Title: Little Peach
Author: Peggy Kern
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: 3.10.2015
Pages: 208
Genre: Young Adult, Issues, Contemporary
Series: N/A
Source: eARC from publisher
Rating: 4 ½ Stars
Summary (from Goodreads):
When Michelle runs away from her drug-addicted mother, she has just enough money to make it to New York City, where she hopes to move in with a friend. But once she arrives at the bustling Port Authority, she is confronted with the terrifying truth: she is alone and out of options.
Then she meets Devon, a good-looking, well-dressed guy who emerges from the crowd armed with a kind smile, a place for her to stay, and eyes that seem to understand exactly how she feels.
But Devon is not what he seems to be, and soon Michelle finds herself engulfed in the world of child prostitution where he becomes her “Daddy” and she his “Little Peach.” It is a world of impossible choices, where the line between love and abuse, captor and savior, is blurred beyond recognition.
This hauntingly vivid story illustrates the human spirit’s indomitable search for home, and one girl’s struggle to survive.
Then she meets Devon, a good-looking, well-dressed guy who emerges from the crowd armed with a kind smile, a place for her to stay, and eyes that seem to understand exactly how she feels.
But Devon is not what he seems to be, and soon Michelle finds herself engulfed in the world of child prostitution where he becomes her “Daddy” and she his “Little Peach.” It is a world of impossible choices, where the line between love and abuse, captor and savior, is blurred beyond recognition.
This hauntingly vivid story illustrates the human spirit’s indomitable search for home, and one girl’s struggle to survive.
Review:
It’s no secret I suck at writing reviews on time. I let them back log and build up and then will go on a binge where I write dozens in a span of a week or two to catch up. It’s a testament to LITTLE PEACH and Peggy Kern that it’s only been an hour since I finished this book and I’m now writing a review in the beginning of August 2014 that most of you won’t read until March 2015. But I’m terrified I’ll miss something if I don’t get this out now.
LITTLE PEACH isn’t an easy book to read. I spent the majority of it wishing I could cuddle under my covers with my stuffed animal collection piled high around me. It reduced me to tears at work and had me hiding in the bathroom, sobbing into a fistful of toilet paper. Yes, it’s fiction … But no, it’s not. This book is the horrifying, stark reality of what happens to girls and boys every single day. Boys and girls you pass on the street with a sad smile or downcast eyes. These are the kids no one really likes to admit exist because it means we failed. As a society, as human beings, we failed.
Michelle is a girl who could be almost any girl in any city. A girl who grew up without the protection and support parents are supposed to give. A girl who was forced out onto the streets because she became simply too inconvenient until a predator told her she was worth something. A monster that protected her while simultaneously destroying her. At one point, after Michelle has been with “Daddy” for a bit (mind you, she never actually had a real father), one trick goes sideways, but Daddy saved her. And for a second—just a second—I relished in him protecting her. The way I would imagine Little Peach/Michelle did. But then I realized she never would have been in this position had he not brought her into this world. It’s a sick, twisted dichotomy that chilled me.
Kern is simply phenomenal. She immersed me in Michelle’s world, showing me the ugly truth of things I typically forget because I’m too busy worrying about which DVD to buy at Target. Kern has a captivating voice that is haunted and poignant, crafting a story that will linger for a long while. She deftly and soundly shows the broken, seemingly hopeless life these children drift through daily as they struggle to survive.
Is this a book you will like? Probably not. But it’s a book you need to read. It’s a brutal, unflinching glimpse into a disgusting world that exists around every single one of us every single day.
About Peggy Kern:
Peggy Kern has written two books for the Bluford High Series. She lives in Western Massachusetts.
Peggy Kern has written two books for the Bluford High Series. She lives in Western Massachusetts.
Giveaway:
1 finished copy of LITTLE PEACH. US/CA Only.
How To Help:
Human trafficking is a global issue that creeps into our country, city, and streets on a daily basis. Visit these organizations to get involved and help break the cycle of silence.
A must read!
ReplyDeleteI know you and many others loved this one and I promise to read it soon-ish :)
ReplyDelete