This was pretty good. The cover is a little scary and it was a scary book, so fitting. It gave me chills but also felt a bit detached.

What a horrifying book!...in a good sense...sort of? Make sure you have some tissues by your side, if you are planning to read "Never be alone" . Be prepared to cry and to have your heart broken. How much suffering can a child endure just because he is an orphan?!

So, so heart wrenching! This poor child suffering so many injustices just because her parents died and had no relatives to care for her. You must read!

This was my first Paige Dearth novel and I AM HOOKED!

Wow! Just Wow!!! This story is absolutely riveting!! And incredibly heart wrenching! I am absolutely a Paige Dearth fan now and will devour the rest of her books as fast as I devoured this one. I literally could not put this book down.

Definitely one of those books that stays with you well after you’ve finished it. Bravo Paige!

God what a great book, very gritty and hard to read at some points but a story of true survival and just how strong you can be when needed. An inspirational book sad in parts and has you rooting for her, I enjoyed it thoroughly even though the material at times was hard to read. Great book but not a light hearted read, though a necessary one I feel.

Joon was once a bright and happy child but then her life changed forever. At the age of eight when her parents died suddenly, Joon was then put into the foster system and into the home of a woman named Aron. She then endured years of abuse and mistreatment from her foster mother and siblings and one day found the courage to run away and never come back.

She found refuge with other homeless teens, made friendships, overcame many hardships and heartaches, but was brave and resilient. Many of the scenes that played out in Never Be Alone brought me to near tears and I won't be forgetting this book for a long time to come. This is my first time reading a title from this author and her writing really pulled me in and made me feel like I was in Joon's shoes.

The story really brings light to the issues faced by homeless adults and youth and I found it extremely eye-opening. Seeing Joon come from horrible circumstances, enduring unspeakable things but then making it out on the other side was an emotional roller coaster to say the least. I was rooting for her the entire time but there are many teens that are not so lucky. 4 stars!

Big thanks to NetGalley who provided me a copy of this book for review!

Join was eight years when her parents died. She was put in a foster home. A house of horrors. She was whipped, burned, cut, humiliated, starved. She runs away and lives on the streets. At times she meets kind people and other times she mean evil, mean people. The one thing she does know, is to never be alone. There is safety in numbers when you are homeless and live on the streets.
This is a remarkable story. Yes, it is a fictional story, but homeless children are all around. They are hungry, sad, lost, looking for someone that accepts them for who they are. These are not lazy, drugged up children. These are the children that have fallen between the cracks.
Joon is an amazing character. The people she meets and befriends, the people she loves and to her character. An excellent read. Strongly recommended!

At first glance at the title and cover, I thought this was a thriller. Actually it's a heartbreaking portrayal of a young girl suffering horrible abuse at the hands of her foster mother and brother. When the abuse goes too far, she decides to run away and spends years living on the streets.
I love how Joon still keeps her kindness and only wants to help people after all the things she went through. I enjoyed seeing her character develop from an innocent victim to a tough, independent, caring woman.

Review: NEVER BE ALONE by Paige Dearth . Great book, not what I was expecting in a thriller category but very well written . The story of a young girl who loses her parents and is put in an abusive foster home and eventually winds up homeless and on the streets. Will read this author again , 4stars!

While this is not for the faint of heart, and hard to read at times, there are valuable lessons here. This is an eye-opening read for those who have never been exposed to homelessness. This story will grab you, shake you around, and keep hanging on. While I was reading I was transported into the character's world and could feel what they were going through. It takes a great author to take you into the character's shoes, and Death does this very well. It was a wonder that Joon made it out of this story alive. I will be looking for more by this author and recommend this read highly!

WOW!! This writer will suck you in and hold you tight as she eloquently writes a story that is so heartbreaking. The subject matter at hand is child abuse and while I could not relate, I was taken to every emotion that I could possibly feel. I think this is the first novel that I have read that has been able to keep my attention from the first page to the very last and have me crying and angery at the same time. I knew the premise of this story ahead of time so I waited until I had a few hours to start reading it. I knew there was a chance it was going to be powerful. And boy was it ever. Paige Dearth has done a wonderful job at telling this story and the words were written with such fluidity that there really was not one thing that stood out a inaccurate or that made you stop and have to go back because something was out of place or did not make sense. I am a strong advocate for children, elderly, and animals because they Cannot always speak up for themselves. This book was very well written and I would recommend it to anyone. I am not familiar with Ms. Dearth’s other writings, but after reading this one, I certainly will be now.


Thank you netgalley and the author/publisher for allowing me the privilege to read this book for my honest review.

5 stars ⭐️ Out of 5 for this one.

One of the most emotional books I’ve read. To imagine all the things that happen to the homeless doesn’t even come close. The pain and agony they feel was brought to me on a real level. I was so emotionally drained.? The ending was so fitting and I look forward to reading more from this author. Book provided by NetGalley.

This was a book that was sad and hope filled. Very well written and quite hard to put down. I read this book in 2 days. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley for my copy.

I absolutely loved this book!!! I thought this story and characters were amazing!!! The ending got me cheering but also had some happy tears. For the main character and her struggle and what she went through. It makes you look at a different perspective on that kind of lifestyle they have. Beautiful Beautiful story and I can't wait to read your others books!! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone!!!

This is the first book I’ve read by this author so I wasn’t familiar with her work but I’ve learned that she tends to write frequently about very real problems in society today.
This one focuses on homelessness and the challenges it entails. Though the entire book is heartbreaking, the beginning is just plain hard to get through. I felt like I was reading the female version of “A Child Called It” by Dave Pelzter (which was an equally vivid and graphic account of child abuse).
The author paints a very real scene with her narrative but I did find the dialogue between the characters to be overdone and at times, a little cheesy. It felt almost forced, especially towards the end.
It’s clear that being homeless is a horrible thing to endure but it felt like the author was trying to cram in as many horrible things that could happen to someone who was homeless into one story - it was bordering on overkill and at times it read more like an information brochure than a fictional novel. There were times I began to feel shameful (for being one of the “normal” people she speaks of) while reading about the horrible experiences the characters faced and I’m not sure if that was the author’s point but again, parts of it were overkill.
Overall, I did enjoy the book and would consider reading more of her work. I would recommend this to someone if they’re looking for a raw account of what it’s like to live on the streets. It’s definitely not a feel-good story (and the very end did feel a little forced and out of the blue) but it’s an important one!!

3.5 stars

This is a book that should never have been written - no strike that - this is a book that should be fantasy, but, it isn't. It's very true to life. I'm writing this in tears, as I have been for a lot of the book. We call bad people animals, it humans are the only animals that treat one another so badly.

It broke my heart, but I'm glad I read it. I will keep it in mind always.

Fiction With Meaning LLC and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Never Be Alone. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Young Joon lost her parents and, with no other relatives to take her in, ended up in foster care. There began her journey of hopelessness, as Joon was soon subjected to unspeakable horrors. Abused and battered on a daily basis, Joon faced fear that was as relentless as Aron's beatings. Unable to take one more day, Joon escaped. Will the horrors of foster care be mimicked on the streets?

Despite all of the horrors that Joon faced, Never Be Alone was not as compelling as it should have been. I just did not get the emotions behind the words and did not feel what Joon experienced. The reader is told everything that happens to her, but feelings do not enter in. The author does a good job of highlighting the horrific ways in which the system fails those who it swears to protect. The book is harsh, crude at times, but it does portray the unrelenting world for the homeless. The biggest problem with Never Be Alone is that some of the situations that Joon finds herself in are wholly unrealistic. I found it difficult to believe that, despite the many ways that Joon was tortured, she never appeared ill enough at school for teachers to become suspicious. It just did not seem possible that the adults in Joon's life, especially later in the book, would not have tried to help her. Without spoiling the ending, I also found the situation there to not have a basis in the real world. Never Be Alone raises important issues, but is a depressing read.

This is a difficult review to write and the first time I’ve encountered this issue. What makes it difficult to write? For me, I’m all too aware that apparently the author has lived this life; therefore the lines between fact and fiction are blurred, and I don’t want to offend anyone.

The beginning of the story, although extremely difficult to read, had me sucked in and feeling all kinds of emotions, which is a sign of good story telling. However, as the story progressed, the more liberal the author became with her creative licence, and the less believable the story became.

Now that kills me to say as I’m aware perhaps fiction isn’t stranger than fact, maybe all of those event had truth to them, BUT this is marketed as fiction and therefore I’m reviewing it as such. I had a hard time understanding how Joon never got sick. She lived in squalor, slept on a dirt floor, had a toe cut off, suffered from horrendous burns, etc, etc, yet never ended up in hospital. (Toward the end of the book, when she needs a tetanus shot, it states she hadn’t seen a doctor since she was five). AND not only that***possible spoiler***somehow while still living on the streets, she was healthy enough to donate a kidney. I’m sure it was supposed to be touching, but I just wasn’t buying it.

The writing was solid enough but referring to characters as ‘the girl’, 'the woman', 'the child', 'the boy' distanced me as a reader. It was also confusing at times. For example; Joon is watching television, the girl does something. For a minute I thought ‘the girl’ was on TV, but no, Joon and the girl are the same person.

Four stars for half the book, two for the other half, overall rating 3 stars.

Never Be Alone tells a tale of the human spirit and the will to survive. The foster care system failed Joon and life let her down, but she survives in spite of it all.
Paige Dearth has a talent for stories of loss and surviving it all.

This book started off a little slow for me, the first few chapters while Joon was living with her foster family felt very monotone. It was hard for me to get attached to Joon however as the story progressed, I found myself liking her more and more. I especially liked all the closure at the end of the book. Many times I feel like books leave tons of loose ends and this tied up everything perfectly. I was also excited to see an excerpt from another book by the author that goes into the story of another one of the characters in Never Be Alone.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.