Amazing! I don't want to give anything away but this is an absolutely brilliant book about young people and belonging and survival and what it means to be part of a family. I loved the characters and just when I was sure I knew what was going on, something entirely unexpected would happen. It was one of those books where you slow down as you near the end because, as much as you desperately want to know what happens, you don't want it to finish.

Nowhere Island is a patch of wild space in the middle of a very busy motorway. Unnoticeable to the busy road users just worried about getting from A to B.

A forgotten paradise, untouched by humans & pesticides, home to butterflies, moths, crickets, beetles, ants, snakes, birds, frogs & tadpoles. Filled with wildflowers & plants, fruit trees, berry bushes - a complete wildlife haven.

It is also home to 4 children - Gil, Riley, Grayson & Pez - all of whom have found themselves seeking a new life and a new family on Nowhere Island...

This is a lovely story of friendship, family, nature & rewilding, with just a splash of mystery.

Perfect for fans of M.G.Leonard's Twitchers series!

Thank you to NetGalley & Head Of Zeus for the DRC!

This was utterly stunning to read. The story and language was packed with such richness and vivid imagery. I’m keen to explore more buy this author after reading this book. Genius.

Tania Unsworth is one of my favourite ‘children’s’ authors of recent years. Her writing consistently has remarkable richness and sophistication whilst remaining accessible to her intended audience. Her latest book is another triumph. It is one of those stories that as a bald synopsis probably wouldn’t sound like it amounted to very much. Yet in the hands of this talented writer, it amounts to a very great deal indeed. It is a kind of adult-free adventure, with four emotionally disturbed but superficially resilient kids, surviving in an (ersatz) remote wilderness that appears to be an idyllic sanctuary.

Like many of Tania Unsworth’s books, the premise is somewhat far-fetched, a clear fiction, but her story’s characters and their situation feel alive and real through every moment of its telling. That’s because they reflect deeply human truth, the thoughts and emotions of very real kids. It is a story of children, who have been damaged by fate, by life, but principally by the adults who should care for them (either bad or absent). Gil lost both parents in a mysterious accident and has since been passed from foster pillar to foster post by a well-intentioned but inadequate care system. Brothers Riley and Grayson have run from an abusive, violent single-parent father, whilst the elective mute girl, Pez, has an even more disturbing back story. They are all vividly drawn, their personalities piquantly caught, each idiosyncratic, but nevertheless richly real.

The four children pitch up in what is in effect a neglected wilderness, an ‘island’ of land that has been stranded between major roads. It may be hard to imagine a near paradise of nature in the middle of a motorway intersection, but that is exactly what Tania Unsworth does, and she conjures the place for us with vivid sensuality. In fact, her writing is shot through with evocative descriptions, of place, atmosphere and weather as well as of people and events.

The kids scavenge for food, befriend wild animals, witness a crash on the nearby motorway and survive a destructive storm. Through it all they learn more about themselves and each other, about what is important in their lives, and the bonds between them grow into something very special. But it is the story’s most fictionalised event, occurring near the end of the narrative, that actually brings them against the reality of their situation. This story may be about children, but it is a deep and resonant tale of human tragedy and resilience. I will say no more about the plot, except that, whilst the the end may not be realistic, it is nonetheless real - and truly uplifting.

It is not only an enjoyable and engaging book but a truly fine work of children’s literature.

You can read my full review on my book blog at magicfictionsincepotter.blogspot.com

These kids are so relatable, it made the book even better to read together. It is so upbeat considering the events the children have lived through. The setting is described amaxingly well. A must read for kids and families

Nowhere Island is about how we seek refuge from the chaos of our immediate life surroundings - including our emotional and psychological states - as well as from the wider world.

Four young people (and Junk the dog) find a haven in the island located so close to the highway and yet hidden from view. They have taken different routes to be there.

Pez has freed herself from a cult-like community. Brothers Riley and Grayson are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of personality, but nevertheless share the bond of blood ties. And Gil is a dreamer, hoping for happiness against the odds.

With their own reasons for being there, each is wary of the other. Despite this, over time, the small group establishes a family of sorts. But then, they witness something that puts at risk the peace they have worked so hard to find...

Unsworth does a wonderful job of handling a number of difficult themes to produce a charming and relatable story. Readers will find themselves rooting for this scrappy bunch of misfits to find the freedom that they deserve, in a place where they can truly be who they are.

We loved this book. The children are relatable and charming, the setting is so unusual and unexpected and the narrative delightful. Considering what these children have been through you would think that this would be a wingey depressing book but this could not be further from the truth. The children are now looking at the lost spaces between roads in a different way !

A fantastic read! I loved the setting of the island and the dynamics of the characters! I have recommended this one to the children in my class!

Meet Gil. Just twelve, he is so determined to escape the care system – the system that constantly puts him in futureless places that are not homes – and find a home for himself. He is en route to yet another fosterer, when he jumps into an anonymous car, and lets it ride him to his future. That future seems to be in jeopardy when someone steals his one bag of belongings – but that someone lives with his brother in a camp on an island between the two directions of a motorway, a place inaccessible and definitely ignored enough to provide for their safety and seclusion. Them, and a mute girl also finding a home there, albeit so much more successfully. Over a few weeks we see if their oddball destinies can combine, or if this is one place where life as we would want it just would not work…

Reading that kind of summary, and knowing the lead is in care, may make you think of ''Lord of the Flies'' but with privileged kids whingeing about what they've missed out on and seeing nothing as their fault. This is so much better than that. Yes, it contains a kind of tribalism to some tiny extent – the lads before Gil turns up not getting on at all with the wordless girl. But the care system has been left out enough, too, meaning any child of any derivation with a thought to a way to find their own path in life will be able to engage and empathise with this.

The other way that this is not comparable with what we think ''Lord of the Flies'' to be like, at least, is that these kids are everyday ones. Yes, the girl is an ace with a slingshot, and knows a lot of survival skills, but the high drama here comes not from them being ridiculously inventive, indestructible or indeed feral. And high drama there is, meaning this kind of short novel packs a decent punch, especially in its closing scenes.

All told, this is mature escapist fun. It doesn't pretend any of these children have a destiny they must go in search of, but they are in search of something that is not their past, for their own different reasons. These relatable children have agency, do not sit and bicker for the sake of bickering in lieu of plot, but neither are they the great adult, carefree decision makers they may want to aspire to. Yes, there are issues I think with the fact this seems like it's played out over months and seasons but for all the things telling us it's in a matter of weeks, with reference to things seemingly long past as a few days ago, but little gets called a flaw here. With the girl's unusual relationship – and indeed distinctive past – and all the chutzpah the boys find in themselves, in varying quantities, this is quite the joy.

Wow. This book sent all the feels, with children that have no responsible adult, left to fend for themselves, and doing a cracking job. Really tugged at the heart strings! Very very well written and a superb and exciting story to open conversations with children.

This is a truly brilliant book: a story of belonging, of finding your own family and of self discovery. I was hooked from the opening sentence until the very last word - I could not put this down nor could I read it fast enough! I adored the Time Traveller and the Tiger and Nowhere Island, whilst being completely different, most certainly did not disappoint. Tania Unsworth is a rare talent and her books have real heart. Nowhere Island is entirely different to anything I’ve read before. The characters are beautifully created and each of them have stolen a little piece of my heart. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC - I cannot wait to add this book to my classroom bookshelf.