SOLD

The world is unforgiving, the light representing all that is good in the world does not immediately find its way into the darkness as depicted in Sold. Additionally, as new ideas, technologies, and social normalcies arise so will shadows of evil exploitation which are cast amidst their unfamiliar ways. Immoral persons of power will exploit every possible avenue created by these new comings in their shadows. Until of course, the light of morality shines in upon evil, turning it over to the people for judgement.
So goes the story of a young girl in Sold; Lakshmi, a 13 year old girl from Nepal is sold into the sex trade in India by her step-father for a small sum of money. A sum immediately spent in front of Lakshmi on cheap sunglasses and commercial items. Lakshmi’s heart is ripped apart by her step-fathers ill-will. Then her heart is re-torn by the brothel’s ill willed customers and it's arbitrary owner, at first. It takes two young boys playing a significant role in her life at different times to re-convey to her that life is worth living. Not to mention the hope which was instilled in her by some of the conscientious American “customers” whom only came to the brothel to help young girls escape and then to crack down on the owner. Lakshmi did, however, have vulgar American customers in addition to her moral ones. Despite her mostly vulgar customers and oppressive overseer Lakshmi eventually finds the conviction to reach out for the helping hand of an American, a hand which she cannot decipher true intentions of, but one that ends up saving her life.

“I know something else as well. I know that I would endure a hundred punishments to be free of this place.”-Lakshmi, pg. 260
Patricia McCormick places these words in Lakshmi's mouth in order to instill the idea that 'good always prevails over evil' into the reader. An idea which I personally believe in.

So to you Patricia McCorMick, I say BLESS UP.

The book is a roughly 250 pg collection of short/long vignettes which make for an interesting read and a stronger emotional appeal with readers.

I didn't love the book for two reasons: the ending is a cliff hanger & Patricia McCormick didn't elaborate on the lives of others as much as Lakshmi's. I personally think elaborating on the Brothel owner's lives and how they became brothel owners would have been a nice touch to the book.

Caution to sensitive souls and innocent minds:

THIS STORY CUTS DEEP - NO MATTER HOW SENSITIVELY TOLD

Once read, you will not be able to erase Lakshmi's experience from memory. Her experience is not a good memory.

"Hi my name is Lakshmi" "I am from Nepal" "I am thirteen years old."

"Hi my name is Lakshmi." "I am from Nepal." "I am fourteen years old."

In that year - Lakshmi ages a lifetime. One begun in the innocence of a child who plays with her goat, names her cucumbers and dreams of a tin roof for her family and aged in a year of forced prostitution in the slums of Calcutta. In that year – we experience Lakshmi's struggle to remain, to be Lakshmi. In that year – she is stripped of her last vestiges of innocence. Reading her narrative can only have the same effect.

Advisory: This book is NOT for young readers – nor is this review.

Poetic, absorbing, eloquent, exceptionally well written. Literature. A book that, when finished, had me turn back to reread the first pages in wonder of the transformation of Lakshmi.

Sold is a gently told story of a horrific reality.

It is a transformative documentary depicting the depths of human depravity and man's inhumanity. It's like any traumatic experience - you can't forget it and you can't help being changed by it.

Patricia McCormick gives voice to Lakshmi, a 13 year old girl born into abject poverty as her body, mind and soul are transformed in the process of being sold, forced into prostitution, starved, tortured and raped. She acutely depicts the reality of innocence, trust, hope, and will -- to survive, to love, to believe... to be human -- as it is slowly chipped away, piece by piece and chunk by chunk. The process of the actual sale, cross-border trafficking, imprisonment in a brothel and first rape is only over the course of a week. The reality, the story of Lakshmi's understanding of life, her struggle to survive beyond merely existing is the heart of the story told over the course of her year in forced prostitution.

We first know Lakshmi as a girl who knows very little of life beyond her mom, her small hut, her small village. Impoverished and living as few of us having access to books - we experience her joy of life – her hopes, as she remembers her best friend Giti and sneaks looks at the shy, kind boy shse is expected to marry some day. We continue to know her and experience her fear and excitement and hope and the depth of her naivety as she is transported to the slums of Calcutta and imprisoned. We hurt with her as she grows to understand the world through the people that come or go from the brothel where she is forced to work.

We understand her inability to understand. Through Lakshmi we process the experience as a 13-year-old girl. One who has never been exposed to life beyond her village – not through books, movies or travel. One who later knows the world beyond only through T.V. soap opera and a single window to the streets below. One unable to comprehend the entirety of her situation or understand the context of her experience beyond what she knows of the people around her – other girls enslaved, a tea-boy, the people that sell her and the men that buy her.

This is what I found to be most disturbing. McCormick so genuinely depicts how it can happen, how it DOES happen, what the child comprehends and can't comprehend. Through Lakshmi's voice – we process the horror and fight to survive. Desperately, the child's mind and soul tries to hold onto innocence.

CAUTION: FURTHER CONTENT OF THIS REVIEW MAY BE DISTURBING

As a movie this book would be R rated at best, not for nudity or language, but for content.

In first person naivety- the reader lives through Lakshmi's passage from child into sex slave, from her small village home in Nepal to a brothel in the slums of Calcutta. She is Sold. She is starved, beaten, drugged, raped and prostituted. Her 'roommates' include a mother with an 8 year-old son and toddler daughter - dying from T.B. continually threatened with being thrown out on the street - a fate worse than the 'shelter' of the brothel, a girl beaten with a pipe and disfigured after trying to escape, a girl who spends her few rupees on the drug that her mother gave her 'bear the pain' when she prostituted her.. and the mother? - she must choose between selling her 2 year old daughter to be maimed and used for sympathy or..... Even the tea-boy is beaten for showing a kindness to Lakshmi. One girl hangs herself – and there is a thought that perhaps it's what Lakshmi could have done. A 'punishment' – has something to do with hot-peppers and is an image of pain that can not be erased once formed.

As quoted on the back cover: It is "An ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults". As per Publisher's Weekly starred review: "Hard-hitting... poignant. The author beautifully balances the harshness of brothel life with the poignant relationships among its residents."

The story is beautifully written - but there is no beauty in the story being written about. There is some balance in the portrayal of good versus evil. Many of the characters show their capacity for love despite hardship. Good. But the overwhelming story is the dark side of man, girls bought and sold for sex. Men buying girls for sex. Women selling girls for sex. Mental, emotional and physical Abuse. Torture. Evil.

There is nothing scintillating, there is no description of love-making to be 'censored' -- there is just a very, very harsh reality. The words are careful. I applaud the author for the grace with which she paints the picture of rape and torture and hunger and humiliation. Portraits of suffering that are indelibly printed on the mind and descriptions of pain - such as the 'punishment' involving hot peppers can't be erased.

FOR ADULTS - I would recommend this book as an education. Hopefully it will motivate action and promote the cause, be a call to justice. I can't say that it's 'enjoyable reading' – but it is definitely well written and thus 'good reading'.

FOR YOUNG ADULTS – I would strongly advise to consider if you want to read this -true-to-life story. It's not entertaining. It's real life – the bad and the ugly side.

FOR PARENTS: Read it for yourself first and consider if there is benefit in exposing your daughter (or son) to the realities depicted in the book. Consider the potential loss to a child's innocence in being transformed into the life of a young child sold, raped and tortured. This book is real. The story is fictionalized - but the reality is sad beyond words.

As quoted inside front cover:
“Sold is a harrowing account of sexual slavery. … McCormick gives voice to the terror and bewilderment of a young girl robbed of her childhood...” The National Book Awards

“Heartbreaking.... her depth of detail makes the character's believable and their misery palpalpable.” School Library Journal

“An unforgettable account of sexual slavery as it exists now.” - Booklist

As I reflect on the book and write this review - I realize two things:

a) I want to make a list of some 'balance' books - find some stories that document the capacity for man's humanity - especially for 'good' men and 'good' relationships. Sex as love - evil. (Like Lakshmi's best friend Siti's father. Such as Sal's grandparents and Mary Lou's Parent's in Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech and G.T. Stoop and Eddie in Hope was Here by Joan Bauer)

[book:Hope Was Here|522471]
[book:Walk Two Moons|53496]

b) I want to research possible responses to the book - charities, actions. I wish the author included such information in her acknowledgements. I suspect it was her intention to let the reader make those inquiries herself.

This book covers a hard and very sad topic. Sold gives the reader a horrifying look at a young girl in Asia. While this is a fictional book it is based on the truth of many girls day to day lives. Before reading this book I had a pretty good idea about human trafficking, but after reading this book front first person, I have a whole new perspective on the subject. Patrick McCormick wrote this novel in such a way that makes it hard to put the book down and leaves you wanting more. This book is emotionally hard to read but the morals are worth the heartbreak. It is important to be aware of that happens other places in the world and not be in our own little bubble. Patrick McCormick has a way of making you feel emotionally connected to the main character Lakshmi. Your heart breaks for this 13 year old girl even before she is sold by her family. Her living conditions are terrible, her biggest wish is not anything fancy but only a tin roof for her family’s little hut. The living conditions are so harsh compared to the blessings we have in the US. Lakshmi is very innocent and want to help as much as she can to provide for her family, she wants a bright future. You feel for her throughout the whole book and feel connected to her. It is very hard to imagine the pain and suffering that Lakshmi went through by simply trusting adults. Lakshmi step father put her through this pain. I would highly recommend this book. Like stated above it is important to have knowledge about human/sex trafficking the goes on all over the world. It is a quick read but also very hard and emotional to read.

Truthfully, I started this story and stopped. Started and stopped. I kept having nightmares in my sleep of Lakshmi. These dreams were so harrowing that I would have to step away and pick up another book with new words to scrub out the ones from Sold that conjured the images in my mind. (I know this may sound weird to some people but I'm aware that I operate like a sponge at times, making it very difficult for me not to feel. I'm just too spiritually sensitive to such things.)

In other words, Patricia McCormick writes with a brave and an unflinching eye. The story is told from the POV of Lakshmi. A novel of this proportion is difficult to summarize because this story is about everything: all that we hold dear and all that we fear, the hopes we have for our children and the dangers that exist for many other children in the world, the strife of women and the bias of men...I could go on and on but instead will focus on, what for me, is the novel's triumph: the power in believing.

Lakshmi believes that she is old enough to help earn money for her family; when they lose their crops to a monsoon and her stepfather demands that she be sold, Lakshmi is brave and looks forward to the opportunity to help. She believes that this will help the family put a tin roof over their home, clothes on her baby brother, and food in their stomachs.

Once she is sold, she believes Bajai Sita and Auntie are going to set her up for housework. When that doesn't happen, she is taken under the care of Uncle Husband, whom she believes will protect her but instead, he sells her into the hands of Mumtaz--the sadistic owner of a brothel called "Happiness House." This girl, for all that she is forced under in her sexual slavery, is strong. Initially, she believes her hunger can outlive Mumtaz's threat to starve her if she doesn't work. Actually, Lakshmi's belief is correct because it was Mumtaz who grew tired of waiting for Lakshmi to give in so Mumtaz begins drugging her.

The details from then on are harrowing and like I said, I had to put the novel away several times to give my mind a break from the pain Lakshmi endured. It was all so vivid and made all too real after reading McCormick's author note.

After a while, Lakshmi believes that she can pay off her debts. When she finds out that Mumtaz has no intention of letting her go, Lakshmi holds on to the belief that an American worker will rescue her...I won't say whether or not this happens for those who don't like endings to be spoiled.

I can't say enough about this book and yet there is so much more that my heart knows needs to be said, like the way the characters survive through the power of language, how education should not be a privilege but a right to every person in this world, the crisis of health care and fighting to educate communities about HIV, the power of friendship and memory...there's just so much in this novel. Goodness! I HEART McCormick for writing this book and you will too if you haven't read it already.

Haunting, terrifying, unspeakable horror. Despite the revulsion, the book was beautifully written in free verse. The subject matter is irrevocably scarring, yet the author somehow produced a work of art and allowed the story to be heard. I am grateful that she had the courage to tell the important truth of what goes on outside of this cocoon we call the United States of America; "we, the people", are so ignorantly fortunate. I am not blinded to the fact that sexual slavery has become a worldwide epidemic, slowly creeping into every nation. However, it just makes it evermore shameful that these innocent girls' families have an active role in such crimes against their own flesh and blood.

I put off reading this book because it wasn’t a true story. I mistakenly thought, “How can they portray the horrors of the sex trade industry in a work of fiction?” I could not have been more wrong.

Sold is a painful look at what happened to a young girl from Nepal who was smuggled into India and sold into sexual slavery. While this is a fictional story it is based on the truth that thousand of young girls are actually living this nightmare every day. Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in a small hut on a mountain in Nepal. The story is told through her eyes and conveys the innocence of a child trapped the horrible world of human trafficking.

Even before Lakshmi is sold into slavery, your heart breaks for her. The living conditions are so harsh compared to the blessings we have in the United States. She dreams that one day they will have enough for a tin roof for their little hut.

“She is looking down the mountain to the village below, at the neighbors’ tin roofs winking cruelly back at her. A tin roof means that the family has a father who doesn’t gamble away the landlord’s money playing cards in the tea shop. A tin roof means that when the rains come, the fire stays lit and the baby stays healthy”

Lakshmi grows cucumbers to sell and dreams of her tin roof. But her stepfather continually gambles away what little they have and when he looks at the cucumbers he sees cigarettes and rice beer, a new vest for himself. After he has gambled away everything they have he tells Lakshmi that she must go to the city and earn her keep as a maid. The next morning he takes her to a shop in the city and sells her for 800 rupees. That is roughly $15 US.

Lakshmi has no idea and thinks she is going to live in a glamorous house where she will work hard for a rich woman and send home money to her family. Instead she is smuggled into India and sold again to a brothel owner for 10,000 rupees. After she refuses to do what Mumtaz (the brothel owner) is requesting, she is locked up in a room, beaten with a leather strap until there is no part of her unmarked by the strap and starved for 5 days. Then Mumtaz sends her some tea. Lakshmi drinks the tea and begins to feel funny. She is seeing double and can’t get her arms and legs to work.

“In the days that follow, many men come to my room. They crush my bones with their weight. They split me open. Then they disappear. I decide to think it is all a nightmare. Because if what is happening is real, it is unbearable.”

She is eventually let out of her locked up room and told that she can go home once she has earned enough to pay Mumtaz back. One day she overhears a customer talking and learns that they pay only 30 rupees for her each time, which is about the same price as a bottle of coke. And which Lakshmi has never even tasted.

I won’t tell you how the story ends. My hope is that you would read this book and give yourself an understanding of what life is like for these girls. Sold is written in free verse and is a very quick read.

Authors Note: Each year nearly 12,000 Nepali girls are sold by their families into a life of sexual slavery in the brothels of India. Worldwide, the US State Department estimates that nearly half a million children are trafficked into the sex trade annually.
http://www.bearluvin.blogspot.com/2012/10/book-review-sold-by-patricia-mccormick.html

Sold by Patricia McCormick depicts the life of a young girl from Nepal, who was sold into sex-trafficking. The novel allows readers to adjust to the life of Lakshmi and her understanding and easy-going yet hardworking personality. It also gives the reader time to understand the need the family has for money and the carelessness of the step-father that led to her selling. The novel greatly caught the ignorance, confusion, and terror Lakshmi and I’m sure many other girls in similar situations felt. While hard to read, the book is also very intriguing. To get a peek into real life situations and stories that girls have experienced is saddening but eye-opening. Lakshmi endured some of the worst pains a human could experience in life and powered through. She did not give up when she was sold, when she was raped or beaten or told there was no hope. She did not let go of herself and who she was. Her strength carried her up to her rescue at the end of the novel, an endurance that seems rare. A tragic yet inspiring novel, raising awareness for the young girls taken advantage of all around the world. Hopefully one day, there will be no stories like this to base one’s novel.

You know this will be a sad book when you learn it is about young girls being sold into the sex trade. Though "Sold" is not a "true story" in the sense of being a biographical work, it is "true" in that the author interviewed young women who had managed to escape from their enslavement. The protagonist, a young girl from Nepal named Lakshmi, was created from a composite of the stories told to the author by former "sex workers."

There are not chapters in this book, but rather a series of sequential vignettes of varying length that tell the story from Lakshmi's perspective. Because she is a simple girl from "the hill country," the language used in this book is uncomplicated and accessible. The horrors depicted are told in respectable detail without being excessively graphic.

It is almost incomprehensible that people can be as vicious as they are in this book, but unfortunately it is the daily reality of millions the world over. Despite the pain and sorrow recounted, the story moves quickly and the resolution - however incomplete - is satisfying.

I bought this book for my Freshman English classroom library on the reputation of McCormick's earlier novel "Cut" and as a possible tie-in to Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" (which I read last year w/a Senior class). As other fellow readers have mentioned, the topic of "Sold" is modern-day slavery. The book is written in a series of free verse poems (which seems to be in vogue for many recent YA Lit titles), which allows easy access for many students. Keep in mind, however, the subject matter is rather mature though the lexile level isn't particularly daunting.

For the first quarter of the novel, McCormick does an exceptional job of transporting the Reader to the farmlands of Nepal. I did really feel like I was in another world, very different from my southern Californian environment. The whole process of being sold into slavery is also handled beautifully. It is all very subtle. Only after several entries, does the protagonist (like the Reader) realize the gravity of her situation. Two-thirds of the novel is spent describing life in the brothel: the humiliation, the optimism of leaving, the crushing realization that you can never really leave, mistrust, hope, risk.

Overall, I liked the book. I think it deals with a seldom discussed topic, albeit an important one. McCormick's Afterword at the end of the book really brought the issue home that this is not some isolated case, extraordinary for its uniqueness. It is haunting to think that this story goes on in the lives of thousands of young people every day! The only thing I found fault with the novel was its rather abrupt ending (which I won't spoil). If you purchase "Sold", I don't think you will be disappointed. A very good read.

Overall, I loved this Young Adult Novel greatly. Patricia McCormick secured the sincerity of sex trafficking through honest language that teenagers and adults can learn from and appreciate. Not only did I truly enjoy her free-verse writing technique depicted as a journal from the perspective of Lakshmi- the 13 year old Nepalese girl which the story focuses on- but it simply made the book a quick yet captivating read. Sex trafficking exists throughout the United States and globally. Violence, threats, lies, debt bondage, and other forms of persuasion are used to oblige adults and children to engage in sex acts unwillingly. The fact that this form of modern slavery exists today is appalling to me. This book sheds light on the matter that this is still a present issue. It is easy to read this book as if it were in the past. It is easy to assume that all of these problems have been fixed, and cruelty like this does not exist in the twenty first century. However, when McCormick mentions how the girls watch The Bold and the Beautiful on tv, and how the American brought a digital camera, it reminds the reader that sex trafficking is current, and sex trafficking matters. At some points throughout the book, I actually could not believe what my eyes were reading. This book genuinely played with my emotions; Lakshmi made me feel, Mumtaz made me mortified, the stepfather made me perturbed, Ama made me reminisce. Not only did I simply read an impactful story that will undoubtedly aid me in my identity research paper, but I have read a story that recounts the lives of millions of people globally involved in this shameful and demeaning practice. All in all, I think Patricia McCormick did a wonderful job bringing this issue to attention.

It's hard to say that I love a book that was so hard to read. I knew the subject matter going in, so I didn't expect a happy story. I also didn't expect to be crying the majority of the time I was reading. And I mean full sobs, people! My heart hurt for Lakshmi, the thirteen-year-old girl who was sold into prostitution by her step-father (though he may have done so unknowingly, expecting her to find work as a maid).

Rarely has a book affected me like this. I feel sick to my stomach and I want to fly to India *right now* to help save these girls. I can't help but imagine my own daughter in a similar situation, and that certainly brings on the ugly tears again.

This is a relatively short book that should be read in one sitting. It's incredibly powerful and I have no doubt that it will stay in my thoughts for a very long time.

A well written and very disturbing look at human trafficking, this is the story of Lakshmi, a young girl from the hills of Nepal who thinks she is going to the city to be a maid so she can send money back to her family. Unfortunately, Lakshmi is unwittingly drawn into the ugly world of sex trafficking in India, and her heartbreaking story of abuse is written in a poignant first person account. This young adult book handles the sex scenes discreetly, but the emotional pain is raw and difficult at times. I would recommend this book highly to older teens and adults.

Another "add" to my bookshelf is a Young Adult novel by Patricia McCormick titled, Sold. The 263-page read was a quick read, completed in less than 24 hours, including sleep and work. I would recommend Sold to any reader who enjoyed other novels like Memoirs of a Geisha for its storyline and emotion.

The novel is about a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in Nepal and is sold into prostitution by her stepfather--since the monsoons have washed away the family's crop. Thinking that she (Lakshmi) will be taking a job as a maid in the city, she travels along with strangers, being sold to different "Aunties." In the end, she ends up in an unfamiliar city, full of disgraceful women--whom urinate in the middle of the road. She is sold to Mumtaz, owner of the Happiness House, for 10,000 rupees and has to now work off her debt. The story follows Lakshmi though her heartbreaking struggles to free herself from the physical, emotional and mental hurt that the customers bring to her on a daily--well, nightly--basis.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

"A son will always be a son, they say. But a girl is like a goat. Good as long as she gives you milk and butter. But not worth crying over when it's time to make a stew (p 8)."

"She looks back at me full of sadness and scorn and says, You have become one of them (p 122)."

"What you hear: Before it starts, you hear a zipper baring its teeth...once it starts, you may hear the sound of horns bleating in the streets...But if you're lucky, or if you work hard at it, you hear nothing...Until it starts again (p 127)."

One last thing. The novel is written very poetically, more like a diary, but without dates since she is unable to have the capacity to think of time in her dreadful situation at the Happiness House.

5 stars from Stephanie Anne!

Sold brings an important topic that many do not know about or wish not to think about to the surface in this short, poignant tale written in free verse vignettes. The topic of debt slavery and forced prostitution of young children is a touchy one; however, McCormick handles it in such a way that it is not graphic, but saddening, not sensationalistic, but memorable.

This story can easily be read in one sitting, and it would be appropriate for teens and adults alike. Parents or teachers should read this book alongside the teens so they can process the information and perhaps even help evoke change.

According to Teaching Tolerance, there are over 27 million bonded slaves in the world. During the 400 Atlantic Slave Trade, 13 million were taken from Africa, yet we are taught about that regularly. What about these debt slaves? Children can be enslaved for as little as $45 in parental debt. They work as domestics, cigarette rollers, and, like in Sold, as prostitutes.

McCormick's book puts all of this into a personal perspective in his first person narrative of a 13-year-old Nepalese girl Sold to pay off her stepfather's gambling debts.

A heartbreaking, beautifully written account of 13-year-old Lakshmi's journey. She loves her life, the cucumbers she grows and the simple pleasures of daily rhythms. A combination of flooding and then her stepfather's gambling force him to sell her. She makes a journey from the mountians of Nepal to Kolcata, where she is sold to a brothrel. Written in free verse from Lakshmi's point of view, the reader gets a glimpse into Lakshmi's heart. The free verse gives the book a truly original quality of being there exactly with Lakshmi as intense cruelty is inflicted upon her. This book is a painful read that mesmerizes the reader. This book is one that all kids old enough to understand exactly what is happening in the brothrel should read. It deals with content alien to many children, but is a definete eye-opener that should not be barred from children. If we won't let children read about things that are happening to other children, what is the world coming to? Even adults who read National Geographic and think they know all about prostitution and the sex trade should read this, as much for the story as the learning. It's a story that hovers in the reader's mind for days. It has an open ending that made my mind writhe and scream, desperate to know exactly what happened to Lakshmi. Nontheless, this book changes you and entrances you. I would recommend it. It changed me, and I'm Lakshmi's age.

The book Sold, by Patricia McCormick is a great read for anyone who is interested in reading a novel that is both scary realistic and a great read. This book really makes you appreciate that you live in the United States and that you have a small chance of getting sold into human trafficking. The novel is emotionally hard to read but the morals and lessons are worth the heartbreak. Lakshmi is the protagonist in the novel, she is thirteen years old and lives with her family in a poverty stricken Nepal. She is optimistic and appreciates the fun, little things in life. This all changed when there was a monsoon that destroyed the family's crops and Lakshmi needed to find work to support her family. Lakshmi goes into the city to find a job as a maid, but then she finds out she was sold into prostitution. Lakshmi is imprisoned and forced to work, she is not allowed to leave unless she can pay for her family’s crop dept. It is impossible for her to make enough money because the “ruler” Mumtaz steals her earnings. Towards the end of the novel Lakshmi finally finds a way to escape that terrible word, by meeting an American man who was an investigator. I was relieved with the ending, but I know not all human trafficking victims are as lucky as Lakshmi.

"Sold" a heart wrench story of a 14 year old girl from Nepal sold (hence the title) into prostitution. When she is taken to this new world she is able to survive by forming friendships with the other girls and holding out hope that she can one day return home. It is hard to read as she is violated many times a night and how that eventually becomes normal for her. How a woman is offered to sell her daughter to live, only to have her daughter brought to the same life that would eventually take it away. The woman makes a sound that is "beyond language" inferring that the feeling itself is also beyond the grasp of understanding. I feel like saying I enjoyed the book would be the wrong way to put my feelings for this book, but I cried with Lakshmi as she learned the terrible truth of what her stepfather had done, I felt her horror, longing, despair, and hope. I was deeply moved by this book. It dealt with subjects that are usually shunned, this book along with others, such as "My book of Life by Angle", are gradually opening the door of awareness that will hopefully inspire people to change the world and help other girls who are in the same position.

After reading this book I was, quite literally, speechless for some time. Patricia McCormick pulls no punches, delivering the frank and sobering tale of Lakshmi, a young girl who, through her stepfather's laziness and mismanagement of what little money the family has, is unwittingly sold into the horrifying underworld of sex slavery. Telling the story from Lakshmi's naive point of view, with the reader knowing more than her and watching her unwittingly walk into slavery, effectively heightens the emotional impact of the subject matter. McCormick's subtle use of imagery highlights Lakshmi's dehumanization, such as when Lakshmi still hasn't understood what is happening, but she notes that the price paid for her is enough to buy a water buffalo.

While sex slavery is an issue that has received recent attention from the US State Department, so much more can and should be done. Those who read this book may choose to further investigate the issue and join the call to bring this scourge to an end.

This is a phenomenal book, albeit on a sobering topic. I fully recommend this book for all adults and children mature enough to comprehend the subject matter.

I really liked the build up of understanding the culture and then seeing what would go on within a brothel and the interaction made with others as well through slavery. The way everything is poetically transcribed really paints more of a picture of the life of one who becomes a slave. It was an excellent book!!! It is however triple spaced and very easy to read in a day (which is what I did). I am guessing this was a fictional piece created basing the lives of the slave girls the author interviewed. She really had to do her research well to write such a great book. I was able to learn a lot from it. I truly hope that people come across it and are able to learn about human trafficking/modern day slavery. This is a great way to spread awareness. I could hardly put the book down!

I wasn't particularly expecting this book to be my sort of thing, but I found it to be surprisingly easy to read. The subject matter is quite sensitive but the story is told in a quite unique way.
The writing smart, crisp and the chapters are very short. In fact some of the shorter chapters are like poems. That might sound like it's pretentious but I found it really worked. The story is quite moving in places and I enjoyed it because it's not the sort of thing I would normally read. If I have any quibble it's that, due to the short chapters and liberal spacing used on the pages I found I'd read all 270 odd pages in one day. I could happily have read a bit more.
Anyway hats off to Patrica McCormick who tells the tale of sexual slavery without ramming home any kind of message designed to make the reader feel guilty for having (hopefully) a more pleasant existence than the main protagonist.

Before I read this book, I knew very little about how young women are sold into sex slavery in Nepal and India. I knew even less about what the Indian government, and groups from other countries including America, are doing to stop this atrocity.
The book isn't explicit in the least about sex - there are practically no details. It's a very quick read, it took me about an hour to finish. It is really heart wrenching and terrible, but it's happening in real life and the least we can do is be aware of it. The book is excellently written, a great example of how an author can handle a difficult subject in a way that isn't too painful to read. At the end of the book there's info on how you can help stop the sex trade. I think this is a book teens and adults should read.

When I began this book, I really didn't know what it was about since I hadn't read anything about it except that it was loved. Starting out, I thought it was a historical fiction novel about the past where families had to sell their daughters to help pay debts; however, as I read more and things such as TV, cars and Coke were introduced, I began to realize that this wasn't historical fiction at all- it was contemporary. This was something that is happening on our planet right now. I am not ignorant and know that human trafficking exists, but I just had never realized to the extent. Maybe it is that we don't want to think about it, because we feel helpless. That is how I feel now. Helpless. And thankful.

Sold, by Patricia McCormick, is a heart wrenching story involving a young thirteen-year-old girl named Lakshmi. She is sold into slavery by her stepfather. Throughout the entirety of the book, my mind was racing with thoughts such as How could anyone do this to a child? Or I can’t believe this happens in real life. It was especially devastating when the girls could no longer work for Mumtaz and would be kicked out onto the street. It’s great that they could leave, but no one would hire, want, or love the women who worked there. Overall, I think this story was an excellent read, and I would highly advise anyone to read it.

I had to choose a social justice book in my English class and this book seemed to appeal to me just that much more than "We Were Here" by Matt De La Pena. The story was well written and had exceptional details though out. You really get a clear insight on what some people unfortunately have to live through. I was surprised I finished this in less than 4 class periods, we were given 3 weeks to complete it.

It seems wrong to say this, but I really did enjoy this book. I did not enjoy the topic or the horrible actions in the book, but I thought the writing was so well done and I feel like this was such a successful way of exposing the truth of human trafficking. This book was honest and open and let me feel Lakshmi’s emotions. It was very scary to read about the pain and misery she had to go through, but I thought it was a good thing because in the past I never really grasped how sex trafficking occurs. It is frightening how this can happen and go unnoticed for so long. I think this book should be read by not just young adults, but men and women of all ages. It is eye opening and infuriating as you experience with the characters the lies and deceit, the suffering and the loss of hope and innocence. Overall, I appreciated this book the most out of the books we have read so far because it taught me something and really spiked my emotions more than most books really do.

Written by best-selling author Patricia McCormick, this account of a young girl in India sold into the sex trade is extraordinary. After reading this book, I was stunned by what is occurring to thousands of unsuspecting 13-year old girls in this part of the world.

This book will appeal to adolescents and adults alike in educating about the horrors of a rarely publicized epidemic. You wonder how a value can be placed on innocent children who are being sold for a handful of rupees to help their poor families back home.

The book is written in free verse which makes it a unique and very personal way of seeing the world from the main character, Lakshmi's eyes. I can certainly understand why this book is a National Book Award Finalist and hopefully a winner. However, this book is already a winner in my eyes.

UPDATE 2014: This book was made into a movie and is currently being screened in several film festivals throughout the world. Hopefully, it will soon be available for worldwide distribution.

I think this book suffers from an identity crisis that is not AT ALL the fault of the author. I have to say that while the topic of this book is difficult, it is handled in a non-graphic and compelling way. It's beautifully written and is about a subject (girls sold by their poor families in Nepal and taken to India brothels) that needs more public attention.

The issue with this book is that being described as a novel and being listed at 250+ pages is misleading. This is more like a novella or even a short story. It is written in an almost lyrical/poetic style that, while strong, makes the best use of white space. The longest 'chapter' in this book is a page and half long. Most are three paragraphs or less (a few are only a sentence). The rest of the page is left blank. This style of writing is powerful, but I think it should be reflected in the description or in the price. After all, if you were to pick this up but not look inside, you would think it was a normal sized, YA novel, which it clearly is not. It took me just over an hour to read from start to finish.

I hate to give this book a bad review because it IS a well-written book but I felt people thinking of buying this should know what they're getting. It is a wonderful story written in a captivating way, but it is also a novella at best and VERY short. I was glad I got this from the library as I would have felt cheated if I had bought it.

I read this book while I was volunteering at a child's home in Nepal. I was there for over two months and became extremely close with the kids and reading this book was eye opening. There were 38 kids there; 11 boys and 27 girls; it became very clear for me how girls (and women for that matter) do not mean much and are easily given up. And how easily any girl in the home could have been this girl in the book which I could never convey how.........well I can't finish that sentence.
Being an American, I take many things for granted but this book reminded me that I have so many rights and I could never be the girl in the book and how these amazing, beautiful smart girls all around me, one day could be.

When Lakshmi was younger she thought that fate would be completely different. She was hoping to go and work as a maid to get money to help support her family. Lakshmi is fourteen and lives in a small village in Nepal. When she got to her destination she was threated, abused and used the very first day. She had been used for more the she initially thought. It was a very good thing that she had friends to help her along the way; until they were taken away and left her alone. Lakshmi meets an American man that wants to take her away from the terrible place and give her a new life.
In my opinion the author wanted us to see a completely different side of life, one that included the lengths some people will go to for money. She may have also wanted us to learn that the world isn’t fair or as good and perfect as some people think. This is a great book that will keep people on the edge of their seat. The author gave graphic details on the life of Lakshmi. This book is not based on a true story but I think that the author made it seem very real, but I do think that this is a life that could truly happen.
I don’t believe the author was biased when she wrote the story. If she was I think she would have made her sister the one to work and Lakshmi would stay home with her family. I believe this story should be read by everyone because in my opinion, this type of is really lived and people need to know about it. It is a very sad, depressing story but allows the reader to see how other countries and cultures live. Sold did leave out when the story took place and weather she went with the American man but that lack of information did not take away from the story. I do not think I will be using this later in life but will read again if given the opportunity. This book is very good and I think that if it was more well-known more people would read it and possibly like it as much as I did.

Patricia McCormick's "Sold" is written in vignettes that are short, simple and straight to the heart of the issue. She writes with clarity and objectiveness; at times her few simple words can be heart breaking, "My bundle is light. My burden is heavy" (Page 60). Many lines and vignettes can be heart felt with pain, anger, and happiness. McCormick tells the story of triumph and the horrors of brothels without making these characters appear impure or dirty. Throughout the story different literary devices are prevalent to enhance the reader's experience and feel of hardships that these girls face every day.

I am a young teen who received this book through a relative. It seemed uninteresting and an all too common narrative of "why we should help 3rd world countries" when I started reading it. However, as I kept reading, it seemed more engaging and relative to my own life, and now I actually consider what's happening in other countries. This is great, for readers of all ages except for under 10. It makes you compare the normal American life- an abundance of food, tons of education, many job oppurtunities- to Lakshmi's life- barely any food, barely any education, virtually no job oppurtunities. This is a great book.

Does anyone know of a charity that donates to girls in 3rd world countries?

Lakshimi is a young 13 year old girl who lives in Nepal with her mother, step-father, little brother and goat. She lives in a small hut and plays hopscotch with her best friend from school. Her family is desperately poor and in need of money. Her step-father is a gambler and decides to send her to the "city" one day to work for the family. Lakshimi has always dreamed of living in a tin roof house, and having a cot for her little brother. She makes her way to "India" and arrives at "Happiness House" mistakenly thinking she's going to be working as a maid instead she faces her biggest nightmare and is forced to give up her pure body for money from men. She now can't run away because she will be left in the streets to die. Follow her journey as she tries to pay her debt and hope for a miracle to happen.

I live in a well developed suburb in northern Texas with my family. I awake and sleep with the sound of laughing children playing a game of tag or basketball outside my window. I work and make well over enough to pay for my bills with extra spending for my material wants. I gossip and laugh with my mother and sisters every morning and night, and end the day knowing i will see them tomorrow. Yet i protest about my room being too small, my closet too barren, criticize my childhood being too cruel, my friends too superficial. All my complaints didn't occur to be so inconsequential until i read 'Sold'
I have wasted valuable time and breath on myself when we have half a million Nepal girls being sold my their families into Indian brothels. No longer will they sleep in their own clean bed, enjoy a game of tag or a laugh with their sister. Most likely they will never laugh again. If self-centered Americans can open their eyes to the world as i have, then what a better place the world would be. I recommend 'Sold' to any and everyone!

Good book, but I was left a little disappointed in the end. I wanted more! Is there a sequel?! (Rhetorical question.) But what happens after all that?! Does she reunite under a tin roof? Does she find Gita (Grita maybe? Can't quite remember!) What about all the people who "disappear" from the book, does she find out what happens to them? Does Anita ever get out of the closet? Does she stay in contact with any of the ladies? I WANT MORE. Other than that, it was good! Very very quick read. Only took about two hours, probably less if I didn't have to let dogs out every 5 minutes and feed a child!

This is a fictional tale of a Nepalese girl sold into prostitution in India at the age of 13. She becomes a piece of property for ugly men to use, fighting desperately for bits of independence and happiness in the daily nightmare she's in.

The verse format of the story gives the book a pace that highlights the girl's slow slide into the abyss. Every apparent opportunity for escape is crushed, her situation looks hopeless. McCormick avoids making the book completely crushing by giving it a hopeful ending.

I'd recommend it to high school students, fans of verse format books and those teens, young women especially, who have an interest in world events.

The novel, Sold by Patricia McCormick, immerses you in the life of a young girl named Lakshmi. She lives in a destitute village of Nepal with her mother and negligent Step Father. Lakshmi is despairingly poor, but she loves the simplistic ecstasies in her life. Her life is spent gathering water, nurturing to her small garden patch, and doing household chores. Lakshmi has a difficult life, which is constantly in threat of the extreme weather conditions of Nepal. When a monsoon destroys the family's crops, and her Step Father gambles away the rest of the family's money, her Step Father insists she goes to the city to get a job and support her family. He gives her to a stranger who will supposedly give her a job as a maid in the city. Lakshmi is glad to help and willingly takes the journey into India, unaware that she has been sold into prostitution. She embarks on her journey in which she travels with two different "handlers" across the border into India. She eventually ends up in a prostitution house named the "Happiness House" under the rule of a cruel woman named Mumtaz. She now realizes the horror of what has happened to her, realizing that there are no gold roofs as she imagined. Lakshmi now lives by the saying "Simply to endure is to triumph." She creates what close friends she can in the "Happiness House" but all of these relationships fail in the end due to the dreadfulness of their situation. Lakshmi must find a way out of the "Happiness House." Will she find a way out or will she just be another girl lost to sex slavery? You will have to read the book to find out!
McCormick writes Sold in a first person free verse style. It is described as a young adult novel, but if the free verse style of McCormick's writing were removed, you would be left with a short story or a novella at most. Sold takes place in modern day India or Nepal. McCormick did a great job of describing Lakshmi's story by conducting extensive research on to the topic unbeknownst to most people. The way McCormick writes Sold allows her to capture the horrific tale of Lakshmi without going into gruesome detail. McCormick creates a window for readers who live with the safeguard of law and stability to look through and see a dark and cruel world, one would most rather pretend did not exist. Specifically terrifying is way the horrific stories of sex slavery come to fruition in this novel. The following passage shows this vivid story telling of McCormick,
Inside my head I carry:
my baby goat,
my baby brother,
my ama's face,
our family's future.
My bundle is light.
My burden is heavy.
McCormick's writing style gives a great way to inject readers into Lakshmi's situation, but also gives the story a deceiving look. It makes the novel appear to be longer than it truly is. McCormick also extends this style to an extreme with the ending of the novel. While it is a common tool of writers to leave some questions unanswered, it is still needed to devout more than a page that could be interjected into any part of the book and still make sense and call it an end. This leaves you with a sour taste in your mouth with what otherwise is, a very well written novel.
Patricia McCormick graduated from Columbia University with a degree in journalism. In 2000, she wrote the novel, Cut, about a teenage girl who self mutilates. Five years later in 2005 she wrote, My Brother's Keeper. Then one year later she wrote her best selling novel, Sold. She is currently working on a new novel called Never Fall Down that will be released in 2012.
McCormick told a true story of inner courage, and bravery to endure, by a simple thirteen year old "hill girl." Sold is a beautifully written novel that describes a story often willingly unacknowledged by a large number of the world. McCormick shows us the horrors that go on, on a daily basis in third-world countries. Sold is a wonderfully written novel that tells the compelling story of a young girl that suffers through unimaginable horrors. McCormick does a brilliant job at telling the unimaginable. This novel is a must read for everyone thirteen and older, but also expect to have many questions still hanging in the air at the end of the novel.

Sold, by Patricia McCormick, was released just two and a half months ago, and yet it seems almost redundant to review it now, because it has already garnered so many laurels. Sold was shortlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature and was a Publisher's Weekly best book of the year. It was also nominated for the Cybils Award for Young Adult Fiction. But I'm going to review it anyway, because I simply couldn't put it down.

Sold is verse novel told from the perspective of Lakshmi, a thirteen year old girl born in a small mountain village in Nepal. In a series of poems, ranging from a few lines to several pages each, Lakshmi shows us what her world is like. The early part of the book is about Lakshmi's life in the village, with her hard-working mother, Ama, her sickly baby brother, and her worthless (but pampered) stepfather. Despite grinding poverty, and various setbacks, Lakshmi is basically happy. Her greatest goal is to somehow work enough to provide her mother with a tin roof for their home. She is betrothed to a boy named Krishna, but both are to shy to even look openly at one another. Lakshmi is open and hopeful and innocent about the ways of the world. She is also taught by her mother's daily example that women should subjugate themselves to men, that women are less important, and there to serve. Here is an excerpt, in which Lakshmi's Ama gives her advice about growing up:

If your husband asks you to wash his feet, you must do as he says, then put a bit of the water in your mouth.

I ask Ama why. "Why," I say, "must women suffer so?"

"This has been our fate," she says.

"Simply to endure," she says, "is to triumph."

And Lakshmi, it turns out, will have much to endure. After a combination of lost crops due to flooding, and lost savings due to gambling, Lakshimi's stepfather sells her to a new "Auntie" for four hundred rupees, with the promise of more money for her family in the future if she is hardworking and obedient. They tell her that she is going to the city to work as a maid for a wealthy family. Lakshmi's mother gives her advice for her life as a maid, and both hope that she'll be able to return home during the national holiday.

To the reader, however, it's clear from the beginning that this innocent 13-year-old girl is not being sent to the city to be a maid. There are comments about her age and her appearance, and her lack of hips. But Lakshmi believes that if she works hard, she will be able to provide her mother with a tin roof, and she goes away willingly.

After a long and difficult journey, Lakshmi crosses into India, and finds herself in an unsympathetic city, sold again into the hands of the plump and perpetually angry Mumtaz, a brothel owner. There she endures suffering almost beyond what she can bear. Tiny kindnesses from the other girls, from a young boy living in the house, from a single client, are all that she has to hold onto. She is a child longing to be in school, learning, and playing, but she is also a jaded old woman before her time. She learns the brutal arithmetic of the brothel, by which she has to "work" to pay off the debt for what Mumtaz paid for her, while simultaneously having her debt added to for her room and board and medicines. It reminded me of the old song "I sold my soul to the company store."

The book does end on a note of hope for Lakshmi. But it's a disturbing and painful read along the way. What makes the book stand out is that despite the intensity of the subject matter, Patricia McCormick makes Sold enjoyable to read, too. I think that the verse format is key. Instead of reading a narrative about an exploited young girl in horrific circumstances, we learn Lakshmi's fate by reading a series of poems. Each poem offers a snapshot of some aspect of Lakshmi's life, but at just enough of a remove to make it bearable to read about. The truth is revealed gradually, as the young girl in the story comes to accept it herself, giving readers time to adjust.

It's also not all bleak. There are heroes in the story, though quiet ones. The son of one of the other women of the house befriends Lakshmi, teaching her to read English and Hindi. One days he brings her a gift of a yellow pencil. "It is shiny yellow and it smells of lead and rubber. And possibility." Lakshmi cries, for the first time, and muses:

"I have been beaten here,

locked away,

violated a hundred times

and a hundred times more.

I have been starved

and cheated,

tricked

and disgraced.

How odd it is that I am undone by the simple kindness

of a small boy with a yellow pencil."

I was undone by it, too, as I was by the whole story. It provided quite a contrast to my cozy Thanksgiving dinner, and the complaints that I make when my work causes me stress because I have to travel too much. In an author's note, Patricia McCormick says that "Each year, nearly 12,000 Nepali girls are sold by their families, intentionally or unwittingly, into a life of sexual slavery in the brothels of India." Ms. McCormick interviewed some of the survivors of this life, and notes how they are speaking out, "with great dignity", and working to help keep other girls from meeting the same fate. She wrote the book in their honor. I highly recommend it, for the lean yet heartbreaking prose, for the brave example of Lakshmi, and for the window into practices that people have to know about, if they are to be stopped.

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on November 24th, 2006.

Patricia McCormick

Realistic fiction

Lakshmi has 13 marks on her mother's chest, showing that she has lived through 13 years. Lakshmi lives in Nepal with her mother, brother, and step-father. Lakshmi's family is so poor they barley afford food. Lakshmi's mother, Ama, works very hard caring things back and forth for the men that work. With that money Lakshmi's step-father gambles it away at the Tea House. Lakshmi goes to school and she is top of her class. Lakshmi loves school, playing with her friend Gita and her goat. But when the Himalayan rains wash away all the family's crops, the family is left with nothing. So Lakshmi's step father sends her off to work for a family to support her family. Lakshmi is tricked into thinking that she will be a maid, but really she is sold into prostitution. Lakshmi moves to a brothel in India to work. She lives in a house called, "The happiness House," with other girls, until she pays off her families debt. Lakshmi's world in a blur, as she lives life at it's worst.

I would give this book five stars. I would rate it the book so high, because of the depth of the writing. This book is a real page turner, because there is no dull part of the book. Patricia McCormick writes about some very hard issues in descriptive vignettes. Sold is written in first person, so the reader can really fell what Lakshmi is going through.

This is a very simple, nice and easy read. A real page turner. From this book I learned that even in todays world, young, young girls are being sold and taken in as sex slaves.

This book is based on a 13 year old girl from Nepal. She was tricked into thinking that she was going to the city to be a maid to earn money for her extremely poor family who lived in the Himilayas.

Unfortunately for her it was not what she was promised.

The writer tastefully and quickly takes you thru this young girls new life.

This is so easy to read and will certainly keep you turning the pages!

A beautifully crafted novel with a devastating reality, Patricia McCormick’s Sold is an eye-opening novel for all readers. From the beginning of this story, McCormick’s unique writing style is hard to get into, however, her style is a wonderful way to showcase the harsh reality that Lakshmi faces over the course of this novel. McCormick’s novel isn’t one to read for pleasure, rather it’s a way to become informed about the cruelty that many young girls become a victim too, not only in Nepal. The character development of Lakshmi can inspire any reader to stay strong, hopeful and to never forget what is truly important to you. This novel is both moving and poetic, McCormick’s style told both a horrifying and inspiring story allows each reader to feel as if, they too, have been sold.

Told in freeform verse, I thought I wouldn't like it, but was addicted by page three. It's the tale of a poor Nepalese girl sold into prostitution: horrible and tragic, yet strangely beautiful. Spare in a way, but poetic at the same time. I enjoyed the very first part the best--about her life in the village, the warm little details I'd never thought about--but it was all good.

Very culturally eye-opening. I admire McCormick for bringing such a difficult subject to light in such a tender way.

This book brought a sadness that I can not explain. It is amazing that this book, which is in a diary form, is possibly happening to a Nepali girl right now. Sold told a story of a young girl who was taken away and sold into the sex trade in India. There she had to deal with older men having sex with her and not be able to stop them, or get hurt by Mumtaz. I liked the ending because the girl gets out alive with an American who goes around and rescues girls from the sex trade. Hands down I recommend people to read this book because it will help everyone realize what is happening to young girls all over the world.

Patricia McCormick has written about a topic most of us find too repelling to think about--the sexual slavery of children. In her book, Sold (2006, Hyperion), she writes of the forces at work in the life of Lakshmi, a thirteen-year-old Nepalese girl who is forced to leave her home in the Himalayas to work in the red-light district of Calcutta. Though fictitious, McCormick's thorough research---including interviews with women who worked in Calcutta's brothels and young girls who were rescued---allows this story to be realistically and believably told.

Sold is written in vignettes, small glimpses of one to two pages each, and is told through the eyes of Lakshmi. The author's spare use of language and carefully chosen imagery gives the story an innocence, a purity of space on the page within which the reader is able to know a young girl and travel with her through the depths of horrific injustice.

Lakshmi's story begins in the Himalayas, a place of unforgiving natural consequences: in the dry season the dust from the river bed causes coughing disease, the cold season brings fever, the rainy season brings leeches and loose bowel disease. Infant mortality is high, and even when a child survives, life continues to bring unrelenting hardships. Lakshmi is a survivor. In spite of the hardships, she is able to keep her optimism and dreams of a better life. Her dream of getting a tin roof on the family's thatched hut makes the promise of a job as maid to a wealthy lady in the city seem like the answer to her prayers. She does not know that her stepfather has sold her into a ring of sex slave dealers, and her trust remains unshaken until she arrives in Calcutta. There she realizes the true nature of her job. She struggles in vain against her captors; her dreams are shattered, and she is alone is a large city hundreds of miles from her home. Lakshmi's story is not an unusual one---or perhaps it is---most young children caught up in this trade do not live to tell their story. The value of a girl's life in this culture can be summed up in the words of Lakshmi's stepfather, "A son will always be a son, they say. But a girl is like a goat. Good as long as she gives you milk and butter. But not worth crying over when it's time to make a stew." (8)

It is difficult to recommend a book like Sold. It is a powerfully written story based on a subject I would rather believe did not exist. But all across the world, there are families like Lakshmi's: families with average yearly earnings of $300 US--the cost of an iPod--who are willing to sell their daughters for 800 rupees, $11 US--the cost of a couple of burgers at a drive-through restaurant. For all of the young people who are suffering Lakshmi's fate at this very moment, you must read this book.

The Power of Words
Even today people are still sold into slavery. One of the places that this happens in is India. Young girls are taken to the cities and told that they will get jobs as maids so that they can help their families financially. The truth is that they are sold to brothels where they are forced to prostitute themselves or risk severe punishment. Reading an article about this tragedy would surely upset most people but it would do little else. A much more effective way to inform and motivate people to stop this would be through the retelling of one of those unfortunate girl's experiences. The book Sold by Patricia McCormick does just that. Sold uses descriptive narration to describe the experiences of its main character, Lakshmi, so well that one is truly moved by the book. McCormick blends such a stark reality with so much description that the reader can understand what it's like to be in Lakshmi's shoes. That is why Sold is a better book than most others for high school students to read if they want to understand what a descriptive narrative is like.

A narrative requires a few key parts to be successful. First, a narrative needs to be written in an engaging way. It should be like a moving picture. The reader will be picturing the image that is drawn through their words and that image needs to keep changing. One doesn't want the reader to be sitting with just one image in their head. The second part of a narrative is pacing. Pacing goes along with the first part because if the story paces slowly the reader will again have just one image in their head. However, one can't make the pace too fast because then the reader could lose interest. Another part of a narrative is that it needs to be written in a way that shows decisions, and how those decisions lead to events. The consequences of those decisions also needs to be shown. However, one can sometimes leave out the consequences like at the ending of Sold. Lakshmi decides to run away with the Americans. That was a decision that definitely had consequences but McCormick decided to not tell us what those consequences were. She left it up to the reader to decide.

The other part of Sold that makes it so effective is the descriptive writing. Descriptive writing is when one uses multiple to all five senses to describe something. In Sold, there is a tea boy who brings tea to the girls every day. His tea is a temptation to Lakshmi and McCormick shows us how hard it is to resist by using multiple senses. "The cups on his caddy clinking and chattering "describes the sound of the temptation coming down the hallway(McCormick 212). Then she describes the feel and the smell with, "The day is chilly and his tea is warm and fragrant"(McCormick 211). McCormick has used three of the senses to describe the tea and it gives us a much better picture of what is going on. This then allows us to understand how much Lakshmi wants that tea and how hard it is to restrain herself from buying some. By using details like these McCormick can paint a very detailed picture that allows the reader to have an idea of what Lakshmi experiences. This gives the reader a new perspective that makes them feel for her.
At some points, however, McCormick chose to use a very small amount of detail. When describing the time passing with all of the men who come to have their way with Lakshmi, she describes it briefly and without much detail. She does this because it's too graphic to describe, and because she wants the reader to feel the numbness that Lakshmi feels. To block out what is really happening she stops paying attention to the things around her and even shuts them all off at times. So it makes sense in this case that McCormick doesn't describe those situations in great detail.

Good descriptive narrative writing also needs to be organized in the same way that the person the story is being told about experiences it. One needs to start with first impressions. Describe the character's physical characteristics in detail and give a good image of the person for the reader to imagine. Then one can start to describe the experiences that the main character and the other character have. After the main character has learned more about this other character one can start to talk about their emotional side and the main characters relationship with them. A good example would be when Lakshmi meets Monica. Monica is pretty and very good with the men. She also seems kind of stuck up. Later in the story, however, Lakshmi has several experiences with Monica that lead to her opening up to Lakshmi. She learns that Monica has a child and Monica confides to Lakshmi about her child and her family. McCormick shows the relationship between the two as it develops. It doesn't do any good to describe a relationship when the reader can't effectively picture the person the relationship is with.

Another important part of descriptive writing is the language. If one uses plain words repeatedly the reader will get bored. It will also be boring if only a few interesting words are used. The work needs to include a variety of interesting words to keep things fresh. One is creating an image for the reader, not writing a document. It's also important to use analogies to help the reader make connections. Analogies can be a good way to explain something that otherwise would have been hard to. McCormick uses analogies at the very beginning of the book by explaining what it means to have a tin roof. One has to be well off in some way to be able to afford a tin roof for one's family, as she shows through examples such as a son who works at the brick Kiln (McCormick 1). This shows the reader that a tin roof is worth a lot, whereas most people would be confused because that would be cheap where we live.
McCormick also effectively uses words to explain feelings. A very good example is when the Brothel owner, Mumtaz, steps on Lakshmi's head and causes her a lot of pain. She describes the pain as, "Fantastic red, then yellow. Starbursts of agony explode in my head. Then there is a blinding whiteness, and then blackness"(McCormick 259). These sentences do a great job of explaining the pain that Lakshmi goes through.

As one can see, a descriptive narrative has many parts. It needs to be engaging and the key to that is pacing. It also needs to be full of descriptive writing and language. Words and phrases should blend together to form a moving picture. Last, it needs to be organized well to make it easy for the reader to follow. All of these parts are necessary and McCormick manages to effectively use all of them. That is why Sold is such a great example of a descriptive narrative. If a high school student wants to read something to get them started on their descriptive narrative, Sold is the book to read.

SOLD tells the story of Lakshmi, who lives in a tiny mountain village in Nepal. She lives in a hut with her stepfather, mother, and baby brother. Poverty is all Lakshmi knows. She speaks of swallowing her spit and pretending it is soup, tightening her waistcloth to fool her belly into thinking it's full, and thickening her stew with dirt. Lakshmi dreams of going to the city like some girls and working for a rich family to send money back to her own relatives on the mountain.

One day her stepfather returns home with a woman he says Lakshmi should call Auntie. He has made a deal for Auntie to take Lakshmi down the mountain to work. It seems her dream has come true, and her journey begins.

Traveling down the Nepalese mountain and across the border into India is at once both exciting and frightening. Lakshmi, whose mountain life has been nothing but poverty and hard work, marvels at the sights and sounds of city life. Trains, buses, cars, and trucks amaze her. There are crowds of people and shops as far as the eye can see.

Lakshmi arrives at her destination. She is told she will be working for a woman she is to call Auntie Mumtaz. Prepared to work hard and earn her keep, Lakshmi is shocked to discover what her real duties will be. She is thrust into the arms of an old man with onion breath. He kisses her and begins to demand the unthinkable. Terrified, Lakshmi runs. Auntie Mumtaz

orders her capture and locks her in a room. After days of starvation, beatings, and cruel treatment, Lakshmi realizes she will need to cooperate to survive.

Patricia McCormick uses a blunt and direct narrative style to present Lakshmi's horrific experiences. The story is heartbreaking, yet uplifting, as Lakshmi shows courage and determination to maintain her identity and survive her ordeal. Readers will hold Lakshmi in their thoughts long after finishing her story.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

Kudos to McCormick for her courageous research and for giving voice to the all too silent cry against human trafficking. Her protagonist, Lakshmi, is making the most out of her fatalistic existence in rural Nepal. Hard work, poverty, and an unforgiving landscape do not frighten her, a drunken gambler of a step-father does. On the precipice of adolescents, Lakshmi believes that she will be given employment as a maid in the home of a wealthy Indian woman in faraway Calcutta. She relishes the idea of sending money home to support her family. The harsh reality is that she has been treacherously sold by her stepfather into a life of forced prostitution with little hope of regaining her freedom. Human degradation at its lowest ebb awaits her, and the reader is spared few of the squalid details. Her mother's mantra, "Simply to endure is to triumph," echoes in her mind as she endures cruelty upon cruelty. Parents should definitely review this work before encouraging young readers to undertake this heart wrenching historic novel. Anyone moved to join in the fight against human trafficking and the sex slave industry should visit Patricia McCormick's website for information on organizations that are rescuing young women and making a difference.

I thought this book was really well written. The book is about a little girl named Lakshmi who lives poor and her step-father is a gambler and loses all their money. She meets a woman who says she is a maid in the city and that she could get Lakshmi a job to help with the families financial situation. Her step-father agrees to this and sends her away. What Lakshmi doesn't realize is that she has been sold into prostitution. The book is about how she copes and handles the situation. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

One interesting thing about this book is that it is written in free verse. If you have never read anything in free verse before it takes some getting used to, I had a hard time getting into the book for the first 10 or so pages because I was getting used to the style of writing, but once I was used to it I couldn't stop reading.

I would also say that the age range for this book is about 15 and up because it does deal with prostitution and a 13 year old being sold into the sex trade. It's never very graphic, but unless you or your child are not familiar with this issue it can be a little shocking.

Lakshmi lives in a tiny village in Nepal. She is only 13 years old, a child, when she thinks she's been hired to move to the city to become a maid, but she's really been sold to become a sex slave in India.

From here on out, author Patricia McCormick tells a story which raises a number of questions: What motivates Lakshmi's father to sell her? Why does her mother let her go? What keeps her from refusing to leave her home? Why are "children" used as sex slaves? In what other countries does this happen? What prevents Lakshmi from running away from her captors or accepting help? What keeps children who are abused in other ways from asking for help? Can girls like Lakshmi be saved? What could have prevented this from happening to her? And more.

Is Lakshmi's mother right when she says "Simply to endure is to triumph"?

SOLD'S content, first person point of view, and expressive writing style will appeal to young adult and adult readers.

It is not easy to talk about the bad in this world, and it’s hard to think of women let alone young girls being sold into prostitution, but Patricia McCormick did an amazing job in her book Sold, addressing the subject, especially in a Young adult book. Although a heavy topic I believe that the young people of this world need to know that there are evils out there and that life for some people can be not only difficult, but life altering and miserable. This book was sad and heart wrenching to read at times, but it is a truly an inspiring book that open one’s eyes to the problems we are facing of child prostitution not only in Asia but all around the world. I think that this would be a good read for a junior or senior, a younger student may not be able to handle some of the content. I would definitely recommend reading this book; it is not only well written but tells the story of so many young girls and provides a voice for them.

This book has changed my life. I got it this evening from a family friend, and couldn't put it down. The whole time tears were streaming down my cheeks. This story about a poor, young girl who is tricked into sex trade is so sad and inspirational, you will feel so lucky to have the life you're experiencing now. The strength and courage of this girl has made me want to help people like this around the world. Even though her family and friends were collapsing around her, young Lakshmi never gave up.

This book has changed my life. I got it this evening from a family friend, and couldn't put it down. The whole time tears were streaming down my cheeks. This story about a poor, young girl who is tricked into sex trade is so sad and inspirational, you will feel so lucky to have the life you're experiencing now. The strength and courage of this girl has made me want to help people like this around the world. Even though her family and friends were collapsing around her, young Lakshmi never gave up.

This was a really good, really sad book. It deals with girls getting sold into prostitution, which is why this is definitely meant for older readers. Especially since this isn't just something that the author made up... it's a real issue, and there are tons of girls like Lakshima in real life. I guess that's why it makes it such a frightening book... the fact that this could be happening to someone else right as I sit reading it.

I would really recommend this book to someone older who is looking for something thought-provoking and emotional.

The book Sold by Patricia McCormick

really opened my eyes to the horrors that are

being forced upon girls my age around the

world. I really liked the uniqueness of this

book and how powerful it was for being such a

quick read. The book was very engaging and I

found it hard to put down. Some parts of the

book, where the main character, Lakshmi, was

talking about her past, were a little slow

because I wanted to get back to the main plot

and find out what was going to happen. But

ultimately those parts of the book made the

character more real and personal. Other parts

of the book that may seem boring from a plot

standpoint were very informing of what a

regular Napalian girl's life is like. I admire

Patricia McCormick for doing all the research

that made it possible for her to go into such

detail.

The story of Lakshmi is told in

freeverse which makes the story clear and

personal without getting really graphic. This

style of storytelling by Patricia McCormick

makes the book appealing to people of younger

ages as well. I think that the author did a

wonderful job of bringing awareness of the

inhumane acts that were occurring. Her success

shows through her book becoming a National Book

Award Finalist. I agree with the author that

this is an important issue and it is important

for people to gain awareness of what is

happening. Maybe now that more people know that

this is happening, fewer families will be

tricked into selling their daughters into

prostitution.

Overall, this book is an excellent read

and helps the reader appreciate his or her life

more. I recommend this book to nobody under 13

unless they are very mature. Otherwise, Sold is

a good book for anyone looking for a quick and

easy, yet meaningful book.

Sold been sitting on my boyfriend's bookshelf for quite some time unread and when I was going through books he said that he would be willing to put it up on PaperbackSwap as he had never read it, it's YA, and it came from a librarian at the school he teaches at (he is a middle school history and english teacher).

So, I read the back of it and before I knew it, I was halfway through the book. I think it took me all of two hours or so to read it. It is the story of Lakshmi, a 13 year old from Nepal, whose stepfather sells her into prostitution. The way that McCormick wrote the book absolutely reminded me of a teenager or tween or whatever we are supposed to call them. It was sad yet hopeful and a good look at how someone can find hope in even the most horrid of circumstances.

Short novel about young girls forced into the sex trade by parents ( knowingly or unknowingly) and the horrific lives the children lead. Girls as young as 12-13 years old in Afghanistan, India, Pakistan. Mc Cormick concentrates on one 13 year old child. Simple, but powerfully written.
12, 000 children (boys and girls) are “sold” into slavery every year, enduring unspeakable sexual acts -by men- of course.

Sold, by Patricia McCormick, is a very inspiring author. She researched so much about it, interviewing many Nepalese children who were sold into the sex trade, by uncles, brothers, and fathers for a mere three hundred dollars. The Hyperion Books for Children published this book, in 2006. To research for this book, Patricia McCormick traveled to India and Nepal, where she interviewed women from Calcutta's red-light district, who were rescued from the sex trade. She has written Cut and My Brother's Keeper. This book is 263 pages long with no illustrations.

Lakishmi, a twelve year old girl from Nepal, lives with her ama (meaning mother), her little brother, her goat, Tali, and her deformed, unemployed stepfather, who gambles all of their earnings away. He wants to send Lakishmi to the city, to work as a maid for a wealthy mistress. Her ama, despite what the Nepalese customs to listen to their husband and respect their wishes, told him no, that Lakishmi was to finish her education. When Lakishmi's stepfather goes away to gamble more, ama sells her earring, and is able to pay the rent, the seeds from the rice, for the oil that ama borrowed from Nazzma, the wealthy woman that lives in the village, and even buy a sweet cake for Lakishmi. When her stepfather gets back, he has a motorcycle, a new vest, hat, and pants. Ama plans on selling the bike the next day, but that night, the stepfather comes back without the bike. The next day, Lakishmi goes with her stepfather come to Bajai Sita, the shop owner, and sells Lakishmi to her. She leaves with a woman she must call "Auntie."

Lakishmi thinks that she is going to the city to work as a maid. She goes through Nepal cities, and gets traded to a man she must call Uncle. When she gets to the border, he tells her to call her "huband." He brings her into India, and she goes into the "Happiness House", a brothel in India. She must try and find a way to escape from the brothel, when she realized that she has to do sex favors for men who buy her from Auntie Mumtaz, the brothel owner, to pay off her debt. She also realize that Mumtaz is a liar, and expects her to stay there forever. People come into her room, and she does what she has to.

About two years have passed, and an American man has come to her room. He promises to come back, with men who will help her. Three months pass, and she loses hope of leaving. She forgot how to forget that she was doing the things she had to. A month passes, and there is a raid. She and Anita hide in a cupboard, and she hears the American's voice. She begs Anita to go with her, but Anita refuses. So she leaves, and her last words in the brothel were; "My name is Lakishmi. I am from Nepal. I am fourteen years old." (p. 263)

I love this book. I want to tell everyone to read this book, because it explains what happens to many girls in Nepal. It shows the emotion that nobody could feel unless they have gone through this. It appalled me that someone could do this to little children. Through reading this book, it made me want to help out so many that are still in the sex trade system. I think everyone should read this book.

Lakshmi is a normal 13-year old girl living an ordinarily life in Nepal when her stepfather sells her into prostitution in India to pay off a gambling debt. Lakshmi is taken across the border where she first refuses to work. After being beaten, starved and drugged, she has no choice but to give in to her tormenters. Slowly she tries to find a purpose or sense of hope. Written in free-verse, Lakshmi's words are haunting yet beautiful. A unique story, this is one that everybody should read.

This is truly a story that will open your eyes to what goes on in other parts of the world. As a female, I feel fortunate to live in a country where women are valued. But through this appreciation, I can't help but feel sadness for the girls that are sold for the sake of earning some money to feed their families.
The topic of this story may be difficult to take, but one that everyone should read. McCormick does an exceptional job of capturing the voice of a 13 year old girl through the use of vignettes. Sold is a quick read, it will grab your attention from the first page. If you are pondering the idea of reading this book, I think you should take the leap and open up this book.

Wow. I feel that I live a sheltered life and are amazed what young women have to endure in the sex trade industry in parts of the world.

Sold is marked as a book for Young Adult - but as a not so young adult I felt very distraught and horrified by the encounters in this novel.

I loved the way the book was written, in free verse, it made it very easy to read and hard to put down. I recommend it, but if you are buying for a young adult be ready to discuss.

Sold, by Patricia McCormick, is a riveting tale of a thirteen-year-old, Nepalese girl who is sold into prostitution. It is historical fiction and incorporates many details of the constant trade of women and girls worldwide that is still occurring today.
McCormick herself traveled to India and Nepal to trace the steps that the main character in her novel would take, and was even able to interview women in Calcutta's red-light district who shared their heart-wrenching stories with her. McCormick took away from this experience the idea that these stories needed to be shared because these innocent women and girls were being forced into horrendous situations that they had no control whatsoever over. McCormick lent a voice to these women who had never been able to speak up for themselves, and in the process educated the world on the issue of sex slavery.
While a few of the main themes in this novel are fear, loneliness, and cruelty, McCormick also made a point to highlight the main character's immense hope and perseverance, and the strength and self-discovery that came along with that. Even in the face of ultimate defeat, the main character says, "I will be with them all. Any man, every man... I will do whatever it takes to get out of here." (227) McCormick presented her as an innocent bystander who must find a way to deal with a new, harrowing life and this was incredibly moving. It also helped that the book was extremely well-written.
Therefore, I would definitely recommend this book. The writing style was poetic and never overwhelming, and McCormick crafted an extremely complex and likable character. This book is especially good for teenagers to read because it makes us appreciate what we have and the things that we take for granted every single day. Another reader also commented that "this book will also show you things that are so painful that most of the world likes to pretend that they don't exist" and I also completely agree with that statement.
Overall, Sold was an extremely good, yet harrowing book that opened my eyes to the hardships that other girls my age are facing around the world.

McCormick, P. (2006). Sold. New York: Hyperion.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Type of Text: Novel

Interest Level: Middle school and up

Reading Level: Middle school and up

Themes: family, deceit, power, hope

This is a story about 13-yr-old Lakshmi who lives with her family in Nepal. In order to provide her family with money, Lakshmi takes a job as a maid in the city. Little did she know that she had been `sold' into sex slavery. This is the story of a young girl's journey through poverty, trust, and ultimate deception.

Patricia McCormick eloquently uses poetic prose to convey this intense and seldom talked about subject. The style in which the book was written lends itself to struggling readers as well as accomplished readers. The topics and themes are the main concentration of the book. This is a topic that does not get a lot of attention in the classroom; however, is something that occurs in Nepal, and other parts of the country, every year. This book would be an appropriate way of discussing other cultures and events that happen around the world.

I highly recommend this book. It was a quick and easy read that has left a lasting impression on me. This is a powerful and intriguing piece of literature that will definitely stimulate your mind and make you search for the truth. The only part of this book I was upset about was the ending. It seemed very abrupt as if McCormick ran out of ideas to write. It may have also been a strategic ending in order to cause the reader to evaluate the situation and decide for themselves. This book caused me to further research this topic and question the ideas brought forth through Lakshmi's story.

It took less than a day to read this beautiful, tragic book. Such a sad story because I know for many girls in other parts of the world it is all too real. The prose reads almost like clean, stark poetry.

A heartbreaking and thought provoking look at poverty, addiction and human trafficking. A must read for everyone, not just for the young adult genre. Beautifully written with grace and eloquence that is required in order to grasp such a horrific topic. Shedding light on this subject matter is heroic and and I applaud Patricia McCormick for doing so.

A tasteful, beautiful, heart wrenching book written about the practice of sex slavery in the nation of Nepal. The author did her research to make the agony & anguish of child prostitutes become real to the many readers who will never have to know the brokenness of being sold into a corrupt, soul sucking industry that masks & parades themselves of bearers of a better life. The story is gut wrenching, but brings the idea of the injustice of sex slavery to surface and probes the question, "What can I do to help end this?" Buy it, read it, be changed by it.

Sold is a very inspiring and stunning read. It not only entertains but also informs. I had many emotions while reading such as, anger, sympathy, sadness, and many more. I liked how this book was written. It wasnt your normal chapter book but written in freeverse. I liked the story overall, but not how it ended very much. It just ended not telling you information you really want to know. Patricia McCormick did a very swell job at researching information before writing "Sold".

After reading many of these reviews, you've undoubtedly recognized the main plot of this book. What most stands out to me is the starkness of the tale, which is masterfully told. Horrors are hinted at without every being sensationalized or too detailed. The narrative is first-person and haunting in its simplicity and sadness. While this story is a compilation of many accounts funneled into one voice, the sad truth is that this really happens. I'd recommend this story for the 16+ crowd, but possibly younger if there is a level of maturity. Excellently written.

This book is a deep and horrifying look at what could happen to any girl in southeast Asia at any time, and that fact alone is why it succeeds. It is an uncensored and very effective view of an unthinkable world, written in first-person and present tense which makes it all the more intense and realistic.

I am 12 years old and I have been aware for quite some time of the basic idea of prostitution, but this book deals with the issue on a much more personal level, and as a result it raises the reader's awareness of just how terrible such a thing is. Even the scenes before the introduction to Happiness House make you feel earnestly sorry for Lakshmi as her poor family struggles with the drought and then the monsoon.

Even though Lakshmi wants nothing more than to leave, she finds friends in some of the other girls of the harem and a few boys from the city. These characters are all just as interesting as the heroine herself, ranging from the cruel manager Mumtaz to the teenage son of one of the older workers at Happiness House. The more grim scenes throughout the book didn't leave a very pleasant feeling in my gut, but they achieve their goal of honoring the bravery of the poor children who really live through this terrifying situation.

While we are left at somewhat of a cliffhanger ending, it is a satisfying conclusion while along the road to it Lakshmi triumphs in all of the ways that matter - from learning how to speak English to standing up to the men who come to violate her every day. Highly reccommended for children and adults alike.

Wow, this was a wonderfully written and eye opening book. My heart broke for the characters. It is clear the author did her research for this book. I absolutely couldn't put this down! Highly recommended.

A distubing subject matter written in beautiful, poetic prose, Sold by Patricia Mccormick left me speechless!

Told in first-person narration, 13 y/o Lakshmi gives a haunting account of being sold by her gambling-addicted stepfather into prostitution, ending up in the slums of Calcutta at a brothel where she is locked-up, beaten, starved and raped until she submits. This is a story that uncovers unspeakable acts of violence and forced sex against young girls and women.

Patricia Mccormick did a fantastic job bringing to light such a horrific truth about sex-trafficking that exists throughout the world! A MUST read!

This book was written for Young Adults but is a great read for any age. The free-verse style is concise yet rich and the author does an excellent job at relating the horrors 13-year-old Lakshmi suffered but in a very tasteful way. The book was well researched and the author interviewed actual child victims of prostitution. It's an easy read but don't let that fool you into thinking it was juvenile. It dealt with a very serious subject in beautifully simple prose.

This story is heart-wrentching and powerful. It gives readers a realistic view into the world of human trafficking. While I feel the content may be a bit to explicit for the younger YA readers, it is an appropriate introduction into human trafficking for older readers. Though, Lakshmi's particular story may be fiction, what it represents is very real. The main character, Lakshmi, is intelligent and strong. Ocassionally, her hope begins to waver, but she continues to fight for freedom. This story may haunt you long after you read it, as it is a hard pill to swallow.

This book puts you right in the place of one of these girls. The horror and the unspeakable things they are subjected to. The deceit and lies and the painful journey they are forced to take all against their will. It's incredible and a very hard book to read. But so important. Thanks to the author and all the people who helped bring this atrocity to light.

This book is amazing. I remember reading it in High School and being so touched by it. At times it brought me to tears. This book is based off of several stories from real girls who were victims of the sex-slave trade. I think everyone should read this book simply because it opens your eyes to a civilization and crime that most westernized cultures hide under the covers of their consciousness. The poems are easy to read and simple, the way they should be; remember---the main character is a young teen. Overall great book. I love McCormick's work.

This book is, essentially, written in rhythms with short pages and short paragraphs that make it a really fast read. I really enjoyed this novel, I found it was very insightful and moving.
However, as an honors student, I am used to over analyzing everything and when I read something I always find myself thinking: how could I make this better? In the beginning, the character talks about having a tin roof and I instantly saw this as a metaphor that would be carried on throughout the book. A tin roof means that the father does not gamble away the money, that the son works in the city, and that the rain stays out and the baby is healthy. The tin roof, I thought represented protection and security, something the main character would not have once she entered the brothel. I was disappointed though, and it was never brought up again.
I was also a little confused, this book does not stay consistent and some times it is written in past tense and other times in present tense.
I was not all that happy with this format, it made it go fast but didn't leave a lot of room for character development and I felt that I didn't get a good enough sense of the horrors of what was happening in the brothel.

After reading this novel, it does not surprise me that it won so many awards. Told in sparse language, in a poem-like format, the reader follows Lakshmi for her poor village to the rooms of a brothel. Her heart break, her confusion and hurt, her hope and despair - it displayed in such a way the reader become Lakshmi, and feels what she feels. A powerful work, one worth reading. I most certainly recommend.

Sold is the story told from the innocent eyes of a 13 year old girl, named Lakshmi, who is forcibly sold into sex slavery. Lakshmi is told that she will work in the big city as a maid; wanting to help her family in poverty she agrees to go, but soon realizes everything she's told is a lie. Lickshmi is constantly pushed to the edge of humanity, and clings to the innocents she has left. She is forced to face her biggest fears, and makes a choice that goes against everything she believes in, but just might save her life. It's the ultimate story of betrayal, friendship and love, and portrays the fine line between human survival and insanity. This is the untold, true story of how sex slavery exists today.

Taken from her home in Nepal to India thirteen year old Lakshmi must endure through the cruelty show by Mumtaz and her brothel. Thoughts of her family back home is what keeps her going and helps take the steps away from the brothel to the safe haven of the American man. Patricia McCormick brings the world that we cannot imagine a reality because it happens each and every day around the world and we do not acknowledge the events the way we should. - Anonymous

This is an accurate and candid account of child sexual slavery. The short and to the point language and writing style added to the bare bones, no frill testimony of this horrific way of life for so many young girls.

Characterized as realistic fiction, Young Adults tend to gravitate towards tragic it-could-happen novels. Needless to say, Sold is one of the most popular books among junior high students. Like most books, the cover speaks to it's audience. The reader is immediately immersed in Lakshmi's account of Nepalese village life. Her genuine drive to leave her village and support her family at the age of thirteen is audacious. However, her journey of leaving home is exceptionally difficult, not only for the character but for the reader.

Patricia McCormick's novel in verse introduces the YA audience to an overtly complex, high interest topic yet is not inappropriately explicit. Her minimalistic writing style is engaging and appealing in format and yet simultaneously thought-provoking.

Truly heartbreaking! This book is the horrifying story of a young girl from Nepal being sold as a sex slave into the brothels of Calcutta, India. Though the subject matter is difficult, I loved the sparse, poetic style in which it was written. I read this book in a couple of hours and found myself wanting to know more about her story. I also wanted to reach out and save Lakshmi and others like her from this horrible existence. The author's note at the end of the book explains that rather than being an isolated incident, nearly a half million children are sold into the sex trade worldwide each year. That number is staggering and should make any reader pause. I think this is a very important book appropriate for anyone in high school or older. It gives voice to a segment of society that has no voice, no value, no hope.

Emotionally devastating. It is heartbreaking to realize that this is representative of what thousands of young girls have experienced. I loved the writing style, simple, free-form poetic prose. It made the story even more powerful.

From Nepal to India, Lakshmi endured so much with her intentions to help her family. I would love to read a sequel to know how her mother endured while she was away and maybe tie up a few loose ends. Overall, an easy read, but eye opening and sad nonetheless.

This book is written as a journal of a young Nepali girl sold into sex slavery. It is a quick read and easy to understand. I am a slow reader and I was able to finish the book in one and a half days.

This is a good, realistic view in the the world of the Indian sex slave trade. I would recommend this book to anyone from the ages of 13 and up.

I read this book while trekking through the Nepalese mountains and it made my experience exponentially more personal and real. A quick read, I couldn't put it down and finished it in about two hours. Through the eyes of the main character, Lakshmi, McCormick details the plight of thousands of young women which is both heartbreaking and inspiring, a true testament to the ills of humanity and strength of the human spirit.

Even though the book is fictional work of Patricia McCormick, it is based on a true story. It is hard to imagine a life like Lakshmi's truly exists to this day. The book is written in Lakshmi's point a view. A young girl of merely 13, sold into the sex trade by her stepfather. The story is unbearable to read but I feel its important to be aware of whats going on around the world. Just because no one talks about it doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

To my disappointment the book much shorter than Id like it to be. Perfect read for a rainy/dull day. Finished reading it within 2 hours.

This book was really amazing. I'm 13 and a boy and i love learning about new cultures and this is what the book gives you. It tells about the harsh treatment towards women in small villages then talks about the sex-trade in India. I would certainly encourage other readers to enjoy this one. I hope Patrica McCormick makes a sequel to this OUTSTAnDInG NOVEL!

OK so i loved this book. i was on my class trip when i got it and i really couldnt put it down. I love reading but i normaly skim threw books but read them at the same time but i couldnt with this book it was that good. But anyways its about a young girl and she lives in Inda her stepfather is a drunk kinda and he gambles (alot) and one day they really needed money so he sold her and told her that she was going to be a maid but she really was going to be a prostatut (i thik thats how you spell it im only 14 sorry) but when she gets their she's scared and then the person that owns her beats her cause she wouldnt do what she was spouss to and she starved her that lady was a very crul women. But anyways i dont wont to ruin the book but i hope this was helpful if you read it

When I first purchased Sold, I had a general idea what the book would be about, but what I wasn't prepared for was whose voice would be telling me the horrific story. The subject matter is difficult to take, but it was written so beautifully that I had to wait till the end of the book to see what happened. An excellent read.

Another powerful book by McCormick who believes in writing about issues that matter. When we are transported to another place through words, and begin to truly care and feel about the characters who inhabit that place...and perhaps are moved to DO something, at some point to help them...this is writing at its best. Riveting. Informative. Emotionally jarring. Infinitely rewarding.

Well done.

This quick read chronicles, lyrically and captivatingly, one young Nepalese girl's life before and after she is sold into prostitution. If that sounds horrific, it is; and yet, as it true in life and my most favorite books, protagonist Lakshmi finds hope in simple things: improvised soccer balls, gift pencils, the scent of home . . . and hope.

This book touched my heart. It's so sad to imagine the pain and suffering this young child and anyone else had to endure for simply trusting another adult. Thank God for those who are able to endure such pain and humiliation. Individuals that does this crime to others need to be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Yes, I already have recommended this book to others.

i just finished the book and really like the storyline of the book. i only wished that this book would have been longer and werent written in a poem style because it is a completely waste of paper. the book is so short, I finished it in two hours.

This book is about 13 year old Lakshmi who gets sold by her stepfather into

prostitution.At frist she trys to rebel against her captures.She is beaten and starved.Then given a drug and raped soon she gives in and trys her best to survive her horrible ordeal all the while dreaming of the life she's left behind.

Sold is a novel that was initially difficult for me to read. I did not want to imagine someone selling their child into such a terrifying existence. I came to the realization that although Sold is a fictional young adult novel several young girls live this nightmare everyday and if they can live it I can certainly read about it. The author, Patricia McCormick, brings attention to an issue that students and their parents need to know about. This is an issue that is not just limited to India, it also happens here in America. I cannot say that I enjoyed reading the book, because the subject matter is so horrifying. I do think that the author did an excellent job in writing the novel. The style in which she chose to wrote the novel makes it very fast pace. This is a novel that I would love to teach; however, because of the subject matter I do not think the novel will be on any middle school reading lists.

This book is heart-wrenching. While it is fiction, I think it is all too accurate in describing what is happening to millions of girls who are sold into the sex trade.
Yes, this book could have used some better editing, but the content far outweighs the need for me to nitpick.
Read it, read up on the harrowing statistics of modern day slavery, and find a way that works for you to take action.

When I first picked up the book, Sold, I did not know what to expect. All I had heard before I read it was that it is about a young girl who gets sold into a brothel as a child sex slave. Little did I know that book would change my life. Until I read Sold I was almost fully unaware that girls that are as young as 6 are sold into brothels as an attempt to help support their families financially. Patricia Mccormick does an outstanding job at reenacting a young girls journey from the home she has known for all your life to a brothel where she becomes a child sex slave. This is truly a fantastic book and I recommend only mature readers to read this tragic yet inspiring book.

Would highly recommend. This book is formatted in journal sort of dialogue. It is so telling, without being too graphic. I was thinking that this must have been written from a long time ago...but this still happens! Sad! Great, quick read.

This book was great. Lakshmi is a poor 13 year old girl who lived In Nepal with her family. They can barley afford food. Her stepdad sells her to a mean lady named Mumtaz. Mumtaz has a house in the big city, she buys lots of girls and makes them do disgusting things. Lakshmi's personality changes, she becomes more confident and outgoing.She has been in the house for over a year, and then an American comes. Mumtaz says he just wants to take the girls to a worse place, but Lakshmi doesnt believe her that well. She has a decision to make. Will she stay with Mumtaz or take her chancexs and go with the American?

Sold is an excellent quick read but also very deep. This book is very powerful and well written. It is a true, very sad story about child prostitution in Nepal. Unfortunately these things still happen in other countries and it will open the minds of many people.

This heartbreaking story of strength and courage kept me reading for 2 hours from start to finish. It's awful to know that this is still going on and will make young and old be grateful for what they have. I thank the author for having the time to tell the story of what is happening to so many young girls around the world. I will now not consider donating to the cause but now I will act on it.

This book will make you think about issues you never thought about before and make you want to scream with your powerlessness to stop evil across the globe. The sex trade in this world is very real, and although this is one girl's fictional account, it is told as if it could be happening as you read. I like the vignettes through which it is told; they made it addictively readable and not want to put it down until I was finished. I won't elaborate on any of the plot details for fear of giving somehting way, but I promise you that you will find yourself in tears by time you finish and want to do something to put an end to this industry for good.

This book tells the story of a young Lakshmi. She lives in poverty, and longs to help suppport her family. One day, she finds that her stepfather is shipping her away with her new "aunt." She is excited and nervous about leaving her family to make money. She makes a long journey across Nepal, and is finally turned in to Mumtaz, her new employer. She is shown her room which she finds filled with beds. It is later that night that she realizes she has been sold into prostitution against her will. How will she escape?

This is Patricia McCormick's second novel, and an amzing book. I would reccommend it to anyone over the age of ten. This book hurls you straight into Nepal and the surrounding area, providing a vivid view of Lakshmi's world. Sold is full of courage and hope. It is a powerful read.

I read this book about three years ago and I stil catch myself asking people... have you read the book sold? It is in no way a feel good book but it is an incredible eye opener to the reality of the sex trade in Asia. Sad, emotional, truly gut wrenching but overall an amazing book!

I thought that this book was an amazing tale of a young girl. You get so into the story, you just wish you could reach out and help her. The only wished the book would have gone on and told us what happens after the police come. Overall I would highly recommend!

My son bought this book for a College Course at Purdue Calumet. The day it came I started reading it, It was a very good read,very heartbreaking that a child lived this way. It took me one night to complete, I had such a hard time trying to put it down. My son had a hard time getting into the whole story, until I told him to look at this girl as if she were a relative or friend. That's when it captured his 18 year old heart. It makes you think about what a Cruel world we live in. This book will break your heart, especially if your a mother.

I almost didn't read this book when I found out it was prose. I am usually not a fan of this type of writing. But, I was interested in the story, and decided to read it. It made me cry several times.

I finished this book in one night. I was very moved, and feel for girls in these situations all over the world. I was surprised to find this book in the teen section at target. Its very graphic & detailed, but leaves a lasting impression. I would highly recommend this book for mature teens and adults.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It opened my eyes to the hardships that many of these women have to endure because of poverty and oppression. It's rare that I come across a book that makes me lose a nights sleep because of the horrifying things that are expressed in it. After finishing it, I got on the web and did some more research on the red light district of India and found that there are so many other countries suffering from the same problem. I recommend this book 100%, to students and teachers everywhere!

This is an important read for everyone. McCormick did her homework and has written sensitively about the loss of innocence for so many children in this world. As Americans we prefer to think that it is happening in developing countries, but the truth is that many of these children are trafficked to the United States. We should not remain ignorant to what is happening around us. Mc Cormick shines a light into this dark world.

This book was well written and I had a hard time putting it down. This is the type of book that makes you feel like you're there, experiencing everything with Lakshmi, the main character of the book. This book was given a national book award for a good reason. It makes you realize that there are greater problems in the world than what is going on in your own. It makes you want to do something to help. That is the measure of a good book.

While the story is unbelievably sad ,it was written beautifully...a real eye opener. So thankful for life in America. On the same plateau as "Slum Dog Millionaire. " Maybe all teenagers should read this to appreciate what we have.

As i was reading this book i experienced a range of emotions. It is amazing that things like this still occure. The subject of this book is intence, probably to graphic for younger teen readers. As i was reading this book, i could not help but feel that the poetic form that the author chose to used added nothing to the story. The subject matter alone is enough to add emotional impact. the poetic form acted to break up an otherwise strong narrative voice. Over all, i really liked the book. I only wish that the author would have told what happened to the girl.

This book was an eye opener for me. It was depressing and really got me to think about the lives of people like Lakshmi and inspired me to help. I read the whole thing in 2 hours. Beware; you will feel pain for the characters and just want to escape - something these girls cannot do. This was a great and easy read - I recommend it to everyone over 13 years of age.

I was one of the lucky people who got to read this book, it is an amazing tale that we're sad to say actually happens. It is a silver plater of emotion rapped up in one. It teaches you not to take little things in life for granted. I am very happy to have read this book, there needs to be more like it. 5 stars!

This is an excellent read! I highly recommend it as it teaches you about hardships that most of us could never imagine going through yet it also reminds us to remember and enjoy the simple things in life. I bought this book today and finished it today!

While this book is fiction, it rings incredibly true in its account of a young girl sold into sex slavery. It is written in a first person, journal/freeform poetry method that really does a teriffic job of capturing Lakshmi's point of view. I read this to my senior classes last year and they liked it as well.

The moment I closed this book, I opened my wallet and donated to a charity that fights child trafficking and sexual slavery.MCCormick's book was not only a beautiful literary creation, touching and easy to read but the way she presented this subject, the harrowing first person account touched me more than any documentary, statistic or report would. Please,read the book and act on it.

I read this entire book in one sitting. The way a real-world horror is shown through the eyes of youthful innocence is powerful and real, but it does so in a way that is still appropriate for younger readers (10 and up I suppose).

I couldn't put this book down even though it was difficult to read at times. The writing is poetic, touching and beautiful. It brought me to tears in places with the way the author describes the emotions, fear and confusion of the young girl. I am glad I read this.

"Sold" was an interesting book. I was taken back about the traumatic events that occured in these young girls lives, the struggle, their strenghs and the loss of their innocense. Very well written and easy to read.

I loved this book. It was amazing. It was written in a form that I think most anyone could relate to and easily read. The way it was written made it very personal. By the end of the book I felt like I knew the character and I wanted to read more about her. I feel like the author really studied what was going to be written in her book and it shows.

Sold is a fairly straightforward story. The characters are mostly one-dimensional. Even the main character didn't have a lot of depth. I really wanted to like this story, but there wasn't a lot of depth and the first person POV simply didn't seem like the right one to make a powerful story. That said it does bring to light the child trafficking issues running rampant in Southeast Asia. I just didn't feel the author did a great job delivering her story. It was a good story, but it doesn't ring as true as some similar stories.
Another thing...and it may be due to the e-book format, there were quite a few spelling or spacing issues as well as the odd subsititution of ? for I.

I originally bought this for my 17 year old daughter. After reading the story, I believe it contains a powerful message about poverty and slavery that needs to be shared. McCormick researched this novel first hand in India. She wrote her novel in a narrative style that is attractive to reluctant readers.

I read this book recently. It affected me very much. I now want to go to Calcutta to help these innocent girls. It is a horrifying story, but the truth is that the things that happen in this book are happening right now. And many girls do not have the happy ending like Lakshmi does.

Sold is a good book all the way until you reach the ending. I would actually give it 2 1/2 stars. The ending fell short. I was really expecting a lot more. What happens to her after? Was the American able to save her? Did she finally reunite with her family? I mean the list of questions go on. I guess the author is just trying to make a quick buck off of someone else's story. If you liked this book you'll love "The Road of Lost Innocence."

Sold is written like a mental journal. i read in the back that the author interviewed girls that had actually been sex slaves. she seemed to have taken everything they told her and put it in the book. the pages are not always full of words. some pages will have only a few paragraphs making it short. thats why i finished so fast, there wasn't a lot to read.
i finished in a few hours. i would say its good. it wasn't perfect, but it was truthful. id rather get the truth about being a sex slave than sacrifice logic for drama. you know what i mean?

This book is at a lower reading level and I found it childish even though it dealt with very unchildlike issues in the world. I think the book talks about a very important issue and that is why I bought it but it wasn't worth the money. There was no wow factor.

This was a good story about people with an entirely different lifestyle on the other side of the world. Makes me feel very grateful for having the good fortune to be boen in the good U.S.A.!!!!!!!!!!!

African hill girl sold into prostatution. Sold was a book about this same 13 year old girl. She was innoccent and all that she wanted to do was earn her family a little extra money when without warning she was swept into the shameful life of of a prostatute. I thought that this book was okay. It had a great plot line but was a bit dull in the middle and kind of ended abruptly. I would reccommend this book to any girl interested in a quick easy read. Although it was a little boring, I think that this was a good book over all.
Kari Longstaff