BOOK REVIEW: Always Here for You by Miriam Halahmy

Young Adult - Trigger Warning for Child Grooming on the Internet

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.

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