Mandasue Heller's thrilling novel is set on the gritty streets of Manchester.
When fifteen-year-old Skye's mother finally does something so shocking that it can't be hushed up, the police turn her over to the social workers - and that's when the nightmare begins.
She doesn't know if her father is alive or dead; the woman who is supposed to be helping her dumps her in a terrifying 'home' that's more like a jail. But she still has one friend to turn to: the sympathetic girl she's met in an internet chat room, the one who seems to have a home life as unhappy as Skye's. And Jade offers her a safe place to stay . . .
Alone in Manchester, nearly penniless, Skye is willing to trust Jade. Even when it isn't Jade who turns up at the rendezvous, but a grown-up man who says he's Jade's brother . . .
Afraid Reviews
The Independent:
‘A vivid and painful tale … a very harrowing and plausible story . . . It's relentlessly grim, but no one reads this addictive author for comfort. Cosy, she ain't
Bella:
‘Life hasn't been easy for 15-year-old Skye and after
she's dumped in a terrifying children's home she
feels things couldn't get much worse. But when an
online friend turns out to be not who she thinks she
is, it looks as though they can ...’
ANN MITCHELL:
‘I found the psychology of 'grooming' totally believable. Apart from being a great read, it would serve ,the police, social workers, care-home workers, counsellors, youth workers well to read this book. Your empathy for the dispossessed is inspiring. Loved every page. Many congratulations.’
