Blue Notebook

by James A. Levine

A powerful debut from a new and exciting talent about the life of Batuk, a 15-year-old child prostitute who lives in Mumbai's red-light district.

Genres: Fiction, India, Historical Fiction, Book Club, Contemporary, Asia, Adult

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Born and educated in England, James A. Levine is a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic who has worked with impoverished children in the United States and internationally for more than thirty years. He has won more than fifty major awards in science, consulted to numerous governments, and lectures to humanitarian groups around the world. He is the author of the novel The Blue Notebook.

Reviews

[Tea Jovanović · Rating 4 out of 5]

Džejms Levin, lekar s klinike Mejo, dobio je inspiraciju da napiše ovaj potresan i zastrašujući roman razgovarajući s decom beskućnicima u Mumbaiju, u okviru svog medicinskog istraživanja. U Ulici kaveza, gde su deca prostitutke bukvalno zatvorena u kaveze (a njihovi „nadzornici“ ih zlostavljaju i ubiru novac od njih), Levina je lecnuo prizor jedne devojčice koja je sedela ispred svog kaveza i pisala nešto u beležnicu.
Nezaboravan, upečatljiv roman Plava beležnica pripoveda priču o Batuk, petnaestogodišnjej devojčici iz ruralne oblasti Indije koju otac prodaje u seksualno ropstvo. Ploveći kroz sumornu stvarnost Komon strita u Mumbaiju, Batuk uspeva da piše, beležeći svoje intimne misli i smišljajući fantastične priče koje joj pomažu da se uzdigne iznad svog stvarnog života. Divno izgrađena, iznenađujuće puna nade i ispunjena kako tragedijom tako i humorom, Plava beležnica prikazuje kako i u najtežim situacijama ljudima pričanje priča daje smisao vlastitom životu.
Sav prihod od prodaje knjige u SAD donira se za pomoć eksploatisanoj deci.

„Plava beležnica je duboko potresna priča i uzbudljivi podsetnik na žilavost ljudskog duha. Omaž pisanju, koje može dati smisao i pomoći da se prevaziđu i najmučnije okolnosti. Glas nezaboravne Batuk, devojčice prostitutke, ostaće sa čitaocem dugo, dugo vremena.“
Haled Hoseini, autor knjiga Lovac na zmajeve i Hiljadu čudesnih sunaca

„Plava beležnica Džejmsa Levina iščupala mi je srce i otvorila mi oči. Levinov izmišljen lik, devojčica Batuk, stoji rame uz rame s ikoničkim likom Ane Frank, još jedne hrabre devojčice čija je nevinost uništena ali čiji je duh preživeo, i čiji je poklon svetu bilo pisano svedočanstvo koje je ostavila za sobom. Čitati Plavu beležnicu znači biti svedok, učiniti ono što moramo ako želimo da stvorimo svet koji odbacuje eksploataciju dece i stvara svet u kome ona mogu biti bezbedna.“
Voli Lem, autor knjige Poništena

[Lynn G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a pretty book about a pretty topic. It is a gritty, unsentimental view of the horror that is child sex slavery/prostitution in Mumbai, India, although it could be set anywhere in modern India and Southeast Asia.

Batuk, the 15 year old protagonist who was sold into sex slavery by her father when she was only 9, has devised means by which she can dissociate from her life in order to survive. One is by way of a rich fantasy life into which she escapes. The other is through her own words, written down on purloined paper, to make her thoughts "visible", to show that she exists. She writes: "I am not sure why I write but in my mind I shudder that it may be so that one day I can look back and read how I have melted into my ink and become nothing--..."

Batuk is objectified, particularly by those in positions of power. She is referred to as a "toy", "dolly", "thing", and other terms that attempt to erase her humanity. Frequently she is brutally assaulted and there are no ramifications for those who brutalize her.

It is easy to be overwhelmed by the images; to want to put the book down because of the emotional onslaught; to feel that there is an element of gratuitous violence. But there is also the need to immediately pick the book up again and read further and to know more.

This story does not invite the reader to pity Batuk, and all those in her situation, but to feel outrage that Batuk's life is accepted and acceptable. It is a call to action.

[jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Blue Notebook was written by a British-born doctor from the Mayo Clinic, Dr. James Levine. As part of his medical research, he interviewed homeless children in Mumbai. This book came from those interviews, the main character is inspired by one small girl sitting outside her cage writing in a notebook. I was very skeptical of an author who writes from a place of incredible amount of privilege in the voice of an extremely marginalized protagonist, but I suspended judgement until after I read it. Proceeds from the US sale of this book are donated to the International and National Centers for Missing and Exploited Children. This book contains fairly graphic accounts of the rape and abuse of children; be forewarned. This is definitely for more mature readers.

I audiobook'd this on my drive to work, and it had a profound experience on me every time I got in the car. It was hard to listen to when I was alone with the narrator and only traffic to distract me. The subject matter is upsetting, can I emphasize this enough? I was left with a profound sense of obligation to humanity to help solve this problem, but the book didn't have answers - only more questions and despair. There are organizations out there working to help these kids - my favorite is CRY (Child Rights and You) and they can be found at www.cry.org. They do really great work addressing the multiplicity of issues that affect children's rights in India.

So, this is Batuk's journal. She's a 15 year old girl in Mumbai, sold into a life of sex slavery on the Common Street by her father at the age of 9. She has survived TB, abandonment by her father, the brutal orphanages of Mumbai, and innumerable counts of rape and abuse. Her daily life is lived in a small cage, in a wall of other child prostitutes who also live in small cages, where up to 10 men each day "visit" her. The narrator's voice is sincere and her delivery is matter-of-fact. She is separated from her reality by her imaginative fantasy life, where she lives in a gilded room instead of a tiny dirty nest, where men are "bakers" who bake "sweetcakes" with her instead of paying customers who fuck a little girl. In her imagination, her friend, Puneet, is a prince on a throne, worshipped by a parade of his devotees all day; this is in sharp contrast to his reality as a castrated 14 year old boy who nearly dies after being raped by two police officers.

This book does carry a sort of uplifting sentiment. Batuk's optimism, perseverance, cheer and steadiness provide a welcome alternative to the sadness of life for exploited children, and there is a sense that the human spirit can transcend these most miserable circumstances. Her imagination and storytelling go against the adversity she faces. Several people have compared this book to Anne Frank's diary, which is not entirely accurate but gives you a sense of the intention of the message.

Batuk's vivid imagination allows her some distance from daily life. Her days are the mostly the same, making sweetcake with up to ten men a day and watching the comings and goings of the Common Street where she lives, until a Mumbai billionaire rents Batuk. Out of her cage, into a car, into a luxury hotel where she is scrubbed down, dressed up, made over, and handed over to the billionaire's son. The contrast between life on the street and life in the hotel is an alarming shift for Batuk - who has never ridden in an elevator or ordered room service. But this is no "Pretty Woman" story. There is no heart of gold or redemption here. Batuk's story is so horrifying and terribly sad, I couldn't even cry over this book. I was just paralyzed by sorrow and left alone with my grief.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jurnalul albastru spune povestea teribilă și cutremurătoare a unei fetițe indiene, vândută de tatăl ei si forțată să devină prostituată. Batuk se foloseste de puterea imaginației și a scrisului pentru a-și depăși existența tragică și a face față situației în care se află, astfel că sub forma unui jurnal, cartea capătă contur si ne dezvaluie lucruri pe care, chiar daca le cunoaștem, refuzăm să le dăm glas.
Cartea pornește de la o imagine reală, un tablou sfâșietor care l-a frapat pe autor, și de aici ideea pentru romanul de față. 
Jurnalul albastru este fără îndoială o carte zguduitoare. Ea atinge realitățile dureroase ale lumii în care trăim, în care banii fac legea, iar puterea este exercitată în toate formele ei.
Batuk este o victimă a familiei sale și a întregii societăți. Este doar una dintre miile de ființe traficate care au parte de destine asemănătoare, una dintre persoanele care știu din start că salvarea nu este ceva care stă după colț.
Povestea fetei este o oglindă a mizeriei umane în care ne adâncim cu fiecare zi a existenței noastre, este o analiză atentă a degradării în care societatea se scaldă fără a face ceva pentru a ieși la suprafață.
Soarta lui Batuk poate fi generalizată, (chiar mi-a amintit de Ali din Necredincioasa, care la fel are parte de o grămadă de lucruri groaznice), pentru că indiferent că vrem să deschidem ochii sau nu, lucrurile astea se întâmplă. Unora li se fură dreptul la viață, la vise și li se schimbă destinul, distrugându-le sufletele și masacrându-i fără milă.
Nu știu ce să spun mai mult, este o carte extrem de tristă și acum că abia am terminat-o simt o apăsare în piept de care nu pot să scap. Este o poveste cutremurătoare pe care am citit-o cu lacrimi în ochi. Cred că povestea asta m-a marcat și mai cred că îmi va rămâne în minte mult timp de acum înainte.
Am tot citit dea lungul timpului cărți ce tratau același subiect, însă niciuna nu a fost atât de completă și atât de dură. Nu știu cum a reușit autorul să se transpună în mintea unei fetițe de 15 ani, dar a facut-o într-un mod extraordinar. Fiind scrisă la persoana întâi, am simțit tristețea și neputința fetei foarte adânc.
Cred că dacă aș fi știut despre ce este cartea, nu aș fi citit-o... dar, m-a atras coperta... și asta a fost. O dată ce m-am apucat de ea, nu am mai putut-o lăsa din mână... deși am fost copleșită, am sperat din suflet să aiba un final fericit. Nu vă spun cum se termină, dar dacă va tentează zic să-i acordați o sansă.
Dacă mi-a plăcut? Nu! Tot ce pațeste Batuk este gresit si nedrept.
Dacă e o carte bună? Da! Autorul a expus un caz (din sutele de mii), pe care noi, toți ceilalți, trebuie să-l cunoastem.
Este o carte de 5 stele dupa parerea mea, chiar daca extrem de greu de citit si super dificil de inteles. Pentru ca nu e nimic de inteles... e doar de plâns.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You can never fully straighten bent metal; you can only make it less bent.”

Sometimes when I read a book that is particularly affecting, I refer to it as “life altering.” But when I refer to The Blue Notebook as life altering, it isn’t to remark of its genius rendition, sumptuous prose, or eerily strong characterization. Simply put; The Blue Notebook by James Levine so thoroughly disturbed me, it left me haunted. I think we all know that the sickening practice of child sex slavery occurs, and we are justifiably disgusted. But only when confronted with the voice of a fifteen year old prostitute as she describes her tragic and hopeless world does one realize this is a global problem that we shouldn’t ignore.

Levine’s purpose is to raise awareness and funds to stop child exploitation. And his method is the tortuous bombardment of atrocities that are committed against his narrator and other children. Batuk was sold into slavery by her impoverished family at nine. She is quickly “taken” after which she ends up in a cage no larger than a toilet servicing around ten men a day. Her life is colored by sadism, rape, violence, starvation, and disease. She is betrayed in some form by everyone who can use her to some purpose to further their greed or perversion. Abused in everyway imaginable, Batuk considers herself blessed because she can read and write. And so Batuk journals, and uses every opportunity to scratch out her story and observations. “I am not sure why I write but in my mind I shudder that it may be so that one day I can look back and read how I have melted into my ink and become nothing.” These are her hopes to die, disappear, service only one man, or become deranged. It will suffice to say this is not an uplifting tale.

Levine is relentless with horrific details, and increasingly terrible situations in which he places Batuk. His only gift to the reader is that his story is relatively brief. The ending is ambiguous, after reading it several times; I’m still not sure what happened. Such a bizarre ending and menacing tone recalls Burnside’s The Glister. The Blue Notebook is an ugly story, but even if the writing was poor (instead it is excellent), I’d recommend this book. If you can manage to read it, do so, and if you can’t, buy it regardless. Levine’s passion is exceedingly obvious, so much so that he’s donating his proceeds to the International and National Centers for Missing and Exploited Children—the only bright spot his novel offers.

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm one of the few apparently who really didn't like this novel. I thought the plot overly contrived and shallow, too specific to the protagonist's view point (narration is first person, something I don't think works when you are trying for a novel which is hoping for a "people are resilient" feel, as espoused in the blurb). Yes, child prostitution is rife over there, class society is unfair, people are mean, power corrupts, and everyone gets by in the best way they can... I'm not learning anything new here, and there was no redeeming factor in the book apart from this.
This is a story where no-one gets out alive and with full dignity. The powerful are corrupt, the less fortunate are crushed down into the dirt (the kids), her family sell her off into prostitution so they can eat (presumably), her johns are sick to a man; there is one nice character, but even she is not part of the solution. Even the narrator has a rather unpleasant ending.
Yes, there are areas of the world that suck, from a westerner's point of view. This book just reminds us of that, and poorly at that. It just seemed a pointless story.

[Taury · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trigger warning: Child sex slavery, rape, prostitution.

The Blue Notebook by James A. Levine is a novel that tells Batuk’s story who was sold into child sex slavery in Mumbai, India at the age of 9 by her father. This is her story as she kept track through her diary.

The subject matter made this a very difficult book to read. It was graphic at times. I didn’t know if i would make it through it. The graphic nature of abuse and the portrayal of Batuk’s suffering is overwhelming at times. This novel is important. As it shed’s light on child sex slavery. It tells how in depth it goes. This isn’t an India issue or USA issue but a global issue. Ultimately a story of survival. I is a reminder of the horrors of reality that continues to plague vulnerable children around the world. This story is not one that will just go away, but stay with me a long, long time.

[Ismail Elshareef · Rating 4 out of 5]

Batuk, the protagonist, was a real child prostitute living in Mumbai, India, and this book is her journal, translated into flawless and engrossing prose by Dr. Levine.

I found it very hard to finish this book, but thankfully, it's only 200 pages. I had to skim most of it for the vivid descriptions of child rape, sexual mutilation and unspeakable torture were just a bit much to visualize. At times, especially towards the end, I had to put the book down to catch my breath!

Reading this story will literally give you physical pain the next time you read or hear about child prostitution, molestation, abuse or human trafficking in India or anywhere in the world for that matter. Batuk's story is the story of all these children we hear about in the news. Reading this book will make their stories real to you, and not just sad, impersonal news items towards which we've become desensitized.

Batuk was enslaved at the tender age of eight (EIGHT!) when her father sold her to Mr. Ghali, who quickly sold her innocence to the highest bidder before sending her off to "The Orphanage" where her heart-wrenching story nosedived into visceral horror.

At "The Orphanage," Batuk is raped by the Yazaks (i.e. guardians; you believe it!) all the while witnessing other children go through harrowing accounts of unbelievable torture and even murder. She writes about a boy who was caught hiding twenty rupees from his Yazak:

"Justice was immediate and occurred in the open. Using his right hand, the Yazak lifted the child, age eleven or twelve, by his hair off the ground and with his left hand cut his throat with a Damascus blade. Before the second spurt of blood had shot from his neck, the Yazak had thrown the boy to the ground just as you might throw away a sweet wrapper."

It was also at "The Orphanage" that Batuk met Puneet--a frail young boy with delicate features and effiminate mannerisms--for the first time. Both were lucky enough to be given to Mamaki (a woman as vile physically as she is morally) to work in her brothel in Mumbai's red-light district. It's there where most of the story's heartbreak takes place.

Batuk and Puneet's relationship is yet another devastating account of lost innocence, damaged souls and shattered dreams. Depressing as it is, I was glad to know that these two had glimpses of happiness along the way.

The last thirty pages of the book were the most painful to read. In the end, I was distraught by the story and by the fact that this horror is still going on today, at this moment, in India and elsewhere. One thing I hope you get out of this book is a renewed zeal to do whatever you can to fight child exploitation and abuse of any form here at home and worldwide.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I liked this book more. It's the story of a 9 year old girl sold into prostitution in the filthy slums of Mumbai by her parents. Batuk narrates her story and records her grim experiences in a blue notebook. This novel was inspired by the author's experiences interviewing homeless children in India, in particular one girl who wrote in a journal outside her "nest".

While the concept of the novel is noble, and indeed the proceeds of the book go directly to help exploited children, unfortunately it's not a noble read. I can appreciate the grim subject matter, but when the only characters with any redeeming qualities are children and each adult is more repulsive than the next, the novel veers off it's noble course and into an entirely different realm - one of gratuitous violence and voyeurism. Also, the euphemisms that Batuk uses to describe her "job" and her body parts do not jibe with the very mature way she records her story. It's definitely a poignant read, but not one I could recommend.

[Denisa Arsene · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a heartfelt story!!! So sad, so deep, so ugly, but so wonderful amazing one! Ugly because of the subject, the entire story, the filthy ugly human beings - except some pure ones. Oh, there is no wonder about the orphans why they are so bad, so aggressive, so animalic...they are raised and treated like ones. So no wonder.
But what about the so called uncles, about the adults so play with human life, what about all those men looking for little girls or boys to satisfy their egos and filthy needs, their abject minds...
But what kind was the soul of Batuk, even pure despite her path of life - which she didn't choose. How can parents sell their children?! I know it's easy to speak from a safe place, but, how desperate, how low should one be in order to do this?
I know it's a fiction, but it's inspired from real life in India and I am sure that at some level, things like those are found in more countries, unfortunately...
I think this kind of books should raise our consciousness, our voices and try to stop bad things around the world!

[Connie Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Did I like this? No. Was it well done? MMM... yes. I found the subject very disturbing and perhaps a bit too much graphic sex...but probably only the tip of what goes on in these countries. Was this story heartbreaking? Hell yes! Do we close our eyes to such horrible things? All the time.
I have to commend the author for having the nerve to write about this...and as a first book. I appreciated that he portrayed these characters with a numbness, as I think that is what must happen to survive. And I appreciated that our young narrator told stories, to be able to transport herself. Did I believe that there would be a fairy tale...happy ever after ending? No. Do I wish there was? Oh yes.
A well written account of child prostitution in the modern world. Horrible.

[Selma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Potresna priča i snažno svjedočanstvo o nesalomljivosti ljudskog duha. Glas djevojčice Batuk, nezaboravne heroine koja pisanjem nastoji dati smisao svom mučnom životu.
Bilo mi je teško završiti ovu priču, i znam da ovu knjigu neću ponovo uzeti u ruke. Mučna i teška, ostavlja gorak osjećaj!

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 A read that should stir all the reader's feeling and emotions, this is not a book one can finish and feel absolutely nothing. Batuk is nine when she is sold by her father and enters the hungry world of childhood slavery and prostitution. Human trafficking and the trafficking of minor is a huge money generating machine. a practice that in some countries is accepted. The spirit of this young girl is amazing and made this read even harder.

Not an easy read because of the subject matter, but it is told in such a matter of fact voice, almost like saying, "This is my life, this is where I am and I find joy when I can." The power of the written world, when she found a pencil it was like she had been given a diamond and writing kept her sane. Well written book, with a difficult subject matter but a little girl that I won;t forget.

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a 4 star instead of a 5, simply because I hated the ending.
But this book packs one hell of an unsuspecting punch.
"Batuk is an Indian young girl who is taken to Mumbai from the countryside and sold into prostitution by her father" - this is not for everyone, but this book had me 100% engrossed!
From the sex "nests" on the street, to a swanky hotel, Batuk writes about her life and the words on the pages are just simply harrowing!
Upon finishing this book, I had to make sure that it is fiction for my own state of mind!
This is a short read of 206 pages, and a great one to tick off India for the 666 for 2016 An Around the World Reading Challenge

[Paul Ataua · Rating 3 out of 5]

Child prostitution and slavery in the modern world, Mumbai in this case, are things we ought to be aware of and really should read about. We must face everything that we, as humans, are capable of. Unfortunately, a middle aged male doctor writing a fictional account through the eyes of a teenage Indian girl telling the story of her life as a nine year old just really didn’t do it for me. Surely, there are better ways to expose these evils. Worth reading, but hopefully to be read being aware that much worse is happening and on an unimaginable scale.

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plava bilježnica je vrlo teška knjiga koja nam daje uvid u izrabljivanje djece i dječju prostituciju u Indiji. Priča prati djevojčicu Batuk koja je igrom slučaja naučila čitati i pisati i u svom "kavezu" opisuje svoje dane.

"Ovo je knjiga koja vam se neće svidjeti. Ne zato što je loša, već zato što "Plava bilježnica" nakon čitanja u vama ostavlja nekakvu gorčinu, koja se teško može izbaciti iz misli. Nećete je opisivati kao laganu i lijepu, već kao potresnu i dojmljivu, a ponekad čak u vaše opise može zalutati "degutantno, gadljivo"."...
ovo o knjizi kaže Ivana Smilović - http://www.najboljeknjige.com/content... , a ja tu stvarno nemam što dodati

[Elza (Elzasbokhylla) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is written as a diary where the reader follows Batuk, a fifteen year old Indian girl who is sold into prostitution by her father in Mumbai. This book is her diary where she tells her story from her early childhood to the day she becomes a prostitute.
It was a hard book to read.

The things that Batuk have to endure is heartbreaking. While reading this book you wish that child prostitution wouldn’t exist, and that the stories that Batuk is telling is just fiction. But somewhere in your mind you know this kind of life exist in reality.
The story is well told, but the writing is arguable.

James A. Levine is trying to sound like a fifteen year old girl and in my opinion he fails. There isn’t a consisting way Levine is telling Batuk’s story. Sometimes she is very bright and grown-up and other time she sounds more childish and a bit stupid. Some of Levine’s choices of words make the story loses its depth.

At the beginning Batuk (Levine) is describing sex as baking a cake and at first this doesn’t make any sense. The choice of words she (Levine) uses to describe her private part is also confusing. If he were more raw in his way of describing the awful situation that Batuk is in I would have had a little more respect for him as a writer, because Batuk’s world is raw. In her world childish way of thinking is quickly destroyed and innocence is gone by a second.

This is an important book to read and I’m glad it exists.

[Charlaralotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Upset with myself that I was unable to finish this book, but found it getting slightly prurient (or my interpretation of it getting that way). Am of course all for the goal of the book: to expose the horrible conditions and hardships of children sold into prostitution in India. Absolutely terrible, heinous crimes being committed.

Also appreciated author's efforts to show hidden, undaunted strength of one girl. Just got a bit queasy with the metaphorical descriptions of "making sweetcakes" with clients. Fine line between pornographic stories and description of brutal acts. Found it difficult to read without contemplating whether some would find these scenes titillating. Perhaps is an issue with any detailed accounts of sex crimes.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an amazing look at childhood prostitution in Mumbai and how these young teenage girls are sold into it and survive. The author is giving all of his royalties to institutions to save these young women.

[Elinor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heart-wrenching, candid story about an Indian girl, and its surreal normality in modern-day India. It would be a cruel book were it not based on Levine’s actual work in India.

*Not a book read if you are not in a good place.*

[Surymae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solo perché l'argomento è straziante non significa che un libro sia bello. O anche solo scritto bene.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jedna od težih tema gdje sam čitala pa odložila knjigu. Pa opet i opet...

[Mădălina Udrescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pentru multe fetițe din India viața se poate transforma peste noapte într-un adevărat coșmar, în cel mai îngrozitor și întunecat infern, și poate că niciodată nu vor putea ieși din el, poate că niciodată nu vor mai zâmbi și nu vor mai fi ele însele. Pentru Baduk copilăria a încetat în momentul în care, la vârsta de nouă ani, este vândută de tatăl ei pentru a deveni prostituată. Din cauză că provine dintr-o familie nevoiașă, iar tatăl arunca puținele venituri ale familiei pe băutură și pe daruri pentru amanta sa, Baduk devine o monedă de schimb convenabilă pentru ca familia să iasă din groapa adâncă a sărăciei. Inocența fetei a dispărut în momentul în care a fost violată pentru prima dată, la nici două zile după ce ajunsese în bordelul unui om fără scrupule. Fetița devine o sclavă sexuală, un obiect care nu trebuie să simtă sau să vorbească mai mult decât trebuie pentru a nu-i indispune pe clienți, care, altfel, nu ar mai fi plătit serviciile aduse.

Cu toate astea, Baduk scrie, citește și visează. Ea își construiește o lume imaginară în care se retrage de fiecare dată când realitatea devine prea greu de îndurat. Însă cei din jur se străduiesc cu orice preț să-i spulbere și această lume modelată numai de ea. Arta, în special poezia, este un alt motor care o ține în viață. faptul că poate să facă rost de un creion sau de un pix și de puțină hârtie îi readuce surâsul de copil pe buze. Atunci când scrie sufletul ei se așterne pe hârtie, un suflet curat, de copil, în ciuda faptului că trupul ei este mutilat și pângărit. Nu prostituata este adevărata Baduk, ci fata de pe hârtie, fata care visează, care poate iubi și care poate spera.

Torturile la care este supusă sunt cumplite. Bărbații fac ce vor din ea, iar fata nu poate riposta, pentru că altfel ar fi aspru pedepsită. Misiunea sa este aceea de a aduce plăcere celui care o folosește. Este închiriată și tratată ca o marionetă, iar machiajul și hainele pe care le poartă chiar o transformă într-o păpușă de porțelan care nu este niciodată tratată cu grija și atenția care i se cuvin. Povestea ei este reală și e doar una din sutele sau miile care există, așa că vi-o recomand ca pe un model de rezistență și supraviețuire.

[Simona · Rating 3 out of 5]

O carte extrem de tulburătoare! 3,5/5 *

[Nely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Batuk is a 15 year-old Indian girl that was sold into prostitution at the age of 9 by her father (we never really find out the reason why, but there is a reference to the father having lost everything). The Blue Notebook is a journal written by Batuk in between her sessions of “making sweet-cake” with her customers. In this journal she tells us of her life prior to being sold - what it was like living by the river, her family, her bout with TB and how she was taught to read and write by the nurses and priest at the ministry where she stayed to recover, her virginity being sold to the highest bidder, and what it is like to live in a cage - making sweet-cake up to 10 times a day with different “bakers”. In the second half of the book she is once again sold- this time to a wealthy businessman named Bubba so that she can help prepare his son to be a husband.

This novel offers a very interesting and real insight into India's prostitution ring, particularly the role played by children. In a setting where children are kept in cages while they wait for men to have sex with them, Batuk writes to save her sanity.

My only complaint would be that as you read Batuk’s entries you feel as if you are reading the thoughts of a much older person than a 15 year old girl. Then again I am sure that leading the life that she is living ages you much faster than the average teen.

For some reason I took a bit longer than usual to read this book. Although it’s not a very long book, it would affect me in such a way that I had to keep putting it down. I found the content to be a bit difficult to read at times and it left me feeling raw, emotional and even hurt for Batuk. This is one of the those books that you can’t help but ponder long after you have read the last page. It is masterfully written, well researched, and it delivers you right into the heart of Mumbai with it’s vivid descriptions of the city and its people. Overall, this is a story of a young girl trapped in a situation she cannot control yet even through the unfairness of it all she is quite brave in her actions - that alone is inspiring.

I highly recommend this book as long as you can stomach it's content. Not to mention, your purchase will go to a good cause as the author is donating 100% of the U.S. proceeds from his novel to the International and National Centers for Missing and Exploited Children (http://www.icmec.org). This title will be released July 7.

[Sensitivemuse · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Blue Notebook by James Levine is told in the point of view of Batuk, a young girl who has been sold into prostitution by her father. From then on, she works through several places, including the streets of Mumbai, then being bought from place to place where her final place ends up being in some sort of hotel.

It's a hard read. Although being only two hundred pages, it is an account in extreme graphic detail of Batuk's life after being sold by her father. She does not skimp away the grisly details that happens to her and how she is meant to please her clients. The only light hearted moments I get are when she shares a laugh with her friend Puneet and how they make fun of the "Hippopotamus". I thought they were so cute together but, even that little bit of happiness fades as Batuk is passed on to another place to do her work.

My heart went out for Batuk. You see her innocence shatter and how she narrates the entire story you don't hear much emotion, it's almost as you can hear a flat voice through the diary entries. It's a bleak and depressing read but it probably is a very realistic account of what happens out there to child prostitutes anywhere in the world.

There are only a few things I didn't agree with in this book. I'm not for flowery poetry writing and mini stories and there's a few parts of that in this story. I mostly skipped it by as I didn't have much patience for that. I don't really understand how you can be that literate when you've only learned to read and write at a missionary hospital but that's just my opinion. Second, the ending was very vague. However, if you really think about it, no one in this world really cares where a prostitute ends up, therefore the ending shouldn't matter. It's very shocking, but it's sadly true however, I would have liked to know where Batuk ended up. Also note, due to the graphic nature and content this is not for the squeamish. It didn't bother me much, but there were parts where I cringed.

Overall a very sad and in depth look into the life of a child slave. It'll make you feel for the millions of child slaves and helpless women out there suffering where they have no control over their lives and sadly, no where to turn to.

[Nicole | The Readerly Report · Rating 5 out of 5]

Batuk is a fifteen-year-old girl living in a brothel on Common Street in Mumbai, India. The bright points in her life are her best friend, Puneet, a male prostitute living a few “nests” down from her in the same brothel, and a notebook which she keeps hidden away in a slit in her thin mattress. Her vivid imagination and knack for storytelling lead her to paint a world of cheerful descriptions of the ragged and decrepit room that she describes as an elaborately painted and decorated nest or cage and the sexual acts that she is forced to endure is misleadingly called making sweet cakes. Over the course of the novel Batuk tells the story of how she was sold by her father into prostitution as a nine-year-old to pay off unspecified family debts.

The proprietor of the brothel, Mamaki Briilla, drops a pencil and instead of returning it Batuk steals and hides it so that she can recount her early life, and the last day that she saw the family and the father she still misses after six years. Batuk is an emerging beauty and after one of her “customers” noticing this suggest her for a position outside the brothel walls, but is she better off facing a new situation or staying with the horror that she already knows?

James Levine does an amazing job getting us into the head of Batuk. Though she has grown up with a family and has had to face the betrayal of those closest to her she tries to make the best of it and always see the beauty in the life despite her horrific circumstances. Batuk weaves a world of beauty and exquisite stories out of the every day tragedy that is her life. She creates a world that you want to believe in for her sake though it makes the crushing reality that she faces that much more difficult and painful to witness. The subject matter is dark and movingly in contrast to the light and engaging way that Batuk presents her narrative. It’s short at a mere 200 pages but stunningly rendered. There’s really not much to be said other than, “Read this book.”

[Aarti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upton Sinclair wrote a painfully graphic book about the horrors of Chicago's meat-packing district, The Jungle. He later famously said, "I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach."

Dr. Levine does much the same in his book, The Blue Notebook. This is one of the most difficult and painful books I have ever read. Batuk writes in a beautifully lyrical voice, and so it is all the more jarring when she turns from her happy and playful thoughts and dreams to the graphic details that form the stark reality of her life.

I do not have a favorite quote from this book. It is by turns gorgeous and terrifying. There were pages that made me shudder and I admit that there were at least two pages that I was unable to finish reading. I had to skip ahead. This is not a book to read on the train or to wile away a spare half hour. I was close to tears on my morning commute yesterday.

Levine's book is calculated to reach you in that manner. It is written almost as a series of inter-related vignettes more than as a novel. A girl from rural India who, by chance, learns how to read. The apple of her father's eye, who is then sold to a stranger. A seasoned prostitute on the Common Street of Mumbai, taking spare moments to write about the voices of old trees and wise tigers. A poor young woman who dreams about expensive and gorgeous hats. A magical story about the silver-eyed snow leopard, and the power that someone's hope can save them from a miserable situation.

All US proceeds from this book will be donated to charity. It is not an easy book to read. But while some books are read for pleasure, others are read to gain an understanding of our world. This book is in the latter category. Just as Sinclair did in The Jungle, Levine will aim for your heart and hit you in the gut.

[Susan Storm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy reading books about people who overcome deep struggles and harsh circumstances, and so I was really drawn into this book. It's written in the first person by Batuk, a young girl sold by her family into child prostitution at the age of nine. She writes down her experiences in her 'blue notebook' and through her eyes we get to see the terror that these kids face on a daily basis, but through the eyes of a child. Through all that she suffers she writes with intense imagination and even optimism. When she writes about her 'work' she does it in such a lush, childlike way that it could be less or more disturbing at times. Less disturbing because it seemed less harsh, but more disturbing because it's obvious in her writing that she's still just a child.

What I liked:

This book gave a very real idea of what kids in this situation face, and it really makes you think about what you can do to help. All the proceeds from the book are going to be used to help exploited children, that was definitely a plus.

What I disliked:

I had a hard time with certain sections because I feel there is a fine line between pornographic stories and description of brutal acts. I had a really hard time reading it without contemplating whether some would find these scenes titillating. The writing is almost too 'pretty' for some of the horrible things that happen. I felt like for a long section the book was just a series of sexual encounters, and they described what happened a little too vividly. I have the stomach for it but I felt like the detail was a drawback and since Batuk is just a child, I felt like it should have been a little more tasteful. I don't want them to make the facts less harsh, these things happen, but the way it was described was a little too sensual.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely not a book for children. It covers some of the same ground as the movie Slumdog Millionaire. Batuk was 9 when her father sold her into prostitution in Mumbai. She is "nested" on the Common Street, where Mamaki Briila oversees the girls and one boy, Puneet, who is Batuk's good friend. The story begins as Batuk is 15. She keeps writings of her days, because she was taught to read and write in the hospital where she spent months recovering from TB, and because one of the men who visits her gives her a pencil. After a while, Batuk is purchased by a businessman, Bubba, for his son, Iftikhar, and taken to a hotel. She stays for several days in the Tiger Suite, cared for by Kita, raped by the doctor who examines her, and beaten badly by Iftikhar. One night he has a party with 3 friends, some of whom are politically connected, and when Batuk's writings are discovered and read aloud, things get out of hand. This book is both hopeless and hopeful. Batuk escapes the reality of her situation in writing and in her imagination, and that seems to carry the reader along as well. Sometimes though, it seems almost too poetic - not gritty enough to be realistic.