Sold (2006)

Well written, but holy cow! depressing. Why is this a hot new teen read, exactly? ( )

I'm mostly skimming through this book. I'm a little burnt out on reading right now. At least, reading anything of such a serious matter. Frankly, I found the first half of the book a bit boring. The second half is fascinating but so far very grim. ( )

I originally read this in 2016. This time I chose to listen to it. It was a short audiobook, but very impactful. This would be an appropriate YA novel (the main character is 13/14 years old). This book is about human trafficking so triggers of that nature are present. ( )

Wow. It's not a very long story but it gives a punch in the heart. It's pretty powerful.

If only in reality, victims of sex slavery could all be given the same hopeful ending. ( )

I think what McCormick does with this book is brilliant. In what seems like a simple first-person lyrical style that is probably quite complicated to pull off, she provides a matter-of-fact account of a young girl sold into sex slavery. The evolution from innocent mountain girl to jaded prostitute at age 13 is hard to read and yet the personal spirits of the main character and other girls trying to navigate their situation is not sacrificed. I wouldn't recommend this as a read for tweens/teens who aren't mature enough to handle the story (which doesn't flinch from details but is not explicit in descriptions), but it can serve as a very effective platform for discussion about the social issues with more mature teens and young adults. I also appreciate the end notes with facts and how to help. ( )