The face and the hand, disembodied, stayed there motionless: longer than Heidi thought she could bear. She could have heard their owner breathing, if he breathed at all. Then they withdrew, disappeared, and the footsteps sank down into the pit again. Heidi sat up, staring into the dark, her hands pressed to her mouth so hard it hurt.
Whatll I do? she thought. Whatll I do if he comes back?
Nowhere is safe.
There is no protection
Heidis sweet, feckless father was deep in debt when he got murdered. Now shes an Indentured Teen, a modern slave, and its totally legal in this future England. Her owners are a weird old pair of crazies, she sleeps in a freezing attic, and still has to turn up for Learning Sessions with the other Mehilhoc Exempt Teens: who obviously know the whole shameful story. But thats okay. She has the Police Inspectors phone number, and the memory of his words: if you recall anything, anything at all, please get in touch... Somehow, someway, stuck out in the deepest sticks, shes going to prove that her Mum didnt kill her Dad.
The Grasshoppers Child is an old-fashioned futuristic thriller, set in the same Post-Dissolution England as the legendary Bold As Love series, about young people taking the law into their own hands, and the savagery that hides behind wealth and power: full of odd characters, atrocious secrets, lost illusions and true friends. And gardening tips.
Gwyneth Jones has an impressive track record in award winning science fiction and fantasy, and also writes for teenagers as Ann Halam (Siberia, Dr Franklin's Island, The Shadow On The Stairs)
Combines the satisfying unmasking closure of a good Scooby-Doo episode, with Gwyneth Jones fiery rage against the Establishment and its occult workings. But be prepared: like Heidi, you will want to go back and learn your history as well as explore this gorgeous secret garden of a book.
Sophie Mayer, forbookssake
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About the Author
Gwyneth Jones is the author of many fantasy, horror novels and thrillers for teenagers using the name Ann Halam, and several highly regarded sf and fantasy novels for adults. Shes won two World Fantasy awards (for The Grass Princess and for the collection Seven Tales and a Fable); the James Tiptree Jr award, the Arthur C Clarke award (for Bold As Love), the Children of the Night award, the Pilgrim award for sf criticism, and the Philip K Dick award, among other honours. She lives in Brighton, UK; likes old movies, practicing yoga, and staring out of the window. She tweets at AnnHalam More information and free stories at gwynethjones.uk