Traffick

Gr 10 Up—In this sequel to Tricks (S. & S., 2009), the author revisits the lives of five very different young adults who ended up victims of sex trafficking in Las Vegas. Hopkins spares no details while relaying the dire circumstances Eden, Seth, Whitney, Ginger, and Cody experienced and yet still manages to infuse each character's story with hope. The protagonists have to decide what their futures will hold and how much they want to fight to get there. Reading the first novel is not necessary, as enough backstory is provided. However, some readers may prefer to understand the teens' path to sex trafficking before reading this story of redemption. Hopkins clearly has done her research, as detailed in an author's note, and the stories carry even more weight when readers realize that this is the reality many children and teens face. Hopkins's use of free verse allows the raw emotion to shine through, and mature teens will hang on to every word.