Never Be Alone by Paige Dearth

 

Genre: Adult, Realistic Fiction
Source: I Own A copy

This is a story for those who love a well written story about real life. I am not talking about the feel good, everything is wine and roses good.  This is another book in the Home Street Home series.  Be forewarned, it is a tough topic to read about.  It is a story in all of its hopelessness about looking for hope in the most dire situations. Joon is just eight years old when her parents die. She placed in a foster home. As she nears the door she becomes very afraid. She can tell something is just not right. The lady at the door talks a good game to the social worker, but Joon knows she doesn’t want to be there. It isn’t long before she find out how true her thoughts are. The moment the door closes the verbal abuse begins. The woman introduces her to her two new “brothers”.  Then the verbal abuse begins. The longer she lives with Aron and the boys the worse it gets. She is starved, beaten, and verbally abused.  She longs for school to begin where she can feel some normalcy. This isn’t going to happen.  Deen, the older boys sets her up at school to be hated, made fun of and lies about her at home.  Her bedroom is there only for use when the social worker will be paying a visit. Most of the time she is forced to sleep in the basement.  If she is lucky the dog sleeps with her. She is made to clean the house and then bow to Arons every cruel wish. When Deen makes it clear he is going to rape her she makes a decision that she feels is the lesser of two evils. She runs away.

This is a story where we learn so much about Joon and all that she is lost. Through it all there is that one tiny thread of hope that she holds onto.  I sat and read it through in one sitting, because it was that good.  Warning, it is graphic and full of violence, language and sexual situations. It is one of the most realistic things I have read. I am not sure I would have been a survivor like Joon.  I am definitely reading more of this author’s work.