When Indigo's mum finally decides to leave Max after a particularly awful row, she, Indigo and two year old Misti end up in a damp basement flat full of mold. Indigo is relieved but unable to admit to herself exactly why they have gone. The bruises on mum's face have appeared before, but Indy doesn't want to understand why. Best friend Jo, who has always been a good laugh, is no help when real problems arise, and Indy soon learns that hanger-on Aisha is a more sensitive and caring friend. Mum becomes depressed after leaving Max, even though she knows it is for the best, and Indy must look after Misti, often on her own. We (and Indy) soon realise that Max has an emotional hold over mum that is hard to break; his portrait as a manipulative bully is spot on. Mum's best friend Jane is very supportive, remarkably so, as is new-friend-Ian-from-upstairs, but it is only when Max follows them home to the flat and beats up mum so horribly that she ends up in hospital that mum has to accept he will never change. The raw emotions at the end, when Indy and Misti are home alone in the dark, the electricity card having run out, and mum having gone off with Max, are almost too painful. This must be what it feels like to be 11 years old and have to take full responsibility for yourself and a younger sibling without any of the wherewithal to do so. A tour de force.