A Little Pinprick

Rainey Paxton #1

by Paige Dearth

Rainey Paxton was born addicted to heroin.

In the fragile first hours of Rainey’s life, hospital doctors and nurses fight to keep her alive. Several months later she is released into her parents’ custody, where the baby is forced to live on neglect and tainted breast milk.

Constrained in her home, infested with drug addicts and drifters, Rainey’s drug-addicted parents leave little hope for her protection.

While Rainey is still an infant, her aunt Sophie visits her and finds the baby dirty and hungry. A bond forms between the two until tragedy strikes. Rainey is alone again until her sister, Ivy, is born and the child breathes new life into Rainey’s small, isolated world.

But her parents have another plan, and with no one there to intervene on Rainey’s behalf she must make sacrifices to feed her parents’ cravings and to keep her sister safe.

Follow Rainey’s journey from a house crawling with junkies to the violent confines of a juvenile detention center where she finds friendship, and learns fearlessness from the most unexpected people.

**WARNING** 18+ Readers Only. Graphic content and subject matter.

Genres: Fiction, Horror, Thriller, Dark, Addiction, Abuse, Realistic Fiction

453 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 11, 2022

About the author

Website: https://paigedearth.com/
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3e86gp7
Facebook: https://bit.ly/2JS5M1D
Twitter: https://bit.ly/2v1sWgK

#1 Amazon bestselling author Paige Dearth is a survivor of child abuse. Through grit and pure determination she set out to provide a look inside the pain and suffering caused by childhood trauma through her novels.

Paige writes real-life horror and refers to her work as Fiction With Meaning. She hopes that her fictional stories will create awareness for prevention and intervention. Paige writes stories about young children who need to overcome adversity and then take you on their life’s journey. You will shed tears of joy, grief, rage, and horror. She wants her readers to be thinking about the story long after they have turned the last page.

Paige believes that society should not look the other way because a subject seems too difficult to handle and to remember that people live through these real-life horrors.

Paige lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her husband Mike, and dog, Benny. Her debut novel, Believe Like A Child, was the catalyst for her writing platform. The beginning of Believe Like A Child is based on events from Paige’s childhood. Paige’s novels present a fine balance between what lives on in her imagination and the evil that lurks in the real world.

Paige’s favorite motto is:

“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.”

~Benjamin Franklin

PAIGE'S STANDALONE NOVELS IN ORDER OF PUBLICATION:

Believe Like A Child

When Smiles Fade

One Among Us

Mean Little People

Never Be Alone

My Final Breath

RAINEY PAXTON SERIES:

A Little Pinprick (Book One)

A Little High (Book Two)

Girls Missing (Book Three)

Girls Found (Book Four)

Reviews

[Kim Carroll · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s just not good! Dialogue is unrealistic, characters are unbelievable and unlikeable and everything is just so far fetched! I blame the aunt for everything. Ridiculous that she left her “beloved” niece in the hell hole she was in. The police involvement (or lack of) is also ridiculous. By the end I had rolled my eyes so much I got a headache. I won’t be reading the next of the series. Don’t care what happens next.

[Jennifer Holloway Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was definitely a difficult book to read emotionally, however this was definitely understandable with this type of content. What I didn't get was why there was not more of an actual reaction to the things that were happening to her. It was like the author wanted to make this character as damaged and harm as possible, but didn't really want to actually develop a character that lives the life that her character did. It was like the shock value was wanted, but the character development was not even a thought. Everything seemed to roll off of her and this is not plausible. Many of the things she went through would result in horrible pain, or harm and it just seemed like the character was a bowling pin and came right back up for the next thing quickly. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book presents the story of young Rainey and her very difficult childhood and teenage years. Rainey suffers from neglect by drug addicted parents and is propelled into situations that are terrifying. The tale is difficult to read as the events are horrendous.

My thanks to the author, Paige Dearth, for my e copy of this book. #Goodreads Giveaway

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Rainey

Being born a heroin addict is awful, top that off with bad parents who only care about their next high is unforgivable.

Aunt Sophie was a hero in a sense, just wish she had been smarter and took Rainey in. Then she could have had a say where she went when she got sick. Goodness anywhere would have been better than with her parents.

Then top all things off her addict parents have another child, seriously??? Basically it's Rainey taking care of her sister until she goes to detention for something she didn't do.

Story ends in a cliffhanger after Miranda dumps Rainy on the street with twenty dollars and no where to go. Hope we see these parents suffer.

[Margie Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read several books by author Paige Dearth and each and every one is an enlightening and educational read. Although they are very heartbreaking as they deal with life’s most tragic and disgusting circumstances, they are eye-opening and really give the reader a look at how some people have to live and the tragic experiences they go through. A Little Pinprick is the story of Rainey Paxton. She is born addicted to drugs because her parents are both heroin addicts along with every other drug that’s out there. Their whole world is all about getting their next high. Rainey is left to take care of herself, she is starved for food, and lives in deplorable conditions. Once a week she gets a break by spending time with her aunt until the aunt becomes ill with Huntington’s Disease and is no longer able to be there for her. Then a few years later, Rainey’s mother gives birth to her little sister Ivy. Rainey’s new purpose in life is to take care of Ivy. Everything she does is out of concern for her baby sister. Rainey soon ends up in Juvenile Detention for something she didn’t do and this is where she learns to toughen up. After 3 years away, she is released back out into the world, back to the ugliness she grew up with. What will become of her now? I’m anxiously waiting to read A Little High, which is book 2 in the Rainey Paxton series to see where she goes from here. Will her life experiences and knowledge lead her to a better, fulfilling life or will she fall between the cracks and end up like her parents? I’d like to thank Paige Dearth for reaching out and inviting me to read her new book and NetGalley for the arc. I always learn so much from reading this authors work, most of it being sad and heartbreaking but very educational since I was fortunate to not have experienced this lifestyle. I recommend everyone read her books as we can all gain in learning how life is for the less fortunate and grow compassion for them instead of turning a blind eye. This I feel is another 5 star read by a great author!

[Cher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been anxiously awaiting the new Paige Dearth novel and once again, she did not disappoint. I love when an author's words haunt you and those words take you on a journey that is so good, you literally cannot put it down. Today there was no eating, limited bathroom breaks and lots of coffee as I read her book that as usual left me crying in the fetal position. I am anxiously awaiting the sequel so once again I can experience every emotion known to man in 12 hours.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Paige Dearth writes a masterpiece.

If you like a book that tells it like it is and keeps the story real than this is an author for you.

A Little Pinprick is a story of family, drugs, abuse and gangs.
It’s about a baby girl who was born addicted to heroin and to two young people who cared more about their next high than about their baby daughter. It’s a story of what living in a home with drug addicts can be like and the reality of what an addict will do to get their next fix.

It’s a sad tale of the reality we live in today……..a tale of the love between a girl and her aunt……..a tale of a girl and the love she has for her sibling……..a tale of a young girl with a huge heart.

I started reading Paige Dearth when she released her first book and have not been able to put one of her books down since. I know some people will say these books are disturbing and you will be right. But the thing about Paige is she knows what the things she writes about feels like. She’s been thru a lot of it herself. So before any of you judge understand who this author is.

Love ya Paige. Can not wait for A Little High.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad but true

As the book reiterated, any male and female can reproduce but not everyone should be allowed. I've seen the Consequences of children not having good parenting. Children abused, neglected and malnourished. Growth of brain and development shunted, never to be able to bounce back from poor beginnings. Due to the parent(s). Ignorance or self administered, long term drug use. Or both. There was hope for Rainey as long as she had her aunt Sophie with her. Then she had her baby sister, Ivy. Rainey was all of nine yrs old when she had the monumental task of taking on the responsibility of an infant.. Rainey was a smart girl and new the library was a source of education she was forced from attending regularly. Alone and forgotten for years, Rainey did what she had to in order to keep herself and Ivy from starving to death, within moral boundaries her aunt had instilled. She wouldn't do drugs and she tried to stay away from men. That was taken out of her control when she turned 13. Although she was behind her age group in development, she was a flower to disgusting men who hung around the house with her useless, brain addled parents. Paedophiles are paedophiles always preying on children. Unfortunately Rainey's parents saw a cash making machine in their child. Drugs and money because her parents had no use of a child of thirteen telling them how they should behave as, duh, parents. Feed, clean, provide a nurturing environment was all Rainey was asking for herself and little Ivy. Instead, her parents and all the vile scumbags of the outskirts of Philadelphia, knew the threat of harm to Ivy would keep Rainey in check. A big time drug dealer was the worse and when things didn't go well one night, Rainey was left holding the bag, literally, with drugs and a gun. She was sentenced to a juvenile detention center and hit trouble out of the gate. She made a friend in her cell mate. But there were many vast ravines Which Rainey had to cross. Still young and always concerned with the welfare of Ivy, Rainey did her time and was released. The end of book one. I want to thank Paige Dearth. The author's writing skills and storylines have improved over the years. On to Rainey Paxton Series Book 2.

[Carol Dass · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read most everything by this author and I truly adore her. She writes from the heart, the stories are raw yet beautiful. Rainey was born an addict because her mother was a drug user. She lived in poverty because her parents only wanted to party and get high. Yet Rainey knew that was not the life for her. She tried to look after her baby sister the best she could. She loved her Aunt Sophie who was the only person who had time for her. But Sophie had been having symptoms of Huntingdon’s for a while and had to go into a care facility. Rainey was heartbroken . But Rainey has a core of strength in her and remains a loving, gentle and caring girl. I cannot wait for the second book in this series and follow Rainey’s journey through life
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Risa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesus Christ, this was a tough read for me.

The Gallagher kids from Shameless had it better than Paxton kids. The entire novel is terribly sad, the pain and suffering those poor children went through is just unfathomable. It breaks my heart to know that this is real life for some.

[Jessica Brohard · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't get past the terrible writing. Great idea, but the writing style killed it for me.

[laura davies · Rating 1 out of 5]

frustrating and long

Too much drama for one person. Skipped loads of pages when another drama happened. Same old throughout the whole book

[Star Gater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark, dirty, gut-wrenching. Powerful storytelling. Well-written.

The book is told from a young girl's perspective; her life being born and stuck with two people who don't want her. They stay on drugs. And this is her life.

There were times I didn't think I would finish. It's absolutely heartbreaking.

This is the first in a series, and I will pick up book two sometime next year.

Goodreads Giveaway Kindle Win from January 2023.

#BackToKindle Readathon

[Debbie Viscosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rainey Paxton led an awful life. Born to a mother and father that were heroin addicts, she had to detox at birth. Her aunt wanted to raise her but her mother kept Rainey. As she grew, the only moments of peace in her life came when she was with her aunt. She had no friends. No one wanted to be near her. It was obvious that her homelife was horrible but not one person felt the need to do something about it. Rainey finds herself in trouble with the police and has to lie to keep her parents and little sister safe. Will her sacrifice break the tough shell around her parents and show them what a loving daughter she is? Can they stop their addiction and become a family?

Paige Dearth creates vibrant and compelling characters. Even though I knew the main character wasn't a real person, I still found myself wanting to go and help her so many times in this story. The situations these characters find themselves in are completely plausible. The main character, Rainey, lives in squalor and fights to survive. Each passing year gives her strength and maturity, she faces each storm head-on. I know that circumstances such as Rainey's do exist. What I have a hard time understanding is why no one ever took the time to report the dirty, starving child to the authorities. It might not have helped or it could have led to an equally bad situation, I understand. This is the only issue I had with this book. Rainey is such a captivating character, it is good to note that there will be another book about Rainey's life. With her strength, I hope she can overcome her circumstances and succeed.

[Julie Fishman · Rating 2 out of 5]

It reads like road kill. You don't want to look.. But you do. You don't want to keep reading it but you do. It's so unrealistic. The fact that nobody intervened early on, but like roadkill I had to keep reading.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

A girl is born to addict parents, already addicted to heroin herself. She has all kinds of problems, even winding up in The System.

A tough book to read.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

How can you truly hate a book but love it simultaneously?
This is this book for me. I loved it, but I hated the characters that treated Rainey and her sister like crap. I had so many feelings for this book that I believe this may have truly been the first book I had to put down at certain times just to get a breath in so I didn't throw my kindle. My heart broke so much for Rainey and her sister.
It makes you question how people let things like this go on. Our system is flawed; our system sucks, and it needs to be fixed. Even though this is a story, how often does this truly happen? I am sure it happens a lot.
At such a young age, Rainey knows her parents are not the best and that the drugs they take are horrible. She doesn't want to live there; she wants to be with her Aunt Sophie. Yet, she can't; we just see how heartbreaking this is. When the one person who is the sunlight and the joy of her life can no longer be there for her, she has to grow up, and sadly Rainey has grown up way too much. She finds herself in horrible situations but at no fault of her own. She is learning how to survive more than she should. I love this author's work, just how real it seems and how much you feel about the characters. This book will give you that and more. There is also a cliffhanger, and you want to know what will happen next. Just be prepared is all I will say.

[Samantha Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Little Pinprick held so much potential to be a gripping story of a young girl’s journey as she navigates through a life of abuse, neglect, poverty & addiction. However, the execution of the story left me incredibly disappointed.

I was expecting to be 𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅 by the dark & heavy content of this book, however, that wasn’t the case. The amateur writing style mixed with the cringey dialogue made this lack all the depth & dimension that it needed to be as 𝒈𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 as I was expecting.

While there were still a lot of events that were heartbreaking, I believe that Paige Dearth leaned too much into the shock value of those moments rather than actually trying to develop the plot & the characters. Nothing in this book broke surface level, which only left a disconnect to the characters. None of them felt real.

I was (and still am) genuinely intrigued by Rainey’s story, but I’m so disheartened by the way it was told.

[Kerry J Beoletto · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good idea for a storyline...poorly executed.

Reading this book was like watching a horrific car accident. The storyline was gripping and terrifying. However, as it went on, the amateur writing made it painstaking to finish. The dialogue was unlikely andfarfetched, the portrayal of the characters' thought processes was myopic considering what they'd been through, and the believability that those two girls would've been left in that environment by their aunt, teachers, and Officer Lindquist is impossible to believe. I will give it one positive though. Even though I finished this book and found it a very painful read, I do find myself wanting to know what happens to Ivy. Kudos to the author for that, at least.

[Patti Zapf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Ever

Being a adult raised being victimized by 2 family members changes your life. Hearing that some of what Paige writes come from her own experiences makes me realize she endured unbearable things and it is mixed in her stories. She writes with so much depth and reality it touches your soul. I am just 2 weeks from getting book 2 and cannot wait to read the next part of this heartbreaking yet real to many story. Bravo Ms. Dearth!

[Deeds · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW just WOW

This story was OFF the charts!!. It was sooo sad, overwhelming at times (had to take alot to breaks),. It is so unreal that a pregnant woman continues to use drugs that goes directly to her baby😥😪. And then the child is born addicted to drugs, UNREAL!!!. Why doesn't social workers, cops anybody step in to help these children????. _uck the druggies, help the children. Just WOW!!!. Paige is a Fantastic storyteller and is a PHENOMENAL writer😊😀.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

another fabulous book by Paige Dearth

I couldn’t put this book down, the first few chapters frustrated me so much even her aunt didn’t do anything about her terrible situation but the book got so good my frustration ebbed and I read the book within a few days. Love the writing style of Paige.

[Debbiebooknerdyoung · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of those books that you just can't put down. My heart was in constant turmoil over the neglect and abuse Rainey had to go through. Raging against the so called parents that neglected and abused her over the years. What an emotional ride.. I might just be calm again by the time the second book releases next week.. I hope.
An outstanding read.

[Kelly Ratzlaff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a comfortable read due to the subject matter, but I had to keep reading to find out Rainey's fate. I was often frustrated and angry, yet still hopeful for her. Hard to believe this is the reality of how some children are forced to live. If you read this, be sure to also read "A Little High," the second book in the Rainey Paxton series.

[Jill · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made it halfway to Chapter 10 and that was enough. No family member who loved this child would let her stay in this type of situation. My anger level at Sophie was rising the further I read, and there was nothing about the story, the writing style, etc to compell me to keep going.

[Kylie Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. Can't wait for the next one to be released. Paige isn't talked about enough as an author.

[Savannah❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

LORD HAVE TISSUES

If you liked a child called it, this is the book for you, it pulled at my heartstrings over and over again

[Kendall]

I’m not I can give a review on this book. It took me awhile to read because there was so much information to process. I felt sick to my stomach while reading it. I can’t stomach the next book even though I need to know what happens to Rainey. I knew this book would be rough and trigger warning but it’s so rough and hard to read. I love thriller and books like this but it was so hard to read for me based on what it was about.
If someone reads the next one can you comment what happens to Rainey!

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of "A Little Pinprick{Rainey Paxton #1} Paige Dearth wrote about a young girl named Rainey who was born addicted to drugs because of her druggy Mother. After being in the hospital to get the drugs out of her system she is returned to her horrible druggy parents. For the next fourteen years she is neglected starved and even abused by customers who come to her house. She has a baby sister born when she was nine and for five years she tries to protect her sister Ivy even dropping out of school. When she turns fourteen her parents betray her when police come to the house where there are drugs and they tell the police the drugs were hers and she his hauled of to Juvie hall. for the next three years she faces all kinds of hell being bullied by gang girls who are working for a drug dealer named jiggy who tells them to bully and torture Rainey for not covering for him when she went to court. this is part one of the book about Rainey. This is a good book. Paige dearth has written many books with the "child in Peril" genre. This book had me turning the pages rooting for Rainey.

[C.W. Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

For anyone to read this book, they have to forget anything they know about the foster care system, hospitals, or CPS (Child Protection Services). Aunt Sophie came off as someone with her head on her shoulder, but to not do research on how she could have helped Rainy made no sense to me. A simple google search would have done her wonders. Also, the trip to the doctor's office was unrealistic. I am pretty sure the doctor would have had to report his drug finding to CPS. I know this is just a fiction book, but the aunt would have had to have something in writing to even take the baby to a doctor.

I honestly just couldn't get over the inaccuracies throughout this book and the bad writing of this book. My advice is skip this book.