Never Be Alone

I find these books by Paige Dearth so hard to read but at the same time I feel that it is important that the books ARE read simply because the message is so very important. Eight year old Joon's life changes suddenly from a secure and very happy childhood to one of utter despair and hardship when her parents die and she is thrust into foster care. There little Joon is exposed to the most horrible abuse that can be imagined. She suffers for years until she finally escapes from the house of horrors to a hard life on the streets. Homelessness on the streets has its own horrors and Joon suffers through more years with the never ending challenge of not having a home or anyone to rely on but herself. This is the second book I have read by Paige Dearth and I found "Never Be Alone" even harder to read than the first one. I am not sure if it is because the main character is female and I know what it is like to be abused and alone or if the character is more developed. I was not able to put the book down because I had to know what happened next and was so hoping that things would get better for Joon. I was so happy to see the main character from "Mean Little People" (Tony and the gang) show up in this book and now I want to read the first book again. The writing is very stark, to the point, and heart felt. I hope that more people are willing to give Paige Dearth's books a chance. They are a very hard subject to read about but as I mentioned above, there is a very important message here and children and people we should remember who are going through horrible things as I type this review. The book brings awareness to an important issue that should not be swept under the rug because we are uncomfortable with the subject matter. I really recommend that people have the courage to read these if only to become aware and develop some compassion and understanding. I want to thank Paige Dearth for having the courage to write about such a heart breaking subject that must hit close to home. I would also like to thank Fiction With Meaning LLC for introducing me to Paige Dearth's books and allowing me to read "Never Be Alone". I received a copy of this book from Fiction With Meaning LLC via Netgalley for free in exchange for my honest review.