Just A Girl

Just a Girl is a heart-breaking read about a young girl who is subjected horrific abuse, It's sad, shocking but uplifting as it brings home the message that your past does not define your future.

The first words that come to mind when I think about what I want to say about Just A Girl are...... horrific, shocking and heartbreaking. But then a moment later and I think.... strength, determination and resilience. This book is the story of Scarlett and the horrendous abuse that she suffered for many years. She was abused in probably every way possible. She grew up being abused so much so that she thought it was normal to be treated like that, she actually expected it! No child asks to be abused, no teenager asks to be abused, and no adult asks to be abused. The fact that it continues to happen in society is sickening and yes, they are incredibly difficult to read. But I personally think it's all to easy for some people to ignore it and pretend that things like this don't happen in their world. So memoirs like this are important to raise awareness of what some people suffer through. But I also think they are important as they show other people who have been or are being abused that there is hope, that things can get better, that they can survive and rise out of the hell that they are in.
I can't imagine having to go through what Scarlett has or how brave she has had to be over the years. She has done a wonderful job with detailing what she went through in a raw and honest way. At the end of each chapter was a section written by Scarlett in the current day where she tells young Scarlett what she wishes she could have been told back then. Her journey from hell to the inspirational woman she is today is amazing.

This book brought out every emotion in me , anger, sadness, disgust and a little happiness . I found It a really hard read and just wanted to hit very on who did Scarlett wrong from her parents, authorities, abusers, friends . It highlights what went on then and is still very much going on today

This is one of the most heartbreaking, yet addictive books I’ve read in a long time. It’s not for the faint hearted. Telling the story of how she is abused by her father and then groomed by a ‘boyfriend’. This is certainly a book I’ll be sharing with my student teachers, as they learn about child protection.

Unfortunately this is a true story. Scarlet has a really tough start to life, abused by her own father from an early age she doesn’t even know how wrong this is. Desperate to be loved and with a distorted view of life Scarlet gets involved with a ‘boyfriend’ who grooms her for more sexual exploitation.
An interesting book but not always a comfortable read.

This is a haunting memoir told with unerring honesty and candour. What Scarlett has endured, at the hands of her father, her boyfriend, her community, extended family and then the family courts and judicial system is quite simply unimaginable. Were this a novel reviewers may say it was too much, too unbelievable but this is Scarlett’s life and a life she has put to incredibly good use by her involvement in The Holly Project providing an enquiry into CSE in Telford and to help other young victims of CSE. Where so many would have, quite forgivably, buckled under the weight of so much trauma Scarlett has fought back, been an excellent mother and now will help all those other ‘little Scarletts’
The more women have the courage to come forward and the more organisations commit to tackling it, we can work towards ridding our towns and cities of sex trafficking and child sexual exploitation.

This book was tough to read, containing detail of child abuse and pornography. But it was very well told, and the emotions of the child were well hidden and at the same time clearly shone through. Another evil person is behind bars - because someone spoke out, and someone else listened and believed.

Heartbreaking book, telling the mental and physical abuse of Scarlett, by her father and boyfriend.
Not a light read by any means, made me cry several times and took me longer to read than most books as I had to mentally prepare myself.
That said, a well told story and an important read for anyone who wants to understand the feelings the abused.

On gosh. This book was a true story which left me shocked and made !e feel for this writer
Well done for managing to put your story into words even if it was shocking to the core.

Just A Girl by Scarlett Jones (a pseudonym) is a truly shocking book that offers a firsthand insight into the horrific experiences of someone who was raped and abused from the age of 8 ,first by her Dad then ,as a teenager, by her "boyfriend" ,who she'd initially seen as finally someone good in her life.
The book takes a unique form, as Scarlett tells the story of her younger life and the escalating abuse she suffers she ends each chapter with her "present self" looking on and counselling the young girl she was with the benefit of hindsight . If that sounds a bit odd it's a very effective device and shows how differently she sees what happened to her as a child and how she views it now.
The book is very raw and explicit, from her Dad's initial grooming to the constant sexual,psychological and physical abuse at the hands of various members of Telford's Asian community. It's a very uncomfortable read but essentially so as it graphically illustrates the depravity and brutality of those who abuse children . it's hard enough reading about any kind of rape and violent assault but to be reminded that the victims are children and their attackers are often supposedly pillars of their community is stomach-churning.
As shocking as Scarlett's life of being battered and raped repeatedly is, what makes it worse is that seemingly the protagonists were untouchable with a whole community being aware of what was going on ,and apparently still is, turning a blind eye if not actually exploiting the plight of the young girls being exploited.. Scarlett's whole life was being let down by people, parents, most of the males in her life,social workers, and the police that it still makes it hard for her to trust anyone. Her experiences with the courts when her Dad was finally brought to account are jaw-dropping .
Not a book for everyone, it's very explicit and could give you nightmares but of course as an honest account of what too many children go through at the hands of the disgusting individuals who abuse them it needs to be so that readers understand the true horror of Scarlett's experience.
Scarlett now works to help the victims of the kind of abuse she suffered, her life has been an ordeal that would have broken a lesser person ,respect to her. Definitely not a light read but a very important one, this is a book that will stay with you long after you've finished it.

Thanks to Scarlett Jones, Mirror Books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Oh my! I have just finished this harrowing story of scarlett and the horrific abuse both mentally and sexually she suffered at the hands of her father and then her so called boyfriend.. It's is a true account by the author of her life.
It's hard reading at times but her strength comes through the words and her over riding need to survive.
I wept many times for little scarlett and older scarlett has words of encouragement scattered through the book.
To quote ' Just remember this – it was never you. It was never your fault. It wasn’t what you wore. It wasn’t what you said. It wasn’t how you looked.'
To the author. :- I am so proud of you having the strength to share your story.

Thank you netgalley and mirror books for the advance copy in return for a review #netgalley #mirrorbooks

This book was very sad just like most books about child abuse. Our main character, Scarlet has anything but a normal life. Verbally abused by her mother and sexually abused by her father Scarlet just doesn't know where to turn. What I found was very interesting and different about this book was our author when she talks about what happened to her as a child she then goes on small breaks and talks about how she feels looking back on it as an adult. It was very different from what I've read in other abuse cases but it puts small light breaks into
what could have been a very dark and depressing read. I did find it very sad how Scarlet's mother didn't seem to notice or care that her daughter was being abused by her father. How could she let those terrible things happen to her own flesh and blood and not step in and do anything? It isn't long before Scarlet meets Ed and that is when the story really takes off. Very sad story but it was nice to see that there was a silver lining and just because terrible things happen to you in the past doesn't mean that you are destined for the kind of sorrow. So many terrible things happened to Scarlet both when she was living with her abuser but it also showed how the abuse doesn't always stop even though they are under different roofs. If you like books with sad events then this is one that you should check out. Thank you Scarlet Jones and Mirror books for allowing me to read this novel I enjoyed it very much.

****Review*****

Truly amazing inspirational story.

Unfortunately there are so many of these stories and I hope one day with enough time and effort there will a drastic change in domestic abuse ect but for now we can only admire the ones who manage to get out.
I read this book in four hours, it spoke to me because I had similar background. The pure emotions within this book is astounding. I would recommend this book to anyone. It truly is inspiring to see such a woman come through with some light still left inside her. Unlike some books she knows you can never fully get over the past abuse be it physically, mentally or emotionally. You can only learn to cope with it, it will always be there but it doesn’t have to be your whole life. You can have love and happiness.
This book will give you hope.
Thank you to Netgalley/Scarlett Jones/Mirror Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Scarlett had been groomed by her father from an early age. She was sexually abused y him when she was just eight years old. Whilst walking home from school, she is befriended by a young man called Ed. He tells her that his friend wants to meet her. She agrees and Ed takes her to his house. But theres nomfriend waiting to meet Scarlett. Ed is part of a vicious grooming gang.

This is quite a distressing book to read. We hear so much about sex trafficking, grooming, sexual abuse and the violence these women had to endure. This is Scarlett's own account of thena usage suffered from her father and Ed. There's also advice Scarlett would now give her eight year old self. The investigation into this case is still ongoing. What an inspirational read this is.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Mirror Books and the author Scarlett Jones for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

what Scarlett went through . should not happen to any child or teenager . abused buy her father then later buy a groomer and this is still happening my heart goes out to Scarlett and her sister . i live in Shropshire . and it is still going on in that part now

Just a Girl by Scarlett Jones is the heartbreaking true account of a woman who was sexually abused from the age of eight at the hands of her own father. While this is horrific in and of itself, things get even worse for Scarlett when she manages to escape the evil clutches of her family, and falls into unimaginable circumstances when she meets Ed, a man whose actions are truly inconceivable.

This is a difficult read as the shocking details are presented truthfully and uncensored. The author seems oddly unemotional and detached for the most part, undoubtedly a survival technique that she has honed throughout her life. While this is an uncomfortable and deeply disturbing account, it is an important one as it serves to shine a spotlight on the growing epidemic that is violence and abuse against women. This is a truly brave story that most of us cannot even begin to fathom.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Mirror Books for this ARC.

Fantastic book my heart really goes out to this girl what an awfull time last from pillar to post with those awful men I’m so pleased you kept your head up and stayed strong

Scarlett Jones (not her real name) is an incredible woman and amazing, talented author. Her start in life was so sad, a mother who doesn’t appear to want, or be capable of loving her children, and a paternal family rife with child sexual abusers. Scarlett was groomed by her father from an early age and the sexual abuse started age when she was just eight years old. It is no wonder that she did not know what a healthy relationship should be, and was targeted by another abusive man and fell prey to more child sexual exploitation which is now part of the ongoing investigation in Telford.
The book is written in such a touching way with Scarlett writing as she recalls her memories as a child and interspersing this with advice she would now give the child Scarlett. It really is a wonderful book, full of hope and shows how women in Scarlett’s position can not only survive, but actually thrive.
I wish Scarlett all the very best for the future.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.