Book Description:Based on the real-life horrors faced by thousands of girls, award-winning author Pamela Samuels Young takes readers deep inside the disturbing world of child sex trafficking in a fast-paced thriller that educates as much as it entertains.
Thirteen-year-old Brianna Walker is ecstatic. She's about to sneak off to meet her first real boyfriend—a boyfriend she met on Facebook. But Brianna is in for a horrifying surprise because her boyfriend doesn't exist. Instead, Brianna unwittingly becomes the captive of a ring of drug dealers- turned-human traffickers who prey on lonely girls from dysfunctional homes. But they’ve made a big mistake in targeting Brianna because she doesn’t meet either of those criteria.
Brianna’s Uncle Dre, a man with his own criminal past, is determined to find the niece who is more like a daughter to him. Rather than sit back and rely on police to bring Brianna home, Dre scours the dark corners of Los Angeles looking for her. He is stunned to learn that the trafficking of children isn’t just happening in other countries. It’s occurring at epidemic levels right in his own backyard.
Dre is not alone in his desperate search. Loretha Johnson knows this world well. A social worker who previously lived “the life,” Loretha now dedicates her time to saving as many young girls as she can find. She turns out to be an invaluable resource for Dre, who ultimately gets a lead on The Shepherd, a mastermind in the trafficking world whose every move is fueled by ego and greed. Dre vows to bring his reign of terror to an end.
While Brianna makes a futile effort to thwart her captors, Dre is getting closer and closer to finding her. The woman he loves, attorney Angela Evans, knows the dangers faced by sexually exploited children because she represents them in juvenile court. Angela lends her moral support and, eventually, an important clue to Brianna’s whereabouts.
As he races against the clock, Dre ultimately comes up with a daring plan—one that puts many lives in danger, including his own. But will he find Brianna before it's too late?
My Thoughts:
Oh my gosh! This was an intense book. Dre is trying to get back with his ex when he gets a phone call that his niece is missing. Dre has always considered Brianna like his own and will do whatever he has to, to get her back. He has help in his search to find her but the Shepherd is a powerful player and he is who has Brianna. Human trafficing is a big deal and makes a lot of money so the Shepherd sees no reason this little 'nucance' should cause problems but he doesn't know just how much Dre is willing to do. The question is can he do it in time to save Brianna?
This horribly wonderful book and I know that sounds like it conflicts but really it is true. It is a wonderfully written story about things that happen all too often in real life! Brianna meets a 'boy' on facebook and goes to meet him. When she does, she gets kidnapped and thrown into 'the life'. Dre has plenty of history on the streets and isn't above calling in old favors to get his niece back. His sister is falling apart, his girlfriend is a lawyer, and the only people he can really trust to do what needs to be done are from his past. I can't imagine how terrified Brianna was in this book but the author did almost too good of a job making a fictional story seem absolutely real. I know things like this happen daily but this was an eye-opening book.
I rate this a 5/5. It is something everyone who has a child or loves a child should read just to realize better what can happen.
Thank you to the author/publisher for the review copy of this book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.
**This book contains adult themes/language**
0 comments:
Post a Comment