Helpless: Are Riley and his two little siblings in danger?

by Cathy Glass

The 32nd fostering memoir from international bestseller Cathy Glass

Struggling to cope with three young children, Janie turns to experienced foster carer Cathy Glass. Helping the family each morning, Cathy soon uncovers how dangerous their situation has truly become.

Riley and his two little siblings, Jayden and Lola, are not safe at home.

With all three children in her care, will Cathy be able to rebuild their lives – and Janie’s?

Cathy Glass's book 'Unwanted' was a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2023-01-16.

Genres: Nonfiction, Fostering, Audiobook, Biography, Memoir

315 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 29, 2024

About the author

Cathy Glass is a bestselling British author, freelance writer and foster carer.
Her work is strongly identified with both the True Life Stories and Inspirational Memoirs genres, and she has also written a parenting guide to bringing up children, Happy Kids, and a novel, The Girl in the Mirror, based on a true story.
Glass has worked as a foster career for more than 20 years, during which time she has fostered more than 50 children. Her fostering memoirs tell the stories of some of the children who came in to her care, many of whom had suffered abuse.
The first title, Damaged, was number 1 in the Sunday Times bestsellers charts in hardback and paperback. Her next three titles, Hidden, Cut and The Saddest Girl in the World, were similarly successful, all reaching the bestseller charts.
The name "Cathy Glass" is a pseudonym for author Lisa Stone.

Reviews

[Alice Golding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to this as an audiobook - made my commute to my new job more enjoyable! A different story from Cathy’s usual books as she has now retired from being a foster carer and is now in a family support worker role. I was really rooting for the family. After having read all of Cathy’s books over the years, I’m sad that this is likely to be her last ☹️

[Erica⭐ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cathy has stopped full-time fostering after thirty years to allow more time with her family. She is now working as a family support officer and also on the list for respite foster care. When this story begins She has been supporting Janie and her young family for six weeks.

Janie lives in chaos, is completely disorganized, shouts continuously as her children, and leaves them unattended. Cathy's job is to try to sort her out. But only when her children are taken into care does the opportunity arise.

This book was a little different from Cathy's other books but very interesting to read, Cathy went out of her way to help this family and Mrs Briggs was an added extra. I suggest others read it too and learn from the mistakes made by Janie. Well done Cathy, I am sorry this is your final book, I will miss my new Cathy Glass books.

[Hollie Edmonds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't believe this is Cathy's last fostering memoir, I literally count down the days every year for the next one, I'm gonna be a bit lost now 😂😭

Not sure how I felt about Janie, Cathy's assurance 'she would never deliberately harm her children' didn't sit right with me. Having Lola as her clear favourite over the boys to the point she left them home alone all night but took Lola with them was shit parenting. The rushed ending of her getting the kids back didn't sit right with me either - so they can continue to live in Janie's mess, not get the support they need and arrive late to school all the time? It's not clear if Janie did actually understand that she'd fucked up big time and made the necessary changes to her life.

Overall still enjoyable, I wish we'd had a bit more at the end though since this is her last book, she hyped it up on social media but didn't even mention anything at the end 😭

July 2025 update: Cathy, please get an editor, why did the dog answer in place of the eldest child several times? 😭

[Tamsynsbookreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author: Cathy Glass
Page Count: 309 Pages
Published Date: 29th August 2024
Genre: Biography
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️
Synopsis:
Struggling to cope with three young children, Janie turns to experienced foster carer Cathy Glass. Helping the family each morning, Cathy soon uncovers how dangerous their situation has truly become. Riley and his two little siblings, Jayden and Lola, are not safe at home. With all three children in her care, will Cathy be able to rebuild their lives – and Janie’s?
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this book which is a weird thing to say because of what this book is about but this is one of my favourite authors and I find that when I read her books they just easy to read and very fast paced. When reading her books it gives me a weird feeling in my belly I think maybe worry as it makes me feel like I know the child or children and I worry about them like she does. I also got worried when Cathy had to go to the hospital because she was unwell that scared me a little bit. I have rated this book 4 out of 5 stars love reading her books.

[Melanie Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Cathy and have enjoyed many of her books but this one felt different. It was readable and the story progressed quickly which are all positive things that I enjoy about Cathy's books but this book made me irrationally angry. Janie had a very entitled attitude 'I can just apply for a bigger council house' and 'there's a free vet'. I cringed and got second hand embarrassment reading about some of Jamie's poor parenting choices and her behavior. Cathy herself also had a lowkey judgey tone throughout the book. The ending was rushed. It gets an extra star for decent pacing and good storytelling but ordinarily it would be 2 stars

[Lara Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at diferent ways to support families.
Some of the puzzlement at social services actions left me questioning Cathy’s experience.

[Lisas Books, Gems and Tarot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, I wasn’t disappointed. I always look forward to Cathy’s latest book, and I loved this just as much as the others.

This one was slightly different as Cathy has now semi-retired. Rather than fostering full time, she takes in children for respite care, and in this particular story, she is a support worker.

She meets Riley and his two siblings: Jayden and Lola. Cathy is trying to help their mother to establish a better routine in the morning to get the children off to school on time.

We have the usual: some insight into Cathy’s life, social services and of course the children and their struggles.

I quite enjoyed this one. I think it’s the first time Cathy’s had to look after a dog too!

I couldn’t put it down!

I gave it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Gail murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad book it's not gonna be her last now her role has changed there will be more books
I don't understand why cathy need to keep talking of the time

[julie clifton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed Cathy's last book !

[Haley Hague · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always another great book by Cathy Glass what a brilliant Author 👏

[Alison Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read

As usual another great book. Kept me hooked all the way through. Thought the end happened very quickly though. Read in less than 24 hours.

[Kelly Ferrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpless. by Cathy Glass.
With Cathy retiring from being a foster carer she has now taken on a new roll of a support worker.
This is about Janie and her 3 children .. Riley, Jayden and Lola. When Cathy first arrives at their home ready to help with the morning rush of getting the kids dressed for school and having their breakfast she sees how disorganised that Janie is. The kids don’t make it easy either by not listening to what is being asked … can Cathy really help turn around their lives and make a difference.
A captivating story which goes through the ups and down of the process of being a support worker.
Highly recommend this book …. as with all written by this great author.

[Fiona Turnbull · Rating 5 out of 5]

People haven't had much good said about this. I enjoyed it as another role in which social services actually wants to give parents a chance and not wasting their hours in court to get court orders or IROs. It leaves them in the field and to trouble shoot with other parents. And bringing in the support of Cathy. The only thing I could bring up and cringed that yet again people dumped on Cathy to having the children stay with her. This was highlighted by Adrian asking if she was fostering again. You are too kind to be taken advantage of again. Perhaps with a toe dipping type of social care with Mrs Briggs aged scenario is the way to go. You have so much to give that type of social care because of the greatest love for you in your relationship with your own parents. Food for thought.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

way too much about the dog

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read all Cathy Glass novels and they have all been fantastic reads. I was sad to learn this is her last fostering memoir and had great expectations for the book. Cathy now has a new role as a family support worker, while still doing occasional respite foster caring so this novel was slightly different. It was a good read but I felt the ending was very abrupt and rushed with no acknowledgement it was her last fostering memoir so that was a bit disappointing.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another finish-in-one-day job. I always enjoy Cathy’s books, and it was refreshing to read one detailing her change of job. I’m not sure I agree with how things turned out, but social services presumably have their reasons. Sad to read the update on Mrs Briggs.

[Sloanie423 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read a couple of this authors' other books and enjoyed them. This book read like a manual of how to enable someone. There's a difference between being supportive and enabling someone. This one was not for me.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading about Cathy Glass in her new role as a 'Family Support Worker' not a foster carer. I liked reading updates about her children Adrian, Lucy and Paula - and the families of the former 2.

YES Riley and his little siblings are in danger! The ending was INFURIATING to me. The Mom Janie prioritized her lowlife boyfriends over the safety, stability and well being of her children. I'm really struggling to understand how Janie got her kids back. She was incapable of changing or learning to do better. There is no way to change her blatant preference for her daughter, her passionate dislike of her oldest son, her addiction to drama, her poor time management skills that included leaving her toddler daughter at school after hours and her inability to get her children to school on time daily, her inability to manage money (including lending money to unscrupulous boyfriends and 'friends' which left her children without food - or it would have if it wasn't for Cathy using her own money to constantly feed Janie's children), drinking to the point of drunkenness while being the sole adult in charge of her children, her disturbing inability to maintain even the most basic levels of cleanliness in her home or handle necessary chores like laundry, her inability to manage her emotions including threatening suicide after a breakup (if she can't handle her emotions, she will continue to be incapable of dealing with the emotions of her children or teaching them how to self regulate in a healthy manner).

Cathy was bending over backwards to help this toxic woman and make her look better to social services (including extensive cleaning, caring for Janie's dog, driving Janie and the dog to the vet, spending her own money on takeout food and groceries for the children, calling Janie to chat with her in the capacity of being a friend and advising her on how to get her children back from foster care).

Cathy should NOT have felt so guilty for calling the police when Janie's young children were left alone for nearly 24 hours including overnight. I don't think Janie is evil but I do believe she doesn't deserve custody of her children.

What happens when she gets a new boyfriend who suggests she leave the children for a few days by themselves to stay at his house out of town? Or a new boyfriend that beats her and the children? Or worse, sexually harms the children?

I just don't see how these children aren't going to end up coming to the attention of social services again in the future - or worse.

Rest in Peace Mrs. Briggs.

This was a quick and engaging read. I'm really sad to hear this will be Cathy Glass' last non fiction foster novel. I really hope she continues to provide updates on the families and their stories on her website.

[Shafkat 🌸 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time reading a Cathy Glass book and I was sped through it in two days. This was amazing. I would definitely be reading her books again. This book was so enlightening I learnt so many things that I never really thought about in the past. I always knew some children had it hard but the amount of detail put into this memoir about this family and then the family of the other girl who was locked in a cupboard by her mother was so painful to learn I’ve realised how difficult the work of a social worker or family supporter can be. I never really knew there was even a job called family supporter but this book was so enlightening like it really taught me a lot especially when I found out it was a real life story. I hadn’t known at the start of reading the book because I had received it as a gift but near the middle I realised this was a real story about a real family Cathy had dealt withand I’m so glad at the end janie was able to get her kids back because many when they don’t have help regarding the laws and guidance to get their kids back, they can’t do it alone and they lose their kids forever. I loved this book. This was a five star. I definitely want to read more of her books. I had to search on her website for the update on the family and Janie was diagnosed with autism and thankfully she still has her children till this day. Janie’s mother died peacefully in her sleep and Bowie the birth father of the three kids never got custody of any of his kids and went back to prison. isn’t it So interesting How different their lives are to the average person ?

[Diane Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful book by my favorite foster carer, now retired

I was so happy to see that she is still writing. When she decided to retire from fostering I was afraid we wouldn't get any more books from Cathy. I read books from a bunch of foster carers and Cathy has always been my absolute favorite. The way she writes, I feel like I am right there with them herding children and cleaning up dog mess. If she keeps writing about the people she helps in her new job it will be interesting to see how different and similar her experiences are. I hope there will be more books and anxiously await the next one. I have read all of Cathy's previous books several times and plan to continue to read them every year or so.

[Georgina Abbotts · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sad this is Cathy's last fostering memoir I enjoyed this book Cathy and her family are so supportive and a lovely close knit family.Cathy is always helping others before herself I was shocked to read Cathy had felt unwell and needed medical treatment I. Don't ever remember a book where she had been poorly the help she was giving Jainie and fa.ily and buying shopping out of her own pocket and treating the children to bowling days.i love how supportive Cathy was she felt so guilty but she knew deep down she needed to report her findings. I hope Cathy has a happy retirement to enjoy more time with her family end enjoys writing her thriller books under the name Lisa stone

[Julie Haigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another very good read.

This book is a bit different to Cathy Glass' usual ones-it's said this will be her last book in this genre (she also writes fiction). Cathy has retired from full-time fostering. She is now working part-time as a family support worker (FSW), as well as doing occasional respite fostering. She'd been a foster carer for thirty years.

This is another concise, quick, easy read, and I enjoyed it very much. 

Cathy is now semi-retired, but this case certainly gives her plenty to do, and keeps her hands full. There are so many happenings, and often unpredictable. I thought the book might be a bit lacking, but it certainly wasn't. It gripped me all the way through.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading Cathy Glass' books on her fostering stories since secondary school and was drawn in, and inspired by each story of how she helped each of her foster kids. I also grew to know more about the system for kids that need help, and emphatise with those in it.

As she slowly retires from fostering, this is her first book as a support officer. Her big heart continues to shine through in her new role, and in this book. I pray that there'll be more of such people like her in this world, to help these broken kids & families.

[tahliareadstoomuch]

I don't like rating these because they are real stories about real children's lives.

The first part of this book annoyed me a little bit because I felt the tone of the book was condescending (unintended I'm sure). As I got further into this book, it did turn into the usual Cathy Glass stories that I know and love.

I don't know why, but when these books come out I have to read them. I think it gives me a bit of hope for the future. At least some people out there care and are trying to do the best they can for the kids that are in bad situations.

[Mrs Carolyn Hampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felt strange reading this book as I am a family support practitioner also but my job does not require me to work evenings or weekends nor do I respond to phone calls out of hours. It is literally a 9-5.30 job. Hearing how involved Cathy became worried me to what kind of support worker she is and are social services expecting her to do more because of her fostering experience. At dome points in the book I found myself saying no we don't do that! However it was a great book and I did enjoy reading most if it!

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these books and have read probably 10+ and this one was no different.

That said, I thought there were elements of this one that were unprofessional. A social worker asking a foster carer/respite placement to help with a personal issue doesn't seem professional at all?

Also, the way Cathy continues working with the family without social services knowing? I kind of appreciate her wanting to support as a friend, but they're not friends, she's a support worker.

Am I the only one that thought this?

[Teri Rainey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always look forward to her latest book. She is one of the favorite foster carer authors. She’s a teacher and former social worker. This is a three part series where she is not retired and just does respite care. A single mom with three children have come into her care and they are a very challenging family with a mom who reads on less than a high school level and three rambunctious children. It does have a happy ending.

[Trina Inwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

SPOILER

Don’t bother with this. Yet another one of her books with a pointless ending. Woman loses kids, gets them back. No mention of what happens long term: does she succeed in parenting them? Ends with saying that Cathy continues helping them. Given that cases are anonymised and designed to sell books, just make a decent ending up. This is the second book I’ve read recently of hers which ends in a similar way.

[Laura Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read every Cathy Glass book and I can’t believe this is the last one 😞

I couldn’t put this book down, I liked how it was different to the others. I really did feel for the children and I’m glad Cathy was there to help them. I do however feel like the ending was rushed and it didn’t really go into how she got the kids back even though it was obvious she was still struggling, it also would have been nice for Cathy to acknowledge more of an ending for her with it being her last book.

[McFudd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wasn’t too keen on the repeating of definitions within the book - don’t want to spoil it.
I’m biased being a care kid myself but author seemed a bit uppity but as an adult I can also see how hard she clearly worked to help janie and she definitely had zero choice in calling the police. I personally would’ve done it sooner. Definitely reading more of this author.