The Missing Boy

by Rachel Billington

The disappearance of a teenage boy tears a family apart in this poignant, highly topical and searching story.Thirteen-year-old Dan hasn't returned home and his parents don't know whether he's run away, been kidnapped - or something worse. For one family the world as they know it is about to fall apart. At first Dan is sleeping rough, revelling in his independence. But with every passing day, his world is becoming darker and more frightening. A hundred thousand children run away each year. Most come back. But will Dan?Dan's mother, Eve, a drama teacher, can't focus; his father, Max, only knows how to flee his own demons; and his aunt, Martha, while trained to control difficult situations as a prison officer, struggles to hold it all together. Dan's story is told against a grown-up drama of love and shifting loyalties and two sisters who were best friends until Max came between them. Gradually, all three begin to recognise just how badly they have failed the missing boy.Rachel Billington has written a tense and emotional novel about the day-to-day existence of a contemporary family living through their worst nightmare. Anguish and hope move across the pages until the final breath-taking denouement.

Genres: Fiction

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Rachel Billington has written twenty one novels and eleven books for children. She is also a journalist, feature writer and reviewer. She is a regular contributor and Associate Editor of Inside Time, the national newspaper for prisoners and a Vice-President of English PEN. In 2012 she was awarded an OBE for Services to Literature.

Reviews

[Suz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really all I can say is this was a sad story, a sad family, and just sad all around. It was a journey that had nothing redeeming, characters that just played a part and some of them, I'm not sure why they were a part at all. I was confused about the inclusion of a prisoner and his officer, and what he had to do with the searching of a 14 year old runaway. I enjoyed it for about 5 minutes, but I was left wondering 'what was the point of all that?'. A fractured family with nothing to speak of at all really. They weren't terrible, they weren't excellent! I'm not sure why this book was written, it was lacking something, for me at least. I must be more discerning when it comes to audio books. I must! A muddled story that lacked depth, story line or any interest. Barely two stars.

A couple of days after writing this review, I am remiss that I failed to mention what a superb this narrator was. Outstanding! I really thought he was great.

[MargCal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished reading “The Missing Boy” by Rachel Billington. May 2014
Some time back I'd read half a dozen of Rachel Billington's books so when I stumbled upon this when looking for Stephen Orr's “One Boy Missing” I thought, Why not? It was excellent. Well written, convincing characters, convincing plot lines.
At first it was as though I was reading short stories that portray snapshots of life with neither beginning nor end. But then the threads began to be drawn together, very gradually telling the story of a runaway boy and his family and their interactions with various characters along the way as the family relationships (mother, father and aunt of the missing boy) variously fractured and re-grouped throughout the ordeal. Until a not unhappy ending ... but just how happy was left hanging in the balance.

[Fatma · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldnt finish it , very depressing . It took me 30 pages and I couldn't keep going ( didn't like the premises and writing ).

[Jenni Garratt* · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't get into this book & couldn't finish it. chops & changes which made it hard to follow initially. Rather slow to get going.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A teenage boy runs away from home and his parents and aunt search for him as they search for an understanding of his actions. A very sad account of one family's dysfunction.

[Marie-Antoinette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. First time reading something from this author. Enjoyed the story.

[Jessica Formosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enticing yet frustrating and compelling must read, for people to understand the mindspace of teenagers or young adults when leaving home or doing drugs or alcohol abuse.

[Gill Schell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book very moving. A dysfunctional family, each member taken up with their own lives; an unhappy boy, easily influenced, turning to drugs. So believable … Loved the literary style, with the author giving each character a voice.