Sold

by Sue Barrow

Fifteen-year-old Roza thinks she's leaving Albania for better things in the UK. But her dad has sold her as a slave.

Other people consider her their property and treat her as such. They work her hard, beating and starving her, refusing to let her go out. But she must tell people they are her parents. When Roza runs to the police, her captors show them a forged birth certificate. She is dismissed as attention-seeking and returned to them for punishment.

Before Roza left Albania, her teacher told her about a man she could go to for help if she ever needed it, but she was too excited to pay attention. Now, she can't remember his name or address. He is somewhere in North London, but that's a huge place.

She doesn't think life can get much worse...until she tries to escape.

Every year, an estimated 300,000 children worldwide are enslaved by human traffickers. SOLD is one of the first novels to explore this.

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 23, 2022

Reviews

[Alyce King]

A story that is marketed as a Young Adult read. It's a harrowing read in places - given the topic of child trafficking.
The storyline captures your attention, however in the copy I read (paperback) there were a large number of editorial issues, from 'section break' written instead of a paragraph space, sentences dropping onto the line below etc. I wouldn't normally pull these up (everyone is human), but there were a fair few.

[Nathanael Babawi]

A thrilling book for young adults. I was hooked from the very start, you never know what’s going to happen next. It also provided an amazing insight to child trafficking and what goes in behind the scenes.

[Wendy Babawi]

This is a gripping story which opens up the important issue of modern slavery and trafficking. Teenagers will love the excitement and suspense of this page turner.

[Hazel Whitehead]

I read this book in two sittings and found it captivating, tragic and to the point - in that, sadly, the subject matter of human trafficking is alive and well and living near you. The characters are all too real. The many missed opportunities to seek help seemed at first to be designed to keep the story going for longer but as the book progressed, it became clear that this is exactly how it is for young people who have no power and don't know who to trust. Thanks, Sue.

[Reader]

Reading it prior to giving it to a teenage granddaughter I found it engrossing and pacy. The main characters were vividly drawn. The issues of contemporary slavery and child trafficking are a sad reality that we need to be aware of. It was a gruelling story but with a positive message of hope and light at the end of a long painful tunnel. I will be giving it to at least 2 of my teenage grandchildren.

[Daniel]

Moving story!

Human trafficking fiction, but based on realistic facts. Written in UK English (I'm an American), it reads with just a little different wording choices, but doesn't take away from the story. Moves me to want to do more against trafficking.