Last Seen Wearing Trainers

by Rosie Rushton

It all seemed like such a good idea at the time; a plan that would punish Mum for what she'd done and make me happy for the first time in ages. I should have realised; the warnings were staring me in the face. But it's funny what you don't notice when you want so very much to believe in something and someone. You can go on kidding yourself for ages - until that moment when you realise that your life is on the line. That's when you discover the real meaning of love - and sometimes it's not at all what you expect.

Genres: Young Adult, Thriller

224 pages, Hardcover

First published August 29, 2002

About the author

Rosie Rushton began her career as a feature writer for a local paper. Staying Cool, Surviving School was her first book, published by Piccadilly Press in 1993. After writing another non-fiction title, You’re My Best Friend, I Hate You! (available from Puffin), Rosie turned to fiction.

The Leehampton series

Best Friends
Best Friends Together (1998)
Best Friends Getting Sorted (1999)
Best Friends in Love (1999)

What A Week series

21st century Austen
The Secrets of Love (2005)
Summer of Secrets (2007)
Secret Schemes and Daring Dreams (2008)
Love, Lies and Lizzie (2009)
Echoes of Love (2010)
Whatever Love Is (2012)

Other books
Staying Cool, Surviving School (1993)
You're My Best Friend - I Hate You! (1994)
Poppy (1996)
Olivia (1997)
Sophie (1998)
Melissa (1998)
Jessica (2000)
Life Line (1999)
PS He’s Mine (2000)
Break Point (2001)
Tell Me I’m OK, really (2001)
Last Seen Wearing Trainers (2002)
All Change! (2000)
Fall Out! (2002)
Waving Not Drowning (2003)
Friends, Enemies and Other Tiny Problems (2003)

Reviews

[szmeagol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wciągająca, szybka i przyjemna.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn’t put it down. Good pace and the chapters telling the time was something I’ve never encountered in a book, I felt like I was counting down to something big. I loved little Tom and his perspective, and that he knew Katie was in trouble before Katie. The final chapter was a bit of a downer. I was hoping for a different ending of her coming home. Like a new pair of those silver trainers that her mother hated and maybe a bit more information about Joe and what happened to him. Extent of his injuries, prison etc. I did find Katie very trusting and naive. Also possibly the reason why she and her mother are often at war with another is that she’s quite like her mother.

[Crimelpoint · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fajna książka, zaskakująca, choć rozkręcająca się powoli.

[Big Book Theory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katie's mom is a drunk and abusive. Her mom shoves her down the stairs, but still Katie convinces herself that her mom loves her. One day, after a violent fight, Katie runs out of the house and this is when she meets Joe. Joe convinces Katie to run away with him, so that her mom can be punished and mend her ways.

Katie has a younger brother, Tom, who is autistic and although he knows what has happened to Katie, he cannot find a way to tell anybody.

In the middle of the story, you understand why Joe convinced her to really run away, even before Katie does, but this does not deter from the story, because it isn't dragged out. All this time Katie's mom has been running away from her past and taking her guilt out on Katie.

This story was written from the point of view of four different characters and is such a sad, sad story. Last Seen Wearing Trainers is written in such an emotional, powerful manner that at times I could not help crying.

"I have to face it - the secret's out; the secret I have spent the last fifteen years trying to hide. Fifteen years in which I've avoided going anywhere that He might be, fifteen years of lying and pretending and praying that things will be all right.
But God always has the last word, doesn't He?"

[lucy 'dyer' walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book is really sad but boring!!:(

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay, not really my style.

[Hannah Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story line with a very unexpected twist!

[Michelle Wiles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this teen thriller. It was full of twists and turns and I would definitely recommend it.