TLDR:
Hooked from the prologue—WHOA, that was intense! It didn’t really get any less intense from there—and it was mostly well done.
“I’ve since learned that all the monsters [in the world] are human.”
—Nicole. [And … HOW TRUE.]
If you want ALL my thoughts:
This is a dark-ish read, with dark themes and, though it isn’t shown, SA and other forms of ãbüs3. I feel that it was mostly well done: great writing, good characters, good world-building. The ‘business’ side of things was well-covered as far as motivations, executions, accuracy for depicting the sort of patrons and employees, etc.
Nicole, the female lead was strong and well-designed. She definitely sounded much older than the 17/18 year-old she is, however this fits, since she’s in a situation where she would’ve had to grow up first and demonstrate lots of hyper-independence. At times, I questioned some of her vocabulary, but I do ultimately find it all plausible. She has dreams and aspirations that involve being well-educated. She’s also got ‘street smarts’ and isn’t gullible—it all works well together.
I also feel like the author did a good job of depicting children who come from different backgrounds, the difference between loving homes and non-loving homes, their different opportunities, portraying poverty, etc.
Just a few of the themes/tropes you’ll find here:
‘Hostile’ vibes.
Trafficking.
Neglected kids.
R*pe, múrd3r, violence, etc.
Sales of v!rg!ns as soon as they turn 18.
Young adults, on the run / in danger.
Billionaires (with sick fetishes).
4.5 stars.
“You never truly knew what you could do … until they forced you to do it in order to survive.”
—Nicole.
Audio:
Amazing, Sarah’s one of my favorite narrators and the overall sound quality was absolutely perfect. 🦩