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caenerys's review
2.0
I was gifted an ARC of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I did enjoy this book but I definitely found that it had some issues. This follows a 14 year old girl who gets unknowingly groomed online by an older man. The theme of the book is interesting and I think it's a great way of raising awareness, especially for young teen girls who may experience something similar. However, the voice of the protagonist was very naive, but not in a sweet way. She came across as annoying and immature, and I think that older readers would be put off by her voice, and younger readers may feel patronised, especially if she is supposed to be the character they relate to.
Overall, not a bad book, but I think the tone could do with some work.
I did enjoy this book but I definitely found that it had some issues. This follows a 14 year old girl who gets unknowingly groomed online by an older man. The theme of the book is interesting and I think it's a great way of raising awareness, especially for young teen girls who may experience something similar. However, the voice of the protagonist was very naive, but not in a sweet way. She came across as annoying and immature, and I think that older readers would be put off by her voice, and younger readers may feel patronised, especially if she is supposed to be the character they relate to.
Overall, not a bad book, but I think the tone could do with some work.
ionaxx's review
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
readandreviewit's review
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
3.5
every teen should read this.
I felt physically sick when they met
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, and Pedophilia
Minor: Violence
gilljames's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This story engages you from the outset. Miriam Halamy uses a third person narrative but we still feel as though we are right in Holly’s head. We also have extracts from her diary at the end of the novel. She really captures the young girls voice.
This is a very important topic – internet safety. I can see a second novel here where we watch Holly as she comes up to and goes through the court case and then rebuilds her life afterwards.
emmap2023's review
5.0
Holly is 14 and feels alone, her best friend has moved away to Canada and her parents are dealing the normal stresses of both work and home life as well as caring for an elderly member of the family. This has caused Holly to feel both isolated and alone, spending increasingly longer amounts of time fending for herself and in the house alone, where she is terrified of every noise that she hears.
Her mum does try to get her to befriend Noah, a boy in her year who is experiencing bullying from another class mate and member of his synagogue. Although Holly does not realise it this friendship may not only save Noah, but also herself.
Then Holly meets Jay, someone she believes is friends with her bestie Amy and other people in school as he was posted about on an online forum, quickly this situation gets out of hand and she begins to isolate herself from those she cares about and her personality notably changes. Is Jay what he say's he is, the photo's and things he says sound like someone she could have as a boyfriend....
A terrifyingly realistic portrayal of child grooming in our modern society using the internet. I believe this should be on the school curriculum for at risk teenagers of 13+, it shows in a realistic way the risks that young people, not specifically girls are exposed to the unknown on the internet. I will definitely be keeping this book for my step daughter to read when she is of a suitable age and feel any parent who would want an insight into the risks may also find it useful. I have given it 5* for its realistic portrayal.
Her mum does try to get her to befriend Noah, a boy in her year who is experiencing bullying from another class mate and member of his synagogue. Although Holly does not realise it this friendship may not only save Noah, but also herself.
Then Holly meets Jay, someone she believes is friends with her bestie Amy and other people in school as he was posted about on an online forum, quickly this situation gets out of hand and she begins to isolate herself from those she cares about and her personality notably changes. Is Jay what he say's he is, the photo's and things he says sound like someone she could have as a boyfriend....
A terrifyingly realistic portrayal of child grooming in our modern society using the internet. I believe this should be on the school curriculum for at risk teenagers of 13+, it shows in a realistic way the risks that young people, not specifically girls are exposed to the unknown on the internet. I will definitely be keeping this book for my step daughter to read when she is of a suitable age and feel any parent who would want an insight into the risks may also find it useful. I have given it 5* for its realistic portrayal.
kba76's review
3.0
A topical book, though it feels a little forced on occasion, and I think reading it as an adult gives a very different response. The story focuses on grooming, and it was clearly carefully researched, and it had - perhaps appropriate for the intended audience - a relatively happy ending.
Our main character, Holly, is in year nine. She feels left out of things in school as her best friend, Amy, has recently moved to Canada. Her parents are often out and there are issues with her gran which mean she’s often home alone. She’s a pretty ideal candidate for a vulnerable person...so when she gets a message from Jay she starts texting back. The messages soon become more personal. Though nothing is directly concerning in terms of content, the sheer volume of messages is worrying. Safe on her pedestal - she even talks about knowing how to keep safe online - Holly quickly finds herself ensnared in a worrying scenario.
I was surprised by how quickly things happened. Within a fortnight, Holly had arranged to meet the mysterious Jay and was sending him seemingly innocent pictures. But we see just how easy it is to manipulate things...and how someone intent on causing harm can use things to their advantage.
Thankfully the parents get involved at an opportune moment and Holly has friends on the periphery of her life who step up when needed. This prevents anything too extreme happening. While we know not every scenario will end positively, it certainly offers a glimpse into the issues and might make someone think for a moment before doing anything that might not work out so well.
Our main character, Holly, is in year nine. She feels left out of things in school as her best friend, Amy, has recently moved to Canada. Her parents are often out and there are issues with her gran which mean she’s often home alone. She’s a pretty ideal candidate for a vulnerable person...so when she gets a message from Jay she starts texting back. The messages soon become more personal. Though nothing is directly concerning in terms of content, the sheer volume of messages is worrying. Safe on her pedestal - she even talks about knowing how to keep safe online - Holly quickly finds herself ensnared in a worrying scenario.
I was surprised by how quickly things happened. Within a fortnight, Holly had arranged to meet the mysterious Jay and was sending him seemingly innocent pictures. But we see just how easy it is to manipulate things...and how someone intent on causing harm can use things to their advantage.
Thankfully the parents get involved at an opportune moment and Holly has friends on the periphery of her life who step up when needed. This prevents anything too extreme happening. While we know not every scenario will end positively, it certainly offers a glimpse into the issues and might make someone think for a moment before doing anything that might not work out so well.
freyas_bookshelf's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
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