I did not intend to finish this in a night but it was really easy to read! It's written in a kind of abbreviated, stream-of-consciousness style that flows really well and makes it hard to put down. I wasn't blown away by the story and I was not affected as heavily by the characters as I would have liked to have been with such dark content, but it was definitely gripping and made more so by the fact that this could very easily be a true story. If anything this book is important because of the awareness it has the potential to spread. Sadly, Michelle's story is not an uncommon one and it so important that this issue be brought to people's attention. ( )

3.5 stars. ( )

Read my full review of the book at seriesousbookreviews.com! Spoiler Free!

The plot itself alternates between the present and the past (Michelle's journey into prostitution): and boy, is it hard to read! Michelle's situation is so heartbreaking and shocking that I couldn't stomach more than a few pages at a time (and this book just clocked in at 100 pages on my Kobo which isn't very long at all!). It was hard to watch her go through everything she did because it was so realistic! I could easily see this happen to real people and that's what made this so hard: seeing what happens when people see no other option.

Overall, a very thought provoking and realistic read.

Check out more spoiler-free book and series reviews on my blog SERIESousBookReviews.com as well as read book series recaps!

Full Review: http://wp.me/p3txrs-10m

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Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A short but intense and thought provoking read.

Opening Sentence: You asked me to tell you the truth, but I’m not sure you’ll believe me, even though I’ve practically killed myself to find you.

The Review:

Little Peach is just over 200 pages but what a powerful read. This book is a must read for all readers despite your interests since it covers such an important issue; prostitution and the sale of vulnerable girls as a business. It’s hard to believe that these things still happen but believe I must because it’s all true. There are young girls like Michelle who have run away from home to escape sexual abuse, only to be manipulated into a ‘better life’ by pimps like Devon.

“You only missin’ if somebody looking for you.” Kat’s words slice through the air. “Understand? We ain’t missin’, Peach. We just gone.”

‘Urgh’ is the only decent word I can use to describe Devon. How can someone stoop so low, taking advantage of damaged girls, giving them false dreams and ultimately owning these girls? The actual branding of his name on them was horrific. He abused their trust, pretending to be their friend. That’s just, urgh.

“But you try to take off? They’ll beat your ass ‘cause you’ll get us all locked up. Understand? Every single one of them. If you lose your shit and go runnin’ out the door lookin’ for fuckin’ Batman to come up in here and save your ass, you gonna get beat. And then I’m gonna get beat for not beatin’ you myself.”

Although Little Peach focuses on three girls in particular, each of them had sad histories that were described with such detail that I felt connected to them all. Of course, Michelle being the main character held most of my sympathy. We learn about her horrifying history, how her trust is abused and the things she is forced to do to survive.

“Michelle? Is your mother dead?”
I want to say yes. I want it to be true. I want to say she’s the one who died on the couch last year, who got wheeled out on a stretcher and never came back. I want it to be her.
But the wrong people die. The dead people are the good ones, the bad ones get to walk around like nothing. Like they got a right to keep breathing while the ones you need just leave their skin, waste away till there ain’t nothing left but a stupid dirty T-shirt and what you can barely remember.

However, there are thousands of girls out there that come from terrible backgrounds and end up like the main characters of this story. The worst thing is that nothing is done about it. We say we’ve come so far, developed mind blowing technology but issues such as prostitution and sexual abuse have been there for centuries and continue to remain unchanged. Little Peach makes you wonder whether such issues will ever be resolved…

Notable Scene:

I know that you will take me to a group home. I got no family. There’s no one left to love me. That’s where girls like me end up: a brick building with other kids that nobody wants. We stay there till we’re big and then they let us go too.

I’m not stupid, Kat. I know there ain’t no magic place for kids like us.

FTC Advisory: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins provided me with a copy of Little Peach. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )

Originally posted here

This short novel really places a spotlight on an area of humanity many people are blissfully aware of. Child prostitution is a real issue in many countries yet many people's minds just can't go there, I know mine couldn't before reading Little Peach.

What I found most frightening was how easy it was for a young vulnerable girl to get picked up by a predator. Our main character, Michelle, literally arrives at the bus stop in New York and is targeted instantly by a sex trafficker. I was questioning the reality of this at first, but after reading the authors note at the end of the book, I was shocked to learn that that is actually a common story of victims. Baby in particular was a very disturbing character, I don't know many twelve year olds who are as babyish as her. She seemed to be either extremely developmentally stunted or has learned to act that way because that is what makes her desirable to perverts. It's probably a bit of both which is very tragic.

The book did feel quite light on content, and seemed skeletal. Characters could have been more fleshed out, and a lot of details are glossed over at some points. There isn't really a resolution to this story, it's quite open ended so it's not really known what happens to Michelle. In real life, I suppose victims of child sex trafficking find it nearly impossible to escape the lifestyle they have been forced into, so a neat happy ending would have been highly unrealistic.

All in all, I liked this book but I felt the story could have been so much more. ( )