Trafficked by Kim Purcell

Hannah is an ordinary teenager growing up in Moldova until her parents are killed in a terrorist bombing. While she’s still mourning the loss, she gets an offer that sounds too good to be true: a job as a nanny for a Russian family in Los Angeles.

At first, it seems like her luck has finally turned around, but life with the Platonovs quickly spirals into a nightmare. Lillian, the mother, forces Hannah to work sixteen-hour days cleaning, and won’t let her leave the house. Sergey, the father, is full of secrets. And they refuse to pay Hannah.

Stranded in a foreign land with false documents, no money, and nobody who can help her, Hannah has become a modern-day slave. And the more Hannah unravels this family’s terrible secrets, the more her life—and her family back home—are in grave danger. Desperate and lonely, she reaches out to the boy next door. But in the end, the only one who can save Hannah is herself.

Grr. I hate this position. I always promised I would be very honest in reviews, and how could I possibly say anything bad about a book that tackles a tough topic? The only thing worse would be if this was a memoir.

Okay, the good: it sheds a light on an important topic and would be a good jumping off point for anyone interested in the subject who was looking for an after school special version of human trafficking.

Seriously, you will hate me for saying this, but what Hannah experiences just isn't that bad. The truth? There are kids being treated way worse than this on any given day in their own families in houses in America. Maybe it is because I have read other, darker books on the subject (like Sold- which will rip your heart out and hand it back to you in pieces) or maybe because there is more mistreatment in a VC Andrews novel, I don't know. I didn't buy into this story at all.

First, Hannah is a little old for kidnapping. And very naive. She didn't really have to leave her homeland. Then she gets here and it is just so easy that the father knows Hannah's family and has answers to secret questions. Hmm.

Hannah could have walked out the door at any point, and chose not to, even after she realized she'd been duped about there being a real job. What's really going on is Hannah has become an indentured servant, not a sex slave as the cover copy implies.

I just think there are better books about this topic. The writing is fine, it just didn't really dare to put a lens to the situation these kids really suffer through.

I was also really put off by the ending. As if an immigration officer is going to let an illegal just stay in this country and go to college. Psh. Please. Did the author not watch The Visitor?

This one was just not for me.

Also, one more thing, for the publisher: whenever I read something like this I EXPECT a list of resources in the back. There is not even a list of websites to learn more about Human Trafficking or an 800 number to call for more info or help. Seriously, way to drop the ball, Viking.

In Trafficked, Purcell leads the reader on a no holds barred look into sixteen-year-old Hannah's life. Instead of the comfortable and easy job she was promised, her reality is sixteen hour work days and back breaking housework. Lillian, the mother of the home, turns out to be uncompromising, selfish and verbally (sometimes even physically) abusive. Sergey, the father of the home, is secretive and Hannah is leery about what his intentions with her really are. Trapped in the house, without pay, not allowed to speak English or interact with any other people, Hannah is an island. Who can she turn to for help?

I'm going to admit that there are some very uncomfortable scenes in this book. As I said, Purcell really does show the harsh reality of Hannah's predicament. This is a story that will gut you and might even make you psychically ill at times. The sexual and violent nature of parts of this book, while completely necessary, definitely makes it a difficult read. Hannah's life isn't the easy one she hoped for. She is constantly struggling to just keep her mind and her body intact. The small victories she has in the story, a little sarcastic comment here, a long awaited bus trip there, are a reminder of how isolated and mistreated she really is. Hannah is broken, and this book isn't afraid to show that.

What really impressed me were the layers in Trafficked. Although Hannah is the main focus, there are other characters who are simultaneously fighting their own battles. Maggie and Michael, the two children, are suffering from neglect. Their mother is constantly studying, and it's almost as though her children are an afterthought. A nuisance. They actually end up being the one thing Hannah cares for, despite her situation. Then there is Colin, the boy next door, who is fighting his own battle with his weight, his future and his divorced parents. I thought he was so important because his struggle is put into perspective when compared with Hannah's. My hope is that this will open some teen eyes and help them see that their family lives might not be as bad as they think they are.

Trafficked deals with issues that are well worth knowing about, and it does it in a gritty and realistic way. I'll fully admit that I powered through this book, mostly because I just had to know what happened to Hannah next. Call it rubber-necking if you will. Hannah definitely suffers some atrocities. Still, the way that Purcell expertly weaves so much truth into Hannah's fictional life is amazing. By the time I finished reading I was equal parts angry and saddened. If you are a reader who is okay with a gritty and realistic read, Trafficked is one that is well worth your time.