Ever since Jack's dad died, he's had a heavy feeling inside. The pressure keeps building. Looking for release, he starts skiving school and hanging around with a group who like to cause trouble. It's easy to hide his new habits from his mum, an environmental anthropologist, because she's too busy with work and conservation trips to notice.
As Jack spins further out of control, his mum eventually becomes concerned - and shocks him by suggesting a trip together.
But this will be no relaxing holiday. Soon Jack finds himself on an expedition deep into the rainforest, far from anything he's ever known. He wanted an adventure - but has he plunged into real danger?
Ele Fountain worked as an Editor in children's publishing, where she was responsible for launching and nurturing the careers of many prize-winning and best-selling authors including Angie Sage, Philip Reeve and Sarah Crossan. She lived in Addis Ababa for several years, where she was inspired to write Boy 87, her debut novel. Ele now lives in what she describes as a 'not quite falling down house' in Hampshire with her husband and two young daughters.