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Trafficked
A 17-year-old Moldovan girl whose parents have been killed is brought to the United States to work as a slave for a family in Los Angeles.
Hannah believes she’s being brought from Moldova to Los Angeles to become a nanny for a Russian family. But her American dream quickly spirals into a nightmare. The Platonovs force Hannah to work sixteen-hour days, won’t let her leave the house, and seem to have a lot of secrets—from Hannah and from each other.
Stranded in a foreign land with false documents, no money, and nobody who can help her, Hannah must find a way to save herself from her new status as a modern-day slave or risk losing the one thing she has left: her life.
Hannah believes she’s being brought from Moldova to Los Angeles to become a nanny for a Russian family. But her American dream quickly spirals into a nightmare. The Platonovs force Hannah to work sixteen-hour days, won’t let her leave the house, and seem to have a lot of secrets—from Hannah and from each other.
Stranded in a foreign land with false documents, no money, and nobody who can help her, Hannah must find a way to save herself from her new status as a modern-day slave or risk losing the one thing she has left: her life.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published February 26, 2012
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Kim Purcell
12 books110 followersGo to my website, http://www.kimpurcell.com, for all the gory details.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 324 reviews
October 31, 2013
“Trafficked” is one of those books that should come with a warning. It will keep you up way past your bedtime and have you thinking about it every second of every day until you’ve finished reading it, and then some more. It is a superb read. Every emotion conceivable is what this book will bring out in you. Or at least, that’s what it did for me.
This book was utterly amazing! It was such an eye-opener and the level of research done for this novel must’ve been astounding because it shows. It doesn’t get any more real than this. I don’t even know where to start without bombarding you with all that I loved about this book. The catch-phrase on the back cover reads: “The American dream becomes a nightmare”. As appropriate as this proved to be for this novel, that statement is open to interpretation. Us privileged people would feel that Hannah was justified to feel the way she did and act in the manner she did, but others less fortunate might feel that she had it easy and would put up with Lillian’s abuse with a smile. I rooted for Hannah all the way. The treatment she endured from Lillian broke my heart into a million pieces, a million times. I hated Lillian. I seethed at the abuse she heaped on Hannah. And every time I thought I saw a little humanity pushing its way to the surface in Lillian, she’d turn around and destroy whatever goodwill I tried to feel towards her by hurling insults and unfounded accusations at Hannah. And what she did to Hannah’s hair is just atrocious, but is nothing compared to what she did to Hannah at the end. I seriously had a love-hate thing going with this character.
Sergey is an all-out enigma. It was hard to tell whether he was on Hannah’s side or what the heck fence he was sitting on. At least I liked him a lot more than I did Lillian and I kept hoping he would be Hannah’s saving grace. In a very twisted way he did save her from a lot of things, but even at the end, his actions were cowardly and selfish. I would’ve liked to know more of Sergey’s back story and his connection to Hannah’s past. It would’ve been nice if the author had taken the time to develop that line in the story a little more so I could have more compassion towards Hannah’s father and his dealings with the resistance, as well as a more sympathetic understanding of Sergey’s motives.
But let’s get back to Lillian for a moment. What made Lillian such a dangerous character – and what I’m guessing would make most women such forces to be reckoned with – is her jealousy and her insecurity about her husband having cheated on her before. That’s what I loved about all these characters. All of them had relatable motives for their actions. Not necessarily justifiable, but motives that would make any reader stop and think: how would I have reacted in such a situation? This story presents the reader with many such questions.
What fascinated me most was the contrast between the living standards in America compared to the ones in Moldova (which is near Romania in Eastern Europe for those who have no idea where Moldova is ~ it’s an extremely poor country). It was even more shocking because it is real. What we take for granted (something as simple as soft, white toilet paper, and hot water coming out of faucets) are luxuries for Moldovians. It was heartbreaking and refreshing to witness Hannah’s awe over the everyday, simple things we are so used to.
I loved the family set up in this novel. The kids were adorable, but they were more in the background and I would’ve loved to see more of the contact between them and their father. When Hannah was taken on a tour through the family’s residence on the day of her arrival, I could easily form a picture in my mind of every room, and this helped me to feel part of the story for the remainder of the book. I could even feel the stuffiness of the garage Hannah had to sleep in, in a sleeping bag on the sofa in the unrelenting Californian heat.
Hannah’s fascination and eventual friendship with the boy next door adds a tiny bit of a romantic feel to the story, but I felt it was only included as a plot device to assist in the conclusion. However, I was very relieved that it wasn’t an insta-love thing for Hannah or Colin, and that she befriended him because she needed someone to talk to, not someone to swoon over. What I also liked about it is that it introduced yet another flawed character (Hannah has crooked front teeth, Colin is overweight) and showed that even if you’re privileged and have everything you wish for, it doesn’t mean that you’re happy. The story has lots of subtle messages such as this one.
“Trafficked” is a wonderful book and it surprised me to no end. I felt part of this world and easily walked in Hannah’s shoes and felt the frustration she did. The writing is simplistic and uncomplicated, which works perfectly well for Hannah’s simplistic and uncomplicated character. I hated Paavo and his wife, Rena, and feared the horrible things he could do to Hannah or her family back home in Moldova. I was intrigued by the mystery of her parents’ death, Sergey and Paavo’s possible connection to them, and I was kept guessing about the disappearance of Hannah’s beloved uncle right up to the end. This is more than the average human-trafficking interest story. It is different in so many ways and it has heart. I recommend “Trafficked” to anyone and everyone looking for a heartfelt read that leaves you counting your blessings and appreciating everyday conveniences so much more.
This book was utterly amazing! It was such an eye-opener and the level of research done for this novel must’ve been astounding because it shows. It doesn’t get any more real than this. I don’t even know where to start without bombarding you with all that I loved about this book. The catch-phrase on the back cover reads: “The American dream becomes a nightmare”. As appropriate as this proved to be for this novel, that statement is open to interpretation. Us privileged people would feel that Hannah was justified to feel the way she did and act in the manner she did, but others less fortunate might feel that she had it easy and would put up with Lillian’s abuse with a smile. I rooted for Hannah all the way. The treatment she endured from Lillian broke my heart into a million pieces, a million times. I hated Lillian. I seethed at the abuse she heaped on Hannah. And every time I thought I saw a little humanity pushing its way to the surface in Lillian, she’d turn around and destroy whatever goodwill I tried to feel towards her by hurling insults and unfounded accusations at Hannah. And what she did to Hannah’s hair is just atrocious, but is nothing compared to what she did to Hannah at the end. I seriously had a love-hate thing going with this character.
Sergey is an all-out enigma. It was hard to tell whether he was on Hannah’s side or what the heck fence he was sitting on. At least I liked him a lot more than I did Lillian and I kept hoping he would be Hannah’s saving grace. In a very twisted way he did save her from a lot of things, but even at the end, his actions were cowardly and selfish. I would’ve liked to know more of Sergey’s back story and his connection to Hannah’s past. It would’ve been nice if the author had taken the time to develop that line in the story a little more so I could have more compassion towards Hannah’s father and his dealings with the resistance, as well as a more sympathetic understanding of Sergey’s motives.
But let’s get back to Lillian for a moment. What made Lillian such a dangerous character – and what I’m guessing would make most women such forces to be reckoned with – is her jealousy and her insecurity about her husband having cheated on her before. That’s what I loved about all these characters. All of them had relatable motives for their actions. Not necessarily justifiable, but motives that would make any reader stop and think: how would I have reacted in such a situation? This story presents the reader with many such questions.
What fascinated me most was the contrast between the living standards in America compared to the ones in Moldova (which is near Romania in Eastern Europe for those who have no idea where Moldova is ~ it’s an extremely poor country). It was even more shocking because it is real. What we take for granted (something as simple as soft, white toilet paper, and hot water coming out of faucets) are luxuries for Moldovians. It was heartbreaking and refreshing to witness Hannah’s awe over the everyday, simple things we are so used to.
I loved the family set up in this novel. The kids were adorable, but they were more in the background and I would’ve loved to see more of the contact between them and their father. When Hannah was taken on a tour through the family’s residence on the day of her arrival, I could easily form a picture in my mind of every room, and this helped me to feel part of the story for the remainder of the book. I could even feel the stuffiness of the garage Hannah had to sleep in, in a sleeping bag on the sofa in the unrelenting Californian heat.
Hannah’s fascination and eventual friendship with the boy next door adds a tiny bit of a romantic feel to the story, but I felt it was only included as a plot device to assist in the conclusion. However, I was very relieved that it wasn’t an insta-love thing for Hannah or Colin, and that she befriended him because she needed someone to talk to, not someone to swoon over. What I also liked about it is that it introduced yet another flawed character (Hannah has crooked front teeth, Colin is overweight) and showed that even if you’re privileged and have everything you wish for, it doesn’t mean that you’re happy. The story has lots of subtle messages such as this one.
“Trafficked” is a wonderful book and it surprised me to no end. I felt part of this world and easily walked in Hannah’s shoes and felt the frustration she did. The writing is simplistic and uncomplicated, which works perfectly well for Hannah’s simplistic and uncomplicated character. I hated Paavo and his wife, Rena, and feared the horrible things he could do to Hannah or her family back home in Moldova. I was intrigued by the mystery of her parents’ death, Sergey and Paavo’s possible connection to them, and I was kept guessing about the disappearance of Hannah’s beloved uncle right up to the end. This is more than the average human-trafficking interest story. It is different in so many ways and it has heart. I recommend “Trafficked” to anyone and everyone looking for a heartfelt read that leaves you counting your blessings and appreciating everyday conveniences so much more.
May 12, 2016
I remember the first time I read about human trafficking. My grandmother received Reader's Digest and often had a copy on her coffee table. As an ever-voracious reader, I often read articles from it since it was the most easily available reading material at her apartment. One week I found an article about a girl in her late teens who came to the United States as a domestic servant and was trapped into a life of domestic slavery. An illegal alien through no fault of her own, she had no one to turn to--afraid she'd be arrested if she went to the police.
The true story I read in Reader's Digest nine years ago is fictionalized in this book. It's not the type of story I'll go around recommending to everyone because it's definitely not a PG rated story. Though the author manages to craft the story without writing anything explicit, the main character must deal with multiple untoward advances from the men surrounding her. On the other hand, I believe this is an important story. Human trafficking is something everyone should be aware of, and I firmly believe that a well-told story has huge potential to not only inform, but help people care. Though this is basically 400 pages of a young woman working as a maid, it's definitely a well-told story--gripping because it could happen in the house next to mine and easy to read because of the simple realness of the main character.
Throughout the story, the main character's one comfort is the boy next door. He's a self-conscious American teenager with family problems of his own, but he takes advantage of the few opportunities he gets to be kind to the main character. That kindness ultimately provides the sliver of opportunity she needs to escape from a life that keeps getting worse.
The lesson I took away from this story came from the boy next door. Take time for other people. Care about the people you interact with, even if you don't know them well. You never know who needs a friend, who needs help, who needs a glimmer of hope that a few kind words can give.
The true story I read in Reader's Digest nine years ago is fictionalized in this book. It's not the type of story I'll go around recommending to everyone because it's definitely not a PG rated story. Though the author manages to craft the story without writing anything explicit, the main character must deal with multiple untoward advances from the men surrounding her. On the other hand, I believe this is an important story. Human trafficking is something everyone should be aware of, and I firmly believe that a well-told story has huge potential to not only inform, but help people care. Though this is basically 400 pages of a young woman working as a maid, it's definitely a well-told story--gripping because it could happen in the house next to mine and easy to read because of the simple realness of the main character.
Throughout the story, the main character's one comfort is the boy next door. He's a self-conscious American teenager with family problems of his own, but he takes advantage of the few opportunities he gets to be kind to the main character. That kindness ultimately provides the sliver of opportunity she needs to escape from a life that keeps getting worse.
The lesson I took away from this story came from the boy next door. Take time for other people. Care about the people you interact with, even if you don't know them well. You never know who needs a friend, who needs help, who needs a glimmer of hope that a few kind words can give.
June 27, 2012
Trafficked by Kim Purcell
Trafficked is a difficult subject to read about but so important that I couldn’t wait to sit down and read it. Kim Purcell has done an excellent job and I give her ton’s of credit for telling us this story even though it’s a fiction novel we all know this is happening today somewhere. Kim’s words flowed extremely well, character descriptions are written excellent, and I felt so much sorrow for what Hannah is going through. There were times I had to stop and remember this is a fiction novel but deep down you know very well that does happen. It’s hard to believe that there are people that would take advantage of another human being like this.
We meet Hannah who is a seventeen young woman, who has just signed on to becoming a nanny for a family in America. Things start off rough for her but she is hoping once she reaches the family she will be working for things will get better. It doesn’t take her long to realize things are not what she was expecting. In her new home this family is horrible to her, she has to work harder than anyone should, she is threatened and warned what would happen to her if anyone found out she was there illegally. The abuse from the mother is endless and only gets worse. Hannah is unsure if she is going to survive.
I have rated Trafficked a 5 star rating, this book is written so well I have to give Kim Purcell 5 stars for sharing an ongoing issue in our world today and she has written it for the YA reader well mature YA reader with class and strength. I cannot say enough about this story or the author. If you read my review I would say go now and buy this book immediately.
I would recommend this book to anyone who can read!
Trafficked is a difficult subject to read about but so important that I couldn’t wait to sit down and read it. Kim Purcell has done an excellent job and I give her ton’s of credit for telling us this story even though it’s a fiction novel we all know this is happening today somewhere. Kim’s words flowed extremely well, character descriptions are written excellent, and I felt so much sorrow for what Hannah is going through. There were times I had to stop and remember this is a fiction novel but deep down you know very well that does happen. It’s hard to believe that there are people that would take advantage of another human being like this.
We meet Hannah who is a seventeen young woman, who has just signed on to becoming a nanny for a family in America. Things start off rough for her but she is hoping once she reaches the family she will be working for things will get better. It doesn’t take her long to realize things are not what she was expecting. In her new home this family is horrible to her, she has to work harder than anyone should, she is threatened and warned what would happen to her if anyone found out she was there illegally. The abuse from the mother is endless and only gets worse. Hannah is unsure if she is going to survive.
I have rated Trafficked a 5 star rating, this book is written so well I have to give Kim Purcell 5 stars for sharing an ongoing issue in our world today and she has written it for the YA reader well mature YA reader with class and strength. I cannot say enough about this story or the author. If you read my review I would say go now and buy this book immediately.
I would recommend this book to anyone who can read!
November 20, 2014
Trafficked was an interesting book. I really wanted to love it, but unfortunately it came up short for me. I do praise the author for writing a modern-day YA novel about human trafficking, though- it's a real problem that occurs all over the world, but I don't think everyone knows a lot about it. Especially not teenagers who, arguably, should be one of the groups MOST informed. It's really sad how situations like the one presented in this novel can go unnoticed and I wish there were more YA books about it, to at least raise awareness. If nothing else, I think Trafficked is a good educational tool. Before reading it, I did know some information about human trafficking. But, the plot still brought in different factors that I never realized could play into it. It also shed some light on the idea of modern-day slavery, rather than just the forced prostitution side, which is what I tend to hear about more often. It did a good job of showing the various different ways someone can be affected by trafficking.
But honestly, I still cannot say that I enjoyed the book. It was really slow paced and, despite being nearly 400 pages long, not much even happened. Hannah arrived at the house, cleaned, was threatened, and... cleaned some more. The ending was exciting, but nothing happened until the last 100 pages. Actually, that was when she finally started talking to the guy. There wasn't much action until the last 40 pages or so. And then it just ended. I guess what irritated me the most was that the summary on the inside jacket was incredibly misleading. I believed the book would be a lot more gritty, violent, and overall exciting. The subject matter is so dark and awful that I was hoping for a book that could represent that well- or at least, as realistically as it could in the young adult genre. The things that happened to Hannah WERE bad, but not to the extent that I was expecting. Also, the summary on GoodReads doesn't seem to do this, but the physical book's description really lead the reader to believe that Hannah would be forced into prostitution. I don't mind that it never happened, but it just left me confused, when Hannah was still at the house 2/3 of the way in. I kept assuming that the plot would pick up once Hannah was taken from the Platonovs. But that never happened, so it only made the book drag out longer for me.
I think the lack of action was supposed to be compensated for by the mystery subplot that weaved its way into the story. Essentially, while Hannah is working with this new family, she finds out that they're more connected to her deceased parents than she realized. I actually figured out the mystery pretty early and even if I hadn't, it still would not have interested me. This is because we never learned about Hannah's family much to begin with, so I didn't care at all about how these strangers knew them or what secrets they were keeping from Hannah. All of the plot twists were predictable for me, actually. Things would be revealed to Hannah and the author made it seem like they were such a surprise, when I had guessed them seventy-five pages beforehand. It just bored me even more.
Don't get me wrong, there were a few good things in Trafficked. I really liked the minor characters- Maggie, Collin, etc. Lillian was crazy and while I hated her, she played a good villain to bring at least an ounce of excitement to the story. I did think that the whole subplot with the creepy husband and Hannah was kind of random, but whatever. It sort of made sense, to show how victims can be preyed upon by people that appear to be friendly, but I still thought it was out of place. And speaking of Hannah, I never liked her character, either. I felt sympathetic towards her, but I thought she was far too naive. She wasn't stupid, so she should have caught on to some of the cruelties earlier. And then she never did much to help herself- I saw a few opportunities she could have taken to get out, but she didn't. Instead, she found the worst moments possible to stand up for herself and try to fight back, which really only made things worse. It frustrated me.
In the end, Trafficked wasn't horrible. It just didn't do it for me, so I figured I'd write a review to contrast with a lot of the positive opinions on here. I think people that are interested in the subject matter might like it and it could be a good book to give a young teenager- it's definitely not too explicit. There are a couple iffy scenes, but nothing I don't think an 8th grader couldn't handle. I'd just make sure that if you do read it, you know what you're getting into beforehand. It's slow and predictable, but it still has a couple good moments. The writing itself was good. I just wish the novel had a stronger impact, to go with it's strong subject. So, read it if you want. It's a lighter start into a deep subject, which might appeal to some. I'd just advise to borrow it from a library. And don't get your hopes up too high.
But honestly, I still cannot say that I enjoyed the book. It was really slow paced and, despite being nearly 400 pages long, not much even happened. Hannah arrived at the house, cleaned, was threatened, and... cleaned some more. The ending was exciting, but nothing happened until the last 100 pages. Actually, that was when she finally started talking to the guy. There wasn't much action until the last 40 pages or so. And then it just ended. I guess what irritated me the most was that the summary on the inside jacket was incredibly misleading. I believed the book would be a lot more gritty, violent, and overall exciting. The subject matter is so dark and awful that I was hoping for a book that could represent that well- or at least, as realistically as it could in the young adult genre. The things that happened to Hannah WERE bad, but not to the extent that I was expecting. Also, the summary on GoodReads doesn't seem to do this, but the physical book's description really lead the reader to believe that Hannah would be forced into prostitution. I don't mind that it never happened, but it just left me confused, when Hannah was still at the house 2/3 of the way in. I kept assuming that the plot would pick up once Hannah was taken from the Platonovs. But that never happened, so it only made the book drag out longer for me.
I think the lack of action was supposed to be compensated for by the mystery subplot that weaved its way into the story. Essentially, while Hannah is working with this new family, she finds out that they're more connected to her deceased parents than she realized. I actually figured out the mystery pretty early and even if I hadn't, it still would not have interested me. This is because we never learned about Hannah's family much to begin with, so I didn't care at all about how these strangers knew them or what secrets they were keeping from Hannah. All of the plot twists were predictable for me, actually. Things would be revealed to Hannah and the author made it seem like they were such a surprise, when I had guessed them seventy-five pages beforehand. It just bored me even more.
Don't get me wrong, there were a few good things in Trafficked. I really liked the minor characters- Maggie, Collin, etc. Lillian was crazy and while I hated her, she played a good villain to bring at least an ounce of excitement to the story. I did think that the whole subplot with the creepy husband and Hannah was kind of random, but whatever. It sort of made sense, to show how victims can be preyed upon by people that appear to be friendly, but I still thought it was out of place. And speaking of Hannah, I never liked her character, either. I felt sympathetic towards her, but I thought she was far too naive. She wasn't stupid, so she should have caught on to some of the cruelties earlier. And then she never did much to help herself- I saw a few opportunities she could have taken to get out, but she didn't. Instead, she found the worst moments possible to stand up for herself and try to fight back, which really only made things worse. It frustrated me.
In the end, Trafficked wasn't horrible. It just didn't do it for me, so I figured I'd write a review to contrast with a lot of the positive opinions on here. I think people that are interested in the subject matter might like it and it could be a good book to give a young teenager- it's definitely not too explicit. There are a couple iffy scenes, but nothing I don't think an 8th grader couldn't handle. I'd just make sure that if you do read it, you know what you're getting into beforehand. It's slow and predictable, but it still has a couple good moments. The writing itself was good. I just wish the novel had a stronger impact, to go with it's strong subject. So, read it if you want. It's a lighter start into a deep subject, which might appeal to some. I'd just advise to borrow it from a library. And don't get your hopes up too high.
September 7, 2013
From the publisher:
Hannah believes she's being brought from Molodova to Los Angeles to become a nanny for a Russian family. But her American dream quickly spirals into a nightmare. The Platonovs force Hannah to work sixteen-hour days, won't let her leave the house, and seem to have a lot of secrets - from Hannah and from each other. Stranded in a foreign land with false documents, no money, and nobody who can help her, Hannah must find a way to save herself from her new status as a modern-day slave or risk losing the one thing she has left: her life.
My Thoughts:
Hannah, 17, thought that coming to the United States would help her make enough money to pay for her grandmother's badly needed eye operation and she could learn enough English to realize her dream of going to medical school. But right from the start, things aren't exactly on the up and up.
Trafficking of young girls is a real problem these days all over the world. Victims of trafficking are kept in conditions where they can't do anything because they have no money, no documents, no friends, no family, and too often, no hope. Hannah only wanted to make her life better after being orphaned by a terrorist bomb explosion that killed her parents, leaving her penniless. Now in Los Angeles, Hannah is at the mercy of the Sergey and Lillian Platonov and expected to care for their two children, Maggie and Michael, as well as keeping the house immaculate. Hannah was to take her meals in the kitchen and sleep in a small room in the basement.
It doesn't take Hannah long to realize that she is virtually imprisoned in the house, forbidden to go any further than the backyard. She is allowed to use the phone and has had no contract with her grandmother or best friend in Molodova. As Hannah discovers more and more about the family she is living with, and their shady friends and dealings, she also soon learns that Sergey knew her father and has held her captive with some information he had about him.
The only bright spot in Hannah's life is looking out the window and watching the teenage boy who lives in the house across the way from the Platonovs. Eventually she gets to know him and his friendship offers her some respite from her loneliness. But she is too ashamed to tell him what is happening to her.
This is Kim Purcell's debut novel and it is clear she has done some in-depth research into the trafficking of young people. This gritty story is realistically portrayed and the character are all well drawn, so much so that chills ran down my spine in several places in the novel. The conditions that Hannah lived under are getting more and more familiar to us as we read about people who have managed to escape their captors. People like Sergey and Lillian Platonov succeed at holding kids captive by isolating them from the rest of the world, making sure they have no money or contact with anyone who can help and instilling a sense of shame in them about their circumstances. And that is exactly how it happens in Trafficked.
This is a book everyone should read, especially teens and young adults who want to get out and explore the world while also being employed and who might easily be taken in by traffickers. An awareness of what It be careful of is always wise.
This book is recommended for readers age 14+
This book was borrowed from the Mid-Manhattan branch of the NYPL
Hannah believes she's being brought from Molodova to Los Angeles to become a nanny for a Russian family. But her American dream quickly spirals into a nightmare. The Platonovs force Hannah to work sixteen-hour days, won't let her leave the house, and seem to have a lot of secrets - from Hannah and from each other. Stranded in a foreign land with false documents, no money, and nobody who can help her, Hannah must find a way to save herself from her new status as a modern-day slave or risk losing the one thing she has left: her life.
My Thoughts:
Hannah, 17, thought that coming to the United States would help her make enough money to pay for her grandmother's badly needed eye operation and she could learn enough English to realize her dream of going to medical school. But right from the start, things aren't exactly on the up and up.
Trafficking of young girls is a real problem these days all over the world. Victims of trafficking are kept in conditions where they can't do anything because they have no money, no documents, no friends, no family, and too often, no hope. Hannah only wanted to make her life better after being orphaned by a terrorist bomb explosion that killed her parents, leaving her penniless. Now in Los Angeles, Hannah is at the mercy of the Sergey and Lillian Platonov and expected to care for their two children, Maggie and Michael, as well as keeping the house immaculate. Hannah was to take her meals in the kitchen and sleep in a small room in the basement.
It doesn't take Hannah long to realize that she is virtually imprisoned in the house, forbidden to go any further than the backyard. She is allowed to use the phone and has had no contract with her grandmother or best friend in Molodova. As Hannah discovers more and more about the family she is living with, and their shady friends and dealings, she also soon learns that Sergey knew her father and has held her captive with some information he had about him.
The only bright spot in Hannah's life is looking out the window and watching the teenage boy who lives in the house across the way from the Platonovs. Eventually she gets to know him and his friendship offers her some respite from her loneliness. But she is too ashamed to tell him what is happening to her.
This is Kim Purcell's debut novel and it is clear she has done some in-depth research into the trafficking of young people. This gritty story is realistically portrayed and the character are all well drawn, so much so that chills ran down my spine in several places in the novel. The conditions that Hannah lived under are getting more and more familiar to us as we read about people who have managed to escape their captors. People like Sergey and Lillian Platonov succeed at holding kids captive by isolating them from the rest of the world, making sure they have no money or contact with anyone who can help and instilling a sense of shame in them about their circumstances. And that is exactly how it happens in Trafficked.
This is a book everyone should read, especially teens and young adults who want to get out and explore the world while also being employed and who might easily be taken in by traffickers. An awareness of what It be careful of is always wise.
This book is recommended for readers age 14+
This book was borrowed from the Mid-Manhattan branch of the NYPL
December 18, 2011
Was Hannah just naive when she decided to falsify her identity and travel to America to become a Nanny for a Russian American family, the Platonovs? She grew up in a marketplace with "You are Not a Product" slogans on posters to remind her what happens too often to attractive young girls who accept offers that sound too good to be true. $400 a month should be plenty for Hannah to send home to her grandmother for surgery. No other family survives who will help her, so she accepts and enters a nightmare.
Even the journey to the Romanian airport was fraught with humilation, but nothing could prepare her for the abject slavery she faces in the nice surburban Los Angeles home, where she works for a jealous Russian woman desperate to pass tests for foreign trained doctors who needs Hannah to care for her toddler boy and 8-year-old girl while she studies. Lillian is very demanding, expecting Hannah up before and much later than the children to see to all the meals and to keep the house scrupulously clean. Hard work might not bother Hannah so much if she got any money to send her babushka, but there is no pay and only a furtive handful of trips outside the house that is her prison, her "room," the garage playroom of the children. Threatened with immigration if she goes to the authorities, she is threatened with the hippopotamus man Paavo, who runs unsavory businesses and keeps a stable of a whole different kind of eastern European slaves. If she can't keep Lillian happy and father Sergey out of her bed, she might fall into the clutches of Paavo and out of the frying pan and into the fire of a brothel existence.
The only window on the world lying just outside her prison is through the neighbor's windows. A blond boy named Colin and his brother and mother have a normal life just out of reach, and she takes risks to meet him.
Teen girl readers will eat up the angst and pitiful situation of a girl in this sensationalized exploitation. It is a little bit of rubber-necking to see just what horrors happen to Hannah and girls like her, but it is an issue worth knowing about; and if it makes comfortable American girls a little more thankful for the easy life so many of them have, that's an additional benefit. Recommend to fans of SOLD, maybe Ellen Hopkins, or the morbidly fascinated legions drawn to A CHILD CALLED IT.
Even the journey to the Romanian airport was fraught with humilation, but nothing could prepare her for the abject slavery she faces in the nice surburban Los Angeles home, where she works for a jealous Russian woman desperate to pass tests for foreign trained doctors who needs Hannah to care for her toddler boy and 8-year-old girl while she studies. Lillian is very demanding, expecting Hannah up before and much later than the children to see to all the meals and to keep the house scrupulously clean. Hard work might not bother Hannah so much if she got any money to send her babushka, but there is no pay and only a furtive handful of trips outside the house that is her prison, her "room," the garage playroom of the children. Threatened with immigration if she goes to the authorities, she is threatened with the hippopotamus man Paavo, who runs unsavory businesses and keeps a stable of a whole different kind of eastern European slaves. If she can't keep Lillian happy and father Sergey out of her bed, she might fall into the clutches of Paavo and out of the frying pan and into the fire of a brothel existence.
The only window on the world lying just outside her prison is through the neighbor's windows. A blond boy named Colin and his brother and mother have a normal life just out of reach, and she takes risks to meet him.
Teen girl readers will eat up the angst and pitiful situation of a girl in this sensationalized exploitation. It is a little bit of rubber-necking to see just what horrors happen to Hannah and girls like her, but it is an issue worth knowing about; and if it makes comfortable American girls a little more thankful for the easy life so many of them have, that's an additional benefit. Recommend to fans of SOLD, maybe Ellen Hopkins, or the morbidly fascinated legions drawn to A CHILD CALLED IT.
September 3, 2012
Trafficked by Kim Purcell follows Hannah a girl from Moldova who travels to America to work as a Nanny. She takes the job after her parents disappear because she knows her grandmother can not support the two of them. She soon finds things are not as she was promised as the family she works for treats her like a slave, requiring her to work all hours without pay and without the ability to leave.
I enjoyed the book although the main character had issues at time with being very very naive. This book does do a good job of portraying human trafficking in the US without being to graphic for the audience. I remained interested in the book throughout and finished it quickly. It has an ending with a solid finale that leaves the reader satisfied.
Appropriateness: This is a tough book that is about a difficult subject. While it handled the material in an age appropriate way the topic is still a tough one for teens. There is an attempted rape and there is quite a bit of apprehension that the reader feels fearing that the main character will either be raped or sold into prostitution. I would recommend this book to readers 14+ and younger teens if they have an adult to talk to. This is a good book to explore the subject of human trafficking for teen readers, with the focus being on a domestic servant as opposed to one forced into prostitution it makes the story a bit easier to read.
I enjoyed the book although the main character had issues at time with being very very naive. This book does do a good job of portraying human trafficking in the US without being to graphic for the audience. I remained interested in the book throughout and finished it quickly. It has an ending with a solid finale that leaves the reader satisfied.
Appropriateness: This is a tough book that is about a difficult subject. While it handled the material in an age appropriate way the topic is still a tough one for teens. There is an attempted rape and there is quite a bit of apprehension that the reader feels fearing that the main character will either be raped or sold into prostitution. I would recommend this book to readers 14+ and younger teens if they have an adult to talk to. This is a good book to explore the subject of human trafficking for teen readers, with the focus being on a domestic servant as opposed to one forced into prostitution it makes the story a bit easier to read.
February 27, 2012
I devoured most of this book on an airplane flight and later stayed up half the night to finish. Teens and adults alike will be captivated by the plight of Hannah, an illegal immigrant from Moldova, who works as a nanny for a family in Los Angeles. Grueling hours, no pay, social isolation, and accommodations in a garage -- despite an inviting and unoccupied guest room upstairs -- are only some of the travails she encounters; the job gradually spirals into a living nightmare and Hannah's life is in serious danger. It's a hard read at times in the sense that details we'd probably rather not think about are described, and for that reason I wouldn't recommend it for readers under 15. However, there are moments of humanity and uplift that balance the narrative, particularly in Hannah's recollection of her loved ones left behind in Moldova and her glimpses of a better life next door -- so close and yet so far away. There is also a rich cast of characters in this book -- internationally diverse and psychologically complex. The villains are particularly well-rendered. Who would suspect a Whole Foods, organic product-buying, middle class mom of harboring a domestic slave in her suburban garage? TRAFFICKED is a novel that demands to be read. A bonus: the author is donating 20% of proceeds earned from the book to organizations that work to combat human trafficking.
May 3, 2018
It was a good read albeit not being what I initially thought. The synopsis is very misleading.
April 1, 2013
Video review here: http://www.60secondrecap.com/potw/tra...
Is there such a thing as a perfect book? I found myself going back and forth on this question as I tore through Trafficked.
Hannah, a teenager from Moldova, enters the US illegally to pursue her dream of learning English and becoming a doctor. She’s been promised $400 a week for her nannying job with a Russian family in Los Angeles, but things go south right from the start.
On the one hand, Hannah’s story is powerfully and eloquently told. I believed in Hannah and her terrifying journey, because Hannah, and her relationship with her captors, rang so true. On the other hand,
So, is Trafficked a perfect book? Maybe not 100%. But let’s say that it’s close to perfect, and that regardless of whatever minor flaws may exist, it’s one of the most important and memorable books of 2012.
Is there such a thing as a perfect book? I found myself going back and forth on this question as I tore through Trafficked.
Hannah, a teenager from Moldova, enters the US illegally to pursue her dream of learning English and becoming a doctor. She’s been promised $400 a week for her nannying job with a Russian family in Los Angeles, but things go south right from the start.
On the one hand, Hannah’s story is powerfully and eloquently told. I believed in Hannah and her terrifying journey, because Hannah, and her relationship with her captors, rang so true. On the other hand,
So, is Trafficked a perfect book? Maybe not 100%. But let’s say that it’s close to perfect, and that regardless of whatever minor flaws may exist, it’s one of the most important and memorable books of 2012.
December 11, 2012
I was actually crestfallen after finishing this book. Okay, to be more specific, I was crestfallen even I was just a quarter through with this book.
When I first laid my eyes on such a mysterious cover of this book, I was just like, "Oh my goodness, I gotta read this." When I read the summary of this book, I immediately borrowed this book from the library. I had such great expectations of it.
I was expecting gore and violence, much of them. I was expecting hardcore politics and cruelty. However, this book only portrayed minimal amounts of such attributes. I mean, it was cruel what Lillian did to Hannah and everything, but it could've been more dramatic, really. It was like, 40 pages through and I'm still waiting for the story to start. When I realised that the whole book was gonna be about a maid-master relationship with issues accompanied by an infatuated husband and two energetic kids... I was like.. "Oh well, okay then." If I could, I would wanna give this book 2.9 or 2.8. That's my actual rating. I would definitely wanna pass it because I liked the cute relationship between Hannah and Collin. I liked that. I also liked the sense of bleakness the writer succeeded in exuding. Overall, it was a decent book with major flaws. It has large rooms for improvement.
When I first laid my eyes on such a mysterious cover of this book, I was just like, "Oh my goodness, I gotta read this." When I read the summary of this book, I immediately borrowed this book from the library. I had such great expectations of it.
I was expecting gore and violence, much of them. I was expecting hardcore politics and cruelty. However, this book only portrayed minimal amounts of such attributes. I mean, it was cruel what Lillian did to Hannah and everything, but it could've been more dramatic, really. It was like, 40 pages through and I'm still waiting for the story to start. When I realised that the whole book was gonna be about a maid-master relationship with issues accompanied by an infatuated husband and two energetic kids... I was like.. "Oh well, okay then." If I could, I would wanna give this book 2.9 or 2.8. That's my actual rating. I would definitely wanna pass it because I liked the cute relationship between Hannah and Collin. I liked that. I also liked the sense of bleakness the writer succeeded in exuding. Overall, it was a decent book with major flaws. It has large rooms for improvement.
February 22, 2012
Gosh, how do rate a book like this? Its odd to say, "Yes, I loved this book" when I felt like I was being punched in the chest throughout the entire thing. I am not saying that this is a bad novel by any means, but boy was it scary. Scary because of its brutal honesty. I don't know that I'll read another book like this, because quite frankly I feel terrible. Granted, I understand that this is meant to bring awareness to the situation, but I'm not quite sure that it should fall under the YA category. I am giving this four stars because its unlike anything I've read, and I honestly will probably never read something like this again. One time is enough.
June 15, 2011
I was lucky enough to see an advance copy of this book, which tells a story unlike anything I'd ever read before. There are some books you enjoy because you can really relate to what's going on, and there are some you enjoy because they introduce you to a totally unfamiliar reality. This is one of those books. Even though Hannah's situation is far removed from the average teen's, I think most readers will keep asking themselves, "What would I do here?" and start to wonder...is there someone like this in my own neighborhood or town, and nobody knows it? Great stuff.
October 23, 2022
Trafficked is an absorbing YA novel that shows how an orphaned teenager easily becomes a victim in human trafficking. Hannah was easily duped into leaving her home for the promise of a better life, a salary, and a chance to study. Instead, she became a slave, forced into being an unpaid nanny and a maid, fighting off sexual advances of the husband of the house and his male associates, and being beaten and verbally abused by the wife. She is young, slow to realize her situation, and not great with English.
The plotting of Trafficked was thrilling. There were plenty of twists to keep me invested. For example, there is a backstory about how Hannah was "chosen" by this family that is revealed little by little.
I was rooting for Hannah to find a way out and take charge of her life. I worried about her because I knew the odds were not in her favor.
Hannah's story in Trafficked made me think about all the real girls out there in similar situations, so in that way, it's a heartbreaking novel.
The plotting of Trafficked was thrilling. There were plenty of twists to keep me invested. For example, there is a backstory about how Hannah was "chosen" by this family that is revealed little by little.
I was rooting for Hannah to find a way out and take charge of her life. I worried about her because I knew the odds were not in her favor.
Hannah's story in Trafficked made me think about all the real girls out there in similar situations, so in that way, it's a heartbreaking novel.
July 19, 2013
Hannah is helping support her grandmother and herself after her parents are killed in a cafe bombing. A friend of her aunt offers her a chance to be a nanny in America and Hannah thinks it is a great opportunity. She knows that girls sometimes are taken to foreign countries to be prostitutes, but this is America and it must be safe. As she crosses the border and begins her progress to her new home she starts to have doubts. Her real papers are taken and she is given fake documents. She isn't allowed to leave the house and her room is in the garage. Trafficked takes our real world issues and brings it close to home. We sometimes hear of girls (and boys/men/women) being kidnapped and held against their will as a sex slave, but there are other reasons for human trafficking and they are just as terrifying. Teens and adults alike will enjoy this read and most will begin to think hard about these scary issues. Purcell does a wonderful job capturing the fear and sense of helplessness Hannah has to overcome.
December 1, 2014
Each year, I love to read as many Gateway nominees as possible. As I poked through the shelf of books in my English classroom this year, this novel caught my eye and I quickly classified it as "to read." However, it wasn't until last week that I to finally finished reading the novel. From cover to cover this book had me on edge. As the remaining number of pages dwindled, I grew more and more tense anticipating the outcome of the story. Hannah's story of trafficking was gripping. Author Kim Purcell's methods of characterization allowed me truly feel connected to Hannah's life and emotions. Although the events portrayed in this novel are fictional, trafficking affects countless young women in our world today. Before reading this book, I was unaware of the magnitude of trafficking. It is unacceptable that young girls are lured into slavery and prostitution through promises of work and happiness. Purcell has taken a stand against trafficking and in doing so concocted a heart-wrenching novel that is sure to captivate any reader.
February 12, 2018
Hannah, a 17-year-old Moldovan girl, is living a difficult yet stable life with her grandmother. But when she is given the opportunity to live in America, how can she refuse? She dreams of making enough money for her grandmother’s surgery. Of living a rich and privileged life. After all, isn’t that the American way of life? The American dream?
But the American dream soon turns into a nightmare. Because she’s more than just a nanny. She’s a slave.
Read my full review here: http://sevendaysaweek.co/trafficked-t...
But the American dream soon turns into a nightmare. Because she’s more than just a nanny. She’s a slave.
Read my full review here: http://sevendaysaweek.co/trafficked-t...
August 25, 2017
This book was beautifully depressing. It showed real world problems in a fiction story. The entire time Hannah was being essentially tortured, she wasn't aware of what was actually happened to her. She wasn't aware of her babulya's (grandmother) death until so long after her torture began and she only accepted the work for her babulya. Beautifully honest story.
March 11, 2014
Behind the facade of the white picket fence, lies a house filled with the ugliest of secrets and the dirtiest of lies.
Disclaimer: This review also appears on my blog and on Women24.com, a South African women's lifestyle website where I manage, amongst other things, an online books section.
When I first finished reading this book, I had no intention of giving it a very high rating.
In fact, my initial thought was that this book was maybe worth a fair-weathered 3 out of 5. Good, but not all that mesmerising.
Since I was so indecisive about it, I decided to step back from focusing on the technical aspects of rating, and just reflect on the contents of the book over the days that would follow (something I usually do with most books I read anyway).
The more I thought about it, the more I came to realise that, actually, this is the kind of book I really, really love.
Sure, it left me with more questions than answers, but don't some of the best books do that?
The good characters made my heart ache, the antagonists made me rage against the injustices they inflicted on others and the story itself was filled with so much heart, that when I think back on it now, I can't for the life of me remember why I wanted to dismiss this as an average book.
Actually, wait. Bear with me for a bit, because I think I do know why.
A lovely writer friend and I were having a discussion about how many of the commercial reads out there seem to be following and doing what most blockbuster movies are doing these days: going with a storyline, but focusing on the ‘bang, bang, pow!’ aspects of the story, instead of the heart and soul of the actual story itself.
While there is certainly nothing wrong with that, and goodness knows, I do enjoy my fair share of action-packed, plot-driven stories, I think that we often forget about just how wonderful stories that have more subtle nuances and focus more on subtext and what lies beneath the surface, are.
Because sometimes, it’s those what’s-not-being-said moments that speak the loudest, and to me, Trafficked is one such book.
I don’t deny that this book is for everyone. In fact, if you’re a fan of books where everything knits itself together and all loose ends are tied up, then you may just want to give this one a skip.
However, if you want to see a realistic portrayal of a topic that is a tragic reality, and one that will leave you thinking about it for days on end, then this is just the book for you.
Hannah is a beautiful 16-year old girl from Moldova (near to Ukraine and Romania).
Having lost her parents in a bomb blast, things haven’t been going well for her and her ailing babushka.
When she’s offered the chance to work as a nanny in Los Angeles, she grabs it with both hands, with the reasoning that she’d not only be able to learn English, but that she’d eventually earn enough money to send back home.
Upon arriving, it’s not long before Hannah discovers that the dream she’s been offered, is a far cry from the reality she finds herself in.
At first everything appears to be going well. Hannah’s placed with Sergey, Lillian, Maggie and Michael, a Russian family who live in a beautiful suburban area - one that is a carbon cut-out of the American dream ideal.
Expected to work and clean, Hannah’s only too happy to help, excited by the prospect of earning and raising enough money for her ailing grandmother’s operation. It also helps that she gets along with the children almost right from the start.
But soon Hannah begins to notice some things.
Things such as: why she’s working 16 hours a day; things such as her never being allowed to leave the house, and things such as the fact that after the first few weeks of being there, she still hasn’t been paid.
What she also can’t miss is Sergey’s wife, Lillian’s increasingly hostile behaviour towards her.
And the thinly-veiled insinuations from Lillian’s sharp-tongued friend, Rena? It only serves to increase Lillian’s suspicions and raging paranoia.
To make matters worse, there are times that Hannah is convinced that Sergey wants something more from her than just a friendly smile, something that she’s not prepared to give.
As the weeks mount and the tension builds, she not only begins to suspect that something’s wrong in the household she’s staying in, but also that the reason she was chosen may be closely linked to the reason why her parents were killed.
Trafficked is a novel that everyone should read. Not only because it deals with an issue that’s unfortunately so prevalent, but because this book delves into aspects of Trafficking that so many people overlook.
When one thinks of Trafficking, one often thinks of girls being forced into prostitution.
Now while that certainly is a massive and horrendous part of it(and one that still doesn’t get enough coverage, much less have anything done about it), this novel focuses more on events that often precede it - girls being tricked into forced labour, and subjected to long, hard and thankless working hours.
The worst part of this?
Because most of them are illegals (and underage to boot), they have no way of getting any help; running the risk of being jailed because they’re in a foreign country.
Kim Purcell’s character, Hannah is pretty remarkable. She’s wonderfully drawn out – curious, hopeful, courageous and strong in a quiet and reverberating way.
Although she’s generally cautious, her innate sense of goodness (and naivety) often lead her to ignoring those uncomfortable twinges she gets about certain people, resulting in her finding herself in daunting and perilous situations.
As a reader, I couldn’t help but feel the sense of hopelessness and helplessness that she felt when things were at their worst. I found myself wanting to comfort her, wishing I could help her and hoping against hope that she’d use that inner strength to find some way out.
But that’s not all.
One of the most important and most gut-wrenching aspects of this novel is the interactions between Lillian and Hannah.
As a woman, I believe that we should support one another, not break each other down, and experiencing Hannah’s agony at Lillian’s increasingly cold, callous and vicious hand, filled me with a huge amount of despair and desolation.
Not only that, but I was left with a feeling of helpless rage.
Rage towards a woman that was cruel to a lost, lonely teen who only wanted the best for her family.
Rage because this woman is a mother whose instinct should be to nurture and protect, not to pass on the role of mother to a young girl who’s just lost her parents.
… And rage because this woman chose the vanity of her ego and paranoia over the word of vulnerable teen who was cast into the role of outsider from the moment she arrived.
I know. It certainly doesn’t make for easy reading, does it?
It’s on that note that I have to add that I think it’s a great testimony to an author when a reader can feel so much fury towards a despicable character – for me, it speaks of a character that’s been created by an author finely attuned to the physical and emotional nuances and external forces that can affect the protagonists – in this case Hannah – in a novel.
And in this novel, there are plenty of these moments.
Trafficked is a beautifully written, slow, but insidious burn that will keep you edge - pushing and pulling you towards a devastating climax and an ending that will haunt you for days afterwards.
It’s a novel that gives no easy answers, has no easy resolutions and one that everyone interested and invested in the fight for human rights, should read.
Disclaimer: This review also appears on my blog and on Women24.com, a South African women's lifestyle website where I manage, amongst other things, an online books section.
When I first finished reading this book, I had no intention of giving it a very high rating.
In fact, my initial thought was that this book was maybe worth a fair-weathered 3 out of 5. Good, but not all that mesmerising.
Since I was so indecisive about it, I decided to step back from focusing on the technical aspects of rating, and just reflect on the contents of the book over the days that would follow (something I usually do with most books I read anyway).
The more I thought about it, the more I came to realise that, actually, this is the kind of book I really, really love.
Sure, it left me with more questions than answers, but don't some of the best books do that?
The good characters made my heart ache, the antagonists made me rage against the injustices they inflicted on others and the story itself was filled with so much heart, that when I think back on it now, I can't for the life of me remember why I wanted to dismiss this as an average book.
Actually, wait. Bear with me for a bit, because I think I do know why.
A lovely writer friend and I were having a discussion about how many of the commercial reads out there seem to be following and doing what most blockbuster movies are doing these days: going with a storyline, but focusing on the ‘bang, bang, pow!’ aspects of the story, instead of the heart and soul of the actual story itself.
While there is certainly nothing wrong with that, and goodness knows, I do enjoy my fair share of action-packed, plot-driven stories, I think that we often forget about just how wonderful stories that have more subtle nuances and focus more on subtext and what lies beneath the surface, are.
Because sometimes, it’s those what’s-not-being-said moments that speak the loudest, and to me, Trafficked is one such book.
I don’t deny that this book is for everyone. In fact, if you’re a fan of books where everything knits itself together and all loose ends are tied up, then you may just want to give this one a skip.
However, if you want to see a realistic portrayal of a topic that is a tragic reality, and one that will leave you thinking about it for days on end, then this is just the book for you.
Hannah is a beautiful 16-year old girl from Moldova (near to Ukraine and Romania).
Having lost her parents in a bomb blast, things haven’t been going well for her and her ailing babushka.
When she’s offered the chance to work as a nanny in Los Angeles, she grabs it with both hands, with the reasoning that she’d not only be able to learn English, but that she’d eventually earn enough money to send back home.
Upon arriving, it’s not long before Hannah discovers that the dream she’s been offered, is a far cry from the reality she finds herself in.
At first everything appears to be going well. Hannah’s placed with Sergey, Lillian, Maggie and Michael, a Russian family who live in a beautiful suburban area - one that is a carbon cut-out of the American dream ideal.
Expected to work and clean, Hannah’s only too happy to help, excited by the prospect of earning and raising enough money for her ailing grandmother’s operation. It also helps that she gets along with the children almost right from the start.
But soon Hannah begins to notice some things.
Things such as: why she’s working 16 hours a day; things such as her never being allowed to leave the house, and things such as the fact that after the first few weeks of being there, she still hasn’t been paid.
What she also can’t miss is Sergey’s wife, Lillian’s increasingly hostile behaviour towards her.
And the thinly-veiled insinuations from Lillian’s sharp-tongued friend, Rena? It only serves to increase Lillian’s suspicions and raging paranoia.
To make matters worse, there are times that Hannah is convinced that Sergey wants something more from her than just a friendly smile, something that she’s not prepared to give.
As the weeks mount and the tension builds, she not only begins to suspect that something’s wrong in the household she’s staying in, but also that the reason she was chosen may be closely linked to the reason why her parents were killed.
Trafficked is a novel that everyone should read. Not only because it deals with an issue that’s unfortunately so prevalent, but because this book delves into aspects of Trafficking that so many people overlook.
When one thinks of Trafficking, one often thinks of girls being forced into prostitution.
Now while that certainly is a massive and horrendous part of it(and one that still doesn’t get enough coverage, much less have anything done about it), this novel focuses more on events that often precede it - girls being tricked into forced labour, and subjected to long, hard and thankless working hours.
The worst part of this?
Because most of them are illegals (and underage to boot), they have no way of getting any help; running the risk of being jailed because they’re in a foreign country.
Kim Purcell’s character, Hannah is pretty remarkable. She’s wonderfully drawn out – curious, hopeful, courageous and strong in a quiet and reverberating way.
Although she’s generally cautious, her innate sense of goodness (and naivety) often lead her to ignoring those uncomfortable twinges she gets about certain people, resulting in her finding herself in daunting and perilous situations.
As a reader, I couldn’t help but feel the sense of hopelessness and helplessness that she felt when things were at their worst. I found myself wanting to comfort her, wishing I could help her and hoping against hope that she’d use that inner strength to find some way out.
But that’s not all.
One of the most important and most gut-wrenching aspects of this novel is the interactions between Lillian and Hannah.
As a woman, I believe that we should support one another, not break each other down, and experiencing Hannah’s agony at Lillian’s increasingly cold, callous and vicious hand, filled me with a huge amount of despair and desolation.
Not only that, but I was left with a feeling of helpless rage.
Rage towards a woman that was cruel to a lost, lonely teen who only wanted the best for her family.
Rage because this woman is a mother whose instinct should be to nurture and protect, not to pass on the role of mother to a young girl who’s just lost her parents.
… And rage because this woman chose the vanity of her ego and paranoia over the word of vulnerable teen who was cast into the role of outsider from the moment she arrived.
I know. It certainly doesn’t make for easy reading, does it?
It’s on that note that I have to add that I think it’s a great testimony to an author when a reader can feel so much fury towards a despicable character – for me, it speaks of a character that’s been created by an author finely attuned to the physical and emotional nuances and external forces that can affect the protagonists – in this case Hannah – in a novel.
And in this novel, there are plenty of these moments.
Trafficked is a beautifully written, slow, but insidious burn that will keep you edge - pushing and pulling you towards a devastating climax and an ending that will haunt you for days afterwards.
It’s a novel that gives no easy answers, has no easy resolutions and one that everyone interested and invested in the fight for human rights, should read.
January 17, 2021
This book was very captivating and it held my attention fairly well. However, the summary of the book on the inside of the cover was a bit misleading. The book was very long and not much happened until the very end of the book but the way the characters were developed throughout the book was amazing. You learn the motives of each character and how they ended up in their situations and it is a very eye-opening book. It shows you how much of an industry there is for young people being trafficked and it raises awareness about these problems. Overall I thought it was an interesting book and that's why I rate it 4 stars.
March 20, 2024
This is a heavy read but so important!!
August 4, 2017
This was a fast read that tells the story of 17 year old Hannah, who dreams of a life in America. Her life over the next few months is far from her dream.
April 2, 2015
What would you do to take care of the ones you love? Hannah is willing to go across the world from Moldova to Los Angeles, California to work as a nanny. She's promised 400 dollars a week, which she plans to send back home to her "babushka" to save her from getting evicted from her home and to pay for her cataract surgery. When Hannah arrives to America and starts working, the money never comes. She waits and waits but doesn't get paid. The family Hannah works for doesn't let Hannah leave the house and they make her work for 16 hours a day taking care of children, cooking, and cleaning. The mother, Lillian, won't let Hannah contact her family and treats Hannah like scum. As days go by Lillian seems to hate Hannah more and more. The only happiness that Hannah can find is watching the next door neighbor, Colin, longing to talk to him, to anybody, to just have a friend. Will Hannah ever have a friend? Will Hannah ever be free?
The theme in this book is man v. man and man v. self because Hannah is against Lillian but Hannah also battles with herself and her thoughts, arguing in her mind about her risky decisions. The author is simply trying to spread the word about human trafficking because people still really don't know much about it, I didn't know that much about it until I read this book. I was very blown away by this book, it completely exceeded my expectations. It is now one of my favorite books. It's very well written and has a very important message behind it; human trafficking happens every single day, right under our noses and we have no clue. We're completely oblivious to it. I would recommend this book to anybody and everybody. I loved it so much! It'll keep you on the edge of your seat and you won't want to stop reading. I adored every second of it and I would definitely read it again.
The theme in this book is man v. man and man v. self because Hannah is against Lillian but Hannah also battles with herself and her thoughts, arguing in her mind about her risky decisions. The author is simply trying to spread the word about human trafficking because people still really don't know much about it, I didn't know that much about it until I read this book. I was very blown away by this book, it completely exceeded my expectations. It is now one of my favorite books. It's very well written and has a very important message behind it; human trafficking happens every single day, right under our noses and we have no clue. We're completely oblivious to it. I would recommend this book to anybody and everybody. I loved it so much! It'll keep you on the edge of your seat and you won't want to stop reading. I adored every second of it and I would definitely read it again.
October 29, 2013
This was a wonderful story. Human trafficking is an issue that many people are unaware of in America. It is staggering to me that things like this actually happen in America in average neighborhoods without people even knowing. I loved getting to know Hannah as a character. Seeing her work through her situation in her head and realizing that this is something that people actually go through and are unable to seek help, was mind blowing to me. Understanding the evil of characters like Lillian and Sergey was interesting. They were both evil in very different ways. Lillian's form of evil was much more obvious with her physical and verbal abuse, but Sergey's form of evil was just as bad because he took advantage of her. He expected her to be grateful for his help by using his position over her to get what he wanted. I believe this is a great story for teens to learn about a modern day issue. Also, this story could be related back to many themes like bullying, differences between cultures, and the psychology that goes on between a captive and a captor.
I would highly recommend this for teens and adults alike. The material may be a little too much for younger age groups. So, adults should monitor what their children read as always and make a judgment call on whether or not their child is mature enough for this kind of story.
I would highly recommend this for teens and adults alike. The material may be a little too much for younger age groups. So, adults should monitor what their children read as always and make a judgment call on whether or not their child is mature enough for this kind of story.
July 23, 2012
This mature YA novel deals with the extremely gritty subject of human trafficking. Hannah, 17, naively thinks that she is going from Moldova to America to work as a nanny and housekeeper for $400 a week. Her parents are dead, her uncle is gone, and her grandmother needs cataract surgery. Hannah and her grandmother are barely surviving, and this extra money will be very helpful. Hannah wants to learn to speak better English and someday be a doctor. This job in America will help her do that. Hannah learns from day one that this job is not what she thought it was going to be. Hannah cannot leave the house, she sleeps in the cold garage, and she does not get paid.
The characters in this book are extremely well-written. Hannah may be in a tough spot, but she is very resourceful and strong. I really rooted for Hannah to get out of her situation and possibly take down Lillian, the evil wife, in the process. Her friendship with Colin, the next door neighbor, is very sweet and innocent. Hannah desperately needs a friend and so does Colin.
The author is donating 20% of the book's proceeds to trafficking organizations that help victims like Hannah. For that alone, the book deserves 5 stars!
The characters in this book are extremely well-written. Hannah may be in a tough spot, but she is very resourceful and strong. I really rooted for Hannah to get out of her situation and possibly take down Lillian, the evil wife, in the process. Her friendship with Colin, the next door neighbor, is very sweet and innocent. Hannah desperately needs a friend and so does Colin.
The author is donating 20% of the book's proceeds to trafficking organizations that help victims like Hannah. For that alone, the book deserves 5 stars!
September 2, 2012
This gritty, powerful cautionary tale about Hannah, a seventeen-year-old from Moldava, who comes to the United States in search of a better life is downright scary and eye-opening. Hannah, of course, is naive in believing the lies she is told, but she is well-intentioned since she hopes to earn enough money to pay for her grandmother's eye surgery. The cash she dreams of never materializes, and the family with whom she stays keeps her locked in the garage. Basically, she has become a slave since they pay her nothing, and she is told to surrender her passport. Things go from bad to worse, with the only happy moments being those she spends with the two children for whom she is supposed to be responsible and brief conversations with a teen boy next door. Some of the coincidences are a bit unbelievable, but Hannah herself is an appealing character, determined despite what is happening to her, to find a way out. Readers will certainly empathize with Hannah, almost helpless, without funds or direction, trying to find a way out of her plight. The author based her story on the experiences of others like Hannah who have been brought to this country under false pretenses, lending authenticity to the story. This title will surely raise plenty of questions and spur discussions.
May 1, 2012
This was an incredible book that dealt with a very real, and very hidden problem in our society. It tells the story of Hannah, a 17 year old Moldovan girl who, after falling on hard times was offered a job as an American nanny that would allow her to send money back to Moldova to support her family. Once in America, Hannah learned that the promises of $400 per week were too good to be true. Instead, she was forced to work 16 hours per day with no pay and face emotional and physical abuse from her employers. What kept her from going to the police was the constant fear that she would go to jail or worse, her family would be hurt.
The scariest part about this book is that the nightmare that Hannah endured is happening to tens of thousands of people at this very minute, in our very own neighborhoods. It's easy for people to get wrapped up in their own lives and not see the horrors going on around them, and this is why it is important to bring awareness through books like Trafficked.
An amazing first novel... Hopefully the first of many.
The scariest part about this book is that the nightmare that Hannah endured is happening to tens of thousands of people at this very minute, in our very own neighborhoods. It's easy for people to get wrapped up in their own lives and not see the horrors going on around them, and this is why it is important to bring awareness through books like Trafficked.
An amazing first novel... Hopefully the first of many.
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December 6, 2014To be honest I picked up this book because I wanted to read through most of, if all of, the gateway books this year. This book was great though. It really opened up and showed a problem that I wasn't very aware of. In the main characters home country they continued to warn the girls about trafficking. She chose to travel to America through illegal means for a better life and to earn money to help her family member. As she was traveling of her own choice, she continued to assure her friend that she was not being trafficked. However her new home in America isn't the experience she was expecting and it is not until it is all said and done that she realizes the truth. She was trafficked and mistreated. In fact it made me wonder how often situations like this occur and how close they occur. It was definitely much better than I was ever expecting and I would encourage anyone interested in real world problems to read this book.
December 5, 2014
I gave this book 5 stars because I loved it a lot. I really liked how the book developed the characters, you can definitely see how they have changed from the beginning of the book. This story was just so raw and real. The narrator of the story was so honest and it was scary how much I sympathized her. I also liked how it made more than one plot line to follow, and each of them were interesting. While you're worried about her American family she's living in hurting her, you're also questioning how she was discovered. You learn about how her parent's past and how it is hurting her now. There is a lot of danger where she is living and I feel like the author portrayed it perfectly. I really felt like I was with her the while time. I could smell and hear and see the entire book it seemed. I really enjoyed this story
April 1, 2012
Concept/Ideas: 4/5
Storyline/Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing Style: 5/5
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars
Amazing book. Definitely reccommend it right of the bat. Why? Because it's about an important issue: Human Trafficking. The book was great. It also was well written, and totally pulls you in from page one. We need more books like this out there on the market. Real books about real issues...
The writing was good, the plotline was pretty fast progressive, and I really felt for the main character Hannah. I also like how it took a spin on modern day trafficking. It didn't completely focus on "sex trafficking", but instead more of a "slave" like take on it. GOOD READ! Amazing, and reccommend it!
Storyline/Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing Style: 5/5
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars
Amazing book. Definitely reccommend it right of the bat. Why? Because it's about an important issue: Human Trafficking. The book was great. It also was well written, and totally pulls you in from page one. We need more books like this out there on the market. Real books about real issues...
The writing was good, the plotline was pretty fast progressive, and I really felt for the main character Hannah. I also like how it took a spin on modern day trafficking. It didn't completely focus on "sex trafficking", but instead more of a "slave" like take on it. GOOD READ! Amazing, and reccommend it!
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