Shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2011.

An edgy and contemporary thriller about the life changing dangers of knife crime – and that’s just for the witness. When Ty tells the police what he has seen, his life is changed forever. His enemies are ruthless and will stop at nothing to prevent Ty from testifying. Given a new look, new names and a new past, Ty and his mother make a fresh start. But forgetting Ty and remembering to be Joe is hard. Ty tells his story of familiar teenage experiences – school friendships, bullying, falling in love – against a terrifying background in which letting out the secret could mean the end. How Joe survives and grows and, in particular, how he befriends the lonely Claire whose self-harming is an equally important secret, is touching.

Synopsis

When Ty witnesses a stabbing, his own life is in danger from the criminals he's named, and he and his mum have to go into police protection. Ty has a new name, a new look and a cool new image -- life as Joe is good, especially when he gets talent spotted as a potential athletics star, special training from an attractive local celebrity and a lot of female attention. But his mum can't cope with her new life, and the gangsters will stop at nothing to flush them from hiding. Joe's cracking under extreme pressure, and then he meets a girl with dark secrets of her own. This wonderfully gripping and intelligent novel depicts Ty/Joe's confused sense of identity in a moving and funny story that teenage boys and girls will identify with - a remarkable debut from a great new writing talent.

Reviews

'Better than Muchamore and Shan one young fan is quoted as saying of this debut thriller.' The Bookseller

About the Author

Keren David on Keren David: 'I'm a writer whose novel When I Was Joe will be published in the UK by Frances Lincoln books in January 2010, with the sequel Almost True to follow later in the year. Both books will be published by dTV in Germany. Some of the time I'm a journalist. I lived in Amsterdam for eight years and Glasgow for two but London feels like home.'   Author photo copyright © Faye Thomas More books by this author Author 'Like for Like' recommendation