Customer Reviews

The Hideaway

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The protagonist is 12 and his parents have recently divorced. His father is a rock musician who rarely works and doesn't want to have to take care of his son. His mother is a workaholic who has no time for her son and takes out all her anger on him. She's obsessed with trying to get him into a top school, and on a scholarship so she won't have to pay the fees (or he can opt to be slapped and yelled at). Therefore she forces him to study long ours, never allowing him to play (or even talk to his father on the phone). His father gives him a second hand bike, which his mother refuses to allow him to ride because she demands he study 24 hours a day (or face a slap). But nonetheless he finds time to ride, discovers a secret cave in the woods, meets some "New Age Travellers" and befriends some simple eccentric locals.

When I first read this I was 12 and I hated reading. But this was a serious story and an easy read. It's not a typical kid's novel; on the contrary, it's a serious story about a kid trying to escape and unhappy family. But it has a happy ending where the protagonist gains self-confidence and a greater appreciation for his family.