Girls Like Us: Fighting for a World Where Girls are Not for Sale, an Activist Finds Her Calling and Heals Herself

by Rachel Lloyd

"Powerfully raw, deeply moving, and utterly authentic. Rachel Lloyd has turned a personal atrocity into triumph and is nothing less than a true hero.... Never again will you look at young girls on the street as one of 'those' women—you will only see little girls that are girls just like us." —Demi Moore, actress and activist 

With the power and verity of First They Killed My Father and A Long Way Gone, Rachel Lloyd’s riveting survivor story is the true tale of her hard-won escape from the commercial sex industry and her bold founding of GEMS, New York City’s Girls Education and Mentoring Service, to help countless other young girls escape "the life." Lloyd’s unflinchingly honest memoir is a powerful and unforgettable story of inhuman abuse, enduring hope, and the promise of redemption.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Feminism, Biography, Social Justice, Womens, Book Club

293 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2011

About the author

In 1998, at just 23 years old, Rachel Lloyd founded Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS) at her kitchen table with $30 and a borrowed computer. She was driven by the lack of services for commercially sexually exploited and domestically trafficked girls and young women and the incredible stigma and punishment they faced from service providers, law enforcement, the courts, their families, and society.

Reviews

[Kaari Anzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say, this is really the book that changed my life. Before I read it, I had only the vaguest suspicions that the boyfriend I'd had when I was 18, the one I thought loved me like no one else did, the one I gave all my stripper and "extras" money to, was really a pimp. I thought I'd just been weak and stupid, but this book explained the psychology of "the life" in a clear way that gave me a better understanding of myself- such a gift! What's more, it gave me increased empathy for the girls who had it so much worse. I'd known about girls who'd been years younger than I was when they'd fallen under the control of a pimp; I competed with them for money in the strip club, I walked past them in the street, we had mutual acquaintances. This book showed me they were not girls to talk shit about or even pity. Their pain, their past, their futures are linked not just to me, but to every woman and every member of society, whether they are conscious of it or not.

Even if I did not personally relate to this book as a former prostitute (note: I use the word "prostitute" when describing myself because I was a legal adult, three months past my eighteenth birthday, the first time I turned a trick. However, I wholeheartedly agree with the term "commercially sexually exploited children" in regards to the younger girls, because "prostitute" implies a choice, and a teenager who cannot legally consent to sex cannot be considered responsible for any choice others make with regards to them having sex for money.) and even if I had never felt the tight grip of a pimp, and the "life" itself, I would still recommend this book. It is beautifully written. The clarity of Rachel Lloyd's explanations will make you understand on an intellectual level. The sheer horror of the subject matter will make you understand on a visceral level. The way Rachel writes, with honesty and even humor, will make you understand on an emotional level, and that is the most important of all.

[CS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bullet Review:

Do not read this book if you are faint of heart. This book will make you want to cry, to tear your hair out in rage, to raise a fist to the hundreds of politicians sitting in cozy offices, ignoring the plea of these commercially sexually exploited girls. Because when you are a 15 year-old African-American runaway from the bad end of town, you aren't a "prostitute". If that girl were a pretty white girl in a middle- or upper-class home in a white neighborhood, you can sure as bet your boots that it would be called statutory rape. But that same girl who can't legally drive, drink or vote can still get charged as an adult for being forced into prostitution? Does no one see the discrepancy here??

At first, I wasn't sure about the style, as Lloyd switches back and forth from her personal story to a non-fiction narrative filled with statistics and details to the stories of girls she's met. But after a bit, I felt the flow. And it was good. Lloyd is a great writer, and her story (and the stories of the girls who have come into her care through GEMS) is a stirring one, one telling those of us in positions of privilege and power to wake up, get off our @$$es and DO something. Again, this is not an easy book to read, but the message is an important one. These girls' voices need to be heard, and we need to work together to do something for them.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can someone please explain the Nobel Peace Prize Committee to me? Seriously. Look, I voted for Obama, and I still don’t understand why he won the Peace Prize. And the EU, honestly Canada, the US, and Mexico have avoided going to war for years and do we get a prize? Nope. Why don’t people like Rachel Lloyd win the blasted thing?
Lloyd’s book chronicles not only her experience as a se trafficking victim, but more importantly, the work she does with GEMS helping girls overcome their abuse and find themselves. Mixed into the memoir are facts and observations about how society, in particular the law enforcement said, views such girls. I personally enjoyed the lengthy discussion over the word pimp. The most important aspect of the book, however, is the argument - a plea for understanding and acceptance towards the young girls who form the vast majority of victims. Lloyd doesn’t ask for pity, but for the understanding which is far more important and valuable than pity. There is this –ism that those engage in the trade are willing and fully enlightened employees. While this may true for some, such as adult woman, is it really true for teenagers who, for a variety of reasons, are not in possession of the skills and knowledge that an adult has? The answer is no, but in most society the answer is no only if the teen in question is male, a boy. The answer is yes, if the teen in question is a girl. Lloyd does an excellent job of attacking this without getting on a high horse. Well worth reading if interested in rape culture, trafficking, and prostitution as well as abuse.

[CD · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a little nervous about adding this book to the collection as it is a book about the sex trafficking trade. However, it was a starred review and recommended for teens. So, when it arrived, I put it on my list of books to read.

I was pleasantly surprised. It was fabulous. Ms. Lloyd is to be commended, not only for writing a wonderful book on a topic that many Americans don't think about (the American sex slave, child prostitute), but for opening up her own life for as a lens to use for looking at the trade.

While there is harsh language and sometimes there are some situations that are described that are distasteful(abuse, etc.), she is able to convey all of it without resorting to graphic descriptions of the sex act itself. So, while it is definitely a grade 9 and above purchase, it should be a purchase for any high school library that has a group of students who are into social activism, who are inspired by women who make something of their lives or who are involved in Model United Nations and might be working on committees with topics dealing with sex trafficking issues.

[rie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be required reading or something. I cannot express how important it is for someone to not just read this book like you would any other book but truly understand what the author is saying, the stories she shares, the data she presents. This was published in 2011 but have things really gotten that much better? Look at how exploited girls and women are still treated to this day? Think about it, read this book, get angry about it and demand change.

[Danna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that everyone should read. Rachel Lloyd tells her story of sexual exploitation as a young girl, how she finally escaped the grips of her pimp, and made the decision to start working with other young girls and women. Lloyd grew up in England in a rough and tumultuous home. As a teen, she ran away to Germany, where penniless and frightened, she started working as a stripper. Her stories are heartbreaking and real. She is graphic in her depictions of physical abuse; the story is frequently painful to read.

The woman she has become is marvelous and beautiful. At age 23, Lloyd came to NYC to start working for a nonprofit organization. Through her work with other girls, she was able to heal her wounds, and become a serious activist. The main point of "Girls Like Us" is to drive home that there are no teen prostitutes. Lloyd explains that there are sexually exploited and trafficked girls - these girls are victims, with no choices, who are forced into "the life." She is emphasizing and re-emphasizing that commercial sexual trafficking occurs everyday, here in the US, with American girls.

Lloyd founds GEMS, a nonprofit organization, where she pushes to change legislation that penalizes adolescent girls for being bought by older men. Lloyd wants these girls to stay out of jail, and get into treatment. GEMS provides a safe harbor in NYC where the trafficked girls can go for love, support, and leadership skills.

The door at GEMS is constantly revolving: almost all of the girls go back to their pimps over and over again. Escaping "the life" is an uphill battle for these teenagers. The "love" of their pimps is often the only care they've ever received, and their lives on the "track" is the only normal one. Lloyd has seemingly infinite patience and zero judgment. Each time a girl returns, she welcomes them with the same love and support. Eventually, many of the girls leave "the life," and with the help of GEMS, go on to finish high school, get jobs, and create something with their lives. The beauty and camaraderie that forms between the girls is healing, and for the reader - breathtaking.

Throughout the book, I felt like I was repeatedly getting punched in the gut. I would fill up with tears after reading a single sentence. For example: "Incest is bootcamp for prostitution." Or when Rachel is sitting with her first real girlfriend, who has forgotten to get her husband a cup of tea, and Rachel naively asks, "Why didn't he hit you?" For me, that sentence succinctly sums up how perfectly normal physical abuse was for Lloyd.

"Girls Like Us" spans a period of over 15 years. The reader gets to experience everything from Lloyd's childhood, her terrifying adolescence, emerging adulthood, and evolution into an educated and successful young woman. Alongside Lloyd's development is the growth of GEMS, and many of the GEMS girls.

As I said in the beginning, I feel this is a book that everyone should read. It reframes issues of social justice and child exploitation. Lloyd makes clear that the US has a long way to go in terms of how it treats its young girls and women. So many of the books we read today are stories of survivors from around the world: I've read dozens of stories by women from Cambodia or Nigeria or some other faraway place who have escaped lives of sexual exploitation and abuse. It is so easy for a woman like me to forget or ignore what is happening right in our own communities. "Girls Like Us" is a painful and poignant reminder that change needs to happen here in the US - now.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to read a book like this without your eyes welling up continuously. The author, Rachel Lloyd, is a saint.

The book alternates chapters of her life "in the life," which means exploited girls in the commercial sex trade, with her struggle and eventual success at establishing an organization called GEMS, which rescues trafficked girls in the United States and rebuilds their lives, which often takes months or years. The girls are trafficked as young as 11, often from abusive homes, and develop PTSD after years of alternate beating and "loving" and earning tens of thousands for their pimp. Given their horrendous backgrounds, the girls call their pimp "Daddy," and find the new family life normal, because of trinkets he'll buy her or trips to MacDonalds, or getting to meet regularly and maybe even have dinner with all her "sister cousins," although the Daddy tries to keep them jealous and competitive with each other.

The book is so harrowing that I don't know what to compare it to--a dogfight? a snuff film? The beatings and humiliations that the trafficked girls receive daily cause them to eventually feel that they're worthless, or good only for sex with paying customers--the profits from which they all have to render to their Daddies.

The last chapter of the book is heartening, because the author sees some of her girls get GEDs, jobs, and even normal relationships by the time they leave the GEMS program. Some of the oldest ones are 23. The U.S. Congress finally reverses years of unkindly blaming by passing a law against trafficking girls under 18. The ending of the book makes you want to cry for happiness.

So you are basically crying through the book for different reasons.

This is a powerful, powerful book. The author founded GEMs at the age of 22. It was hard for me to believe that it was humanly possible for her to accomplish what she has. She's a remarkable woman.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege of meeting Rachel Lloyd at a talk tonight at Circle of Hope where I bought her book, which she inscribed, "To the girls at Penn Treaty, with encouragement, love, & respect."

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting, thought-provoking book; my biggest gripe was I wish there was a lot more story, and less commentary.

"I don't care what you call it, sexual exploitation and all that. To everyone else, we still hoes," someone tells the author at one point. The 2 main underlying points of the book, as I understood it, are (1) girls in the sex industry are by definition "victims" who are being exploited for profit, and should be thought of as such; and (2) mainstream society and culture deserves criticism for its lack of sympathy / glamorization / cavalier attitude toward "the life" (i.e. the sex industry).

The book is structured somewhat cleverly, as she flip flops back and forth between anecdotes from her life, proceeding in chronological order; snippets of stories of other exploited girls she's worked with; and her general commentary about "the life," organized thematically.

Her personal story is fascinating, riveting, and at times horrifying, but there are huge gaps that left me constantly wanting more information. She tells us the story of how she wound up first going to work at a strip club, and she goes into great detail in telling the stories of abuse by her ex-boyfriends, but I have so many questions. Who were these boyfriends? Where did she meet them? How did they become so abusive? How did she leave them, and get them to leave her alone? There is also almost no detail about her actual experiences in the sex industry. She implies she was more than just a dancer, but there isn't much detail. I understand reasons why she might not want to divulge more, but I am curious to know more about what she did, how she felt about it, how things changed over time, etc., etc.

The stories of girls she's worked with through her nonprofit are also fascinating. Telling them each as short snippets usually works very well, but sometimes I wish there was more detail about who these girls are. Perhaps she could have chosen a couple girls with particularly interesting stories to follow throughout the book to give us a little more depth.

Meanwhile, at least half the book was devoted to her personal commentary. Some of her commentary is really great. She has a very powerful passage about the cycle of abuse in these families, in which girls who are abused as children turn to abusive men and then refuse to believe when their daughters are abused. She provides a very insightful explanation of why these girls fall under the spell of pimps, why they are so easily manipulated, and why it's so hard for them to leave.

That being said, most of her commentary I found kind of boring and at times overly preachy. I think the book would have gained a lot by replacing some of the unnecessary commentary with more details from her story. To give one example, she at one point devotes a lengthy passage to her argument that girls "in the life" do not make a "choice" to enter it. She starts with the dictionary definition of the word "choice," then hammers the argument home; one of her points is that pre-teen and teenage girls do not make good decisions (with no acknowledgement of this inherent contradiction). This is one of the fundamental points of the book, but I think the stories do a better job making her point than she does. If I was her editor, I would suggest striking that whole section, and instead, after telling a couple anecdotes of girls (including herself) entering the life in a moment of desperation, just including one line that says "People assume girls who enter the sex industry choose to do so... but do they?" Then let the reader decide.

She also treats some topics with lots of insights and nuance, and other topics with none. For example, at one point she says "all johns are the same," and those who are nice to the girls and pretend to care about them don't. She then describes johns who are serial killers and commit unspeakable crimes. I am very far removed from "the life," but the notion that all johns are "the same" just can't be true. And if the girls really think that, it would have been interesting to get a better, more thoughtful understanding of why.

I also don't know the extent to which the characters of this book reflect the sex industry writ large. The impression I got from reading this book is that 99.9% of prostitutes start before reaching the age of 16, and guys who buy sex on Craigslist are almost all purchasing sex with pre-teen or teenage girls. I have no idea if this is true or not, and she doesn't provide much in terms of data. If it is true, it's obviously horrifying.

Overall, this was an interesting book that gave me a lot to think about. Her message is a compelling one, but it left me wanting a lot more detail about both her story and about "the life" she describes.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children. - Nelson Mandela

Omniscient - having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding

All of the omnis - all powerful, all-knowing and always there
(Omnipresent & Omnipotent)

[Delaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you scroll through the books I read, I might read a variety of things (YA, adult, manga, middle grade, manhwa) but rarely do I touch nonfiction. I'm not much of a nonfiction reader, it's not something I particularly like to read. So when I was given this book, I was hesitant to read it. When I decided to buckle down and give it a go, I was punctured through the soul from page one.

The data that Rachel Lloyd provides may have changed, but it does not neglect the information that is discussed and the real-life experiences that Lloyd and the girls she works with go through. The book is never preachy, as you might think of a book advocating in the fight against sex trafficking. It simply allows you to think in a different way and that's what I found most compelling about the book.

Throughout the book, she inserts her own experience in "the life" and teaches some terminology for us "squares." She also inserts experiences and accounts of multiple girls that she works with at her organization Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS).

I love that her organizations is called GEMS even before it got down to the last chapters where she explains the backstory of the organization. Because throughout the book, and I definitely see this still to this day, that these girls are seen as "trash" and already "unfixable." I think it was very thought-provoking to read about what they go through, and how society treats them (I was shocked that these girls would be convicted rather than viewed as victims while the pimp goes scot-free).

Of course, there were times it somewhat bordered on promoting GEMS or becoming a memoir, but it never took over the overall message of general awareness, teaching, and advocacy against sex trafficking. And it never took over the stories of these powerful girls and girls still out there currently who are stuck in this life.

This is a heavy read and you will put it down multiple times after reading a simple sentence that will strike you right in the heart and while you put it down you will want to think. But that's what Rachel Lloyd might have intended--this shouldn't be something you just fly through.

[Kyliecallme · Rating 3 out of 5]

Refuse to finish. "Sex work isn't about choice, it's about lack of choices". Umm, no. Huge blanket statement that doesn't apply to all sex work or every sex worker.

Moreover, this book is *barely* a memoir/autobiography, which is what I thought I was getting. Statistic after statistic... Not saying that's an awful thing, just not what I signed up for. Stopped at 80% done.

[Maya B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a true testament to what young girls are going through because of human trafficking. I hope we get stricter laws to protect the young and innocent

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely devastating and important memoir written by a woman who was exploited in the commercial sex trade as a girl and who now runs an organization to help others get out of "the life." Or to simply support them when they're not "ready." I have a lot of feelings about this book, and they're mostly difficult to articulate and it's one of those instances where everything was both utterly surprising/horrifying yet somehow not surprising at all. It's absolutely sickening how many (including law enforcement) treat these girls (as young as 11, 12) as "child prostitutes" and not victims. The author does a perfect job of weaving in the stories she's seen first hand and her own and raising bigger legal/societal issues. I spent weeks wanting to bring up so many of the issues raised here in random conversation. What this author has done for these young victims is nothing short of amazing. And this book is amazing too. A must read.

[Simone Myles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I understood what was going on with the sex trafficking industry but this book opened my eyes to a side I never thought about. How minority young girls with rough backgrounds of many abuses at home are seen as adults and charged with prostitution and not given proper help is mind blowing. This was a very well written book that made me feel what was really going on and how terrible the system failed and still fails young people. To read how girls who have been trafficked, rapped, beaten from 11 and 12 years old - turn young adults and like child things like pink book bags to go to school or watch shows that are clearly for younger children because their mind is still young due to the abuse they suffered and never was able to experienced childhood hurts to read.

[Audrey J. Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a childhood sexual assault survivor, this book was really hard but beautiful book to read. Seeing the parallels and how one step could've placed me in some of these situations was very hard to come to terms with. I read this book as part of a non-fiction book/month challenge that I have for myself. I decided that because of my history it would be good to learn about. I also faced bias I carried towards prostitution. Learning how many girls are groomed intro prostitution really opened my eyes more to the world of sex Trafficking. This book is very well written and the narration is excellent.

[shans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative and important book but very difficult to read due to veryyyy dark themes.

Rachel Lloyd, founder of GEMS, is an incredible activist and has helped countless children who have been commercially sexually exploited. This book will make you cry and hate the world and furious and sad but also proud of all the courageous kids who were able to overcome all the obstacles and hardships and brutality and horrible men that forced them to mature too quickly. Girls Like Us will stick with me for a long time.

gems-girls.org

[Will Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very heavy read but an undoubtedly important one. Lloyd's story and her message for American politicians, cops, social workers, and everyday citizens should be read and acknowledged by everyone.

There is some truly heartbreaking material presented in this book but I'm encouraged by Lloyd's attitude toward continually fighting for a better reality. I would be curious to know how things have progressed and changed in the 10-12 years since she published this book, if at all. The ground she made just within her first decade working in NYC was admirable and inspiring, and I hope she has found similar success since.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is sometimes surprising, sad, and painful to read. It is important to fight against the human trafficking that traps these girls in lives spent in commercial sexual exploitation. Lloyd emphasizes, rightfully, that it is not the victim's fault they are being exploited and discusses the troubles and victories she - and others - have faced in adapting back to normal lives. It discusses many nuances of the problem, making for an informative and eye-opening read.

"At thirteen, Rachel Lloyd found herself caught up in a world of pain and abuse, struggling to survive as a child with no responsible adults to support her. Vulnerable yet tough, she eventually ended up a victim of commercial sexual exploitation. It took time and incredible resilience, but finally, with the help of a local church community, she broke free of her pimp and her past.

Three years later, Lloyd arrived in the United States to work with adult women in the sex industry and soon founded her own nonprofit GEMS, Girls Educational and Mentoring Services, to meet the needs of other girls with her history. She also earned her GED and won full scholarships to college and a graduate program. Today Lloyd is executive director of GEMS in New York City and has turned it into one of the nation's most groundbreaking nonprofit organizations."

[Jax Garren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to pass this book around to everybody I know and tell them, "READ THIS. It's important." I got Girls Like Us after hearing Rachel Lloyd speak. She is as eloquent, passionate, and moving in person as she is in the pages here. Her critiques on feminism, race, poverty, and the way we categorize and dismiss people is as alarming as it is true. And yet, as sad as her story and the stories of the girls she works with can be at times, the message of hope and resilience shines through beautifully. It's an easy, quick read with plenty of levity to move you through the tough patches, enough shocking truths to keep you turning pages, and enough hope to change your perspective. I highly recommend it.

[Madison Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow…this book is eye opening, heart breaking, and powerful!! I’ve read a good number of books about Human Trafficking but something about this one really changed how I see Human Trafficking! Rachel does an amazing job of sharing her story intertwined with all the stories of the many girls she has worked with through GEMS over the years…hearing their stories and taking on the weight of what they walked through really brings the huge issue of trafficking dull circle. I loved how Rachel broke the book into chapters that build on eachother going into the issue of risks, recruitment, pimps, victims, cops, leaving, etc…I learned SOOOO MUCH and cannot recommend that e regime reads this book! It will change you forever!!

[Mary Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This should be a basic primer for anyone wanting to learn more about sex trafficking. The author weaves her own story of being caught up in the sex trade within the stories of others and the stories of the work she does now to help others out of trafficking. It's heartbreaking, eye-opening, terrible, but also inspiring and amazing. You will close the book with hope, but you should also close the book determined to make a difference.

[Susie Schnall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving, honest, raw portrait, discussion and explanation of commercial sexual exploitation of children and all its causes, casualties and implications. I learned so much from this book and am grateful to Rachel Lloyd for telling her story and the stories of the GEMS girls. This has forever impacted me and my view of this horrific American institution of which I knew nothing (except for the stereotypes and misinformation propagated in America to absolve our country of responsibility).

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was gut wrenching and absolutely heartbreaking. It made me angry, sad, the whole slew of emotions. When you live a sheltered, safe life in the suburbs, you forget how horrible the lives of other humans can be. I love books that tug on my empathy and remind me that there are girls who are unable to stand up for themselves who need others to do so for them. The people who work with these girls are literal saints and I admire them so much.

[Marla O'Fallon · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sing me a pretty love song as I start to cry
Tell me you love me as you wipe the blood from my eye
Tell me why the only one who can wipe away my tears
Is the only one who's the source of all my fears"

“..you may not be able to choose your family or origin but you can choose your family of creation.”

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is FANTASTIC. AMAZING. I'd give it 6 stars if I could. As someone who works with trafficked and sexually exploited adults I often have trouble articulating to people how my clients are treated systematically, and how they came to be in the life. This book does a brilliant job of explaining the realities and guiding the reader with empathy. Really great book.

[Lauren | All the Lovely Lit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be required reading. Important facts about child sexual exploitation that challenge a lot of the stigmas and current conspiracies, from a woman who lived it.

[Narrative Muse]

– Fighting for a world where girls are not for sale –

Statistics and news reports show it’s a dangerous world. Each year brings more and more stories of how girls everywhere are bought, sold, and traded with little thought to their personhood. But even though I understand that sad reality on a cognitive level, Girls Like Us, a gripping memoir by Rachel Lloyd, made me truly, deeply understand it for the first time in the pit of my stomach. With tears in my eyes.

Never before has a book made me feel so ill at ease, so angry. Yet learning about Lloyd, her history and the work she does every day, also filled me with joy and hope that someone out there truly is fighting for justice. Rachel Lloyd is the Founder and President of GEMS (Girls Educational and Mentoring Services), and Girls Like Us is her story.

Lloyd tells of her own childhood filled with abuse and alcoholism and her encounters with violence, murder, drugs and suicide attempts. And she takes us to the New York City headquarters of GEMS, as 12, 13, and 14 year old girls entangled in “the life” are brought to her for help in the middle of the night. Girls hardened beyond their years, victims of sex trafficking in the Land of the Free, who have nobody fighting for them.

Lloyd sees herself in these young women. And she shows just how much work still remains to protect them.

One-word chapter titles give a taste of what lies ahead. In “Learning” “Risk” and “Family,” she explains what kind of children are most at risk. She outlines the factors that lead to their choices and often knowing involvement in the sex industry. In “Recruitment” “Pimps” “Johns” and “Victims” - she reveals a full and terrifying picture of the dirty, bloodstained realities of “the life.”

With each chapter, my heart got a little heavier. By the time I reached the “Cops” chapter, I couldn’t decide whether to weep or scream with each new page (over the course of the book, I did both).

Lloyd is gracious in her empathy and understanding, but she is also not afraid to call out deficiencies, hypocrisies, and discrimination embedded in society.

This is the real heart of the book. How government and law enforcement around the world, but particularly in the United States, fail victims every day. How victims are sent to prisons instead of safe houses. How abusers are believed, instead of the bleeding, sick abused. How victimised young white women are fought for and mourned, but 14-year-old women of color are treated like hardened criminals who deserve everything that’s happened to them.

Girls Like Us is without a doubt the most brutal book I have ever read; it made me want to do something drastic. And I know, it’s 2016. Everyone is a champion for social justice. Everyone is reading and writing about children caught in sex trafficking. This isn’t the newest or flashiest book about the subject.

But it was incredibly personal for me. I think of my little nephews, just seven and eight years old. I want to help them grow up to be men who listen to these kinds of stories, who read books like this one. I want them to be men who refuse to buy children for sex.

Thinking about their future, thinking about the future of the girls in this book, makes me want to be a better aunt, a better role model, a better teacher and friend. It reminds me to believe survivors. It reminds me to help, encourage, feed, and listen.

Reading Girls Like Us didn’t give me all the answers for how to do those things. I still don't know the perfect ingredients for building a better world. But it definitely made me renew my promise to never stop trying.

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This review was first published on Narrative Muse, http://narrativemuse.co/books/girls-l..., and was written by Debbie Holloway. Narrative Muse curates the best books and movies by and about women and non-binary folk on our website http://narrativemuse.co and our social media channels.

[Literary Strawberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely phenomenal. Rachel Lloyd does such a good job of looking at all the different aspects of this issue, including /great/ discussion of the psychological aspect, woven together with her personal stories, and it's all so well-written and engaging and so, so important. She doesn't shy away from showing the full reality of what's happening, but while she certainly describes a lot of physical abuse, I felt that she didn't go into any unnecessarily graphic detail about the sexual parts, which I appreciated. I feel that that part of things can often be sensationalized, trying to draw people in by satisfying their voyeuristic sense of curiosity with all the lurid details, but Lloyd doesn't pander to that.

This book is so good and so important. I want to say "Everyone should read it!", but I know there's a lot of heavy content, and that can certainly be too much for some people. So, use your discretion, but if you want an in-depth look at human trafficking and a really, really well-written memoir, pleae read this.

Content warning: Descriptions of abuse, language, discussion of the sexual exploitation of minors

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If an under age (sex trafficking) victim from Thailand, Ukraine, or anywhere else in the world is found at 2 am in a brothel in Queens, she was eligible for the services provided and funded by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act Of 2000. She could be taken to a safe house, given counseling for her trauma, and treated, as she should be, as a victim. If the girl who was found at two in the morning is an American girl, especially a girl of color, she was arrested, charged with an act of prostitution, and taken to juvenile detention.”

Rachel Lloyd has written well an important book here that demands full attention about the psychological trauma and social injustices of sex and abuse victims in human trafficking. One learns the raw aspects of “the life” , the evil, abusive pimps and the children, yes, children they suck in, chew up and spit out. No glamour or romance here. Rachel keeps the story real, interweaving her own story of abuse and how difficult it was for her to escape; why it’s difficult for the victims to get away.

Strong language, violence. No sex scenes. Just plain, raw truth with a cry for change in our legal system and in the hearts of the “johns” who feed this horrific “trade”.