Book Review: Breaking Free - Abby Sher

Huge eye-opener into the world of sex trafficking. We've all heard about it, but I wonder how many, like myself, were unaware of how big of an issue it actually is, and all over the world too. The three women who shared their personal stories in this book are amazing and full of strength. I admire them for never giving up.

From the GoodReads website: "Somaly Mam was born in the forests of Cambodia in the early 1970’s and sold into sexual slavery by her “grandfather” before she was even twelve years old.

Maria Suarez came to America from Mexico when she was fifteen with her family. She went on a job interview to be a maid. When she got inside, her “interviewer” locked the door and told her he owned her body from that moment on.

Minh Dang was born in San Jose, California. Her house was always neat and there were bright rose bushes in her front yard. Nobody knew that behind closed doors her parents were raping and abusing her from the time she was three years old. Soon they started selling her body to neighbors as well.

These three women could easily have been voiceless victims, lost to the horrors of their own histories. Instead, they not only fought their way out of sexual slavery, they have each become leading advocates and activists in the anti-trafficking movement.

Somaly Mam began her work simply, by supplying condoms and soap to the enslaved girls. Soon she was taking girls into her own home and helping them learn a trade. Eventually, a foundation was born where young women, rescued from the sex trade, could begin new lives for themselves. Maria is a counselor for abused women in California and speaks all over the globe about her experiences and empowering women to speak out for their rights. She is also busy starting the Maria Suarez Foundation, dedicated to Prevention, Rescue and Restoration of survivors. Minh is getting her Master’s in social work and has worked as executive director of Don’t Sell Bodies with actress Jada Pinkett Smith. Minh writes and speaks internationally about what it’s like to be a survivor and on learning how to love fearlessly for the first time.

Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Slavery, by award-winning author Abby Sher, recounts these women’s incredible journeys from sex slave to survivor to savior— but it doesn’t stop there. The book delves even deeper into the horrors of human trafficking, an issue at the forefront of global outreach and activism.

With help from Somaly, Maria, Minh, and many other survivors and counselors, Sher tells the riveting story of what it means to be liberated from sexual trafficking and find the trust and conviction to help educate new survivors.

Remarkable, timely, and incredibly inspiring, Breaking Free, will strike a chord with all young readers as it recounts the stories of these courageous young women who, instead of running from their pasts, choose to help those still caught in the system. It sends the powerful message that, even in the most tragic circumstances, the unwavering hope and compassion of the human spirit can and will shine through.

The book has already been hailed by activists and educators as a powerful tool for the classroom and beyond. Breaking Free Teacher’s Guides are available for educators to incorporate the book into their lesson plans and include questions and exercises aligned to the Common Core."

Book Review: Ember Island - Kimberley Freeman

Easily the best book I've read so far this year. This very well could be my gateway book into historical fiction, a genre I never had any interest in before. I love how the story alternated between the present and the late 1800's. But it wasn't just that, it was the way the story from the past and the story from the present tied together. This was definitely a book that I wanted to keep turning the page to find out what happens next and very reluctantly had to put down more often than I'd like since I haven't had a whole lot of time to read lately. I didn't want the story to be over either, but I feel that the author stopped at a great place to let me draw my own conclusions as to how Tilly and Nina's lives went on beyond the last page. 

Definitely adding the rest of Kimberley Freeman's novels to my to read list!

This is one of those, if it's not on your list, get it on there, and if it is, put it at the top type of books.

From the GoodReads website: "1890: Orphaned as a small child, Tilly Kirkland found a loving, safe home with her grandfather in Dorset. But nineteenth-century England is an unforgiving place for a young woman with limited means and as her grandfather's health fails, it seems perfect timing that she meets Jasper Dellafore. Yet her new husband is not all he seems. Alone in the Channel Islands, Tilly finds her dream of a loving marriage is turning into a nightmare.

2012: Bestselling novelist Nina Jones is struggling with writer's block and her disappointing personal life. Nothing is quite working. After a storm damages Starwater, her house on Ember Island, she decides to stay for a while and oversee the repairs: it s a perfect excuse to leave her problems behind her on the mainland. Then Nina discovers diary pages hidden in the walls of the old home. And a mystery unravels that she is determined to solve.
Though the two women are separated by years, Starwater House will alter the course of both their lives. Nina will find that secrets never stay buried and Tilly learns that what matters most is trusting your heart."

Book Review: Pretenders - Lisi Harrison

Bring on the next in the series!! I want to know what happens next!

This was a great book! I love Epistolary books. I loved how this book showed each character as themselves and as the person they were trying to portray to their peers that they were (not sure if that made any sense, but I wasn't sure how else to write it). There are so many facets of teenage life represented, and some of it I can relate to as I remember having a crush on someone that didn't know I existed. :)

It's a fun story, that doesn't have an ending yet, and I'm glad for that. Anxiously awaiting the sequel! One of those books where you get to the last page and you're like, "What?! NO!!"

From the GoodReads Website: "Three girls, two guys, five secret journals.

The five most popular students at Noble High have secrets to hide; secrets they wrote down in their journals. Now one of their own exposes the private entries...

I am leaking these because I'm tired and I know you are too. The success bar is too high and pretending has become the only way to reach it. Instagrams are filtered, Facebook profiles are embellished, photos are shopped, reality TV is scripted, body parts get upgraded like software, and even professional athletes are cheating. The things we believe in aren't real.


We are pretenders."

Book Review: He Texted: The Ultimate Guide to Decoding Guys - Lisa Winning & Carrie Henderson McDermott

Meh. Maybe if I were single, I might've put more stock into the information presented in this book. There were a few things that I clicked with, things that were similar to some of my own dating/relationship experiences that shed some light on the guy's behavior. And it would've been nice to know that then, and saved myself some mental anguish, but oh well, what's in the past is in the past. 

On the other hand, if you are single and slightly neurotic, this book may help you figure out some guys' digital behavior. Keep in mind I said, "digital," because we all know that guys can say and do things in person that can confuse the hell out of us as well. 

The book reads kind of like a magazine article, which is no surprise as one of the authors is a former Glamour employee. Each author, along with three different guys weigh in on each subject. The guys' points-of-view can be helpful, but at the same time, if you're not a twenty-something, maybe not so helpful. Some of the advice is very specific to this age group and to women that do not have kids. I understand they're just generalizing, but it seems like it was just the stereotype they were giving advice to. Maybe they could've branched out a bit to include different situations - single mothers, women taking care of family members, etc., etc. 

From the GoodReads website: "The He's Just Not That Into You for the iPhone generation: frank, funny, and refreshingly helpful guide to dating in the age of social media from the creators of the wildly popular blog HeTexted.com.

As Glamour magazine writes, "There are two types of women in the world: 1) Women who've gotten a vague or confusing text message from their crush and analyzed how to respond for hours with their girlfriends (But what does this mean?); and 2) Liars." Today, where everyone is plugged into social media 24/7, lines are blurred and a ton of new confusion exists about whether or not a guy is into you. As any woman who's recently been on a date knows, no one leaves home without his or her phone, and it is literally on the table or in use at some point on every date. So how can women use social media and texting to their advantage and suss out his true feelings?He Texted is here to clear up any mysteries about texting, friending, following, liking, LOLing, and poking that have become commonplace in the smartphone era.

Founders of HeTexted.com Lisa Winning and Carrie Henderson McDermott and their stable of "Bros" go through the most common and confusing romantic cyber situations using actual text exchanges. Offering concrete advice, they'll explain what's really going on in each scenario on a practical and emotional level, lay down a verdict about the guy's intentions, and establish clear-cut rules for any present and future conduct. Hilarious and helpful in equal measure, this is the book that everyone who texts, Tweets, or uses Facebook should own.

My Fair Godmother - Janette Rallison

This is one of those books that put a smile on my face when it ended. I love fairy tale stories, they satisfy the kid in me. And this was a cute rendition on the whole Fairy Godmother thing. Only Savannah's is just a Fair Godmother since she didn't do very well in Fairy Godmother school. Basically, Savannah ends up in a couple different fairy tales and once she gets back home, she thinks it's over. Only to find that it isn't.

Very entertaining, a fun, quick read great for the beach or a vacation, or whenever you want to read something to escape day-to-day life. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next one.

From the GoodReads website: "After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrysanthemum Everstar: Savannah's gum-chewing, cell phone-carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Despite a few wish-granting mishaps, Savannah's fairy-tale ending might not be as far off as she imagined."