Patrice Lawrence doing what she does best, telling stories with emotional impact and poetic prose. I was hooked and read in one sitting.

Another superb gripping story from Patrice Lawrence. Haunting and very real feeling, we feel so much empathy for spey as he works up the courage to help someone he knows needs it. Don't hesitate to pick up one of Patrice Lawrence's books - she is the master of layered characters and fresh contemporary feeling references which make her YA so appealing.

Patrice Lawrence done it again! I think it might be one of my favourites! Was hooked from the very first page, couldn't put it down.

What a beautifully written book dealing with some really important issues. I cried so much!

As always with Patrice Lawrence this book is simply and utterly impressive, the writing is just perfect making this book ideal for promotions in classrooms and libraries. Lawrence deals with topics and issues as a way of respecting her readers and never patronising them. I have read all her books and will continue to read more.

I think this may just be my favourite Patrice Lawrence yet - a bold statement as I have read & loved them all. A perfect December read, as the bulk of the novel is set at Christmas, Lawrence explores the impact of County Lines in an accessible manner that never patronises its readers. Split between two povs, Spey - whose had his Christmas plans with his mum derailed by her inviting his just-out-of prison dad along - and Dee - a childhood friend of Spey's who has found herself caught up in dangerous trouble.
The two characters are wonderfully rendered, with upmost sympathy and care. Littered with Lawrence's trademark geeky references, this is a gem that will be enjoyed by so many young people. Not only will it entertain, it will engage them with a serious topic that many of them could be a hairs-breath away from.

Spey’s dad has been absent for almost all of his life - in and out of prison - however when he turns up on Christmas morning, Spey’s mum wants them to have the opportunity to get to know each other. When Spey receives a gift from an old friend, he and his dad set out to track her down and find out what happened to her.

A really intriguing YA thriller about a teenage boy and his ‘quest’ to find an old friend, Throughout the book we learn more about both characters and how they wound up where they are. Although based around difficult subjects, Splinters of Sunshine is a well thought out book which doesn’t feel judgemental, and instead shows the importance of never giving up hope.

Patrice Lawrence has become one of my favourite authors for YA and teens. This book is no exception. She deals with many issues, in this case: a split family, prison life, drug addiction, County Lines, abuse, friendship and loyalty. So, so much and yet it is not heavy handed. There is a link through Spey’s father to “Eight pieces of Silva” but these are standalone books.

There is a mystery to solve, tension (so much that I had to put the book down and return to it later), there is violence but it is not gratuitous, it is needed for the plot and there is a positive outcome. All the main characters are developed and there is a slow unveiling of the secrets that each hold close to them. There are descriptions of place and people which feel authentic and the fear at times is palpable.

The book is written from both Dee’s and Spey’s point of view and that is an important part of the narrative as the two sets of experiences grow closer and closer together. I hope this book will be popular with its target audience. I also hope that some will heed the warnings in the book.

Patrice Lawrence can do no wrong for me and she smashes it out of the park again with this phenomenal new book.

Published in August but I've only just read my proof (soz), #SplintersOfSunshine is just *brilliant*. Spey & Dee are really real protagonists, as always from @LawrencePatrice, & I was biting my nails for them to the end (+, irrelevant to story, but love the choice of picturebook) https://t.co/65FRoNcqDV

Spey’s dad has been in prison for most of Spey’s life, so imagine Spey’s surprise when his dad turns up unannounced on Christmas Day. Then an envelope containing a collage of flowers turns up for him too and a memory is sparked. Spey made this collage with Dee, an old friend who he hasn’t seen for years but who he suspects may be in trouble. But no one knows where Dee is and it seems that only his dad can help him. This thought-provoking novel exposes the dark world of county lines and drug trafficking through a beautiful friendship story. Although it covers some serious topics, it is also very hopeful and heartwarming. I wanted nothing but a happy ending for both Spey and Dee and there were times I was worried it wasn’t going to happen. An important, moving and gripping read.

Really intriguing YA. I was drawn into the story from the start and really didn’t want to put it down at all. I liked what it had to say about family and friendship.

Told from the points of view of 15 year old Spey, his father, Benni, who has just been released from prison and Spey's childhood friend, Dee who has been groomed to sell drugs on the county lines. A gripping, tense novel that explores the feelings and experiences of each character.

Splinters of Sunshine is a story that draws you in, shows you the darker side of life but also emphasises the need to look for the glimpses of hope.
Our main focus is Spey, a boy who lives with his mum and who is doing well at school. He is stunned one Christmas morning when his father (who has been absent for most of his life and recently come out of prison) arrives for the day. They have little in common, but Spey’s mum wants them to find out about each other.
In spite of his reservations, Spey has to use his father to help him try and work out what has happened to an old friend, Dee, who has got caught up in county lines activity. She is vulnerable, Spey has - over the years - been aware of potential problems for Dee but this time he decides he cannot walk away.
We follow Spey as he journeys from London to Hastings then Brighton in order to try and find Dee.
Interspersed with Spey’s story we learn about Dee and how she came to be in this position. We learn the importance of not giving up, and see just how vital friends can be.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this before publication in exchange for my thoughts.

Spey has been brought up by his Mum who has instilled into him a strong work ethic and taught him right from wrong. Looking forward to Christmas, especially as he succeeded in escaping the annual Boxing Day trip to relatives , Spey wakes up on Christmas morning to a stranger asleep on the sofa. This stranger turns out to be Benni, Spey’s Dad, newly released from prison. Spey is naturally reluctant to accept him into their lives. Benni spends the day with Spey and his Mum, then leaves. Mum pressures Spey into agreeing to give his Dad a ring to thank him for the new trainers he gave Spey as a present using the fact she is letting him off visiting him Grandmother and Aunt. However she hadn’t banked on Spey ringing his Dad and going off with him as a chance meeting with an old acquaintance had prompted Spey to seek out a childhood friend.
Dee and Spey had been instant friends as infants. Dee was different. She questioned everything and saw beauty in nature, fascinated by flowers which she collected in an album. But neither did she follow rules and was considered difficult by adults who didn’t stop to know her. She was trusting and naive but not protected by the people who should have been looking after her. Her Mum was an addict and her Nan had to take over, but the age gap meant she died before Dee was too old and Dee found herself in a children’s home.
Having received Dee’s photo album in the post, completely out of the blue, Spey was convinced Dee was in trouble after the old acquaintance mentioned a well known trouble maker. Spey turns to the one person he knows may know more about the shady world of drugs than Spey - his Dad. Benni enlists the help of another friend and they go off on a road trip to Brighton with very little known facts, but a determination to help Dee if she needs it.
She does. Caught up in county lines, Dee cannot escape and is in danger.
A mixture of wonderful friendship and tense fear of the criminals, this book opened my eyes as much as being involved did to Spey.

I devoured the latest book by Patrice Lawrence in a couple of days and I think it might just be her best yet; she has created a compelling thriller which thoughtfully explores challenging issues without sacrificing pace. The characters were richly drawn, authentic and I took them to my heart....I especially LOVED the way the wild flower details at the beginning of Dee's chapters were pertinent to the story. I can't wait to recommend this to students in school!