Lost - Eve Ainsworth

When Alfie Turner loses his mum, it feels like his world
is falling apart.

She was the glue that held their family together and, now that
she's gone, Alfie and his dad don't really know how to be a family
without her.

And then Alfie meets Alice.

Alice is a force of nature and has her own set of problems, but
at least when Alfie's with her he can forget about his.

Or can he? Because no matter how hard you run, life will always
catch up in the end.

Despite everything holding them back, together Alfie and Alice
learn two things: that friendship can help dig you out of even the
blackest hole, and that it's not the falling down that matters,
it's the getting back up.

• Enormously heartfelt and insightful, this fiercely uplifting
  novel is Eve Ainsworth at her best.