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This time, it’s one of their own!
After working underground to reunite apprehended teens with their parents for as long as they have, Gabriel and Renata have seen it all. But this time, it's personal. When the young children of one of the families who have helped with the movement are seized, they prepare to do whatever it takes to have them returned before more damage can be done.
While Carmel and her family have been staunch supporters of the underground movement, they had never revealed their own experiences with DCFS. Now their history and their alliance with Gabriel and Renata have come back to haunt them.
A family torn apart.
Two innocent children being used to even the score.
It's time to bring them home.
Looking for something new in young adult literature? A fast-paced adventure with diverse characters that will keep you turning the pages.
Join Gabriel and Renata on their mission today!
After working underground to reunite apprehended teens with their parents for as long as they have, Gabriel and Renata have seen it all. But this time, it's personal. When the young children of one of the families who have helped with the movement are seized, they prepare to do whatever it takes to have them returned before more damage can be done.
While Carmel and her family have been staunch supporters of the underground movement, they had never revealed their own experiences with DCFS. Now their history and their alliance with Gabriel and Renata have come back to haunt them.
A family torn apart.
Two innocent children being used to even the score.
It's time to bring them home.
Looking for something new in young adult literature? A fast-paced adventure with diverse characters that will keep you turning the pages.
Join Gabriel and Renata on their mission today!
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 19, 2022
10 people want to read
About the author
P.D. Workman
238 books502 followersAward-winning Canadian author P.D. Workman has written over a hundred addictive page-turners featuring diverse and divergent sleuths, high-stakes investigations, and stories that linger long after the last page. Her books dive deep into characters’ minds while exploring timely social issues through fast-paced, emotionally charged plots. Readers praise her work for its powerful emotional truth combined with unputdownable suspense.
Shunning sleep, when Workman is not writing, formatting, or marketing, she’s probably running, reading, or spending time with her family.
Check out her catalogue at pdworkman.com to start your next page-turner and sign up for news and special deals.
Shunning sleep, when Workman is not writing, formatting, or marketing, she’s probably running, reading, or spending time with her family.
Check out her catalogue at pdworkman.com to start your next page-turner and sign up for news and special deals.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 30, 2022
Fail - a review by Rosemary Kenny.
P.D.Workman gets straight to the heart of the matter, in what is clearly a very well-researched storyline in her quasi docudrama novel, Fail.
In reading it, you experience the same gut-wrenching agonies as Kiara, 'baby-daddy' no 2, Jamal and others, by reliving the nightmare that blighted Kiara's own teenage years, as her baby son and newborn are now snatched away in similar harrowing fashion, by her seemingly unfeeling Nemesis, Mrs Lewis.
You'll also find yourself rooting for former victims, turned champions (of those and others' legally 'abducted' children), Gabriel and Renata, with their Underground Railway system, via which they reunite 'lost' youngsters, (if willing) and their distraught loved ones.
There's plenty of food for thought in this tale of what's surely not a uniquely flawed system, but sadly, almost certainly, a common miscarriage of justice in every welfare state in the world?
Grab yourself a copy today and see what your views are, by reading P.D. Workman's gritty, realistic drama, Fail...after all, nobody's perfect!
P.D.Workman gets straight to the heart of the matter, in what is clearly a very well-researched storyline in her quasi docudrama novel, Fail.
In reading it, you experience the same gut-wrenching agonies as Kiara, 'baby-daddy' no 2, Jamal and others, by reliving the nightmare that blighted Kiara's own teenage years, as her baby son and newborn are now snatched away in similar harrowing fashion, by her seemingly unfeeling Nemesis, Mrs Lewis.
You'll also find yourself rooting for former victims, turned champions (of those and others' legally 'abducted' children), Gabriel and Renata, with their Underground Railway system, via which they reunite 'lost' youngsters, (if willing) and their distraught loved ones.
There's plenty of food for thought in this tale of what's surely not a uniquely flawed system, but sadly, almost certainly, a common miscarriage of justice in every welfare state in the world?
Grab yourself a copy today and see what your views are, by reading P.D. Workman's gritty, realistic drama, Fail...after all, nobody's perfect!
July 30, 2022
Wow, another great book in this series. It grabbed my interest from page one and kept it through the end. Such great characters and a storyline that keeps you reading.
July 27, 2022
As usual, a very well written and interesting story, easy to read and with excellent characters. The subject is an important one, and even as we mostly follow one side, it shows the difficult decisions that sometimes have to be made, and how they sometimes can go very wrong.
August 2, 2022
When welfare becomes warfare…
Once again, P. D. Workman weaves a beguiling tale to bring to light the woeful inadequacies and bountiful shortcomings of our child welfare and social services programs. The inherent and long-held prejudices, as well as a stunning lack of checks and balances, are highlighted in this riveting tale wherein Gabriel and Renata, two teenage victims/survivors of the child welfare system who now operate an underground railroad focused on reuniting families that have fallen afoul of “the system”, are drawn into a case a bit outside their comfort zone. While they normally deal with medically challenged teenagers who are old enough to relay their experiences and express their opinions and preferences, this story centers on the plight of a young mother, Kiara, and her fourteen month old child, Malachi. While Kiara works tirelessly to provide the best possible care for her child, born premature and labeled as “failure to thrive”, she falls under the relentless scrutiny of the Department of Children and Family Services. While no rational person could argue that we have no need for such an organization, even its staunchest of advocates would be unable to defend what follows in Kiara’s story. I found this book to be relevant, well-written, and thoroughly absorbing, if not a bit unsettling. P. D. Workman never fails to engage, enlighten, and entertain with her spellbinding stories and this book is no exception.
I was provided with an advance copy of this book, for which I thank the author, but I am sharing my honest and unbiased review on a completely voluntary basis.
Once again, P. D. Workman weaves a beguiling tale to bring to light the woeful inadequacies and bountiful shortcomings of our child welfare and social services programs. The inherent and long-held prejudices, as well as a stunning lack of checks and balances, are highlighted in this riveting tale wherein Gabriel and Renata, two teenage victims/survivors of the child welfare system who now operate an underground railroad focused on reuniting families that have fallen afoul of “the system”, are drawn into a case a bit outside their comfort zone. While they normally deal with medically challenged teenagers who are old enough to relay their experiences and express their opinions and preferences, this story centers on the plight of a young mother, Kiara, and her fourteen month old child, Malachi. While Kiara works tirelessly to provide the best possible care for her child, born premature and labeled as “failure to thrive”, she falls under the relentless scrutiny of the Department of Children and Family Services. While no rational person could argue that we have no need for such an organization, even its staunchest of advocates would be unable to defend what follows in Kiara’s story. I found this book to be relevant, well-written, and thoroughly absorbing, if not a bit unsettling. P. D. Workman never fails to engage, enlighten, and entertain with her spellbinding stories and this book is no exception.
I was provided with an advance copy of this book, for which I thank the author, but I am sharing my honest and unbiased review on a completely voluntary basis.
August 7, 2022
I always enjoy Workman’s books, but I admit this on was difficult to read. I had never heard of medical kidnap (the practice of apprehending children with medical conditions from their families and placing them in foster care), although I was aware of problems with the DCFS and abuse in foster families. This was an eye-opening read about how serious medical conditions, when not properly investigated and understood by the Social Worker, can lead to abuse by the DCFS system, and tragic circumstances for the family. The characters were so well-developed I really felt a kinship with the families and those fighting the system, and a hearty dislike for the obstructing and possibly intentionally retaliating Social Worker! I especially liked Gabriel and Renata, teens themselves, who were helping medically apprehended teens who wanted to be reunited with their parents, but who were willing to stop and try to help a young couple fix the situation with their two very young children. This was a book I couldn’t put down until the end! I received a free copy of this ARC by the author, and write this review voluntarily.
August 19, 2022
This is a wonderful addition to this thrilling series!
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building that adds so much to the story.
Such a thrilling read that I couldn't put it down.
Can't wait to read more of these.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building that adds so much to the story.
Such a thrilling read that I couldn't put it down.
Can't wait to read more of these.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
August 9, 2022
In this powerful series Ms. Workman brings us into a world with which many are unfamiliar. Heavily pregnant Kiara is working hard to care for her young son. But a DCFS worker decides she isn’t doing quite enough. Will Gabriel and Renata be able to keep this young family together? Highly recommended! I’m decades past being a “young adult” and find the books in this series to be riveting. They are expertly crafted, with well developed characters and intriguing plots. I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next in the series. I received a complimentary copy of this book and chose to write a voluntary, unbiased review.
August 20, 2022
I read this book in less than a day. It was very well written and knowing most of the characters, Renata, Gabriel, Carmel, Mrs Oss and the person who starts a lot of children placed in foster care, Poppy Lewis, helped to make the story flow.
This is Kiara Oss story. Malachi, Kiara's 14 month old baby was born very prematurely and is still very under weight. Kiara is also pregnant with her second child who was born with low birth weight. Does Mrs Lewis find any excuse to remove both children and place them in foster care? What excuse did she use, if she removes the children? Does Renata and Gabriel use their ways to help Kiara? Read this book to find the answers to all these questions and more.
I received an ARC copy of this book and voluntarily offered my honest review
This is Kiara Oss story. Malachi, Kiara's 14 month old baby was born very prematurely and is still very under weight. Kiara is also pregnant with her second child who was born with low birth weight. Does Mrs Lewis find any excuse to remove both children and place them in foster care? What excuse did she use, if she removes the children? Does Renata and Gabriel use their ways to help Kiara? Read this book to find the answers to all these questions and more.
I received an ARC copy of this book and voluntarily offered my honest review
September 13, 2022
Failed by PD Workman is book #6 in the Medical Kidnap Series. In this book, Kiara is going to have a baby. She's advanced fairly along in a pregnancy, plus she's also got a young child named Malikai.
Surprise comes when there's a knock at the door and when she answers, she finds it’s the social worker that she had as a child. Instantly, it stirs up feelings of doubt and terror as she wonders why the social worker has come for a visit- this can't be good.
Sure enough, the social worker is there to see her about her son Malikai. Apparently someone has sent in a report because he has not gained enough weight. He's been reported for failure to thrive. There's a good chance that Molokai could be taken from Kiara but she doesn't want to see that happen.
Her sister Carmel calls Gabriel and Renata, a pair of teens who know only too well what can happen when the system takes a child with medical issues. She hopes they can help Kiara come up with a good plan to keep Malikai safe. After what Kiara and Carmel when through, they know better. Once he’s in the system, it could be years before they can get him out again.
Anything she can do to make sure that that doesn't happen, she's gonna do it. But does the social worker have it for her?
This, like many of Ms Workman’s other books, is a well thought out, well researched, and poignant story where reality is harder to believe that fantasy. She writes many stories where the characters are treated worse than the underbelly of our society simply for not having a voice of their own. She brings voices to their stories, we can bring freedom and light to their lives by reading and understanding how the system can be broken.
Surprise comes when there's a knock at the door and when she answers, she finds it’s the social worker that she had as a child. Instantly, it stirs up feelings of doubt and terror as she wonders why the social worker has come for a visit- this can't be good.
Sure enough, the social worker is there to see her about her son Malikai. Apparently someone has sent in a report because he has not gained enough weight. He's been reported for failure to thrive. There's a good chance that Molokai could be taken from Kiara but she doesn't want to see that happen.
Her sister Carmel calls Gabriel and Renata, a pair of teens who know only too well what can happen when the system takes a child with medical issues. She hopes they can help Kiara come up with a good plan to keep Malikai safe. After what Kiara and Carmel when through, they know better. Once he’s in the system, it could be years before they can get him out again.
Anything she can do to make sure that that doesn't happen, she's gonna do it. But does the social worker have it for her?
This, like many of Ms Workman’s other books, is a well thought out, well researched, and poignant story where reality is harder to believe that fantasy. She writes many stories where the characters are treated worse than the underbelly of our society simply for not having a voice of their own. She brings voices to their stories, we can bring freedom and light to their lives by reading and understanding how the system can be broken.
September 21, 2022
A wonderfully written story. Heartwarming with scenes of human fragility. The characters take you through their journey of life with all their hardships. Impossible to not love.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews