I was very disappointed in this book. Usually I love reading Suzuma's novels, but this one was slow, dull and torturous to read. I kept wondering if I should continue or not, but I persevered to see whether it would improve - it didn't! ( )

Louis(12), Max (14)and Millie(8) are three children of a French mother and an Irish father who have had a very bitter divorce. The mother Annette, is a driven career woman and before they divorced, the father, Edward, basically reared the children. After the divorce, Edward was so devastated that he had a nervous breakdown. Now they are fighting in the courts as Annette contests that Edward is not a "fit" father. When Edward hears the verdict that he can only have "supervised" visits with his children; he snaps and takes them overseas. The story is written from Louis' perspective - the sensitive middle child whose passion is dancing. The three think they are on a holiday with their mother's permission, until Louis comes across a "Missing Persons" poster at a railway station that has his face on it. Suddenly the children are given a choice that they should not have to make - disappear and stay with their father until they turn 16 (French Law) and can't be told which parent tp be with, or go back to their mother and risk their father going to jail. It is heart -wrenching to read the children being torn apart by this terrible choice - missing their mother, their home, school and their friends; but afraid that if they go back, their father will be put in prison, or disappear and they will never see him again. There is also an underlying story of Louis falling in love with his older dance partner, trusting her and then the authorities finding out where they are , through her! The end of the book is very dramatic and NOT quite what I expected! (Something that doesn't happen very often with YA fiction)
Plot Spoiler: Louis chooses not to board a plane to Amsterdam with his father, Max and Millie but to return home to France to be with his mother.