I am extremely grateful to the author and the publisher for providing me with a proof copy of 29 Locks in exchange for an honest review.

When his mum is jailed for drugs offences, Donny is fostered outside London to the Hertfordshire countryside. Navigating the 29 locks of the Union Canal system, Donny’s mission to the city is so he can reunite with his mother who is due to be released from prison, while Zoe’s mission is to meet with a modelling agency and pose for strip photos.His devotion to her through the years of his childhood never falters, even leading him to feel guilt when enjoying the cooking of his foster mother. I have 24 years experience working in secondary schools as an English teacher, subject leader and Head of PSHE.

Older, wiser and more confident, life is going well for the former gang member who’d escaped a brutal life of criminal exploitation. Donny's inner strength is one to be admired and whilst you nay want to scream at the pages, you will also cheer him on. As someone who is interested in urban change and once really enjoyed a canal boating holiday this book instantly intrigued me.His belief in his mother through everything is one of the really powerful messages in this book and kept me rooting for him. Later in the book, Donny’s journey back to London to reunite with his mother has the fierce desperation of someone willing to do anything for those they love. It tells the story of Donny, who has grown up in a violent, cruel and brutal world of drugs and crime. Donny's fate as I say, seems sealed and he's to be either an addict or responsible for others no matter what he does.