TRAFFICK by Ellen Hopkins

Just in case you missed it yesterday, Ellen Hopkins' latest novel TRAFFICK was released.  TRAFFICK is a sequel to TRICKS and carries on the stories of five teens trapped in the horrors of the sex trade.  Thanks to Lady Reader Blog Tours, I got a sneak peek of TRAFFICK a few weeks ago.  Here's a repeat of the review I posted.

TRAFFICK by Ellen Hopkins is a sequel to her intensely powerful TRICKS.  In TRAFFICK Hopkins provides a follow-up for five teens trapped in the tragic practice of human trafficking.

The victim of a gunshot wound, Cody is in the hospital learning that he may never walk again.  Diagnosed with a SCI (spinal cord injury), Cody must find a reason to fight his way back to some sort of normal life.  His gambling debts sent him in a downward spiral into the sex trade.  He knows he can't return to that life, but facing life in a wheelchair threatens to destroy any hope that remains for his future.

Eden wants a life with her true love Andrew.  Hoping to leave Vegas behind and return to her home in Boise, she just may have found a way to avoid her overly religious, controlling parents.  With help and guidance from a counselor at the rescue center, she files legal papers that will grant her emancipation so she and Andrew can work together to create a future.

After his father's rejection, Seth used his body to survive.  As a gay teen, Seth found everything but love as he tried to eek out a meager existence providing sexual favors beyond anything he could imagine.  Through it all, he wished for a way to reunite with his father and earn the man's respect.  Is it possible for him to return to the farm to live the life he misses so much?

Whitney had everything until she became a slave to heroine.  Drugs took her away from her privileged life and into the horrors of the drug and sex scene of Vegas.  In rehab she tries to overcome the power of the Lady, but her mind may not let her escape the pull of drugs and alcohol. 

Ginger lost Iris to AIDS.  No one ever cared for Ginger more than Iris unless it would be Gram.  Gram always wanted to give Ginger love and provide as much as possible.  It takes hitting rock bottom to remind Ginger how much she lost by running.  Might it be possible for Gram to forgive her and take her back?

Where TRICKS describes the dark and gritty life of the sex trade and the teens it destroys, TRAFFICK provides a glimmer of hope if only the teens can find a helping hand to pull them out of the depths of sex, drugs, and abuse.  Each teen struggles to find the determination and will to overcome great odds to regain control and start fresh.  In her typical fashion, Hopkins doesn't wrap up each story in a neat and tidy package, but instead shares the next step for each teen and allows her readers to relate to and learn from the struggles of others.

Review copy courtesy of Amy Del Rosso blog tour.

Release date: 11/3/15