Illegal by Miriam Halahmy

Series: Hayling Island Cycle, Book Two

Publisher: Meadowside Fiction

Format: ARC

Published: 20^th March 2012

Number of Pages: 288

Book: For Review*

Genre: Contemporary, Realistic-Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age, Action-Adventure, Thriller-Suspence, YA

Recommended Age: 13+

Contains: Violence, Self-harming, Drug Growing, Swearing

No Alcohol References

Author's Blog: Miriam Halahmy

“If Jemma had lived, none of this would have happened.  I’d have been too busy to get dragged into this filthy, illegal business…”

Since Lindy’s baby sister died, her family have been caught in a downward spiral.  Her brothers are in prison and her parents have given up.  Soon Lindy is out of her depth too, caught in the centre of an international drugs ring, with no way out.  Then Lindy finds help from an unexpected ally: weird, mute Karl from school, and together they plan a daring and desperate escape.  But when you’re in this deep, can you ever be free?

Touching, surprising and painfully honest, Illegal is the second in a cycle of three novels by Miriam Halahmy, and the follow up to her acclaimed first novel, Hidden.

                                                                   Review:

Ever since baby Jemma died, Lindy's family has fallen apart. Her brothers are in prison and her parents spend all their money on alcohol and gambling.

So when she's offered a job by her cousin, she takes it, desperate to escape. But she's soon in way too deep: her cousin is a drug dealer, and she's caught in the middle. With no way out, she's trapped, caught in a downward spiral…

Until she finds an unexpected ally in the new boy: strange, mute Karl. With his help, can Lindy escape the web she is caught up in?

When you've done what she's done, is being truly free ever an option?

I love emotional contemps, so when Miriam asked me to review this, I couldn't say no! And Illegal did not disappoint! Emotional, powerful and addictive, it had me hooked from page one. It dealt with difficult topics like drug dealing brilliantly, and created a story with amazing and a believable plot. I adored Illegal, and can't wait to get my hands on Hidden and Stuffed (Books One and Three).

Lindy Bellows was a really troubled girl who had too much responsibility, too young. She was tough, putting on a brave face, but she was drowning.  And she was all alone. Her vulnerability broke my heart, and made me just love her to pieces. She'd lost so much, so she didn't really want to let people in and was scared and untrusting of the ones she did let in. She was so vulnerable and broken inside that it was impossible for me NOT to love her.

Karl Reece was strong and cute and sweet and caring and darn irresistible!  To begin with he never said anything, but he spoke volumes with his eyes, eyebrows and face. I loved him! He'd been through so much, and was so clever and oh-so-cute with his "I-love-facts-voice"!

I loved the relationship between Lindy and Karl: it was so natural, so sweet, so real. I just loved seeing how Lindy's thoughts of Karl changed as she got to know him better, going from thinking of him as a "retard" to feeling terrible for ever thinking that. They were so different but so alike and when they were together, I just felt it. They were perfect.

Garth Bellows, Lindy's 19-year-old brother, was someone I couldn’t figure out to begin with.  He was meant to make everything better for Lindy, but he got her the job with Cousin Collin.  But he really came through and tried to look out for Lindy, even from prison.  He was so caring and reassuring and made me and Lindy feel safe.

Cousin Collin Bellows, drug dealer. He was a shady character, tricking Lindy, lying, wheedling his way into everyone's good books. I agreed with Lindy: he was "totally insane".

Jess... When I first 'met' her, I thought she was a total cow: she was horrid to Lindy, vindictive. But towards the end, I started thinking that she wasn't too bad. I think her character can be expanded on... And guess what! After meeting Miriam, she confirmed Book3, Stuffed, will be about Jess: Squeee! Can't wait!

Lindy's family was really dysfunction and broken. Her dad was addicted to gambling, always down at the bookies. Her mum was empty, broken, never doing anything. Her big brothers were in prison, and her younger one was innocent and young and always hungry. And baby Jemma was dead. Although the family wasn't perfect, they were a family. And I could feel it, especially in the very last chapter. I'll miss the Bellows!  I really loved little Sean - he doted on Lindy, worrying if she wasn't in... he was terrified he'd lose her too. He was so clever and so cute and I just loved him!

A huge theme in this book is loss. Both Lindy and Karl lost someone, and it affected them both hugely.  Friendship is another, especially in the unlikeliest places, and about being able to let people in and trust them after having loved and lost before. This in particular, I think Miriam did beautifully.

The writing was brilliant: raw, emotional, powerful. Told in third person, it still really let me get into Lindy's head. I felt everything she felt, saw everything she saw. And it was authentically teen. It was simple, yet emotional and powerful. Just the way I like it!  And the plot was brilliant and compelling, unlike anything I've read before. I've read ones with drugs in, but not ones like this. Not with characters I fell in love with the moment I met them and had me glued to the page so I could find out how it all ended. Although I had a vague idea about what the plot would be like, I really didn't see the twists coming. I loved every second!  

I just adored the setting.  Hayling Island sounds beautiful, and I loved getting to see the huge variety of people who live there. All the little facts and places on the Island just made the story feel all the more real to me. I can't wait for my next Hayling fix!

Emotional, powerful and about feeling trapped with no way out, Illegal was a beautiful and touching story, one that pulled me in and didn't let go, even after I put the book down. I just loved this book. Every. Single. Second. I can't wait to read the others in the series!

Star Rating:
5 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Hidden by Miriam Halahmy

Kill All Enemies by Melvin Burgess

Saving Daisy by Phil Earle

 You Against Me by Jenny Downham

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

Happy Reading

Megan

* This book was received from Meadowside in exchange for an honest review

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

YA Contemporary Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Reading Angel & Katie's Book Blog)

British Books Challenge 2012 (Hosted by The Overflowing Library)

Illegal by Miriam Halahmy Guest Post: Where Did My Plot Come From?

I'm so excited to have Miriam Halahmy here today, author of Hidden - both of her books look absolutely amazing, and I can't wait to read them!  Now, I'll hand you over to Miriam, who is here to talk about her upcoming book, Illegal, which will be released in March, so keep your eyes peeled!  And now, over to you Miriam...

Illegal by Miriam Halahmy :  Meadowside fiction March 2012

Illegal is the second novel in my cycle of three novels set on Hayling Island opposite the Isle of Wight. Each novel is stand-alone but a minor character in the previous novel becomes the major character in the next. Illegal is Lindy’s story.

Lindy appeared in Hidden, the first book, as the bully who scared everyone away. But it was clear she had another side. In my second book I wanted to explore the different sides of this complex character and I was also interested in the rise of cannabis farms on the south coast of England.

A question popped into my head. What if someone set up a cannabis farm on quiet little Hayling, in one of the old houses down a sleepy back lane? And what if Lindy was paid to look after the farm?

Once the idea had entered my imagination it grew and grew and I knew that I had the beginning of my next plot. I am very much a discovery writer and as I began to write I discovered that fifteen year old Lindy was in deep trouble. 

The book opens at the end of the summer term. Lindy and the rest of her large and dysfunctional family have been rocked by the sudden death of her two year old sister a few months earlier. Her two eldest brothers are in prison; her little brother nags for food; Mum has lost her job and is drinking; Dad spends all his time down the bookies. 

Then Cousin Colin appears and Lindy, so vulnerable and lonely by this time, jumps at the chance to work for him – watering the plants in his cannabis farm. Her family are quite used to a life of crime. “Everyone smokes it,” Lindy tells herself. All the kids at school are always boasting about the weed at parties. She even persuades herself she is helping the environment.

“Think of it like a sort of greenhouse, Linds,” Colin explains.

Lots of people have greenhouses, thought Lindy. Maybe I’m even helping to save the planet. Colin doesn’t use chemicals on the plants, does he?

But Colin hasn’t actually explained all his plans to Lindy. Before she has time to think she finds herself drawn into the dangerous and shadowy world of international drugs dealing. Colin has been grooming her to deal in cocaine and suddenly Lindy finds herself trapped. More than anything else she is terrified she will end up in prison like her brothers. With no-one on her side, no-one she can turn to, she starts to self harm.

In school they are studying Hamlet. The teacher compares Hamlet to a spiritual refugee, isolated from his family and friends.

 "A spiritual refugee..." Lindy liked that. "Just like me, I've got no-one left at home either.'"

But like all good plots, the hero needs someone who will go on the journey with her and help her to find the way out. Karl, also fifteen and a fellow misfit, appears. Karl has his own problematic home life and as a result he has become mute. He communicates largely through his T-shirt slogans – The rules don’t apply to me and Do not resuscitate.  But Karl is an intelligent and resourceful ally. He also has wheels!  Karl rides a motorbike although he is also only fifteen. There are a lot of Illegal things in this book. Together Lindy and Karl embark on a desperate plan to ensure Lindy’s freedom.

This has been probably the most complex plot in the cycle to write, rather like writing a thriller. My characters race round on motorbikes and motorboats, avoiding police, teachers and each other until the final thrilling climax.

Illegal is the story of a teenage girl driven to take desperate measures when all other choices are taken away from her. It is a novel about growing up and gaining independence against the odds.

Miriam Halahmy

January 2012

Thank you for the brilliant guest post, Miriam!  I can't wait to read Illegal, and I am so in love with the cover!

Check out Miriam's Website, Twitter and Facebook for more information on Illegal and Hidden!