Traffick Paperback – January 24, 2017

TRAFFICK was an amazing book. 5/5 stars, for sure. First off, it is raw and honest and does not flinch from the truths that encompass Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in the US. It is clearly well-researched and, from an adolescent development and psychological well-being standpoint, it is on point and accurate in every feeling, every thought, every action the characters take. Like all of Ellen Hopkins‘ books, it is evident she understands her readers and talks with and to them, not down to them. This, and its predecessor, TRICKS, are absolutely must-reads for everyone, and especially for those – teens and adults – who live in major sex trafficking hubs, like Houston and Las Vegas.TRAFFICK, much like the month of March, began with the roar of a lion and ended on the bleat of a lamb. The book started with a raw fury of emotion, abruptly returning me to the circumstances Cody Bennet had been relegated to at the end of TRICKS. Of five characters, all experiencing varying degrees of crisis and therapeutic rehabilitation from those crises, starting with Cody showed the skill Ellen Hopkins has for knowing where to begin a story. His deep-seated fears and resentments perfectly set up a story that could begin in the harrowing emotion of hardship and end on the soft note of hope.All five kids got in well over their heads in the last book. Cody began selling his body to pay off gambling debt; Whitney fell in love with a man whose only intent was to addict her to Heroin and sell her body on a webcam; Ginger ran away to Las Vegas with a friend to strip dance because her mother had been pimping her out; Eden was sent away to an abusive and negligent “religious retreat” center to cleanse her of the sin of falling in love, and found her way into selling her body to get away from the center; and Seth was kicked out of his house when he came out as gay to his father, and he lived a lifestyle as a “kept man,” essentially selling his body for room, board, and a rich lifestyle. All five kids ended the last book in varying state of crisis: Cody, being beaten to a pulp by someone who found out his girlfriend was also selling her body; Whitney, who was almost dead from an overdose; Ginger, who had been caught by VICE with the friend she had run away with and sent to a group home for trafficked teens; Eden, who had found her way to another group home for trafficked teens thanks to a kindly priest; and Seth, who had been kicked out of the home of the man who was “keeping” him when he learned Seth had been with another man.Each had a long way to go at the end of the first book, and TRAFFICK did not disappoint. There were steps forward, steps backward, and steps sideways for each of the characters, exploring heartache and resiliency in equal measure. Each young person in the book ended the book in a place different from where they started TRICKS, even if that place was physically the same. Each grew emotionally, each was more worldly and world-weary, but each ended the book on the tendrils of hope.As Ellen Hopkins has done in other books, she included poems by other tangential characters in the book, such as parents, siblings, friends, and significant others. These showed glimpses of how others react to situations as weighty as Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, and they showed that not every person involved in the horror of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking escapes with the vestiges of hope she gifted with her own five characters. Through these extra poems and through the story she wove around her five characters, we see youth who escape sex trafficking, youth who don’t, youth who have experienced horrors beyond the understanding of many, and the loved ones who stand by them – or don’t – in their journey to finding themselves again, and healing their scarred psyches.The author’s note included statistics, such as the fact that the average age into sex trafficking in the US is just twelve-years-old. Twelve. An age when the biggest concern for a young girl or boy ought to be the onset of puberty, not the abuse of her or his body. Even her author’s note, however, contained an air of hope, as she said that there is more awareness than there has ever been in the past. There, sadly, will be child sex trafficking as long as there is a demand, but with increased awareness and education, we can protect more girls and boys from this fate. If nothing else, TRICKS and TRAFFICK illustrated plainly that it is not just girls who are trafficked, and that children involved in trafficking are always coerced – either by people or by circumstance. Boys, straight, gay, and transgender, are all at risk of being trafficked, and adolescents who wander willingly into its fold always have a reason, and always deserve to be protected.

The sequel to Tricks, Traffick is no less powerful than its predecessor. In fact, it picks up where Tricks ended, letting us see what became of Eden, Whitney, Ginger, Cody, and Sean. Some are finding happy endings and promising futures, while others are barely able to keep their heads above water, or are falling back into old habits. As they continue to navigate their lives, their examples show that, while life choices don't have to be permanent, they will always leave their mark, and what you choose to do with yours makes all the difference.

Arrived in great condition and ahead of time.

I actually got this for a boy at previous job I worked at and he said it was really good!! He recommended it to other kids!

Love all her books. This book is amazing

It was nice to read the continuation on the 5 teens. It was kinda slow paced and not a whole lot happened. But still written very well. I don't think it is Ellen Hopkins best book, but still good.

I have read every single one of Ellen Hopkins books and this book is another reason why I will continue to pick up whatever book she writes. This book is about sex trafficking, and while some people may not feel comfortable with the topic, it could be worse, if that makes sense. Ellen covers the very surface of sex trafficking: drugs, rape, the legal aspect, basically it is not as graphic as speaking about sex trafficking could be. The imagery and words Ellen uses allows you to connect to the characters. Personally, I related to two of the characters (Eden & Ginger), more so because I thought they were truly forced into the life. If you are familiar with any of Hopkins previous books, this is written in the same type of format, and she has a way of writing about difficult concepts and making it a learning experience.At this point, I will stop babbling. If you have read Tricks, then pick this sequel and find out how the 5 teens come back from their life of tricking.

I had no idea there was going to be a sequel to Tricks. I logged on to Amazon one day and it was on the front page that I could preorder (which I did immediately because I am obsessed with Ellen Hopkins' work). At first, I had to pump myself up to read it. Please don't think I thought it would be bad! If you are familiar with this author, you know the emotional roller coaster of her novels. It's just something I have to prepare myself for whenever I start a new one. Traffick did not disappoint me one bit. Everything flowed flawlessly and I was completely absorbed into the story. It was not an easy read though, oh no. Every few chapters I had to put it down just to absorb everything and bring my brain back to reality. I just loved it! I'll read it again, I know I will.

I cannot get enough of ellen Hopkins books I love all of them!!

While this novel provided some closure to the characters' stories, the latter half of it felt too rushed, as if the author was trying to cram as much as she could into the novel without going into any detail, especially in Whitney's case (even though her story was perhaps the most tedious, which was fitting for such an insipid, vacuous character).In addition, Eden's story was intriguing, but tainted by the excessive emphasis on the allegedly curative power of pure and true love. As I said in a criticism of 'IMPULSE', Hopkins treats love in her novels as the magic cure to all problems, which is downright absurd, and a recklessly deluded message to send, especially to any younger readers.

Another amazing eleen hopkims hit

Loved it

I am happy with it.