Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: June 23, 2020
*A special thank you to Wednesday Books for an ARC of this book via Netgalley. Thank you Megan Harrington for the invite to be part of the blog tour.
Read the Synopsis & Author Bio following my review.
Here's your chance to read chapter one now! What Unbreakable Looks Like - Chapter One
Review:
4 Hope-Filled Hearts
What Unbreakable Looks Like is a raw, gut-wrenching, emotional story of a young girl's long road back to "normal" after being rescued along with a few other girls from a dirty, seedy motel room - all victims of sex traffickers who kept them drugged and in sexual slavery. Alexa spends a few weeks in rehab . . . every minute spent looking for a chance to run back to the only life she knows. She's skeptical of her aunt's offer of a home, family, and love wondering what she and her husband want in return. Alex's pimp has conditioned her to accept that she's the blame for all that happened to her, and she doesn't deserve anything better. He broke her will and spirit. Or did he?
The story that unfolds is one of a survivor of human trafficking digging deep, finding the will, strength, and desire to reclaim control of her life. Through present chapters, readers see and feel Alex's struggle to cope with regular everyday life. She doesn't know how to trust, refuses to allow herself to feel, and is betrayed once again when she finally does. Her loss of innocence, self-blame, and frail self-esteem are evident through often-too-real scenes that broke my heart. Through past chapters, readers experience a little of the horrifying daily life of a young girl trapped in a life of drugs, alcohol, and sex slavery often betrayed by the ones who should be their protectors. I applaud the author for handling the subject with blunt honesty while affording these victims the care they deserve. The way these girls are beat down and broken beyond repair is absolutely heart wrenching. Unfortunately, most are unable to make it out alive and if they do, the road to full recovery is long, hard, and treacherous. Many relapse to the only life they identify with or commit suicide.
What Unbreakable Looks Like is a character driven story that focuses on Alex as step by step she dares to hope, dream and finally reclaim her life. The story is brilliantly rendered through the voice of Alex as she reacclimates to living in a safe place, attending high school, making friends - all the normal teenage things that were stolen from her. Hopefully, this story will open some eyes to the danger lurking around young girls as well as boys - from small towns to big cities - from family friends to boyfriends to evil strangers - no one description fits all sex traffickers. I hope this message of hope reaches those struggling to overcome their pain, grief, and addictions. What Unbreakable Looks Like is the story of a girl who refused to be broken. One who survived and reclaimed a full, rich life. One who could finally look at her own face in a mirror and think, "This is what unbreakable looks like!" While this book is dark, raw, and graphic, its message is one of hope, light, and love. I believe all readers will benefit from reading it. Highly Recommended.
My Rating: 4 Hope-Filled Hearts
Cross My Heart . . . xxx
♥Sandra♥
Synopsis:
Lex was taken – trafficked - and now she’s Poppy. Kept in a hotel with other girls, her old life is a distant memory. But when the girls are rescued, she doesn’t quite know how to be Lex again.
After she moves in with her aunt and uncle, for the first time in a long time, she knows what it is to feel truly safe. Except, she doesn’t trust it. Doesn't trust her new home. Doesn’t trust her new friend. Doesn’t trust her new life. Instead she trusts what she shouldn’t because that's what feels right. She doesn’t deserve good things.
But when she is sexually assaulted by her so-called boyfriend and his friends, Lex is forced to reckon with what happened to her and that just because she is used to it, doesn’t mean it is okay. She’s thrust into the limelight and realizes she has the power to help others. But first she’ll have to confront the monsters of her past with the help of her family, friends, and a new love.
Kate McLaughlin’s What Unbreakable Looks Like is a gritty, ultimately hopeful novel about human trafficking through the lens of a girl who has escaped the life and learned to trust, not only others, but in herself.
Author Bio:
KATE McLAUGHLIN likes people, so much so that she spends her days making up her own. She likes writing about characters who are bent, but not broken - people who find their internal strength through friends, strife and sometimes humor. When she's not writing, she likes studying people, both real and fictional. She also likes playing board games with friends, talking and discovering new music. A proud Nova Scotian, she'll gladly tell you all about the highest tides in the world, the magical creation known as a donair, and people who have sofas in their kitchens. Currently, she lives in Connecticut with her husband and four cats. She's the author of What Unbreakable Looks Like.
Social link: https://twitter.com/alterkatesKATE McLAUGHLIN likes people, so much so that she spends her days making up her own. She likes writing about characters who are bent, but not broken - people who find their internal strength through friends, strife and sometimes humor. When she's not writing, she likes studying people, both real and fictional. She also likes playing board games with friends, talking and discovering new music. A proud Nova Scotian, she'll gladly tell you all about the highest tides in the world, the magical creation known as a donair, and people who have sofas in their kitchens. Currently, she lives in Connecticut with her husband and four cats. She's the author of What Unbreakable Looks Like.
No comments:
Post a Comment