Looked After Boy

Lynda M Brennan’s hard-hitting novel speaks about County Line gangs and the care system.

Lynda M Brennan is passionate about telling the stories of marginalized young people. Her experiences as foster carer, teacher and community theatre worker have been the inspiration behind her first novel, Looked After Boy.

Topical and hard-hitting, this is a story for 11+ readers about County Line gangs and the care system in which fourteen-year old Joe Mac struggles to find his own voice in a hostile world that constantly disempowers him. After years of neglect, Joe, his brothers and sisters are taken into care and separated.

Despite betrayals and failures of the system supposedly protecting him, Joe vows to get all his family back together but nothing is straightforward in Joe’s life and he must face more betrayal, danger and ultimately his own demons before he can look to a new future

‘I believe strongly in the power of stories to help change lives,’ explains author Lynda who is the Creative Director of Tottenham Theatre, a community-based theatre project which stages plays with community groups. ‘County Lines is a growing issue for many vulnerable young people as they get sucked into predatory drugs gangs. This felt like an important theme to write about for young adults.’

Joe’s unique voice and sparkly personality speaks out from every page of Looked After Boy and, despite the topics tackled, young readers will empathise with Joe as his story deals with familiar issues of fear, separation and loss.

A must-read for the younger generation.