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A review by kba76
Always Here For You by Miriam Halahmy
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.