Review: "Trafficked: My Story of Surviving, Escaping, and Transcending Abduction Into Prostitution" by Sophie Hayes

Date Read - September 18th, 2013
Date Published - September 3th, 2013 - Sourcebooks 
Source: NetGalley (Direct from the publisher) 

 

Sophie Hayes was an average middle class young woman living in England. Despite a difficult upbringing with her verbally abusive father, Sophie had managed to do well as an adult. After a failed relationship with her boyfriend, she confided with one of her friends, Kas who convinced her to come to Italy for a vacation. But it was then that the trip took a turn for the worse. With the threat of killing her brothers, Sophie went from an ordinary young woman to a terrified prostitute powerless to escape. For the next six months, she endured daily beatings from Kas and being forced to sell herself in order to pay off a so called "dept". But when she lands at the hospital, Sophie knows that it is her only chance in escaping.
 At first, the story was dull and somewhat whining. However, the story began to pick up momentum and it wasn't long before my insides would quiver as Sophie describes to beatings and abuse she had to put up with. There might be some people asking themselves why didn't Sophie escape when she had the chance. She writes that the way Kas threatened her and depending on him day after day, she couldn't get up and run. It's so easy to judge, but for me, I can understand why Sophie couldn't escape. 

 Already a huge bestseller in the U.K., "Trafficked" will likely find a large audience here in the U.S. Publisher's Weekly wrote that "Trafficked" is “A real life version of the Liam Neeson film Taken." Sophie is to be commended for not only surviving but using her experiences to shine a light at the horrors of sex trafficking. It is a difficult read, but worth it. 

For more on Sophie and how you can help victims of human trafficking, visit her website.