"Sold" by Patricia McCormick

     Sold is written from the eyes of a 13 year-old girl from Nepal who has been sold into sex slavery to help her family financially.  Patricia McCormick wrote this book in such a fascinating way that it kept me engaged even though the subject is a hard one to read about.  There were really only two detailed sex scenes and even then they weren’t extremely detailed which made the subject feel real, but wasn’t too intense for the reader.  Patricia did a fantastic job addressing the emotions and struggles of what it’s like to be a part of this current problem.  Patricia spent a lot of time giving background information of the girl; where she was from, what her home life was, what her hobbies were, and what she loved were all described in great detail.  This was very beneficial to the story because having it all ripped away made the emotions that much stronger.  Seeing how this girl had friends, had a crush, had family struggles, and loved certain parts of where she lived made it very relatable for me. 

     One of the hardest parts about reading this book was knowing that this it was factual.  The story may not be based off of a certain person, but it is based off real events that occur daily.  It breaks my heart to think of a 13 year-old having to leave her family, thinking she is going to be a maid for a rich family and then finding out in such a bad way that she was a part of a whole different scene.  This young girl had to grow up and learn life lessons that no 13 year-old should ever have to learn.  What was amazing was how even through all the negative aspects of her living situation, she still found hope.  There were a couple people in that house who didn’t have their emotions straight and couldn’t handle the “job” and they collapsed, but this girl, this young girl was able to stay strong and make it out.  Truly amazing!

     Another hard part of this book was reading that babies were sold to “cook” so when they got older they would have to participate in the same environment their moms did in order to make money and live.  This just broke my heart to think of a family so desperate to live that they have to sell their baby daughters and even adolescent daughters to such an awful place.  The fact that virgins get paid more because it’s supposed to cure HIV and other diseases just baffles me.  Seriously just breaks my heart! 

     Overall this book was truly amazing.  The way it was written was perfect; it captured the emotions and events in a pleasing way considering the unpleasant topic of the book.  Patricia did a fantastic job with her vocabulary and tone choices, it would be a very good book to read aloud to a class, or give to a reluctant reader.  It’s a very fast-paced book but because of the sensitive subject some precautions would have to be met.