Runaways: An irresistible story about finding your true home

By Author / Illustrator

E.L. Norry

Genre

Family & Home

Age range(s)

Publisher

Bloomsbury Children's Books

ISBN

9781526683335

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

03-07-2025

Synopsis

He needs to get lost. She wants to be found.

Jamie and July are both 11-year-olds living in London - but they have very different lives. They meet for the first time at Waterloo Station in the last week of the holidays. They are both desperate to get away from home. July is really worried about her unreliable mum - she needs to get help. Jamie has done something terrible - and left in a panic. Despite their worries, the sun is shining and, as they escape everything they've left behind in the city, Jamie and July can't help but sense adventure in the air.

But running away isn't just harmless summertime fun. What are they really trying to escape? And will either Jamie or July find a place that finally feels like home? Three homes, two kids, one journey.

'Extraordinary. I loved it.' Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear. 'Gripping, heartfelt ... unforgettable' Jenny Pearson, author of The Super-Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates. 'A fantastic novel that doesn't shy away from big emotions.' Maisie Chan, author of Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths, 'I LOVED Runaways. It has note-perfect voices and two important stories at the heart of it all. I couldn't put it down.' Joanna Nadin, award-winning author. 'Runaways is gripping and deeply authentic and more than a bit brilliant' James Goodhand, author of Last Lesson

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Reviews

Sue

Jamie and July are both 11 and both live in London, but their lives are very different. Both are desperate to get away from home - Jamie to escape something he has done and July to find help for her mother. Each is wary and suspicious of others, but somehow the two form a partnership as they head to the coast. But escaping real life is impossible…

Runaways is one of the best books I have read recently. Tackling an incredibly serious issue, EL Norry has produced a compelling and satisfying read which both allows readers to empathise with Jamie and July and offers the perfect starting point for conversations around what home means. It is beautifully and sensitively written and I'm not ashamed to say I cried in places.

Elements of both Jamie and July’s stories will ring true for many children. July's mother has had issues and July often feels that she is taking the adult role in their relationship. When an old friend - and July thinks bad influence - comes back into their lives, July is desperate to protect her mother and seeks help from a past foster parent, Bee. The relationship between July and her mother - however flawed - is full of love, but captures how things sometimes for some people don't go according to plan and can have terrible consequences for all involved.

Jamie comes from an affluent background, but is struggling with his mother's new partner and the absence of his own father. There is plenty of money and comfort, but he feels he is not listened to, leading to an incident which leaves him to panic. He flees his home in search of his Aunty Liz, someone he feels will listen.

Alternating chapters gives each child a voice, allowing the reader to empathise with their actions as they experience the potential pitfalls and dangers of leaving home - being exploited, robbed, finding somewhere safe… E L Norry manages to handle these threats in an age appropriate way yet leaves the reader in no doubt as to how real these dangers are.

However, this story is ultimately one of hope, one with a (two!) happy ending which leaves the reader uplifted and optimistic for Jamie and July's futures. I really hope this book gains the recognition it deserves. Beautifully written, deeply moving, it is essential reading for everyone.

304 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher