Us vs the World

If I get up, then I make the bad thing happen. I’ll get up on one, I’ll get up on one. Three, two, one.

Why is Mum crying? Why is she up so early? Why isn’t Dad looking after her?

Something unusual is happening in an Edinburgh bungalow, and at the heart of it are Jude and Sam Redpath, a mother and son forced to confront both their grief and their darkest secrets.

When Sam is woken in the middle of the night by the sound of his mother crying, he is reluctant to get up and discover the reason. When he finally discovers what has happened, even his worst fears cannot compare to the truth, and he realises that both their lives have now changed irrevocably.

Sam and Jude struggle to cope with their shock and grief and are powerless to stop their family home descending into a place of dread and danger. As their world begins to resemble a horror movie, events from the past surface once more bringing with them painful memories of betrayal and public shaming.

Still reeling from a doping scandal that shocked the athletic world and with a baby on the way, Jude knows she must keep her family safe, no matter the sacrifice. But what does that mean she should do?

Can Sam and Jude recover from the trauma of what has happened or have their lives been devastated forever? Do they share their secret with the outside world, or do they retreat into a life of seclusion and fear? And is either one of them brave enough to make the ultimate sacrifice, for the sake of their family and potentially the rest of the world…?

Child’s third novel is a truly unique tale of grief and desperation. Us vs the World questions not only the nature of the digital world and the strength of family bonds, but how far you would really go for what – and who – you love?