Alexander is the most normal and loved eleven-year-old boy you will ever meet. Until one day, he isn’t.

Living in the south east of England in the 1990s, Alexander’s life appears stable - a warm home, a loving mother, and a familiar school routine. But beneath the surface, things begin to shift. Affection turns cold. Words are twisted. The father he once looked up to becomes a figure of confusion and fear.

As the tension in the house builds, Alexander is forced to question everything: his place in the family, his worth, and whether the love he thought was unconditional ever really existed. While friendships and football offer brief moments of safety, the emotional pressure at home grows unbearable, and he’s left trying to make sense of a world that suddenly seems stacked against him.

Growing Pains is a raw, emotionally charged debut inspired by true events. It lays bare the hidden scars of emotional abuse and explores the quiet, persistent damage inflicted by those closest to us. Told entirely from Alexander’s perspective, it captures the confusion, shame, and resilience of a child trying to survive in a home where silence is the only defence.

This is book one in a powerful new series following Alexander’s fight to be heard, to heal, and to find out who he is beyond the pain.

A portion of profits from this book will be donated to child protection charities, including the NSPCC.