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Trafficked: The Terrifying True Story of a British Girl Forced into the Sex Trade
The haunting, unforgettable memoir that took the UK by storm, Trafficked is a gripping first-hand account of a young woman who survived the horrors of human trafficking.
Sophie Hayes, a young, educated English woman, was spending an idyllic weekend in Italy with her seemingly charming boyfriend. But the day of her return home, he made it clear she wasn't going anywhere. Punching and shouting at her, he threatened to kill her adored younger brothers if she didn't cooperate to help him pay off hundreds of thousands of dollars he'd racked up in debts.
Over the next six months, Sophie is forced to work as a prostitute in a country where she didn't speak the language, nobody knows her whereabouts, and escape seems impossible. She struggles to survive, constantly at the mercy of her boyfriend's violent moods and living in fear of being killed by any of her customers. When a life-threatening illness lands her in the hospital, Sophie has a chance to phone her mother and escape—if her boyfriend doesn't get to her first.
Chilling and captivating, Trafficked is one of the first memoirs to present a stunning personal look at the criminal human sex trafficking trade and bring this disturbingly widespread abuse to light.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 19, 2012
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January 27, 2012
Last year I wrote Trafficked: The Diary of a Sex Slave to try and raise awareness about trafficking so after my research for it I was expecting a lot of the horrific ordeal that Sophie describes in her book, but many others will not be. The truly scary thing is that trafficking is a huge global problem, and yet many people aren't aware of it, or they often assume that it happens just to people from poor countries. Sophie's story shows this isn't the case. She is an educated British woman who, like a lot of us, had emotional baggage that made her more vulnerable. She put her trust in the wrong person. A mistake that was a tragedy for her and could've cost her life. It proves that a normal person who accidentally slips up could be in the same situation. It could happen to you, or your daughter, or your sister, or your wife. In fact, it's going on under your nose right now. That woman working on a street corner or in a sauna or massage parlour that you see every day could be trafficked. Together, we can all do something to raise awareness.
This subject is hardly ever in the media so I applaud Sophie for having the strength and courage to share her story, and break the common misconceptions that surround trafficking. Victims hardly ever speak out because they're threatened that their families will be killed. Often they cannot escape because they are brainwashed into believing their captors and they don't know who to trust. Their lives are a living hell.
You will cry while reading Sophie's heart-breaking story, and you will feel disgusted, sick, and angry, but it's a story that needs to be read. No one should have to go through this, and I hope this book and the work she's doing with Stop the Traffik will aid her healing process. She's a truly courageous and inspiring woman.
This subject is hardly ever in the media so I applaud Sophie for having the strength and courage to share her story, and break the common misconceptions that surround trafficking. Victims hardly ever speak out because they're threatened that their families will be killed. Often they cannot escape because they are brainwashed into believing their captors and they don't know who to trust. Their lives are a living hell.
You will cry while reading Sophie's heart-breaking story, and you will feel disgusted, sick, and angry, but it's a story that needs to be read. No one should have to go through this, and I hope this book and the work she's doing with Stop the Traffik will aid her healing process. She's a truly courageous and inspiring woman.
August 20, 2023
A harrowing memoir of the horrific experiences of a young English woman , trafficked and violently forced into prostitution.
Sophie Hayes grew up in comfortable middle class family, but was damaged by a hateful emotionally abusive father.
Naïve and innocent, she was prey for any man she thought she could receive love from. She is taken n by a charming Albanian man a few years her senior. Kas gains her trust and takes her on what he promises will be an idyllic holiday in Italy. After few days he takes her captive and through violent coercion and threats to have her little bothers murdered forces into working the streets as a prostitute,
Kas through violent abuse and terror crushes her spirit so she will obey all she says and turns her into a slave, It is indeed upsetting to read of this beautiful young ladies hellish year a forced prostitute. terrorized and abused by Kas and many of the ''çlients'' , what we read is only the tip of the iceberg of the hell women caught up in prostitution go through. Many if not most do not survive,
People have written in reviews here that they cannot understand why Sophie But do not realize how the fear, and violence and total breaking of spirit prevented her from finding the courage to try and escape. Kas promised he would murder her if she did and revealed he had people watching her everywhere. It is a miracle that this evil demon of a man did not do so and that Sophie lived to tell the tale and create a foudation to assist women and children who have been or are victims of human trafficking.
The underlying issue is how many millions of woman and girls , around the word ARE in fact forced into prostitution through violent force and terror, or through sheer economic deprivation and desperation (as austerity and benefit cuts have in Britain) And yet it is too easy for people to be willfully blind about it and say things like '' They do it because they have a talent for it and make big bucks from it'' or 'they do it because they are immoral''
As Sophie explains in the book ''“It's easy to dismiss girls who work on the streets as deadbeats or drug addicts without ever thinking about why they're working as prostitutes. And the truth is that many of them have been trafficked and they work long, exhausting, miserable, soul-destroying hours for men who are cruel and violent. They're constantly afraid, not just because of what might be done to them if they don't do what they're told, but also because of the very real threats that are made against their families and the people they love.”
or as her mother points out in the afterword :I think many people assume that most of the girls who work as prostitutes do so willingly ,for one reason or another, so I think what every man needs to consider before he picks up a girl on the streets is whether he would like his own daughter or sister be standing in her place'' The truth is that although they may be smiling, they frightened. Many of them have been brainwashed and intimated into doing what they are doing, and they are completely without hope of finding a way out of the miserable lives they've been forced into by circumstances or by evil , low life self-serving people like the man who stole my daughter''.
Let us treat these girls and woman who are trapped in prostitution with compassion and try to help them we can raise awareness ans support charities like The Sophie Hayes Foundation or Beyond The Streets in England.
The evil men (and women) who traffic vulnerable women and children or force them into prostitution should burn in hell.
Sophie Hayes grew up in comfortable middle class family, but was damaged by a hateful emotionally abusive father.
Naïve and innocent, she was prey for any man she thought she could receive love from. She is taken n by a charming Albanian man a few years her senior. Kas gains her trust and takes her on what he promises will be an idyllic holiday in Italy. After few days he takes her captive and through violent coercion and threats to have her little bothers murdered forces into working the streets as a prostitute,
Kas through violent abuse and terror crushes her spirit so she will obey all she says and turns her into a slave, It is indeed upsetting to read of this beautiful young ladies hellish year a forced prostitute. terrorized and abused by Kas and many of the ''çlients'' , what we read is only the tip of the iceberg of the hell women caught up in prostitution go through. Many if not most do not survive,
People have written in reviews here that they cannot understand why Sophie But do not realize how the fear, and violence and total breaking of spirit prevented her from finding the courage to try and escape. Kas promised he would murder her if she did and revealed he had people watching her everywhere. It is a miracle that this evil demon of a man did not do so and that Sophie lived to tell the tale and create a foudation to assist women and children who have been or are victims of human trafficking.
The underlying issue is how many millions of woman and girls , around the word ARE in fact forced into prostitution through violent force and terror, or through sheer economic deprivation and desperation (as austerity and benefit cuts have in Britain) And yet it is too easy for people to be willfully blind about it and say things like '' They do it because they have a talent for it and make big bucks from it'' or 'they do it because they are immoral''
As Sophie explains in the book ''“It's easy to dismiss girls who work on the streets as deadbeats or drug addicts without ever thinking about why they're working as prostitutes. And the truth is that many of them have been trafficked and they work long, exhausting, miserable, soul-destroying hours for men who are cruel and violent. They're constantly afraid, not just because of what might be done to them if they don't do what they're told, but also because of the very real threats that are made against their families and the people they love.”
or as her mother points out in the afterword :I think many people assume that most of the girls who work as prostitutes do so willingly ,for one reason or another, so I think what every man needs to consider before he picks up a girl on the streets is whether he would like his own daughter or sister be standing in her place'' The truth is that although they may be smiling, they frightened. Many of them have been brainwashed and intimated into doing what they are doing, and they are completely without hope of finding a way out of the miserable lives they've been forced into by circumstances or by evil , low life self-serving people like the man who stole my daughter''.
Let us treat these girls and woman who are trapped in prostitution with compassion and try to help them we can raise awareness ans support charities like The Sophie Hayes Foundation or Beyond The Streets in England.
The evil men (and women) who traffic vulnerable women and children or force them into prostitution should burn in hell.
March 9, 2013
NOT TRAFFICKED
This book is not about a girl who has been Trafficked, this is a book about a silly girl who is desperate to have affection from her father, who WANTS to be controlled and enjoys being dominated.
When i picked up this book i expected to read a harrowing story, i imagined a girl who had been kidnapped and taken off to a place like Africa, Congo, or in the remote areas of Russia, a girl who was tied to a bed, in a locked room and forced to have sex with various guys, a girl with no chance to call for HELP, a girl that was forced to do such acts, a 'VICTIM'.
The so called ''victim'' in this book Sophie Hayes was not taken to a remote place like Congo, she was not locked in a room or tied to a bed. She was freely walking on the streets of ITALY. She had MANY dealings with the police in fact she even had SEX with the police and admitted sex with one particular police office was the only time it was ''more than just sex'' yet never in ALL her dealings with the police in 6 months did she bother to tell them her real name or to ask them to call the U.K Embassy.
She was left alone for a whole WEEK in France while the guy who ''forced'' her into this went to Holland, again she did not call any police or the embassy she did not run away, she simply went onto the street and did 30 guys a night of her own free will.
Despite being beaten and becoming a prostitute which she claims she ''hated'' she never claims to hate the guy that did it to her and at one point even writes that she sat on his lap with her arms wrapped around him and felt a small ''bizarre thrill of pleasure'' at the thought that he really did love her.
Her mother had been smart enough to tell her a 'code word' that if anything was ever wrong she wouldn’t have to say it she can just ask ''how is auntie linda'' yet in 6 months of phone calls to her mother she never once says those words.
She also writes on page 170, that she argues with him because she is never allowed to go to him and spend the night with him in the bed she always has to wait for him to come to her.
When she finally does get away from him she still answers his calls and his emails, and 12 months later when he shows up at her place, guess what??? She lets him right into the house.
DOES THAT SOUND LIKE A VICTIM!????????????????????
She wants to be there.
Never once did she try to run away, she never called the embassy even though she had a cell phone, she never told the police her story even though they knew something was up and she met them MANY times, she had sex with police, she never tried to ask her family for help with the ''code word'' she admits to feeling affections for this guy even while he was beating her and ''making'' her have sex with strangers
if you believe the poor excuse that she was ''brainwashed'' in one day then your just a gullible as she was.
I could maybe MAYBE feel some compassion if this girl had been TOTALY in love with this guy and she became a prostitute to help him pay debts, but she wasn’t in love with him, she didn’t want him at all, in 4 years she had turned him down constantly and didn’t talk to him for more 1-2 years! He was just a friend, a small time drug dealer and big time loser and yet she got ''brainwashed'' overnight that he could hurt her family??? Give me a break!!!!!
I was also disappointed that her family took 6 months to bother to come find her even though the mom knew on the first night something was wrong. if my daughter left the country, left her job, left her apartment all overnight without notice and calls me to tell me she’s not coming back i would be on a plane within ONE HOUR to go get her. Yet these people waited 6 months.
Sadly there are many girls who like jerks who treat them like crap and beat them around a little and dominate them totally. She is a victim of bad self esteem that’s all, she could have got out of this situation at virtually ANY point, she had the choice and she CHOSE to stay with him and to do 30 guys a night on the street.
That is NOT trafficked!
This book is very very frustrating on many levels and i almost threw it in the rubbish many times. Especially when near the end she again ADMITS that even now, she still checks her old email and reads what this scumbag says.
I feel sorry for the girls who a REALLY trafficked, who would do anything to talk to the police, to have a phone to call for help, who would do anything to be left alone for 5 minutes to RUN away from there perpetrators!!!!
This book is not about a girl who has been Trafficked, this is a book about a silly girl who is desperate to have affection from her father, who WANTS to be controlled and enjoys being dominated.
When i picked up this book i expected to read a harrowing story, i imagined a girl who had been kidnapped and taken off to a place like Africa, Congo, or in the remote areas of Russia, a girl who was tied to a bed, in a locked room and forced to have sex with various guys, a girl with no chance to call for HELP, a girl that was forced to do such acts, a 'VICTIM'.
The so called ''victim'' in this book Sophie Hayes was not taken to a remote place like Congo, she was not locked in a room or tied to a bed. She was freely walking on the streets of ITALY. She had MANY dealings with the police in fact she even had SEX with the police and admitted sex with one particular police office was the only time it was ''more than just sex'' yet never in ALL her dealings with the police in 6 months did she bother to tell them her real name or to ask them to call the U.K Embassy.
She was left alone for a whole WEEK in France while the guy who ''forced'' her into this went to Holland, again she did not call any police or the embassy she did not run away, she simply went onto the street and did 30 guys a night of her own free will.
Despite being beaten and becoming a prostitute which she claims she ''hated'' she never claims to hate the guy that did it to her and at one point even writes that she sat on his lap with her arms wrapped around him and felt a small ''bizarre thrill of pleasure'' at the thought that he really did love her.
Her mother had been smart enough to tell her a 'code word' that if anything was ever wrong she wouldn’t have to say it she can just ask ''how is auntie linda'' yet in 6 months of phone calls to her mother she never once says those words.
She also writes on page 170, that she argues with him because she is never allowed to go to him and spend the night with him in the bed she always has to wait for him to come to her.
When she finally does get away from him she still answers his calls and his emails, and 12 months later when he shows up at her place, guess what??? She lets him right into the house.
DOES THAT SOUND LIKE A VICTIM!????????????????????
She wants to be there.
Never once did she try to run away, she never called the embassy even though she had a cell phone, she never told the police her story even though they knew something was up and she met them MANY times, she had sex with police, she never tried to ask her family for help with the ''code word'' she admits to feeling affections for this guy even while he was beating her and ''making'' her have sex with strangers
if you believe the poor excuse that she was ''brainwashed'' in one day then your just a gullible as she was.
I could maybe MAYBE feel some compassion if this girl had been TOTALY in love with this guy and she became a prostitute to help him pay debts, but she wasn’t in love with him, she didn’t want him at all, in 4 years she had turned him down constantly and didn’t talk to him for more 1-2 years! He was just a friend, a small time drug dealer and big time loser and yet she got ''brainwashed'' overnight that he could hurt her family??? Give me a break!!!!!
I was also disappointed that her family took 6 months to bother to come find her even though the mom knew on the first night something was wrong. if my daughter left the country, left her job, left her apartment all overnight without notice and calls me to tell me she’s not coming back i would be on a plane within ONE HOUR to go get her. Yet these people waited 6 months.
Sadly there are many girls who like jerks who treat them like crap and beat them around a little and dominate them totally. She is a victim of bad self esteem that’s all, she could have got out of this situation at virtually ANY point, she had the choice and she CHOSE to stay with him and to do 30 guys a night on the street.
That is NOT trafficked!
This book is very very frustrating on many levels and i almost threw it in the rubbish many times. Especially when near the end she again ADMITS that even now, she still checks her old email and reads what this scumbag says.
I feel sorry for the girls who a REALLY trafficked, who would do anything to talk to the police, to have a phone to call for help, who would do anything to be left alone for 5 minutes to RUN away from there perpetrators!!!!
July 24, 2012
It's easy to dismiss girls who work on the streets as deadbeats or drug addicts without ever thinking about why they're working as prostitutes. And the truth is that many of them have been trafficked and they work long, exhausting, miserable, soul-destroying hours for men who are cruel and violent. They're constantly afraid, not just because of what might be done to them if they don't do what they're told, but also because of the very real threats that are made against their families and the people they love.
What kind of person does that to another human being?
3.5 stars. This is Sophie's story - the story of a young woman who was blackmailed into being a sex slave out of fear that her family would be harmed.
Sophie's story is not as rare as you might think. Sex trafficking happens every day, all over the world. Even in the most privileged of countries.
"The knife or the stick?" he repeated more loudly, bending down and pushing them both into my face.
Imagine meeting a man and becoming friends with him. For years you build a slow friendship with this person as he becomes a mentor and confidante. This man is nothing but kind, caring and gentle with you. He's there to be a shoulder for you to cry on as you struggle with family, work and relationship problems. Over the years, he comes to know you inside and out, maybe even better than you know yourself sometimes.
Then one day, it all shatters. Your "friend" becomes your worst nightmare as he rips you away from your home, your country and your life in order to place you on the streets of Italy as a sex slave. Trapped out of fear for your loved one's lives, you bear through the torturous hell of servicing up to 20 men a day, in order to keep your family alive back home.
I can't begin to imagine how any person would recover from this. As of right now, I don't know how much Sophie has recovered. After witnessing her fight through being battered, raped, and brainwashed, I honestly am not sure if she will ever be normal again. Part of me almost wishes that this book had been written several years in the future. I want to know more about the "after." It's in our nature as humans to want to root for the happy ending (NO, I'm not EVEN referring to that kind...this is so the wrong story for that joke). I want to know what happens next. Side note : I am only going 3.5 on the rating because I felt detached from parts of the story. This book was an easy format to read but there was something missing for me in the narrative which made it hard for me to get enthusiastic about the writing style. Make no mistake though - this is a book worth reading.
Stories like this remind us all why we should be thankful. I didn't cry with this book the way that I broke down in hysterics over Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad (oh lord...if you have even a fraction of a heart, that book WILL wreck you), but I was still emotionally moved. The note from Sophie's mom at the end was especially hard to read. As a mother, I pray that my children never have to suffer any sort of hardship like this.
This book shows that there are organizations out there trying to put a stop to sex trafficking. Sophie herself is working with www.stopthetraffik.org The tagline is powerful : People shouldn't be bought or sold.
In fact, it was the most amazing feeling I've ever had, to know that, thousands of miles away in a world I can only imagine, my story might help to keep other girls safe.
March 22, 2014
I don't think I have ever read a book that frustrated and pissed me off more than this one. I have to be truthful on how I feel so you may not want to continue reading this review. I'm sure I'm bound to piss someone off and be accused of being a cold bitch.
First I would like to say that NO ONE deserves to be treated the way she was. That was total bullshit and my personal opinion is the best thing for Kas would have been a bullet right between the eyes. If anyone did not deserve to breath it was that SOB. I kept hoping he would screw up a drug transaction and someone would shoot the fucker. Now that I have gotten that out of my system I can proceed with what else I have to say.
This is the part where not many others may agree with me, but I'm not going to lie so here goes, What in the sam hill was Sophie thinking? Ok, she has some daddy issues, but come on. How many times did she tell Kas to get lost? Several if I counted right. Then all of a sudden he calls her on her cell phone. How did he get the number? That is still a huge mystery. I'm not sure about you, but that incident would have ranked pretty high on my creep - o - meter. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that what he was doing was equivalent to stalker behaviour unless things are so different in the UK that this is the norm. I don't care how many daddy issues you have a bell had to have rung in her head that said, "Danger, Danger Will Robinson." Ok so that never bothered her. Well how about when he all of a sudden vanishes from England. People don't leave the country in that much of a hurry unless something is really wrong. To me that was clue # 2.
So like a huge dumb ass she leaves the country to go and visit a man who she has not seen in 4 years, but has talked to on the phone. I was not surprised when he refused to let her leave. I saw it coming a mile away. Hell I saw this coming when he first met her. Now this is where my anger really came in. Why the hell did she not run or do something? How many chances did she get to alert her mom on the phone? How about when he leaves her for a week to go to The Netherlands and leaves her. Are you shitting me that she didn't do something to get away. I think the part that pissed me off is that she acted like this was the 1970's when no body gave a crap and she didn't have a chance to contact anyone. I will never understand why she stayed and never did anything to help herself. Was it her daddy issues? Maybe, but despite how much of an asshole her father was he never prostituted his wife or his daughter. So where Sophie got this was ok is a mystery.
So finally she gets away. I was cheering for her until she refused to press charges. Well why in the hell not?? Finally, "Are you completely stupid?" came out of my mouth. Not only did she not press charges she refused to tell anyone when he found her. On top of that, 3 weeks after her parents rescued her from deaths door in the hospital she moved out of her moms house back into her own flat and was back in the clubs with her friends. I'm sorry, that is where I draw the line and I begin to question on whether or not she suffered as much as she claims to have in the hands in Kas. The story is way to polished and pretty for my liking. Are you going to tell me that after 4 months of living like she did that you are ready to socialize, live on your own, visit the clubs, and go back to work 3 weeks after the fact? Sorry, I don't buy it. Is this woman lacking so much in common sense that she needs to be looked after by medical professionals? Whatever it is, I hope she eventually gets the help she so desperately needs.
First I would like to say that NO ONE deserves to be treated the way she was. That was total bullshit and my personal opinion is the best thing for Kas would have been a bullet right between the eyes. If anyone did not deserve to breath it was that SOB. I kept hoping he would screw up a drug transaction and someone would shoot the fucker. Now that I have gotten that out of my system I can proceed with what else I have to say.
This is the part where not many others may agree with me, but I'm not going to lie so here goes, What in the sam hill was Sophie thinking? Ok, she has some daddy issues, but come on. How many times did she tell Kas to get lost? Several if I counted right. Then all of a sudden he calls her on her cell phone. How did he get the number? That is still a huge mystery. I'm not sure about you, but that incident would have ranked pretty high on my creep - o - meter. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that what he was doing was equivalent to stalker behaviour unless things are so different in the UK that this is the norm. I don't care how many daddy issues you have a bell had to have rung in her head that said, "Danger, Danger Will Robinson." Ok so that never bothered her. Well how about when he all of a sudden vanishes from England. People don't leave the country in that much of a hurry unless something is really wrong. To me that was clue # 2.
So like a huge dumb ass she leaves the country to go and visit a man who she has not seen in 4 years, but has talked to on the phone. I was not surprised when he refused to let her leave. I saw it coming a mile away. Hell I saw this coming when he first met her. Now this is where my anger really came in. Why the hell did she not run or do something? How many chances did she get to alert her mom on the phone? How about when he leaves her for a week to go to The Netherlands and leaves her. Are you shitting me that she didn't do something to get away. I think the part that pissed me off is that she acted like this was the 1970's when no body gave a crap and she didn't have a chance to contact anyone. I will never understand why she stayed and never did anything to help herself. Was it her daddy issues? Maybe, but despite how much of an asshole her father was he never prostituted his wife or his daughter. So where Sophie got this was ok is a mystery.
So finally she gets away. I was cheering for her until she refused to press charges. Well why in the hell not?? Finally, "Are you completely stupid?" came out of my mouth. Not only did she not press charges she refused to tell anyone when he found her. On top of that, 3 weeks after her parents rescued her from deaths door in the hospital she moved out of her moms house back into her own flat and was back in the clubs with her friends. I'm sorry, that is where I draw the line and I begin to question on whether or not she suffered as much as she claims to have in the hands in Kas. The story is way to polished and pretty for my liking. Are you going to tell me that after 4 months of living like she did that you are ready to socialize, live on your own, visit the clubs, and go back to work 3 weeks after the fact? Sorry, I don't buy it. Is this woman lacking so much in common sense that she needs to be looked after by medical professionals? Whatever it is, I hope she eventually gets the help she so desperately needs.
November 10, 2012
I did not think I would finish reading this book. I had to stop reading halfway through chapter 7.
Horrible things happened to this woman, but so much of it happened because of bad choices that she made. She knew from the first moment she ever saw Kas that he was trouble. She had a bad feeling about him and initially listened to her gut and kept away from him. She had an inner intuition that told her to stay far, far away from this guy. Yet, over a 4 year period, she allows him to worm his way completely into her life, despite her own feelings telling her to keep away from him. He constantly manipulates her at every turn. While there was no way for her to know the depth of his cruelty and depravity, her fate would have been so different if she had listened to her inner voice that was telling her to keep away from him.
So I finally finished this book, and my opinion really didn't change. Whether it was because of her horrible father, low self-esteem, or whatever reasons, she never seemed to grow or learn from the past. Just when you think she is safe and is not going to make any more bad decisions, you find out that she hasn't really changed all that much and lets Kas rule her life all over again, all the while she keeps the people in her life that truly do love her at a distance. She even trusts herself to be smarter and more capable to deal with Kas, more than she trusts the police to help her, even after the horrible ordeal she has gone through with him.
I originally gave it one star, but since I eventually did finish reading the book, I gave it two. It is not a book that inspires anything in me to recommend it to anyone else though.
Horrible things happened to this woman, but so much of it happened because of bad choices that she made. She knew from the first moment she ever saw Kas that he was trouble. She had a bad feeling about him and initially listened to her gut and kept away from him. She had an inner intuition that told her to stay far, far away from this guy. Yet, over a 4 year period, she allows him to worm his way completely into her life, despite her own feelings telling her to keep away from him. He constantly manipulates her at every turn. While there was no way for her to know the depth of his cruelty and depravity, her fate would have been so different if she had listened to her inner voice that was telling her to keep away from him.
So I finally finished this book, and my opinion really didn't change. Whether it was because of her horrible father, low self-esteem, or whatever reasons, she never seemed to grow or learn from the past. Just when you think she is safe and is not going to make any more bad decisions, you find out that she hasn't really changed all that much and lets Kas rule her life all over again, all the while she keeps the people in her life that truly do love her at a distance. She even trusts herself to be smarter and more capable to deal with Kas, more than she trusts the police to help her, even after the horrible ordeal she has gone through with him.
I originally gave it one star, but since I eventually did finish reading the book, I gave it two. It is not a book that inspires anything in me to recommend it to anyone else though.
May 26, 2014
Short of it:
Would not recommend.
Long of it:
It's uncomfortable to say anything bad about someone's story. One, because they lived through it. Two, because no matter how good or poor of a writer, you can never truly put yourself in the author's shoes. But at the risk of sounding like a cold-hearted bitch, Sophie Hayes could have benefited from a little less repetition and a little more detail.
Although she isn't a writer, and therefore it's a touch unfair to criticize her writing, it is unfortunately why I found this such a difficult read. The subject matter may be a challenge for some, but if you often read true crime/crime or memoirs about trauma, then you're likely to have more of an issue with her writing as well. Aside from the quality of writing, my inability to understand her naivety along with the learned-helplessness she adopted from the get go...and held on to until the very end...made it very frustrating.
I also have to agree with previous reviews that mention irritation over the title choice. Yes, it is a trafficking case, but one in which the victim has many opportunities to, not "escape", but at least ask for help. So, yes, it is kind of a slap in the face to the more horrendous cases of trafficking that occur where girls are kidnapped or conned then turned into actual sex slaves (not prostitutes).
It was only a page turner because I was maddeningly curious as to whether she'd ever realize her ability to get herself out, if her "captor" would end up dead or incarcerated, or if someone else would come to her rescue. After she's finally free, the last few chapters became extremely hard to get through.
Would not recommend.
Long of it:
It's uncomfortable to say anything bad about someone's story. One, because they lived through it. Two, because no matter how good or poor of a writer, you can never truly put yourself in the author's shoes. But at the risk of sounding like a cold-hearted bitch, Sophie Hayes could have benefited from a little less repetition and a little more detail.
Although she isn't a writer, and therefore it's a touch unfair to criticize her writing, it is unfortunately why I found this such a difficult read. The subject matter may be a challenge for some, but if you often read true crime/crime or memoirs about trauma, then you're likely to have more of an issue with her writing as well. Aside from the quality of writing, my inability to understand her naivety along with the learned-helplessness she adopted from the get go...and held on to until the very end...made it very frustrating.
I also have to agree with previous reviews that mention irritation over the title choice. Yes, it is a trafficking case, but one in which the victim has many opportunities to, not "escape", but at least ask for help. So, yes, it is kind of a slap in the face to the more horrendous cases of trafficking that occur where girls are kidnapped or conned then turned into actual sex slaves (not prostitutes).
It was only a page turner because I was maddeningly curious as to whether she'd ever realize her ability to get herself out, if her "captor" would end up dead or incarcerated, or if someone else would come to her rescue. After she's finally free, the last few chapters became extremely hard to get through.
March 26, 2014
This is a must-read.
It's one of the few books that has actually got to me. I had known what trafficking is since I was a teenager and felt terrible that this was happening in our days. However, I had never truly taken a moment to think about it in real terms. 'Trafficked' gave me a chance to actually sit and think of all the horror that women and children who are forced into sex slavery go through.
However, the reason that makes Sophie's story educative -and an inspiration to people who've become victims of this terrible industry- is that her case is different in many ways. She was an average middle-class young woman from a European country that is by no means poor. Although she had a bad childhood (emotionally abusive father), she had managed to do well for herself as an adult, both when it comes to human relationships (she had good friends, a boyfriend and a good relationship with her mom and siblings) and financial situation. Basically she belonged to the "lower risk" social group for human trafficking. Yet, she had the bad luck to meet a guy who was -as it turned out- mentally disturbed and persistent enough to pretend to be her friend for four (!!!!) years before he actually revealed his true self. I feel Sophie was right when she thought that he might actually 'love' her but in a very disturbing way. The guy had no respect for women whatsoever, he probably had a really skewed perception of reality and of what love really is. Basically, he was, as people say, 'a monster'. I don't wanna say more about what happened... If you haven't read the book, please read it!
I just want to say that what shocked/scared me the most in Sophie's story was the fact that she just couldn't escape it! There was nothing that she could have done that would have saved her from what happened.
She took her time... She didn't trust him right away. She had stayed with him before and he was nice to her (so why not do it again?). Yes, there were some 'red flags' but they weren't enough to make a person think that there is something absolutely wrong with this guy. There isn't a point in her story where you'd say, you would have been more careful or done this and that instead of what she did. Even the fact that she didn't run when he made his intentions clear is perfectly understandable...I would be surprised too if I were her. I kept reading and her thoughts seemed to be quite similar with what mine would probably be if I were in her shoes. Where I'm getting at, is that Sophie was a smart woman who was really careful of whom she trusted, yet she fell victim of this guy.
This goes to show you that if you think trafficking does not affect you personally, then you are wrong. Please read this book! Educate yourself and the people around you. Help every way you can. I'm glad Sophie decided to share her story and I hope at some point she will find the courage to testify against him in court.
*The rating is for the story and the message it conveys. The writing would probably get a bit less, but this is not a fictional narrative and it should not be judged that way, in my opinion.
It's one of the few books that has actually got to me. I had known what trafficking is since I was a teenager and felt terrible that this was happening in our days. However, I had never truly taken a moment to think about it in real terms. 'Trafficked' gave me a chance to actually sit and think of all the horror that women and children who are forced into sex slavery go through.
However, the reason that makes Sophie's story educative -and an inspiration to people who've become victims of this terrible industry- is that her case is different in many ways. She was an average middle-class young woman from a European country that is by no means poor. Although she had a bad childhood (emotionally abusive father), she had managed to do well for herself as an adult, both when it comes to human relationships (she had good friends, a boyfriend and a good relationship with her mom and siblings) and financial situation. Basically she belonged to the "lower risk" social group for human trafficking. Yet, she had the bad luck to meet a guy who was -as it turned out- mentally disturbed and persistent enough to pretend to be her friend for four (!!!!) years before he actually revealed his true self. I feel Sophie was right when she thought that he might actually 'love' her but in a very disturbing way. The guy had no respect for women whatsoever, he probably had a really skewed perception of reality and of what love really is. Basically, he was, as people say, 'a monster'. I don't wanna say more about what happened... If you haven't read the book, please read it!
I just want to say that what shocked/scared me the most in Sophie's story was the fact that she just couldn't escape it! There was nothing that she could have done that would have saved her from what happened.
She took her time... She didn't trust him right away. She had stayed with him before and he was nice to her (so why not do it again?). Yes, there were some 'red flags' but they weren't enough to make a person think that there is something absolutely wrong with this guy. There isn't a point in her story where you'd say, you would have been more careful or done this and that instead of what she did. Even the fact that she didn't run when he made his intentions clear is perfectly understandable...I would be surprised too if I were her. I kept reading and her thoughts seemed to be quite similar with what mine would probably be if I were in her shoes. Where I'm getting at, is that Sophie was a smart woman who was really careful of whom she trusted, yet she fell victim of this guy.
This goes to show you that if you think trafficking does not affect you personally, then you are wrong. Please read this book! Educate yourself and the people around you. Help every way you can. I'm glad Sophie decided to share her story and I hope at some point she will find the courage to testify against him in court.
*The rating is for the story and the message it conveys. The writing would probably get a bit less, but this is not a fictional narrative and it should not be judged that way, in my opinion.
January 14, 2014
This book is about a young British woman, Sophie, who is lured to Italy by a long-term friend named Kas and then kept against her will, beaten, and forced into prostitution on the streets in Italy.
I've always been interested in the gruesome reality that is sadly part of our world, and it's with awareness that we can maybe stop human trafficking and forced prostitution. But a part of me really disliked Sophie, and couldn't fathom why she made such poor choices in her life, so it was hard for me to really come to terms with this book.
She blames a lot of what happens to her on her poor self-esteem and her troubled relationship with her psychologically abusive father, but I don't think that can really explain away why she behaved so....irrationally! I know it's incredibly tough to say that, but I wonder how much of this story is really 100% the truth, and how much was embellished. I have watched many documentaries about trafficked women, and their circumstances were so much worse. Most are a lot younger than Sophie was, were brought into a completely foreign place, didn't speak anything than their own language, no English, and are locked up around the clock when they're not with customers.
Sophie, however, is a British girl in Italy. She's 20 something, speaks English, and has visited Italy before. She's not locked up, and often on her own when she isn't with Kas. You'd think she would be in a better place to turn to authorities, or make a run for it. Also, there was nothing to make her believe that Kas' threats against her family held any merit. He beat her, but she never witnessed him having any clout in England, or having a mafiosi gang behind him to carry out his threats. So why didn't she just take a chance and run away from him, at the many opportunities she had? Yes she had low self esteem, but...really??
Then when she gets back to England, she goes on to make THE STUPIDEST DECISIONS EVER and allows Kas back into her life, willingly allows him into her new apartment, doesn't change her phone number, agrees to have coffee with him. She really hasn't learned anything from her experience. Hell what about taking a self defence course or maybe carrying some pepper spray? She's just...ugh I wanted to shake her! She has loving people around her who care about her, and she doesn't tell anyone what is happening. Honestly, I found that part of the story incredibly hard to believe. She also choses not to press charges against Kas when the perfect opportunity is presented, which would likely send him away to prison for good, but she doesn't. So he'll be back in the streets in Albania, doing the same thing to other girls.
I had very little sympathy left for her at that point. The book was interesting to read, and sad, but in the end I just was annoyed with Sophie for not really changing herself from the experience, or trying to bring Kas to justice, even when she had a group of people and police supporting her. Yes it was an absolutely terrifying and awful thing that happened to her, but why did she make such stupid decisions in her life in the first place? She always had a feeling that Kas was bad news, yet she allowed him to manipulate her for years, and then she never even tried to get away from him, even when he almost killed her.
I guess it's impossible to know how anyone else would act faced with the situation Sophie was put in, and not at all was it one she deserved to be in. But I'm finding it hard to believe some of the circumstances, even though she tries to justify them in the book.
I've always been interested in the gruesome reality that is sadly part of our world, and it's with awareness that we can maybe stop human trafficking and forced prostitution. But a part of me really disliked Sophie, and couldn't fathom why she made such poor choices in her life, so it was hard for me to really come to terms with this book.
She blames a lot of what happens to her on her poor self-esteem and her troubled relationship with her psychologically abusive father, but I don't think that can really explain away why she behaved so....irrationally! I know it's incredibly tough to say that, but I wonder how much of this story is really 100% the truth, and how much was embellished. I have watched many documentaries about trafficked women, and their circumstances were so much worse. Most are a lot younger than Sophie was, were brought into a completely foreign place, didn't speak anything than their own language, no English, and are locked up around the clock when they're not with customers.
Sophie, however, is a British girl in Italy. She's 20 something, speaks English, and has visited Italy before. She's not locked up, and often on her own when she isn't with Kas. You'd think she would be in a better place to turn to authorities, or make a run for it. Also, there was nothing to make her believe that Kas' threats against her family held any merit. He beat her, but she never witnessed him having any clout in England, or having a mafiosi gang behind him to carry out his threats. So why didn't she just take a chance and run away from him, at the many opportunities she had? Yes she had low self esteem, but...really??
Then when she gets back to England, she goes on to make THE STUPIDEST DECISIONS EVER and allows Kas back into her life, willingly allows him into her new apartment, doesn't change her phone number, agrees to have coffee with him. She really hasn't learned anything from her experience. Hell what about taking a self defence course or maybe carrying some pepper spray? She's just...ugh I wanted to shake her! She has loving people around her who care about her, and she doesn't tell anyone what is happening. Honestly, I found that part of the story incredibly hard to believe. She also choses not to press charges against Kas when the perfect opportunity is presented, which would likely send him away to prison for good, but she doesn't. So he'll be back in the streets in Albania, doing the same thing to other girls.
I had very little sympathy left for her at that point. The book was interesting to read, and sad, but in the end I just was annoyed with Sophie for not really changing herself from the experience, or trying to bring Kas to justice, even when she had a group of people and police supporting her. Yes it was an absolutely terrifying and awful thing that happened to her, but why did she make such stupid decisions in her life in the first place? She always had a feeling that Kas was bad news, yet she allowed him to manipulate her for years, and then she never even tried to get away from him, even when he almost killed her.
I guess it's impossible to know how anyone else would act faced with the situation Sophie was put in, and not at all was it one she deserved to be in. But I'm finding it hard to believe some of the circumstances, even though she tries to justify them in the book.
December 29, 2012
I thought this book was very poorly written and Sophie's actions frustrated me at times. Yes Kas had tremendous power over her but she was still able to speak with her mother who even gave her the out of Aunt Lindy. Yet she didn't take it. In France while he was gone she could have gone to the embassy. I am glad her story was one of survival but I wouldn't recommend it.
October 30, 2012
Interesting and sad story... But since the author is not a writer, it felt like she kept saying the same things over and over... I am glad she was able to get her life back... I just didn't enjoy the writing.
August 31, 2013
This book was lying around in my holiday villa, my wife picked it up first and read it in about a day and a half. I think that's the fastest I've ever seen her read a book!
She told me to read this and like good husband's everywhere I obeyed :-)
A day later, I'm glad that I did! The book is the true story of Sophie Hayes and how she got forced into the sex trade. She's npt what you would think of the typical type of woman who would be trafficked, she's a white, well educated middle class girl from the UK. Even with that background she was groomed and lured into a trap.
She starts off with some of her childhood memories of her family and especially hers and her siblings lack of a relationship with their dad. He just does not seem to care about anyone but himself from the sounds of it, a right b*stard.
She then goes on to describe her life from her teens to her early twenties, this is where she meets Kas, someone who she never went out with but met in a bar a few times. Somehow Kas gets hold of her number and starts texting and calling her when he gets back home to Albania, they eventually become good friends.
Some time later Sophie has some problems with her then boyfriend as he has been deported (probably illegally from the sound of it). She makes a decision to fly off to marry him but as she was about to she has a medical problem and needs an operation urgently so has to put off going to her boyfriend.
As she recuperates, Kas suggests a couple of weeks out in Italy will do her the world of good, so off she heads.
This is where her 6 months of hell begin, Kas is clearly mentally deranged and has been dealing drugs. Rather than a nice guy, he is violent warped psycho.
She eventually gets help from her mum and step-dad from a hospital bed in Italy. Kas follows her to the UK and looks like he was planning to kidnap her and the police eventually get him for a shooting charge.
What she does next is remarkable, she talks about her story and starts to represent victims of human trafficking. One of outcomes of that is this book, where some of the money goes to her foundation to support various organisations.
When you get to the end of this story, Kas is still out there so avoid any Albanians in bars!
(just noticed the official blurb on goodreads calls Kas, Bledi..not sure if it's an alias for legal reasons but I guess they are the same person)
She told me to read this and like good husband's everywhere I obeyed :-)
A day later, I'm glad that I did! The book is the true story of Sophie Hayes and how she got forced into the sex trade. She's npt what you would think of the typical type of woman who would be trafficked, she's a white, well educated middle class girl from the UK. Even with that background she was groomed and lured into a trap.
She starts off with some of her childhood memories of her family and especially hers and her siblings lack of a relationship with their dad. He just does not seem to care about anyone but himself from the sounds of it, a right b*stard.
She then goes on to describe her life from her teens to her early twenties, this is where she meets Kas, someone who she never went out with but met in a bar a few times. Somehow Kas gets hold of her number and starts texting and calling her when he gets back home to Albania, they eventually become good friends.
Some time later Sophie has some problems with her then boyfriend as he has been deported (probably illegally from the sound of it). She makes a decision to fly off to marry him but as she was about to she has a medical problem and needs an operation urgently so has to put off going to her boyfriend.
As she recuperates, Kas suggests a couple of weeks out in Italy will do her the world of good, so off she heads.
This is where her 6 months of hell begin, Kas is clearly mentally deranged and has been dealing drugs. Rather than a nice guy, he is violent warped psycho.
She eventually gets help from her mum and step-dad from a hospital bed in Italy. Kas follows her to the UK and looks like he was planning to kidnap her and the police eventually get him for a shooting charge.
What she does next is remarkable, she talks about her story and starts to represent victims of human trafficking. One of outcomes of that is this book, where some of the money goes to her foundation to support various organisations.
When you get to the end of this story, Kas is still out there so avoid any Albanians in bars!
(just noticed the official blurb on goodreads calls Kas, Bledi..not sure if it's an alias for legal reasons but I guess they are the same person)
August 4, 2017
Wow. This book is an absolute MUST READ. Sophie's story is extremely eye-opening, horrific and emotional and knowing that she is only one of MANY girls (and boys) who are forced to sell their bodies everyday is truly alarming.
Sophie tells her story completely from her own perspective, beginning with how she grew up in a family whose father was not only completely present, but emotionally void. This theme would continue to present itself throughout Sophie's experience.
Over the course of a few years, Sophie became friends with Kas - a man who truly stood by her side throughout many ups and downs in her young life as a woman in her early 20's. After many years of continued correspondence, Sophie's trust in Kas was completely shattered as she discovered his plan all along was to force her into the sex trade in Italy.
Her story is sickening and heart-wrenching and Sophie does not hold back on many details. She was abused daily by Kas - verbally, mentally, physically, until he had completely brainwashed her and made her afraid to trust ANYONE. Furthermore, she was forced into having sex with sometimes 20+ men on a nightly basis. It wasn't until she was admitted to the hospital with stomach pains that she took a major risk - and finally called her mother.
What follows is an intense, heart-pumping view of her escape from the sex trade, which did not leave Sophie (or the reader) with any sense of security at any point in time. This story is unique, in that Sophie was a British, middle class woman, who was forced into the sex trade, where it is much more popular a tragedy for women who come from low socio-economic families.
I also highly recommend watching the movie "Human Trafficking" (2005) after reading this book, so as to achieve more insight into what is sadly, current events. An alarming statistic is that after the illegal sale of drugs and weapons, the most profitable criminal business is HUMAN TRAFFICKING. I think this is an important issue to be talked about, and a true story like Sophie's is bound to start the conversation.
Sophie tells her story completely from her own perspective, beginning with how she grew up in a family whose father was not only completely present, but emotionally void. This theme would continue to present itself throughout Sophie's experience.
Over the course of a few years, Sophie became friends with Kas - a man who truly stood by her side throughout many ups and downs in her young life as a woman in her early 20's. After many years of continued correspondence, Sophie's trust in Kas was completely shattered as she discovered his plan all along was to force her into the sex trade in Italy.
Her story is sickening and heart-wrenching and Sophie does not hold back on many details. She was abused daily by Kas - verbally, mentally, physically, until he had completely brainwashed her and made her afraid to trust ANYONE. Furthermore, she was forced into having sex with sometimes 20+ men on a nightly basis. It wasn't until she was admitted to the hospital with stomach pains that she took a major risk - and finally called her mother.
What follows is an intense, heart-pumping view of her escape from the sex trade, which did not leave Sophie (or the reader) with any sense of security at any point in time. This story is unique, in that Sophie was a British, middle class woman, who was forced into the sex trade, where it is much more popular a tragedy for women who come from low socio-economic families.
I also highly recommend watching the movie "Human Trafficking" (2005) after reading this book, so as to achieve more insight into what is sadly, current events. An alarming statistic is that after the illegal sale of drugs and weapons, the most profitable criminal business is HUMAN TRAFFICKING. I think this is an important issue to be talked about, and a true story like Sophie's is bound to start the conversation.
April 12, 2012
First off it is obvious that Sophie Hayes is not an author but I liked this book for the honest way the story is told. It is very sad & disturbing. The atmosphere is captured very well and makes you really feel for this poor girl. All through the book you can't help but rant and ask her "Why don't you stand up for yourself?, Why don't you run away or tell someone?" It is hard to fathom that someone could so easily take over your life and make you so helpless. Of course eventually she does escape and the repercussions of her ordeal are just as disturbing after she is supposedly "safe".
It is also really troubling that she had such a difficult time getting this person out of her life, even when she changed her address, phone number and email. I found it difficult to believe that she would so willingly give this low-life her PIN # for her bank card and her other personal information, just because he asked for them. You would think that once she was out of the situation, she would have done everything in her power to keep him away and not give him leverage in her life. I don't presume to judge her because I have not been in that position so could not say what I would do in her place. I do admire how she is trying to turn this horrendous ordeal into something positive by working with an organization which helps to educate young woman about the dangers of trafficking. You go girl!
It is also really troubling that she had such a difficult time getting this person out of her life, even when she changed her address, phone number and email. I found it difficult to believe that she would so willingly give this low-life her PIN # for her bank card and her other personal information, just because he asked for them. You would think that once she was out of the situation, she would have done everything in her power to keep him away and not give him leverage in her life. I don't presume to judge her because I have not been in that position so could not say what I would do in her place. I do admire how she is trying to turn this horrendous ordeal into something positive by working with an organization which helps to educate young woman about the dangers of trafficking. You go girl!
March 24, 2015
Well, i read this in one day which speaks to both its difficulty (not) and its subject (fairly riveting). i think it is an important story to know - and pay attention to. There are at least 12.5 million people currently in forced labor around the world, and although not all of them are trafficked, many of the youngest are.
This is not great literature, but she tells a graphic story without ever crossing the line into TMI. i feel her fear and have seen cases with the same kind of borderline Stockholm Syndrome. The reviewers that say "why didn't she just leave?" are beyond naive - she has been so battered and belittled and he seems so omnipotent that by the time opportunities arise where she could have escaped fairly easily, she believed in his almost mythical and all-encompassing power to find and hurt her, to kill her little brothers.
It is unusual for a "trafficking story" as she is a middle class white English girl with a sort of intact family - thus it took her torturer that much longer to perfect the techniques he used to manipulate her so well. But there is a pattern in all abuse cases, and it really is difficult for victims to leave.
At the end of the book there is some information about helping - but at least one take home message is pay attention to your community and take action if a situation seems concerning.
This is not great literature, but she tells a graphic story without ever crossing the line into TMI. i feel her fear and have seen cases with the same kind of borderline Stockholm Syndrome. The reviewers that say "why didn't she just leave?" are beyond naive - she has been so battered and belittled and he seems so omnipotent that by the time opportunities arise where she could have escaped fairly easily, she believed in his almost mythical and all-encompassing power to find and hurt her, to kill her little brothers.
It is unusual for a "trafficking story" as she is a middle class white English girl with a sort of intact family - thus it took her torturer that much longer to perfect the techniques he used to manipulate her so well. But there is a pattern in all abuse cases, and it really is difficult for victims to leave.
At the end of the book there is some information about helping - but at least one take home message is pay attention to your community and take action if a situation seems concerning.
December 10, 2012
This book is an eye opener. I used to think of trafficked sex slaves as being locked up indoors and mostly in or coming from poor countries. It's not as simple as that. The working girl who seems to be going around the streets freely might be controlled by paralysing fear, constant arbitrary violence and threats to her family, in an environment were stopping to think and stopping to make decisions is both saver and more bearable.
I join Sibel Hodge to "applaud Sophie for having the strength and courage to share her story". It must have been very hard for her to go through all of this again to write this book. The idea is to raise awareness to enable people to prevent trafficking, protect vulnerable people and make sure that nobody is 'invisible'.
Sophie does not just tell you what happened to her, but also why she was vulnerable and how Kas took advantage of this to control her.
I join Sibel Hodge to "applaud Sophie for having the strength and courage to share her story". It must have been very hard for her to go through all of this again to write this book. The idea is to raise awareness to enable people to prevent trafficking, protect vulnerable people and make sure that nobody is 'invisible'.
Sophie does not just tell you what happened to her, but also why she was vulnerable and how Kas took advantage of this to control her.
May 7, 2012
You - unless you're Sophie or a victim of human trafficking - CAN never ever understand what she's been through. You can never understand why she never attempted to escape. Never attempted to inform anyone when Kas showed up in Leeds.
I have read many books on trafficking and this is the longest summary of a victim's personal account.
I started reading on human trafficking with Victor Malarek's The Natashas. There's no way I can imagine myself being a survivor at all - if I were in any of those brave young women's shoes.
May God continue to bless these forgotten souls. May the monsters be brought to justice. May karma rise upon their souls, family, and friends.
I have read many books on trafficking and this is the longest summary of a victim's personal account.
I started reading on human trafficking with Victor Malarek's The Natashas. There's no way I can imagine myself being a survivor at all - if I were in any of those brave young women's shoes.
May God continue to bless these forgotten souls. May the monsters be brought to justice. May karma rise upon their souls, family, and friends.
April 15, 2014
This book is great for raising awareness to the cause. I see multiple reviews stating that this book is about a stupid girl that just didn't want to get away. If you actually read the book you'd see that even she questions herself as to why she never ran when given the chance. She was terrified for her life, her brothers and any of the other evil things Kas might do to her. Don't be so ignorant and say that she is just a dumb girl that wanted this. You try to think about yourself in that type of situation, would you risk your family members life just to possibly save yours? I highly doubt it! Read and actually understand the aspects of an abusive and un-submissive relationship before you go posing!
June 13, 2025
It's very difficult for me to believe that this is a true story, at least facts were twisted and certain aspects of the story fit fiction rather than a memoir.
Actually the afterword by her mother specifically stresses on the point that it's hard to believe Sophie's story as if expecting the reader's thoughts when reaching this point in the book. (she had more than a fair chance several times to escape, and she didn't grab it, she even sometimes cooperated!, not a behavior of a normal person even in harsh conditions)
However, this book serves the purpose of shedding light on the trafficking of people and exploitation of their psyche/ body for financial purposes
MiM
Actually the afterword by her mother specifically stresses on the point that it's hard to believe Sophie's story as if expecting the reader's thoughts when reaching this point in the book. (she had more than a fair chance several times to escape, and she didn't grab it, she even sometimes cooperated!, not a behavior of a normal person even in harsh conditions)
However, this book serves the purpose of shedding light on the trafficking of people and exploitation of their psyche/ body for financial purposes
MiM
December 28, 2021
A haunting memoir with terrible Goodreads reviews because people don’t understand how a wealthy, educated woman can become a victim of sex trafficking.
August 23, 2013
Trafficked is a book that I picked up via NetGalley. I was in the mood for some non-fiction, and the premise of this true story seemed to be one that I could read without being bored to pieces. What I found inside was the story of Sophie, and her hardships. While moving, it wasn't punch in the gut as I expected. Possibly because of my anthropology background I have come to expect the worst from the human race and am not surprised by the way we treat each other.
It's hard for me to rate this book fairly because it's not fiction, so I can't call Sophie unsympathetic as a main character as I would in a fictional book, because Sophie is a real, and not simply a character, and as people we are a lot of people, fully 3D. As an outsider reading her words and her story I was struck about how judgemental she was to her "johns", while at the same time worrying about how people would in turn judge her. Then I would slap myself back to reality.
In her situation, I would not like the men I was being forced to do these things with, even if they were not the ones forcing me. I think for Sophie it is easier for her to judge those men because they were not the monster she was living with, and the monster that probably still haunts her nightmares.
It's extremely easy for me to sit on my high horse, as someone who supports people who have alternative tastes (such as the man who wanted Sophie to kick him while he masturbated, and to whom she called a freak and weirdo) because I was not the one who HAD to take any and all clients against my free will.
What this book does is shows the "everyman" and general public that Human Trafficking isn't only in the third world. It happens everyday, in our own backyards, and Sophie is a person that middle class women can relate too. She is your everyday working woman, living the life of a young single professional, clubbing, having men woes, and just average.
Her story will definitely resonate to women who think it can't and won't happen to them. There are more dangers out there than the creepy no name, no face raper hiding behind the bushes. Sometimes those dangers have a face that is well known to us.
Sophie's tale was one of sadness and hope, I hope that through spreading the word about Trafficking she can help more women, men, and children forced into these situations.
Thank you Source books for the review copy.
It's hard for me to rate this book fairly because it's not fiction, so I can't call Sophie unsympathetic as a main character as I would in a fictional book, because Sophie is a real, and not simply a character, and as people we are a lot of people, fully 3D. As an outsider reading her words and her story I was struck about how judgemental she was to her "johns", while at the same time worrying about how people would in turn judge her. Then I would slap myself back to reality.
In her situation, I would not like the men I was being forced to do these things with, even if they were not the ones forcing me. I think for Sophie it is easier for her to judge those men because they were not the monster she was living with, and the monster that probably still haunts her nightmares.
It's extremely easy for me to sit on my high horse, as someone who supports people who have alternative tastes (such as the man who wanted Sophie to kick him while he masturbated, and to whom she called a freak and weirdo) because I was not the one who HAD to take any and all clients against my free will.
What this book does is shows the "everyman" and general public that Human Trafficking isn't only in the third world. It happens everyday, in our own backyards, and Sophie is a person that middle class women can relate too. She is your everyday working woman, living the life of a young single professional, clubbing, having men woes, and just average.
Her story will definitely resonate to women who think it can't and won't happen to them. There are more dangers out there than the creepy no name, no face raper hiding behind the bushes. Sometimes those dangers have a face that is well known to us.
Sophie's tale was one of sadness and hope, I hope that through spreading the word about Trafficking she can help more women, men, and children forced into these situations.
Thank you Source books for the review copy.
August 12, 2017
Like many other reviewers have said, I HATE to give a poor review to true stories, and I'm sure this (extremely naive) girl had a really, really shitty and horrific experience, but I honestly wanted to slap her for all the times she didn't even ATTEMPT to escape when she could have.
I mean, a day or two into her ordeal (waayyy too early to be brainwashed) the cops picked her up, for God's sake, and all she had to do was open her mouth and say something. I mean, how much is your life worth? The first time this guy treated her like shit - slapped her and pulled her hair, even before she started prostituting - it should have been 'get me the f out of here as quickly as possible'. Not 'how can I be better so I don't make him mad.' I mean, there is the witness protection program, so why believe his stupid threats so easily and not try to run to an embassy, or something? Anything.
It's easy to say, "you don't know what you'd do in this situation." True, but it sure as hell wouldn't be any of this.
I didn't finish it. I found myself skimming within a handful of chapters because it is SO repetitive, but then about 2/3rds through, I gave up and read the Goodreads comments to see what others wrote, wondering if I was the only one frustrated, and I wasn't the only one after all.
I hope she recovered and has a good life now (and makes better decisions) but I cannot finish this book. It makes women who are actually being trafficked and in situations where they are unable to leave, truly, look like sad weak little girls.
I mean, a day or two into her ordeal (waayyy too early to be brainwashed) the cops picked her up, for God's sake, and all she had to do was open her mouth and say something. I mean, how much is your life worth? The first time this guy treated her like shit - slapped her and pulled her hair, even before she started prostituting - it should have been 'get me the f out of here as quickly as possible'. Not 'how can I be better so I don't make him mad.' I mean, there is the witness protection program, so why believe his stupid threats so easily and not try to run to an embassy, or something? Anything.
It's easy to say, "you don't know what you'd do in this situation." True, but it sure as hell wouldn't be any of this.
I didn't finish it. I found myself skimming within a handful of chapters because it is SO repetitive, but then about 2/3rds through, I gave up and read the Goodreads comments to see what others wrote, wondering if I was the only one frustrated, and I wasn't the only one after all.
I hope she recovered and has a good life now (and makes better decisions) but I cannot finish this book. It makes women who are actually being trafficked and in situations where they are unable to leave, truly, look like sad weak little girls.
December 10, 2013
I picked up this book to read from net-galley because though I know, in the vaguest possible terms, that things like trafficking and the sex trade do exist, it's so distant from my life that I don't really *know* what goes on.
Sophie starts off her book by telling us about her childhood with an abusive father and a mother she worships. She has a few adult relationships and meets a man, Kas, who she views with innocence. I found it hard to believe that she honestly never saw any signs of his insaneness prior to his kidnapping her, but certainly know that this does happen every day.
While Sophie's story is heartbreaking, and I can't even imagine her pain or how difficult it must have been for her to write of her story, it wasn't as emotional as I expected - which isn't necessarily a bad thing. She brings a story often ignored into media's attention (and that's one of the reasons why I read and am reviewing this book, to help educate people).
While a difficult story matter, this book was a very quick read.
Sophie starts off her book by telling us about her childhood with an abusive father and a mother she worships. She has a few adult relationships and meets a man, Kas, who she views with innocence. I found it hard to believe that she honestly never saw any signs of his insaneness prior to his kidnapping her, but certainly know that this does happen every day.
While Sophie's story is heartbreaking, and I can't even imagine her pain or how difficult it must have been for her to write of her story, it wasn't as emotional as I expected - which isn't necessarily a bad thing. She brings a story often ignored into media's attention (and that's one of the reasons why I read and am reviewing this book, to help educate people).
While a difficult story matter, this book was a very quick read.
October 12, 2014
I am going to sound like a heartless bitch with this review but trust me, I'm not!
I am very unsure about this book, I still don't know wether I liked it or I hated it!
I felt like she was repeating herself the whole time. One minute he would do something to break her spirit and she would say she didn't care anymore but then 10 pages later he would do something else to her and that would break her spirit! It was just very frustrating! At the same time there were many chances for her to tell someone what was happening and she didn't! He left her alone a whole week and she didn't run! And when she finally got away and he found her again she didn't tell anyone!!
I feel for this girl and the horrible things she endured and I can't tell her how to feel or what to do because I do not know what I would do in that position but at the same time I just want to grab her shoulders and shake some sense into her!
I am very unsure about this book, I still don't know wether I liked it or I hated it!
I felt like she was repeating herself the whole time. One minute he would do something to break her spirit and she would say she didn't care anymore but then 10 pages later he would do something else to her and that would break her spirit! It was just very frustrating! At the same time there were many chances for her to tell someone what was happening and she didn't! He left her alone a whole week and she didn't run! And when she finally got away and he found her again she didn't tell anyone!!
I feel for this girl and the horrible things she endured and I can't tell her how to feel or what to do because I do not know what I would do in that position but at the same time I just want to grab her shoulders and shake some sense into her!
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October 31, 2016Cieżko ocenić książkę, która jest autobiografią. Przecież nie jest to kolejna fikcyjna historia, tylko opowieść, o czymś, co przyszło komuś przeżyć. Jasne, mogłabym napisać jak bardzo wkurzająca, irytująca i słaba, w moim odczuciu, była główna bohaterka, ale nikt kto nie przeszedł tego co ona, nie ma do tego prawa. Dlatego wstrzymam się od wystawienia gwiazdek, ale od polecenia tej pozycji już nie. Uważam, że warto po nią sięgnąć, chociażby dla samych przemyśleń.
November 18, 2017
I'm truly sorry this happens in our world. My heart goes out to all the victims of this heinous crime. What happened to Sophie will stay with me for years to come. Read this brutal tale. I'm stunned.
August 11, 2024
Bryan las Verhandeld, geschreven door Sophie Hayes.
Zoals de meesten wel weten lees ik soms ook wel eens graag een waargebeurd verhaal en als ik dit lees nog liever eentje met een rauw randje over bijvoorbeeld drugs, of zoals bij deze, mensenhandel.
Verhandeld van Sophie Hayes stond al een aantal jaar op mijn nog-te-lezen-lijstje en zoals bij de meeste lezers is dit lijstje enorm lang. Zo ook natuurlijk bij mij.
Dit is een echt mustread, vooral als je, net zoals mij van dit soort waargebeurde verhalen houdt. Als je in het verhaal begint leef je al snel met Sophie mee. En je voelt de pijn én vernederingen gewoon van de pagina’s afspatten. Ook had ik, vanaf het moment dat Kas ten tonele verscheen, een afkeer van deze man. Bizar hoe hij vrouwen kan hersenspoelen en hoe hij de vrouwen dit aan kan doen.
Ik heb al veel verhalen over dit onderwerp gelezen, maar ik denk dat dit verhaal mij nog lange tijd bij blijft.
Zoals de meesten wel weten lees ik soms ook wel eens graag een waargebeurd verhaal en als ik dit lees nog liever eentje met een rauw randje over bijvoorbeeld drugs, of zoals bij deze, mensenhandel.
Verhandeld van Sophie Hayes stond al een aantal jaar op mijn nog-te-lezen-lijstje en zoals bij de meeste lezers is dit lijstje enorm lang. Zo ook natuurlijk bij mij.
Dit is een echt mustread, vooral als je, net zoals mij van dit soort waargebeurde verhalen houdt. Als je in het verhaal begint leef je al snel met Sophie mee. En je voelt de pijn én vernederingen gewoon van de pagina’s afspatten. Ook had ik, vanaf het moment dat Kas ten tonele verscheen, een afkeer van deze man. Bizar hoe hij vrouwen kan hersenspoelen en hoe hij de vrouwen dit aan kan doen.
Ik heb al veel verhalen over dit onderwerp gelezen, maar ik denk dat dit verhaal mij nog lange tijd bij blijft.
September 28, 2020
Can’t believe what this poor girl had to endure. And very brave of her to tell her story.
June 8, 2018
Strong content; important message.
June 11, 2014
I hate to say anything negative about Sophie's story, because it is certainly clear that she went through a horrible experience. No one should be treated that way, and clearly the entire planet needs an education on how to respect women as equals.
That being said, I think that Sophie was an idiot. I know she had issues with her father, and was looking for love in all the wrong places, but seriously? This Kas guy was a creeper from day one. He was flat out stalking her at the nightclub and the way he got her phone number, which is still unclear. Yet, she decides to become BFF's with him, even though she doesn't see him for 4 years. Then she jets off to a different country to hang out with him? Poor, poor decision making skills.
Also, the amount of freedom she really did have under Kas gave her plenty of opportunities to seek help. Like, hello, the entire week she spent in France by herself while he was in Holland. With a cell phone. Unbelievable.
However, I do think that girls should read this so that they can use this as a learning tool. They can see all the horrible decisions Sophie made that landed her in the situation it did.
That being said, I think that Sophie was an idiot. I know she had issues with her father, and was looking for love in all the wrong places, but seriously? This Kas guy was a creeper from day one. He was flat out stalking her at the nightclub and the way he got her phone number, which is still unclear. Yet, she decides to become BFF's with him, even though she doesn't see him for 4 years. Then she jets off to a different country to hang out with him? Poor, poor decision making skills.
Also, the amount of freedom she really did have under Kas gave her plenty of opportunities to seek help. Like, hello, the entire week she spent in France by herself while he was in Holland. With a cell phone. Unbelievable.
However, I do think that girls should read this so that they can use this as a learning tool. They can see all the horrible decisions Sophie made that landed her in the situation it did.
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