Lex was taken – trafficked - and now she's Poppy. Kept in a hotel with other girls, her old life is a distant memory. But when the girls are rescued, she doesn't quite know how to be Lex again.
After she moves in with her aunt and uncle, for the first time in a long time, she knows what it is to feel truly safe. Except, she doesn't trust it. Doesn't trust her new home. Doesn't trust her new friend. Doesn't trust her new life. Instead she trusts what she shouldn’t because that's what feels right. She doesn't deserve good things.
But when she is sexually assaulted by her so-called boyfriend and his friends, Lex is forced to reckon with what happened to her and that just because she is used to it, doesn't mean it is okay. She's thrust into the limelight and realizes she has the power to help others. But first she’ll have to confront the monsters of her past with the help of her family, friends, and a new love.
Kate McLaughlin's What Unbreakable Looks Like is a gritty, ultimately hopeful novel about human trafficking through the lens of a girl who has escaped the life and learned to trust, not only others, but in herself.
My Review:
This was a fantastic story! It deals with a really difficult topic, human trafficking and prostitution, but it's something that happens in real life, and books need to be able to represent everyone, so I'm really glad that this book exists!
This is honestly a heartbreaking story. Because Lex doesn't think that she deserves to get out of the life. She's fortunate, that she has someone who cares for her, who is able to support her, in getting out, in her aunt. And it's tough to read at times.
What that guy did, of having her service his friends, at school? Yeah that is so horrible. The fact that she felt like she couldn't refuse, that they'd hurt her if she tried to get away, that's not a position that anyone should ever be in. Let alone at school, by other teens her age. It was so aggravating! And while there was some justice, it doesn't negate what she went through.
I loved watching her create this new life for herself, of the friends that she made, the bad messages that she learned that she rejected. That she found a guy who will treat her right, that's something I'm so glad we got to see! Sometimes a fairytale fantasy is what we need. Loved how it wrapped up!
This was a fantastic read, and I can't wait to read more by Kate McLaughlin!
Author: Kate McLaughlin
Read: April 12th, 2023
Source: NetGalley/Library/Bought
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a SAC 2023 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Wednesday Book
Published: June 23rd 2020
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
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