The Dad Trap by Ian Eagleton
Apr. 26th, 2026 10:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
When William and Florence meet on the first day of Year Six, they instantly dislike each other.
William is impulsive, endlessly chatty, and struggles in school. His home life is safe and predictable - just him and Dad - and that’s how William likes it.
Florence is sullen, cold, and everything seems to me easily to her. She’s moved after her parents’ divorce, but she’s convinced she won’t be staying long because the’ll definitely get back together …
But then Florence and William find out that their dads have started dating each other! Now they must put their differences to one side. Because only if they work together might they stand a chance of SPLITTING UP THEIR DADS.
10-year-old Will Huxley is a little worried about the start of Year 6 at Westward Primary School. Will always feels out of sorts at the start of each new academic year. It’s particularly bad this year, partly because it’s the last he will spend at primary school (and as someone who has ADHD and is on the autism spectrum, Will does not handle change well), but also because he is no longer hanging out with his former best friend, Jabari for reasons that Will Does Not Want To Talk About.
Then Will finds himself having to sit next to a new student, Florence Roberts who has moved to the area with her dad following her parents’ divorce. This is a surprise because his chattiness, impulsiveness and difficulty in focusing means that he generally has to sit by himself as the other students find him too distracting. Florence doesn’t seem to like him or care for his attempts to be friendly but worse, she’s amazingly good at art, which Will has always considered to be the one thing he’s good at. This is awful because the school is holding a competition to design a new logo and Will is desperate to win but Florence’s design is so obviously better.
To their mutual horror, Will and Florence discover that Will’s dad Ted was at school with Florence’s dad, Ross, and they used to date. Worse, when their dads bump into each other after school it’s clear that there remains something between them and that they’re interested in dating each other again. Will and Florence agree to put aside their differences and work together to make sure that their dads most definitely do not get together …
Ian Eagleton’s standalone contemporary novel for readers aged 9+ is a fun and empathic, lgbtq+ friendly read that shows ADHD and autism in a way that’s easy to relate to. Will is well drawn, fascinated by detective mysteries and frightened by the disruption his dad’s love life poses dad but also prone to jealousy and destructive acts while Florence is an interesting counterfoil, who hides her vulnerability behind indifference.
I picked this up because I’m always interested in checking out lgbtq+ fiction aimed at young readers. Eagleton is a new-to-me author but I really liked the way he incorporates the lgbtq+ elements here, together with his willingness to tackle issues of mental health in a way that’s clear to understand but also very easy to empathise while keeping the characters rounded with their own flaws and weaknesses.
Will is a particularly well drawn character. Fascinated by detective fiction and murder mysteries, he loves his dad and the time they spend together watching TV programmes. Eagleton really gets across through Will what it is like to have ADHD and be on the autism spectrum and I liked how he shows Will losing focus mid way through a thought because his thoughts race. Also good is the way that Eagleton shows Will’s vulnerability, his loneliness at not having a best friend anymore but also his guilt because he knows what he did to end that friendship and also the way that Will can perform really mean acts in the heat of the moment that he instantly regrets. I would have liked a bit more of the impact of this when it comes to his relationship with Jabari, just to get his take on what happened because when they do finally speak, Jabari is remarkably forgiving.
Will’s dad Ted is equally well drawn. A former secondary school teacher who has stopped working following unspecified mental health issues, he deeply loves Will and one of the most moving chapters in the book is right at the end where we get Ted’s perspective on first meeting his son.
Florence is an interesting counterfoil to Will. Outwardly sullen and uncaring, she’s been deeply affected by her parents’ divorce and desperately wants her mum and dad to get back together. She’s also a talented artist and singer and capable of getting on with anyone when she puts her mind to it. Even though she finds Will a little weird, she recognises the mutual benefit there is in working together to break up their dads and even though she finds Will’s ways frustrating, she’s prepared to do whatever it takes.
There is as much fun to be had in Will and Florence’s various schemes to break their dads up as there is in Will slowly getting to know Ross and question whether what they’re doing is actually the right thing to do. Mention should be made of the sensitive way that Eagleton shows Ross and Ted’s relationship, bringing out their previous youthful relationship and hinting at the reasons for their breakup. What I also liked is the fact that Eagleton does not erase homophobia from this book, incorporating it in a way that makes clear what a minority view it is.
However, if I have a criticism of the book it’s that Florence’s mum doesn’t really factor into Ted and Ross’s romance and her reaction to it is not shown. I think that’s a shame because it would have been a big thing feeding into Florence’s own viewpoint and change of mind at the end of the book but also because no matter how much things have changed for the better, divorcing from your husband and have him start a relationship with another man is always going to be something difficult to get your head around and I just wanted to see a nod to that. It didn’t need to be a big deal, but I think the book does miss something by not dealing with that.
This aside, I found it a really entertaining book and I should say that there are some genuine laugh out loud moments in it - a school trip to the British Museum was particularly funny given what the children are all interested in seeing. I would definitely check out Eagleton’s other books on the strength of this one.
The Verdict:
Ian Eagleton’s standalone contemporary novel for readers aged 9+ is a fun and empathic, lgbtq+ friendly read that shows ADHD and autism in a way that’s easy to relate to. Will is well drawn, fascinated by detective mysteries and frightened by the disruption his dad’s love life poses dad but also prone to jealousy and destructive acts while Florence is an interesting counterfoil, who hides her vulnerability behind indifference.
THE DAD TRAP was released in the United Kingdom on 15 January 2026. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.
William is impulsive, endlessly chatty, and struggles in school. His home life is safe and predictable - just him and Dad - and that’s how William likes it.
Florence is sullen, cold, and everything seems to me easily to her. She’s moved after her parents’ divorce, but she’s convinced she won’t be staying long because the’ll definitely get back together …
But then Florence and William find out that their dads have started dating each other! Now they must put their differences to one side. Because only if they work together might they stand a chance of SPLITTING UP THEIR DADS.
10-year-old Will Huxley is a little worried about the start of Year 6 at Westward Primary School. Will always feels out of sorts at the start of each new academic year. It’s particularly bad this year, partly because it’s the last he will spend at primary school (and as someone who has ADHD and is on the autism spectrum, Will does not handle change well), but also because he is no longer hanging out with his former best friend, Jabari for reasons that Will Does Not Want To Talk About.
Then Will finds himself having to sit next to a new student, Florence Roberts who has moved to the area with her dad following her parents’ divorce. This is a surprise because his chattiness, impulsiveness and difficulty in focusing means that he generally has to sit by himself as the other students find him too distracting. Florence doesn’t seem to like him or care for his attempts to be friendly but worse, she’s amazingly good at art, which Will has always considered to be the one thing he’s good at. This is awful because the school is holding a competition to design a new logo and Will is desperate to win but Florence’s design is so obviously better.
To their mutual horror, Will and Florence discover that Will’s dad Ted was at school with Florence’s dad, Ross, and they used to date. Worse, when their dads bump into each other after school it’s clear that there remains something between them and that they’re interested in dating each other again. Will and Florence agree to put aside their differences and work together to make sure that their dads most definitely do not get together …
Ian Eagleton’s standalone contemporary novel for readers aged 9+ is a fun and empathic, lgbtq+ friendly read that shows ADHD and autism in a way that’s easy to relate to. Will is well drawn, fascinated by detective mysteries and frightened by the disruption his dad’s love life poses dad but also prone to jealousy and destructive acts while Florence is an interesting counterfoil, who hides her vulnerability behind indifference.
I picked this up because I’m always interested in checking out lgbtq+ fiction aimed at young readers. Eagleton is a new-to-me author but I really liked the way he incorporates the lgbtq+ elements here, together with his willingness to tackle issues of mental health in a way that’s clear to understand but also very easy to empathise while keeping the characters rounded with their own flaws and weaknesses.
Will is a particularly well drawn character. Fascinated by detective fiction and murder mysteries, he loves his dad and the time they spend together watching TV programmes. Eagleton really gets across through Will what it is like to have ADHD and be on the autism spectrum and I liked how he shows Will losing focus mid way through a thought because his thoughts race. Also good is the way that Eagleton shows Will’s vulnerability, his loneliness at not having a best friend anymore but also his guilt because he knows what he did to end that friendship and also the way that Will can perform really mean acts in the heat of the moment that he instantly regrets. I would have liked a bit more of the impact of this when it comes to his relationship with Jabari, just to get his take on what happened because when they do finally speak, Jabari is remarkably forgiving.
Will’s dad Ted is equally well drawn. A former secondary school teacher who has stopped working following unspecified mental health issues, he deeply loves Will and one of the most moving chapters in the book is right at the end where we get Ted’s perspective on first meeting his son.
Florence is an interesting counterfoil to Will. Outwardly sullen and uncaring, she’s been deeply affected by her parents’ divorce and desperately wants her mum and dad to get back together. She’s also a talented artist and singer and capable of getting on with anyone when she puts her mind to it. Even though she finds Will a little weird, she recognises the mutual benefit there is in working together to break up their dads and even though she finds Will’s ways frustrating, she’s prepared to do whatever it takes.
There is as much fun to be had in Will and Florence’s various schemes to break their dads up as there is in Will slowly getting to know Ross and question whether what they’re doing is actually the right thing to do. Mention should be made of the sensitive way that Eagleton shows Ross and Ted’s relationship, bringing out their previous youthful relationship and hinting at the reasons for their breakup. What I also liked is the fact that Eagleton does not erase homophobia from this book, incorporating it in a way that makes clear what a minority view it is.
However, if I have a criticism of the book it’s that Florence’s mum doesn’t really factor into Ted and Ross’s romance and her reaction to it is not shown. I think that’s a shame because it would have been a big thing feeding into Florence’s own viewpoint and change of mind at the end of the book but also because no matter how much things have changed for the better, divorcing from your husband and have him start a relationship with another man is always going to be something difficult to get your head around and I just wanted to see a nod to that. It didn’t need to be a big deal, but I think the book does miss something by not dealing with that.
This aside, I found it a really entertaining book and I should say that there are some genuine laugh out loud moments in it - a school trip to the British Museum was particularly funny given what the children are all interested in seeing. I would definitely check out Eagleton’s other books on the strength of this one.
The Verdict:
Ian Eagleton’s standalone contemporary novel for readers aged 9+ is a fun and empathic, lgbtq+ friendly read that shows ADHD and autism in a way that’s easy to relate to. Will is well drawn, fascinated by detective mysteries and frightened by the disruption his dad’s love life poses dad but also prone to jealousy and destructive acts while Florence is an interesting counterfoil, who hides her vulnerability behind indifference.
THE DAD TRAP was released in the United Kingdom on 15 January 2026. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.
