Fifteen Days Without a Head

May 14, 2013 Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-2013

I think what I expected was a book that would make me laugh. Something lighthearted about two boys having the run of the house while their mother has left for a few days. Instead, I got a touching and heart wrenching story about two brothers fighting to survive and not being taken from their home by social services, while they try to find their mother who disappeared without a trace.

Reading it from a parent’s point of view, 15 Days without a Head is quite a disturbing read. I also have to boys s...more I think what I expected was a book that would make me laugh. Something lighthearted about two boys having the run of the house while their mother has left for a few days. Instead, I got a touching and heart wrenching story about two brothers fighting to survive and not being taken from their home by social services, while they try to find their mother who disappeared without a trace.

Reading it from a parent’s point of view, 15 Days without a Head is quite a disturbing read. I also have to boys slightly younger than the two in this story which I would never dream of abandoning - ever. I understand there are mothers out there who finds it difficult to deal with the challenges of raising two children on their own, but abandoning them without food or money? Unthinkable! Seeing as I would never do such a thing to my children, this novel touched me on so many levels. I couldn’t relate to their mother at all and I felt her reasons for abandoning her kids weren’t good reasons at all, since most things in life – especially parenthood – boils down to the choices we make. But still, reading about a fifteen-year-old boy in the role of a parent was completely new to me as this is not part of my reality.

Needless to say, I didn’t like Jay and Laurence’s mom, but I adored Laurence, Jay and Mina. These are such inspiring and extraordinary characters, especially with the strengths they showed in dealing with the circumstances they were forced into. Laurence taking on the role of his mother and doing the best he can with no money to try and keep his little brother fed and safe while their alcoholic mother is who-knows-where, is simply admirable. He is, of course, the hero of this story as he had to deal with the responsibilities of an adult and at the same time he didn’t resent his mother for leaving them behind, even when he discovers why she gave up on them. It didn’t take long for Laurence and Jay to find a spot in my heart. Mina was just amazing. She brings a positive tone and hope to this story, and like Laurence she shows maturity and understanding beyond her years. I enjoyed the parts where Laurence were phoning in for the competition to win a holiday for his mother, himself and Jay, and every scene where he had to answer three questions to go through to the next round of the competition, added suspense to the story. Will he or won’t he make it through to the next round to win the grand prize? Nailbiting stuff, I tell you.

The writing is spot-on with the characters’ emotions and the dialogue keeps the plot moving at an easy pace. I’d recommend this terrific novel to parents who, like me, can’t imagine ever leaving their children to their own peril, and to anyone who’d like to read a story about courage, hope and determination. I’m looking forward to reading more of this author’s books!(less)

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Mar 27, 2013 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

Laurence is 15 and one day, his mother doesn't come home. He has to lie to everyone around him, including his 6 year old brother, in order to avoid social services while he hunts for his alcoholic/depressed mother.

I would call this book "painfully engaging". It was heartbreaking witnessing the life of these children who will do anything to stay together with their mother, who, through the circumstances of life, feels alone, unlovable and without hope.

Balancing the depressing scenes of their life...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Lindie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Okay, wow. This book is kind of heartbreaking, but beautiful.

Life pretty much sucks for Laurence Roach. His dad died when he was young. His mother is nearly always drunk, with the violent mood swings that goes with. His little brother is both and adorable and unbearably obnoxious at the same time. Their family is strapped for cash and they live in a dump. He is often late for class because he has to take his little brother to school. And that is all before his mother goes missing.

No matter what...more Okay, wow. This book is kind of heartbreaking, but beautiful.

Life pretty much sucks for Laurence Roach. His dad died when he was young. His mother is nearly always drunk, with the violent mood swings that goes with. His little brother is both and adorable and unbearably obnoxious at the same time. Their family is strapped for cash and they live in a dump. He is often late for class because he has to take his little brother to school. And that is all before his mother goes missing.

No matter what happens, Laurence doesn’t give up hope. That is where the beauty of this story lies. This 15 year old kid who will do anything to keep his family going. He spends his evenings in a telephone booth with a stolen call card, imitating his father (with a Scottish accent lifted from a Teacher), play a trivia game on a radio show in the hopes that he can win his family an all expenses paid vacation. Surely that would cheer his depressed mother up. They could get away, if even for a little while, and live like normal, carefree people.

Then the worst happens, and his mother doesn’t come home. Days pass with no sign of her. Money runs out. Food runs out. Jay becomes ill. It’s all Laurence can do to keep it together.

Laurence and Jay form their own little Scoobygang, with Laurence as Shaggy and Jay as Scooby, and a girl from school as Velma. Together they set out to find the missing mother, but real live sleuthing isn’t as easy as it looks in cartoons.

It’s a tale of courage and determination. It even has a lovely, quiet romance for our lovely, quiet hero. My heart goes out to Laurence, to everyone who’s ever been a victim of bad and neglectful parenting, to the amazing souls who have risen above it to be more than what they know.

There are a couple of good chuckles mixed in, as well. For as sad as the subject matter is, at no point did I feel like it was a downer. Or that the book lacked action. With all the in your face male characters and bad boys of YA floating around, reading about a guy like Laurence gives me hope, you know? Sometimes the overlooked boys are the most beautiful of all.(less)

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Feb 23, 2013 Karen Yingling rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Laurence is used to taking care of his young brother, Jay, since his mother is usually drunk and has limited patience generally dealing with life, much less children specifically dealing with children. Laurence can get Jay to the caregivers and school, make sure he is fed, and occasionally goes to his mother's job cleaning offices to do her work, if she is too hungover to get out of bed. But when his mother doesn't come home from work one night, he finds it increasingly hard to take care of Jay....more

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Jan 17, 2013 Roland rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Surely a fine book for teenagers – I am looking forward to using it as a class reader. This is fiction for teenagers of a good standard. The story is simple, and straight-forward. However, the quiz element is original. It is unlikely that the common complaint ('not enough action') will be voiced by students.

However, for adult readers some elements may be seen as fairly two-dimensional: Mina (we like Mina!) is good and only good. Phil goes from super meanie to actually-he's-okay in no time at all...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Joe Humphreys rated it 4 of 5 stars

Laurence Roach leads a life that is, sadly, beset with the sort of problems familiar to many teenagers. Fifteen years old, Laurence lives with his alcoholic, abusive mother and his adorable, but rather crazy, younger brother Jay. Effectively acting as a parent to the latter, Jay has to fend off the attentions of ‘nosy Nelly’ next door, not to mention keep up the pretence that everything is fine when he’s at school. But things are decidedly not fine once his mother disappears. Will his attempts t...more

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May 01, 2012 Anthony rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fifteen Days Without a Head by Dave Cousins was a book that my Mom forced me to read to stop me from looking at my computer, and I expected a dull, uninteresting and lame book. I also thought that it would be a book more filled with jokes than a serious subject, but I was proven wrong. Almost instantly after reading the first chapter, I fell in love with it. I read it for four hours straight until the very last word, and it blew me away. The story is told by Laurence Roach, a 15 year old boy who...more Fifteen Days Without a Head by Dave Cousins was a book that my Mom forced me to read to stop me from looking at my computer, and I expected a dull, uninteresting and lame book. I also thought that it would be a book more filled with jokes than a serious subject, but I was proven wrong. Almost instantly after reading the first chapter, I fell in love with it. I read it for four hours straight until the very last word, and it blew me away. The story is told by Laurence Roach, a 15 year old boy whose father left him when he was younger, his mother is an alcoholic and his little brother, well, like all other 6 yea old boys are annoying, loud and obnoxious. To top it all off, his mother spends all the money she earns on cigarettes and alcohol, so the two boys have no money to themselves. One day, the mother goes missing after going to work one morning, and for the two boys, it is the story of survival. Either try to live off a couple pounds and make it seem like everything is normal, or turn themselves into the foster house and live a miserable life.

One part that I really enjoyed reading was how every single morning, when Laurence and his little brother leave for school, Nosy Nancy is always waiting at the front door of their apartment, stalking everyone and everything that goes in or out of the door. Everybody dislikes her but that does not keep her from asking everybody about their personal life, work, and even how their family members are. After Laurence's mother goes missing, Laurence is always trying to refrain that piece of news to leak out to Nosy Nancy, because she will tell the whole of England. One morning, after countless days of Nancy asking where their mother is, he himself dresses up to look like his own mother, and meet Nosy Nancy! That I found truly hilarious.

One part of the book that I found intense was when Laurence, his little brother and Mina, his girlfriend all leave for the annual fair that takes place in their neighborhood, and while he is there, he noticed something very strange. A silver haired man was dragging a very drunk woman around the fair, and for a weird reason, Laurence could somehow feel that this woman was his mother, who went missing a couple days back. Laurence immediately goes chasing after the two, until he ends up in the house of mirrors. For a split second, he thought that he could see the silver haired man, but with all the movement around him, and the mirrors reflecting everyones movement, he gets extremely dizzy, and by the way he described it, the whole world was becoming a blur and passes out. Despite not being able to get his mom back, Laurence found out very valuable information. His mother was not dead yet.

The part that I enjoyed mot about this great book was how through the whole story, Laurence is pretending to be his own father on some sort of a radio station challenge, where every night, three difficult questions would be asked to the participants, and after six rounds, the person who gets the least wrong will win two free tickets for a vacation in the sun. Laurence, desperate to impress his mother and bring her out to a vacation (before she went missing) goes out every second night to the local phone booth and despite everything that is going on in his life. He always has to put on a grown up imitation and voice, and it was always interesting to see if he got something wrong of right.

Overall, Fifteen Days Without a Head is a wonderful and beautifully written book and I enjoyed every part of it. There were some bits of the book where the writer might have gone a little overboard in describing someone of something, take Laurence's little brother for example but nevertheless the book is too good that a minor problem does not matter much. I recommend this book to anybody of any age, mostly from 10 to 15 years old. There is no foul language that would be inappropriate and I would even recommend this book to people who like romance, because not only is there action and lots of intense moments there is also a time where Laurence falls in love with a girl. Dace Cousins is a writer who can satisfy a reader even if this book does not fit their genre, and that is something difficult to do.

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Mar 13, 2012 Book Angel Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars

Guest Review by Beth

When this novel reached me, I expected a zombie slash comic story with jokes and guts round every corner. I couldn’t have been more wrong and the title is more than a little confusing! In fact, 15 days Without A Head deals with some seriously hard hitting issues in an accessible and easy to read way. I think the novel is aimed a few years younger than most those Emma sends across but this doesn’t detract from its quality and for a debut, I can’t knock it.

Our protagonist is L...more Guest Review by Beth

When this novel reached me, I expected a zombie slash comic story with jokes and guts round every corner. I couldn’t have been more wrong and the title is more than a little confusing! In fact, 15 days Without A Head deals with some seriously hard hitting issues in an accessible and easy to read way. I think the novel is aimed a few years younger than most those Emma sends across but this doesn’t detract from its quality and for a debut, I can’t knock it.

Our protagonist is Laurence and the story is told from his point of view. He comes across as a really nice guy, struggling as hard as he can to deal with his mother’s alcoholism whilst also acting as mum and dad to his younger brother Jay. Within the first few pages of the book, Laurence is screamed at, hit and then his mother simply disappears, leaving no trace and no sign she’s going to be back. This leaves Laurence and Jay in an impossible situation. They’ve already dealt with social services in the past and this isn’t something Laurence will let happen again, so he simply pretends his mum is still home and tries to survive, convincing Jay she’s just at work.

To add another definitely comic twist to the novel, Laurence has been impersonating his father on a radio phone-in competition to win a holiday, answering question after question in a slightly dodgy Scottish accent. Laurence believes that winning the holiday will turn his mother’s fortunes around but now she’s gone, he doesn’t really know why he’s carrying on. Add into the mix a new friend in the form of Mina and Laurence somehow has to find a way to keep his neighbour Nosy Nelly from finding out about their mum being gone and also try and juggle school and looking after Jay. Surely this is all too much for a fifteen year old to deal with?

This novel is extremely well written and pitched at the right level so the hard hitting issues are dealt with in a way which bring you from laughter to tears and back again all in the space of ten minutes! It deals with a range of issues including alcoholism, single parenthood and poverty in a way that reflects the difficulty of living with such issues without being judgemental.

A brilliant debut and a triumph for Dave Cousins, it’ll be great to see what comes next from him.(less)

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Feb 19, 2013 Laurie Larson-doornbos rated it 4 of 5 stars

Laurence Roach's mom is single, depressed, alcoholic ... and disappears one day without a trace. His six-year-old brother Jay can be hard to manage and sometimes acts like a dog, especially when he doesn't want to mind. And so it falls to Laurence to hold it all together--but that's a lot to ask of a fifteen-year-old. Still, he tries, terrified that social services would pry the family apart.

The laundry piles up; what little food left in the flat is soon gone; Laurence, late for school one too m...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Suzanne Lilly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-contemporary

Dark, gritty, tense, realistic. These are the words I choose to describe this debut novel by Dave Cousins. When a teen's alcoholic mom doesn't come home, he tries to take care of his six year-old brother and keep them together without raising the suspicions of neighbors or Social Services. On top of that, he meets a girl he likes, but with all that he's hiding, doesn't see how he can get to know her better. The challenges this young man faces, and the realistic portrayal of a life in despair, ma...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Stefanie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, favourites, young-adult

Laurence Roach is fifteen years old. His mother is an alcoholic, his six year old brother pretends to be a dog. Still, he gets through life. He is trying to win a holiday for his family on the radio, hoping it might bring a positive change to their rotten lives. And then his mother disappears, and Laurence finds himself struggling to pretend that everything is alright, scared that he and his brother would be sent into foster care.

This book deals with some serious issues, from neglect/abuse to a...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars

A real and gritty debut by Dave Cousins; an author everyone should be on the lookout for this coming year. I'm already excited for his next book and this one isn't even out yet (unless you count the Oxford publication)

Jay is the kind of teenage boy that gets overlooked, he's caring, sweet and so protective of his younger brother...all this is overlooked by his height and the fact that lately he's been late to school or is falling asleep in class.

Tackling the subject of parents with alcohol abuse...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Jennifer Hummer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My youngest daughter and I sometimes go through the day speaking with an English accent. She's very good at it, mine's a little squirrely from having lived in Australia at one point, but it's not terrible. I love the English accent more than life itself. And I love reading in it even more than that. All this to say that I adored 15 Days Without a Head. This author, this Dave Cousins, can REALLY WRITE.

It's probably impossible not to fall in love with Laurence Roach who yes, narrates with an Engl...more

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Sep 29, 2011 Vivienne Serendipity Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

On finishing this book, the first question that came to mind was - where the hell has Dave Cousins been hiding?

This book is fantastic. I loved it from the first word until the last. In fact this book really took me by surprise, because when I first heard about it, I really wasn't sure it would be one for me. How wrong was I? This book made me feel so comfortable and right at home as soon as I entered the Roach household. The story was refreshing and original and kept me entranced all the way th...more On finishing this book, the first question that came to mind was - where the hell has Dave Cousins been hiding?

This book is fantastic. I loved it from the first word until the last. In fact this book really took me by surprise, because when I first heard about it, I really wasn't sure it would be one for me. How wrong was I? This book made me feel so comfortable and right at home as soon as I entered the Roach household. The story was refreshing and original and kept me entranced all the way through. I found that the author's writing just sucked me into the story until I felt like an invisible member of the Roach family.

The story is written in first person from the point of view of Laurence Roach, a lovely teenage boy who is struggling to help his mother with her alcohol addiction and depression. A few pages into the book, she goes AWOL. She had obviously reached the point of no return and disappears without a forwarding address from Laurence's life; leaving him hungry, penniless and in charge of his mischievous little brother, Jay, who has that innocence about him until you upset him and his feral side is let loose, which will result in a nasty bite!

This book will play with your emotions. One minute you will be laughing, before tears of sadness sneak up behind you and take your breath away. I honestly didn't know what to expect next as Laurence battled with everyone and everything around him in order to stay at home. I would like to say the ending was magical and happy, but this story is about real life and no one lives like that.

This is one of the best contemporary novels I have read this year. I would put it up there with My Sister Lives On The Mantelpiece. I want to put this book in every teenager's hand and make them read it, especially the ones who whinge about how their lives suck! Pah! They know nothing.

I really want to see this made into a TV drama on the BBC! I could just envisage it playing on the screen as I read it.

My only worry is whether or not Dave Cousins will be able to follow up such a fantastic book. I really hope so! (less)

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Apr 18, 2013 Vanya D. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013, contemporary-ya, netgalley

NOTE: I received the eARC from Netgalley.

For I while I wondered why the heck I'd even requested this book. But when I actually got to it, I realized I'd made a good choice. And the more I read, the more I liked it.

Actually, 15 Days isn't your regular book full of cheesy romance and perfect situations which lead to this absolutely awesome relationship between the characters. On the contrary, this book reeks of originality, funny (in an ironic kind of way) situations, impossible hardships. It's t...more NOTE: I received the eARC from Netgalley.

For I while I wondered why the heck I'd even requested this book. But when I actually got to it, I realized I'd made a good choice. And the more I read, the more I liked it.

Actually, 15 Days isn't your regular book full of cheesy romance and perfect situations which lead to this absolutely awesome relationship between the characters. On the contrary, this book reeks of originality, funny (in an ironic kind of way) situations, impossible hardships. It's targeting social problems, family problems, and yeah, some romance. And yeah, there's a morale!

In my opinion, what made the book so good were the characters. They had unique personalities, were driven by their thoughts, emotions and life circumstances. All in all, they acted realistic, which felt pretty darn good.

So, I'll start of with Laurence. Dude, if a boy could ever be so responsible, resourceful and caring, this world wouldn't be in such a huge mess! When his mom just up and left, he took matters in his own hands. For a while I'd wondered why he didn't have a job, or go find one, but well... he was just 15 and apparently in the UK that's not considered old enough to work. Also, if he'd gotten a job, who would've cared about his little brother, Jay? Goodness, Laurence was just fifteen and all the responsibilities that fell over him overnight were heavy enough to crush anyone. But he held on for entire two weeks!!!

Sure, half that time he and Jay were starving, dirty and sick, but they survived, so that's what matters in the end.

I'm not sure why Jay was so disobedient and continually insisted that nothing was 'up to Laurence'. It annoyed the crap out of me after the 3rd time. I believe if I were in Laurence's place, I might've slapped Jay on the mouth or something for being so stubborn. But then again, he was just 6 years old. And besides, it's not really Jay's fault that he wasn't raised to be obedient and nice.

It's all come from the mom (who just left them to take care of themselves) and dad (who's never to be found).

To be honest, I felt for the mom. I mean, she was a single mom, who had to care of 2 boys. And she had no one to help out. But dude, if we look at the statistics, isn't that the case of like 25% of the female population? You turn left and you see single moms. You turn right and they're right there to poke you in the eye. So no, lady! Even if I feel for you, you're not right to abandon your kids! What would happen if all single moms just up and left, huh?

And last, but not least, I want to talk about Mina - the girl with the huge heart. She sure won me over, and with that Jay and Laurence as well. She was amazing both in attitude and caring.

Okay, so you have to actually pick up the book and read it for yourself if you got intrigued. I'm telling you, it's worth its money.(less)

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Mar 12, 2013 Elvina Barclay rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

15 Days without a head by Dave Cousins, Flux (May 8, 2013), 312 pages

15 year old Laurence Roach is not living the life of a typical teen. His alcoholic mom is trying to keep it together with two jobs but can get past her own tragic past to look after him and is 6 year old brother Jay. Laurence has to try and look after both of them and try and keep his mom going to avoid social services from separating them forever. He hopes that he can win an all expenses paid vacation from a local radio statio...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Mieneke rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, young-adult, 2013

I've started, scrapped, and restarted this review numerous times already. Why? Because I'm finding it hard to get my thoughts onto paper coherently and without sounding melodramatic—at least to my own ears. Dave Cousins'15 Days Without a Head had its protagonist Laurence dealing with problems that resonated with some of the things I dealt with as a teen: the sense of responsibility for a younger sibling; the idea that it was up to me to make sure my mother was happy; that if only I was the perfe...more I've started, scrapped, and restarted this review numerous times already. Why? Because I'm finding it hard to get my thoughts onto paper coherently and without sounding melodramatic—at least to my own ears. Dave Cousins' 15 Days Without a Head had its protagonist Laurence dealing with problems that resonated with some of the things I dealt with as a teen: the sense of responsibility for a younger sibling; the idea that it was up to me to make sure my mother was happy; that if only I was the perfect child things would be different at home. Of course, Laurence's tale takes these things and dials them up to eleven, my situation was never that extreme, but it created a sense of connection from the start. It's exactly that sense of connection that makes this book so hard to review dispassionately, because this is a book that gave me ALL. THE. FEELS. as they say and it's hard to separate those feelings from my thoughts. Thus, reader, if this review is rather rambly, short, and/or incoherent, I apologise, but here's my best go.

15 Days Without a Head is tightly written, both time-wise and perspective-wise. We stay tightly in Laurence's first person present point of view and each chapter covers one day. This creates an immediacy to the story and an intimacy to Laurence's character – we can almost taste and smell Laurence's life, not just see and hear it – that only grows as the story moves forwards. Laurence's life is bleak; his mum is a depressed alcoholic, his six-year-old brother is acting out by pretending he's a dog, neither of their dads are in the picture, money is tight and to top it all off, child services will take him and Jay away from his mum and separate them if they even get a whiff of the situation. Despite this, Laurence is a good kid, with a huge sense of responsibility for both Jay and his mum and he desperately wants to make everything better. Laurence's determination and his repeated attempts at excusing his mum's behaviour broke my heart, especially when he's trying to shield his little brother from their mum's behaviour. His self-doubt and his own need for reassurance, love, and sheltering fall completely by the wayside and when there are adults in his life that seem to notice something is wrong and want to help him, he sees them as a threat instead of a lifeline. It also made me wonder about his perceptions of the people around him. Is Nosy Nelly, the ground floor neighbour really a mean-spirited, old snoop, or is she just an elderly lady who is genuinely worried about these two boys, but just isn't equipped to communicate with such young children anymore? As the boys become more and more isolated, life becomes even bleaker and it's easy to see why Laurence wants to believe that winning a holiday on a radio quiz will solve everything.

Despite the bleakness of the boys' situation, there is also humour to be found within the pages of this book. Not just in the scenes where Laurence tries to impersonate his mum but also in the radio quiz scenes and in the scenes where Jay rescues the situation by going into Scooby Doo mode. They create small oases of breathing space for both Laurence and the reader, where we get to forget all the ugliness and just chuckle at the absurdity of it all. Another ray of light in Laurence's existence is the appearance of Mina, a schoolmate he meets in the library. She's a breath of fresh air and not only willing to help Laurence keep his secret, but she gets on with Jay really well as well. This gives Laurence someone to trust and to ask for help and this seemingly makes all the difference. I liked Mina, her easy manner and her loyalty to the boys are wonderful and she's funny and quirky and you can't help, but see why Laurence falls for her.

Here's the element I found hardest to deal with in the book: Margaret, the boys' mother. I found it hard not to be judgemental about her, to keep in mind that she was sick, both due to depression and the alcoholism, that she was leading a hard life and was having a hard time coping. I just wanted to scream and yell at her and shake her and make her see that she couldn't do this, that she needed help. It's a reaction motivated by both teenage me and adult me. I have two girls and I can't imagine not putting them first or at least making sure they are taken care of by someone else before collapsing. And I get depression, I've been there, so I know how hard it can be to get up and go, but I can't imagine letting myself and things get so bad before reaching out for help, now the girls are here. Then again, you can't know until you walk in their shoes, so Margaret and her behaviour leave me conflicted and unsettled.

At one point in the book I took to Twitter and said: "I’m reading @DaveCousins9000’s 15 Days Without A Head & am both loving it & dreading finding out how it ends. How on earth can it be happy?" And at two-thirds into the book that was genuinely how I felt. But hope springs eternal and the ending of the book while positive, is realistic and doesn't have all their problems magically taken away: mum isn't instantly cured of her addiction, she's shown to have to work at it and they all have to work at rebuilding healthy relationships with each other. I liked that Cousins went this way, because it's so much more true to life and it's important for people to learn that recovery, from disease, addiction, trauma, or just life, takes time and isn't an overnight thing.

15 Days Without a Head is a book I wished I had been able to read when I was sixteen. It would have helped me immensely and I think that's why it's an important book for any YA collection. It's a book that shows teens it's okay to need help, that you aren't responsible for your parents' happiness and that they should take care of you, not the other way around. It deals with these difficult issues with humour and hope and in the end I closed the book with a smile. Hopefully, so will many other teens and not-so-teens-anymore that pick up this lovely, touching book.

This book was provided for review by the publisher.(less)

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Jan 28, 2012 Beth Kemp rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-contemp

This incredible debut, making great use of humour to deal with a decidedly unfunny scenario, is highly recommended.

Dave Cousins is a gifted writer. The grimness of life with an alcoholic mother is conveyed convincingly here, and our hearts break for these two lads. And yet, at the same time, this is a laugh-out-loud, enjoyable story.

Laurence narrates his own story, in the present tense, lending it immediacy and freshness. His voice is realistic as a fifteen-year old boy and as our narrator, we s...more

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May 15, 2013 Mary rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A good, solid book with some astute psychology. Very nearly four stars, and recommended for most libraries serving kids of 12 or so and older. Things I loved about it: Laurence. He's a sweetheart, trying to keep his family together when his mum has succumbed to alcoholism and depression. Being only 15, he goes about it in somewhat haphazard ways, but his determination to take care of his little brother, come what may, is absolutely endearing, and his voice rings true. I think fans of Frank Cottr...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Jo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, e, good-grief, hometown-ya, own, ya, you-got-a-friend-in-me

Some books need to be read while you’re eating pickled onion Monster Munch and I think this is just one of those books.

Let me explain.

I find pickled onion Monster Munch e a very underrated crisp. They aren’t the coolest crisps on the shelf. Not everyone thinks of them instantly when they think of a delicious savoury snack. I mean, they don’t have Gary Lineker and Lionel Richie advertising them. They can’t be dipped in…um…dip. Or at least easily. I guess you would really have to want some dip to...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Kirsty (overflowing library) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-books, uk-author

Fifteen Days without a head was one of those books that I read without really knowing what it was about and without any expectations about what it had it store for. I was blown away by it and loved reading each and every page and am looking forward to reading more of the author's work in the future.

If I had to compare this book to anything else out there I would say the closest comparison is Phil Earle's Being Billy because while the storylines were different they had the same feel about them as...more Fifteen Days without a head was one of those books that I read without really knowing what it was about and without any expectations about what it had it store for. I was blown away by it and loved reading each and every page and am looking forward to reading more of the author's work in the future.

If I had to compare this book to anything else out there I would say the closest comparison is Phil Earle's Being Billy because while the storylines were different they had the same feel about them as they are both about a teenage boy living on the edge of the system trying to find his way in the world.

I loved the main character in this book just a little bit too much. From the first moment I met Laurence I wanted to pick him up and take him home and mother him far too much. Despite being only 15 he has taken the weight of the world on his shoulders taking care of his mum (and his drinking problem)and his younger brother. It all gets all that bit more complicated when his mum suddenly disappears and suddenly Laurence has to deal with the household on his own without any income coming in it feed himself or his younger brother.

What really resonated with me in this book was the feeling of sheer hopelessness he was dealing with and how some people in positions of authority who should have been helping really weren't. Not because they disliked Laurence but more because they didn't have time to listen to him propely and take the time to understand why he was struggling as he was. The scene with his head of year really stuck with me as the teacher had his obiligatory "chat" about laurence being late but didn't take the time to really see the wider picture which really made Laurence's life even more difficult than it already was.

What I also loved about this book was the relationship between the two brothers and how mature mature was towards J and how he went out of his way to give J the childhood he himself had missed out on. The book was also fantastic at comtrasting the awfulness of the Roach boy's day to day existence with some brilliantly funny passages which kept me giggling throughout the entire book.

A new author to watch out for and a fantastic debut novel.(less)

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Feb 21, 2013 Teena in Toronto rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Laurence and his five-year-old brother, Jay, live in poverty. When child services comes close to taking them away from their mom, his mom always takes them off in the middle of the night. She is currently working two jobs (in a fast food restaurant and cleaning offices) to pay the bills ... when she is sober enough to go. They live in a messy apartment that is overrun by cockroaches. Their neighbour, Nosy Nelly, is always watching and looking for a reason to call child services.

To hopefully brig...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Allyseria rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book is follows a boy, Laurence Roach aged 15 who has to look after his younger brother Jay aged 6 when their mother disappears. They have to fend for themselves, get food, get to school and everything without letting their neighbours and the authorities know about their situation.

The book was good - there isn't anything bad to say about it.

The reason I rated it a 4 is because it wasn't amazing

It makes you feel for the character, hoping that they'll be OK but there wasn't anything to mak...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Vikki rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

First 25 pages: I think I'm falling in love.
Half way through: Okay, I've fallen head over heels.
Reading Doomsday: No, 'Curse you Dave Cousins' why are you doing this to me.
At the end: Give me 15 more days. NOW.

I read this book in under 24 hours, I think that's a record breaking time, I didn't want to put it down and when I did, 10 minutes later I was reading it again. I couldn't stop until I'd read the whole book. And my golly I read the whole book, and I wasn't disappointed.
I always feel most a...more

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Nov 09, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

Starting out this book you'd expect from the title for some horror and gore (and if i'm honest I did but doesn't mean I was disappointed that it wasn't a zombie gore fest, lol). I was sent a review copy of Dave Cousin's book in a way because of Dave himself and the wonder that is Twitter and I'm glad I got one ahead of release so I can yelp about how fab it is beforehand. It's a funny and warm story about a boy and his dog…who happens to be his younger brother but that's beside the point. Lauren...more Starting out this book you'd expect from the title for some horror and gore (and if i'm honest I did but doesn't mean I was disappointed that it wasn't a zombie gore fest, lol). I was sent a review copy of Dave Cousin's book in a way because of Dave himself and the wonder that is Twitter and I'm glad I got one ahead of release so I can yelp about how fab it is beforehand. It's a funny and warm story about a boy and his dog…who happens to be his younger brother but that's beside the point. Laurence's mum up and disappears one day and seeing as he's been barely holding their lives together as it is having a missing mum is no easier than when she was just an absent mum. Laurence is the fall guy and is raising his brother, often doing his mum's work and trying to keep things together so the social services doesn't catch on and divide his family.

15 Days without a Head follows the two brothers trying to find their mum and avoid anyone realising that they are home alone. Reality is often more powerful than fiction so to have a contemporary story told in such a way that could very likely happen in most town's and larger cities makes it all the more interesting a read. Dave Cousins writes the tale of Laurence Roach and his younger brother Jay who have an uncommon life where they are not only having to survive from day to day like any average teen and 6 year old but they have to factor in an alcoholic mother who has flights of fancy that mean she is prone to emotional outbursts and personality switches like the changes of the wind. None of them are bad people at their core but find themselves in hard situations where life and other contributing factors like finance, alcohol and social services way heavy on their lives.

It tackles current issues that face a lot of families in these days and months of high unemployment and low incomes. It's a brave thing to do because Dave Cousins doesn't shy away from truth and how complex truth can be. You really hate Laurence and Jay's mum for the way she acts but she's had her own troubles and in her logic she's trying to help. However what would really help would be a nice meal that doesn't involve chips, toast or a chocolate bar. I loved the mix of characters in the boys lives and the strength of character in both Laurence and Jay. There is a fantastic bound between the two siblings and you really get that from the small things they do for each other like watching Scooby Doo or playing games together.

A gem of book that shows you a look at life that has truth and humour. Though it should come with a side order of greasy chips because that's all I fancied as I read it. With lots of ketchup.(less)

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May 13, 2013 Kailia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2013, review-book, young-adult

Wow was 15 Days Without a Head a completely different than what I had expected. For one, I didn't think I'd become so protective of Lawrence as I did or that this book would make me happy for what I have. Gritty, honest, sad, and hopeful, 15 Days Without a Head tells the story of 15 year old Lawrence Roach whose mother is alcoholic. While the cover might seem misleading and the title sounds weird, this book is well worth a read.

Lawrence Roach has a terrible life. His mother is an alcoholic and s...more Wow was 15 Days Without a Head a completely different than what I had expected. For one, I didn't think I'd become so protective of Lawrence as I did or that this book would make me happy for what I have. Gritty, honest, sad, and hopeful, 15 Days Without a Head tells the story of 15 year old Lawrence Roach whose mother is alcoholic. While the cover might seem misleading and the title sounds weird, this book is well worth a read.

Lawrence Roach has a terrible life. His mother is an alcoholic and spends most of her money on booze and not Lawrence or his six year old brother Jay. When she goes missing, Lawrence is so scared that child protective services will find the brothers and separate them, he tells no one about his mother's disappearance. At 15, Lawrence can handle so much more than I could ever imagine. From the very beginning, my heart went out to him. His love for both his brother and mom was evident and pure. The phone booth plays a large role in this story and I won't ruin it for anyone but believe me, half the time, I didn't understand why Lawrence did what he did. But the love he has for his family makes the reader want to root for him. It makes the reader want to jump right in and save him but in the end, the fact that he can save himself makes the reader even happier.

The plot is pretty honesty and realistic. For me, someone who has lived a fairly good life, I wasn't sure how to react to this story. I'm not an oblivious person to say the least and I know that poverty and single parent families exist but not having felt any of it personally made my heart hurt. I wanted so desperately to help Lawrence but then it made me think "am I some well to do girl trying to make myself feel better by helping people who might not have as much?" Maybe I was being ridiculous but in all honesty, I wanted to do something, anything, for Lawrence.

Along those same lines, I very much disliked his mother. I kept wondering how a mother could treat her children like this? How could she just leave them to fend for themselves? Yet again I was reminded by the fact that neither one of my parents drink a lot (my mom actually doesn't drink at all) so was I, once again, an over privileged girl feeling sorry for someone? I have had friends in this situation so I was being honest in my feelings but who knows? But in reality, a lot of single moms exist in our society. Some of my friends have single moms and they stay and take care of their kids and work. Honesty, I wanted to feel for her but I wasn't as sympathetic because I'd seen that single moms can be amazing parents all on their own.

If you can't tell, the characters really made this story for me. I didn't mention half of the supporting characters but every one of them had their own personalities and helped (or hurt) Lawrence in some way. I hope you all give this book a try because I know that it doesn't seem like a big deal but the story found between the pages of 15 Days Without a Head is one many teenagers face in society today. (less)

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Feb 04, 2013 Amie Beamer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sent-to-me-for-review, read-in-2013, read-ya

Mrs. Beamer's Review:
I read this book straight through in one sitting. It's a solid 3.5 stars for me. I thought the writing was superb. While the subject matter is depressing, I felt the author did a good job providing a few lighthearted moments. I never felt like I needed to put the book down to give myself an emotional break.

See full review on my blog www.ReadingYA.com

Mrs. Beamer’s advisory rating: 0-5 (0=none, 5=lots)
Language: 0
Violence: 0
Sexual Content: 0
Drugs/Alcohol: 1
Potential Controvers...more

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May 17, 2013 Gina (My Precious) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, net-galley

INITIAL THOUGHTS: I usually don't gravitate towards contemporary books, especially those whose characters are plagued with multitudes of issues. This story, with its male narrator and humorous tones sucked me in. Laurence is such a strong character. He's challenged in every aspect of his life, asked to look after a little brother, take care of his alcoholic mother and try to keep up with school. Instead of just cracking under all this pressure, he continues to push through it. I admired his pers...more

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May 07, 2013 Raelynn Fry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-list

Laurence isn’t your typical 15-year-old. He lives in a run-down, small apartment infested with roaches, a brother who thinks he’s a dog at times, and an alcoholic mother. But that changes when Laurence wakes up one morning to find that his mom didn’t return home from work the night before.
Determined not to let outsiders know what’s going on, and telling himself and his little brother that, “Mom will come back soon”, Laurence lives the most dangerous 15 days he’s ever known. No money, running ou...more

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Jan 05, 2012 TheBookAddictedGirl rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone! It's Stunning - A Book I Won't Be Forgetting In A Hurry!

Shelves: arc, for-review, in-my-mailbox, signed, action-adventure, british-fiction, contempory, favourites-shelf, humour, mystery, psychological-suspense, real-to-life-fiction, ya, romance, read-2012

What would you do to keep your family together? Fifteen-year-old Laurence Roach is prepared to do anything to keep his little brother Jay with him: See, his Mum has problems. She drinks a lot and smokes and works two rubbish jobs to get enough money to feed them all. But one day, she just doesn’t come home. To start with, Laurence isn’t overly worried. She’s disappeared before, gone off drinking ‘til her money runs out. But after a while, he realises this is different. And to keep Jay with him,...more What would you do to keep your family together? Fifteen-year-old Laurence Roach is prepared to do anything to keep his little brother Jay with him: See, his Mum has problems. She drinks a lot and smokes and works two rubbish jobs to get enough money to feed them all. But one day, she just doesn’t come home. To start with, Laurence isn’t overly worried. She’s disappeared before, gone off drinking ‘til her money runs out. But after a while, he realises this is different. And to keep Jay with him, Laurence has to pretend his Mum is still there. And as I said before, Laurence will do anything to keep his family together. Including dressing up as him mum.

The next fifteen days are going to change both Jay and Laurence’s lives forever…

I started this one as soon as I got it, but had to put it aside because of other review priorities. It’s been niggling at me ever since them. I only left it for a little while, and I almost went round the bend, desperate to know more about Laurence. And after reading the whole book: not disappointed! I loved every moment, loved Laurence and Mina and especially little Jay! I was just sucked into the story, and I had to know what happened to the boys. It was the most amazing debut!

Laurence Roach was someone I loved straight away. He was funny, but I also knew instantly that he’d been through so much. He was the most amazing big brother, always looking after Jay, always having to be strong for Jay… And Laurence really was so, so strong. He had to deal with too much, poor boy, so much responsibility. Laurence tried so hard to keep everything together: constantly looking out for his mum, getting up at 5am to get her ready for her job, even doing it for her. His biggest fear was that his brother would be taken away and he wouldn’t be able to stop it. Laurence Laurence Roach just felt so real to me. I feel Mina described him perfectly: “stupid – but brave”.

Jay Roach was sweet, and both too naïve and too old. He had a thing for dogs: he pretended to be one – mainly to bug Laurence. Strangers loved him because of his angelic looks. And he was just really funny – even if he didn’t mean to be! I mean, he turned into “Scooby Doo” – Scooby bites people, not Jay! I loved the kid, and felt so sorry for him as well.

‘Mum’ – Margret Roach, drank and smoked. Her kids hid until ‘Happy Hours’, when the drink would make her smile and be all hugs and kisses. She was so depressed: without drink she stayed in bed or locked herself in the bathroom and cried. Or she got mad. All the way through, I was asking: Why did she leave? By the end of the book, I had my answer. And everything I thought about her changed.

Mina was in a brass band, sort of bossy and confident. I liked her straight away! She was just really funny, and really nice to Laurence, as well as being smart and logical. Oh – and slightly mad! Plus I totally felt the Mina-Laurence chemistry! It was a really strong and sweet romance.

But probably my favourite thing about this story was the relationship between Laurence and Jay; I loved it. You could tell how much they loved each other: it was really touching and real. They stuck together through everything. Laurence always looking after Jay, who was the Scooby to his Shaggy. Although they were close, there was also just the right amount of exasperation and bickering. Siblings just aren’t siblings without a little fighting, after all! Most of all, I loved how the two of them and Mina pretend to be the Scooby Gang!

I love contemporary. The whole real-life horrors and dramas have become addictive for me. Fifteen Days Without a Head was an amazing contemporary. I loved the problems, how real it felt to me. I loved seeing how an ordinary teen, with extraordinary strength, handled everything, overcame it. I fell in love with Laurence and Jay, their relationship. And Dave’s writing was just infectious. It was totally teenager, without feeling forced. More importantly, it was Laurence Roach. I could feel him as I read, but more than that, it was emotional. I cried (out loud) at some bits, laughed my head off at others (mainly when Jay was involved). I just fell in love with the voice, and was left wanting more. Somehow, Dave managed to pull off a heavy subject with a light voice, something that is insanely hard to do, and I applaud him for it. I can’t wait to see what he brings out next. Maybe another Roach tale…

Fifteen Days Without a Head sucked me in with the characters, the plot, the writing. The reality. And the fact that Laurence was just so relatable. It was a beautiful but horrible, a moving, emotional and funny story, with lovable and relatable characters and a believable plot, Fifteen Days Without a Head is a stunning book, one I won't be forgetting for a long time, and Dave is an author to look out for! I loved this story!(less)

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