The Ant Colony

Title: The Ant Colony
Author: Jenny Valentine
Year of Publication: 2009
Genre: Life, Contemporary
My Rating: 4 out of 5

Sam Cassidy has run off to London to hide. Bohemia Hoban moves to another flat with Cherry. Old Isobel likes to fuss, Mick has a tattoo of a gun on his calf and Steve the Lizard lives in the basement.

All six live at 33 Georgiana Street and Sam and Bo have a secret or two to hide. Sam has done something very bad to his friend Max, and Bo knows but tries to prove Cherry is the best, or at least, a good mother. After the awkward forming of friendship between the pair, Bo decides to run off to the country, to where San comes from. When her escapade is discovered, the residents of 33 Georgiana worry like no tomorrow, and Cherry realises her failings as a proper mother. Eventually find her when they receive a phone call from Sam’s house.

A heart-touching story which just makes us realise how lucky we are to have a nice family and caring friends, and that not all families are the conventional type. Another book by Valentine, Broken Soup, is also worth reading.