Mandy is used to her parents fostering children, but following a particularly difficult experience with teenage Lucy, plus the bond with young Rose who is taken from the family and returned to her grandparents, she persuades them not to foster again. But when a strange, silent and rather beautiful boy is brought to the house in the middle of the night, social services persuade the family to take him on. But there is much more to the enigmatic J'hon than meets the eye, and when Rose is in trouble Mandy begins to hear his voice in her head and realises that he is speaking to her through telepathy.

Sandra Glover's The Nowhere Boy is an intriguing, clever novel which cleverly combines the harsh realities of life with an ethereal, magical quality which draws the reader in to what is ultimately a quirky, fast-paced thriller. But hidden amongst the pages is a theme of trust and friendship, plus an undeniable moral tale which subtly points out that we should never close our minds to new and strange experiences as there is much more to discover about the world than we could ever imagine.

A strong mix of the earthly and the unbelievable makes The Nowhere Boy a startling, assured and exceptionally good read from an author taking her first step into writing for children. (Ages 10 and over) --Susan Harrison