhelming love and loyalty for his neuro-diverse nine-year-old sister, Evie, guides his often-damaged moral compass. Set in northern Ireland, Runaway Road begins with Ezra committing a crime (no spoilers!). When he realizes the seriousness of what he has done, he decides to flee for the Irish border, deciding to leave Evie with their foster parents. Evie, however, has other ideas and so the two set off with Evie's beloved scooter and Ipad, existing on iced tea and lucky breaks as they decide to find former foster parents, Rob and Sarah.

This is a familiar trope - a journey, a quest with difficulties along the way, and an ending that will break your heart. But it is the emotional depth throughout this story which makes it such a terrific read. Ezra is desperate to do the right thing while living in a world which encourages him to do wrong and there were times when I wanted to shout at the unfairness of his life.

I also found the dual narrative of one chapter per sibling to be very effective at introducing Evie's world view. There were times when it provided some light humour, but it also gave me an insight into how her neuro-diverse brain worked.

Overall, this is a beautifully written novel with many elements that can be considered, discussed or even dare I say it "enjoyed". It's not a relaxing read but it is absolutely worth it.

304 pages / Reviewed by Rachel Bolton

Suggested Reading Age 14+