Very slow burn. More slow than anticipated. It was very difficult for me to read due to how it written in the child’s pov.

Sorry I took so long to read such a great book
I highly recommend and would love to read more by this author

Molly doesn’t have the easiest childhood, her mother is a drug addict and neglects her. On the run from social services they end up living with a nasty man in a village in Devon, where Molly experiences freedom wondering the wilderness of Dartmoor and that is where she goes to escape the daily violence.
Molly doesn’t accept the situation and wants to find a way out, will she?
A very hard book to read.

3.5⭐⭐⭐



- the book honestly got me hooked from the first pages, until i wasnt .
it gotten to the point that it has to be combine with two scenes that i couldnt understand and nearly dnf.
Apparently , i tried to finish it and it was worth it the end .




+ thankyou netgalley for the opportunity .

❤️shaye.reads

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book. This book was a tough read as it really centers around the effects of child abuse, never a fun subject to explore. This book was a slow burn and tough to get through at times. I didn't really enjoy reading Molly's story, as her mother was certainly not a pillar of society. However, Molly is resilient, which is refreshing. Not my favorite book, but I'd be willing to read more from this author.

Molly is about 12 years old, although she cannot be sure, as her mother, a prostitute and drug addict, always lowered her daughter’s age to appease various people in their life.

This time, Molly is pretending she is nine year olds for Lester, Mum’s new boyfriend. Lester plies Molly’s Mum with drugs, so he can abuse her. Something that the mother realises, but won’t do anything about it.

Molly and her Mum fled from London, as Social Services were going to remove Molly from her mother’s ‘care’. They arrive at Dartmoor and move in with Lester, a bully and a predator.

Molly finds an old map in the house of the local moor and she starts going on walks, exploring the local area. These walks give her a sense of freedom and a respite from the abusive Lester.

However, a woman walking with a limp is always on the moor. She seems to pop up every time Molly is out and she tries to strike a conversation with her. Molly is very distrustful when it comes to adults… Can she trust this woman? What does she want from Molly?

This was such a hard book to read. The topic of child sexual abuse and Molly’s accounts of what Lester did to hear were harrowing to read.

I felt so sorry for Molly and I was appalled at her mother’s actions. I realise that her mother was an addict and it’s an illness, but to sell your own child to a predator in exchange for drugs? I just can’t seem to wrap my head around this.

I have no words for Lester, a despicable and disgusting person.

I won’t tell you what happened to Molly, but she was extremely resilient.

Thank you to Matador for approving my NetGalley request to read and review this title.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Not Forever is an afflicting story about Molly and the terrible things she endured partially at the hands of her mother. After her mom told her they were leaving London, Molly thought she was going to a place they would essentially live happily ever after. Instead she was taken somewhere worse than what they were leaving behind.

When I first started reading I was so confused until I read someone else say that it was written in first person by a child. That definitely helped to make more sense of the way it was written but for some reason I still didn’t feel like I could really connect with Molly until closer to the end. Stories like this do interest me which was why I was drawn to this book but it took getting at least half way through for me to really feel like I was invested in the story. I did find Molly’s perspective of the way she was treated like “a poor thing” or “damaged goods” very eye opening though. At the end of the day we all just want to be treated like human beings regardless of what we’ve been through.

A harrowing tale of Molly and her mother, a drug addict who uses her daughter as currency to buy her drugs from some rather unsavoury characters. The pair flee London and head to Dartmoor and reside in a remote, neglected house with Lester. Molly has to be Lester’s ‘good girl’ in order for them to stay and Molly’s mum continues to out her drug habit before her daughters safety. Molly escapes and explores the moor and comes cross the ‘map’ lady who shows her different parts of the moor. Things come to ahead one evening, when Lester is throwing a ‘party’ and Molly is the party entertainment. Soon Molly’s life takes a unprecedented turn but there is no happy ever after for her.
A fast paced book full of plot and implied abused. Quite a dark thriller, and not usual twist or happy ending.

This wasn’t a easy read but I honestly enjoyed it. Possible triggers for some people. Great story and a quick read. Thank you for allowing me to review it.

In his first adult novel Alex Mellanby tackles a very difficult subject matter. The plot really is quite harrowing and thought-provoking with exceptional character development.
I spent my childhood close to Dartmoor and the author describes it perfectly. I can visualize every single scene.
I think it is important to sometimes read outside one's comfort zone.

This one wasn't really my cup of tea, I didn't love the characters and I wasn't engrossed. It had some good elements and might be perfect for someone....just not me :)

I did enjoy this. It isn’t the usual type of book I go for but I did enjoy it. Some bits were tough going due to the nature of the content but you can’t help but root for the young girl. I would recommend this book and will keep an eye out for more titles

Incredibly harrowing book with possible triggers for people. I have to admit there were times near the beginning of the book that I didn't want to finish it but I'm glad I did as it is a well written, thought provoking and engaging book. I don't think that right thing to say was that I enjoyed the book but I found I wanted to read it more and wanted to know more about Molly's life.

Molly is a little girl who has an incredibly abusive and disturbing childhood with a mother who cares more about her next fix then her daughter. Having a child myself I can't get my head round this but I know it unfortunately happens. We follow Molly's life and her trying to survive all the horrible things that happen to her.

Great book but with possible triggers for people so be warned.

Would recommend but you definitely need to be in the right frame of mind.

Molly’s childhood is a world of secrets and hiding. Her life is spent escaping from danger with her mother. This time they leave London at night with a supposed offer of a house in Devon.

Lester’s house is more of a squat. He is a truly disgusting and violent man. Molly’s mother is held by the mixture of available drugs and a need to be wanted. Molly believes their lives are in danger if they try to escape.

Outside the run-down house, Molly discovers Dartmoor. The fantastic bleak wilderness is an unbelievable space for a young girl who knows only towns and dark alleys. Molly steals her times on the moor while Lester plots.

But when things go badly wrong for her mother, Molly seeks revenge and that’s when Police, Ambulance, Fire, and Court Services arrive.

And that is just the beginning.

Great book, by an author I will read more of! Thrilling plot, great writing and brilliant characters. Highly recommend to others.

This book is told from the point of view of a young child and the horrific abuse that she has gone through. I did really enjoy this book however the abuse side was really difficult to read about. It was explained in a way that was good but I did find it difficult to read about.

I was drawn to this book, as - like Molly, the protagonist and narrator - Dartmoor is my happy place. The moor is an extra character and is beautifully formed and perfectly described, and I was with Molly on every step of her walks up the tors. I also now want to go and discover Letterboxing! I am very grateful that my first journey to the moor was for much happier reasons than Molly’s.

I am also drawn to books with child narrators where the intended reader is not the same age of the character. This is most definitely not a book for children or young teens. I can’t imagine being able to comprehend much of Molly’s experiences before I went to university. And again I am grateful that I cannot relate and empathise.

I read the book in 2 sittings, although I often felt I would need to put it down and clear some of the images being burned into my mind. Molly’s life, like the moor, has been vast and bleak, despite her being younger than 11. She has suffered terribly at the hands of her drug-addicted mother, and the paedophile’s she has been given to in exchange for her mother’s fix. Her only respite is found on the expanse of Dartmoor.

Unintentionally, my break between readings coincided with a pivotal point in Molly’s life. I was hopeful that on my return it would be a more joyful, survivors tale. But Mellanby packs no punches and Molly’s continued life is no more a bed of roses than her younger years. Uncomfortable to read, but I am sure sadly very much more realistic than a Disney-style happy ever after would be.

Despite it’s bleakness, there is humour within the book - Molly’s attitude to her “cardy-carer’s”, and relationship with the African soldiers are 2 examples of this wry humour.

I really can’t say I enjoyed reading Not Forever, and it feels wrong to award it 5 stars on my personal review scale, as it is so harrowing and disturbing. There is some hope at the end, but we will never truly know how Molly’s forever works out. The book will, however, stay with me for a long while, and I am not sure I will ever see mine and Molly’s beloved moor in the same way again. A solid 4.5*s and one I will recommend selectively to friends of a less sensitive disposition!

This is a superb story.
I really liked the main character, and how she approaches life and survival.
The landscape where she ultimately finds herself is fairly bleak, yet when she explores there is brightness and hope. This is parallel with her life.
Some parts of it are a little implausible, but not so much so that it disrupts the enjoyment of the story.
Really recommend this!

This book is quiet dark, disturbing, and about a very hard subject, which will definitely not be for everyone. I would warn anyone looking to start to make sure you will not be triggered. If you won’t, then I do think you’ll find it to be very well written, with great character development! Would highly recommend to those whom can handle the subject, which I know is not everyone, hard to review because of subject manner, but done well for what it’s dealing with.

A hard book to read at times, this is the story of a girl of indeterminate age (even she isn't sure) whose mother is a drug addict and who ends up in the clutches of a paedophile living on the edge of Dartmoor. It's the story of how she finds release by escaping to the moors, and how she tries to avoid the future "forever" that seems to be mapped out for her. Due to the child abuse content it is a difficult read at times but Molly is an engaging voice and I was gripped by the story and hopeful for her happy ending.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.