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124th out of 334 books
—
78 voters
Trafficked: The Terrifying True Story of a British Girl Forced into the Sex Trade
by
Sophie Hayes
When Sophie Hayes met Bledi she knew he'd change her life – but she had no idea how much. At first, it was a typical whirlwind romance. But one day Bledi told her that love always comes at a price ...
Bledi tricked Sophie into travelling to Italy, where he forced her to sell her body to help him pay off a debt. Terrified and ashamed, Sophie worked the dangerous Italian stre...more
Bledi tricked Sophie into travelling to Italy, where he forced her to sell her body to help him pay off a debt. Terrified and ashamed, Sophie worked the dangerous Italian stre...more
Paperback, 308 pages
Published
January 19th 2012
by Harpercollins Publishers
(first published January 1st 2012)
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It's easy to dismiss girls who work on the streets as deadbeats or drug addicts without ever thinking about why they're working as prostitutes. And the truth is that many of them have been trafficked and they work long, exhausting, miserable, soul-destroying hours for men who are cruel and violent. They're constantly afraid, not just because of what might be done to them if they don't do what they're told, but also because of the very real threats that are made against their families and the p...more
15 likes · like · see review
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This is a must-read.
It's one of the few books that has actually got to me. I had known what trafficking is since I was a teenager and felt terrible that this was happening in our days. However, I had never truly taken a moment to think about it in real terms. 'Trafficked' gave me a chance to actually sit and think of all the horror that women and children who are forced into sex slavery go through.
However, the reason that makes Sophie's story educative -and an inspiration to people who've becom...more
It's one of the few books that has actually got to me. I had known what trafficking is since I was a teenager and felt terrible that this was happening in our days. However, I had never truly taken a moment to think about it in real terms. 'Trafficked' gave me a chance to actually sit and think of all the horror that women and children who are forced into sex slavery go through.
However, the reason that makes Sophie's story educative -and an inspiration to people who've becom...more
Trafficked is the terrifying true story of a British girl called Sophie Hayes who was forced into the sex trade by her seemingly “best friend” Kas. When she first met him, he was like her persistent admirer but she kept on turning him down. Over time she became a bit intrigued by him and they became good friends. He lured her over to Italy to visit him with the promise of a good time. And she did for a few days, until she got ready to fly back to England. Everything changed. Kas said he needed m...more
NOT TRAFFICKED
This book is not about a girl who has been Trafficked, this is a book about a silly girl who is desperate to have affection from her father, who WANTS to be controlled and enjoys being dominated.
When i picked up this book i expected to read a harrowing story, i imagined a girl who had been kidnapped and taken off to a place like Africa, Congo, or in the remote areas of Russia, a girl who was tied to a bed, in a locked room and forced to have sex with various guys, a girl with no ch...more
This book is not about a girl who has been Trafficked, this is a book about a silly girl who is desperate to have affection from her father, who WANTS to be controlled and enjoys being dominated.
When i picked up this book i expected to read a harrowing story, i imagined a girl who had been kidnapped and taken off to a place like Africa, Congo, or in the remote areas of Russia, a girl who was tied to a bed, in a locked room and forced to have sex with various guys, a girl with no ch...more
2 likes · like · see review
Clearly not a slick tale written by a professional author, Sophie's book is rather a brutally honest and compelling tale of her descent into a hell imposed on her by a man who is either insane or simply evil.
I found the book fascinating (read it in three hours on a plane and a bus), tragic (shed a sneaky tear on the bus...) and somewhat of a mind**** (how can this stuff happen to someone from a background like hers?)
I found myself desperately wishing she would take more control of life and get t...more
I found the book fascinating (read it in three hours on a plane and a bus), tragic (shed a sneaky tear on the bus...) and somewhat of a mind**** (how can this stuff happen to someone from a background like hers?)
I found myself desperately wishing she would take more control of life and get t...more
1 like · like · see review
The true story of a British girl forced into the sex trade.
Sophie grew up in a troubled house. Her father had no love for his children, but her mother more than made up for her husband’s lack of interest. Her father’s disinterest and her parent’s eventual separation took a toll on her and it took her a while to come to trust men.
She started working, and was leading a regular life in Leeds, when Kas came into her life. He came as a friend, and stayed her friend for a while, even when he was away...more
Sophie grew up in a troubled house. Her father had no love for his children, but her mother more than made up for her husband’s lack of interest. Her father’s disinterest and her parent’s eventual separation took a toll on her and it took her a while to come to trust men.
She started working, and was leading a regular life in Leeds, when Kas came into her life. He came as a friend, and stayed her friend for a while, even when he was away...more
This was a harrowing yet incredible story. 'Sophie' is a typical young woman living in Britain. The book starts out detailing her difficult relationship with her father which partly explains her insecurities and actions later on. She then describes her experiences with men in her life and how one man in particular seemed to (unfortunately) have won over her trust.
As I read Sophie's tale of being forced into prostitution, I became almost 'hooked' into the narrative, wondering what would happen ne...more
As I read Sophie's tale of being forced into prostitution, I became almost 'hooked' into the narrative, wondering what would happen ne...more
Trafficked is an autobiographical book written by Sophie Hayes, a young woman from Leeds, detailing her terrifying true life story of Sex Trafficking. The book begins with how Sophie's distrust in men started; her father. His dislike of Sophie and her brothers, in particular Jason, meant their childhood was not one to be envied. Constant mental, emotional and even physical abuse was the only form of attention they received from their father. From the moment her mother worked up the courage to ge...more
Last year I wrote Trafficked: The Diary of a Sex Slave to try and raise awareness about trafficking so after my research for it I was expecting a lot of the horrific ordeal that Sophie describes in her book, but many others will not be. The truly scary thing is that trafficking is a huge global problem, and yet many people aren't aware of it, or they often assume that it happens just to people from poor countries. Sophie's story shows this isn't the case. She is an educated British woman who, li...more
Horrifying true story of a young Brit girl being forced into prostitution. There are innumerable times while reading this book that I have been so frustrated and wanted to scream out, "Get help! Don't just stand there out alone at night. Ask the police to help you! Ask one of your nicer customers to help you! Go to your embassy! It is not like you are in Africa or SE Asia! You are in Europe! Get help!!!!"
But then, I would calm down and try and react to this NOT as me- a girl who has a loving fa...more
But then, I would calm down and try and react to this NOT as me- a girl who has a loving fa...more
First off it is obvious that Sophie Hayes is not an author but I liked this book for the honest way the story is told. It is very sad & disturbing. The atmosphere is captured very well and makes you really feel for this poor girl. All through the book you can't help but rant and ask her "Why don't you stand up for yourself?, Why don't you run away or tell someone?" It is hard to fathom that someone could so easily take over your life and make you so helpless. Of course eventually she does es...more
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In Short
- Trafficked is a heartbreaking story.
- Sophie's raw emotion really came across in the book which I think will helped me become really gripped and hanging on for the next chapter.
-This book is a shocking book which I hope will raise awareness of trafficking.
.
In Long
I don’t usually read nonfiction books but after seeing Trafficked on one of my friend’s bookshelf I was really intrigued. I was very lucky to receive a review copy from the publisher and started it stra...more
In Short
- Trafficked is a heartbreaking story.
- Sophie's raw emotion really came across in the book which I think will helped me become really gripped and hanging on for the next chapter.
-This book is a shocking book which I hope will raise awareness of trafficking.
.
In Long
I don’t usually read nonfiction books but after seeing Trafficked on one of my friend’s bookshelf I was really intrigued. I was very lucky to receive a review copy from the publisher and started it stra...more
Dec 09, 2012
Daniel
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Daniel by:
Shuxian Lim
Shelves:
biography-memoir,
read-in-english
This book is an eye opener. I used to think of trafficked sex slaves as being locked up indoors and mostly in or coming from poor countries. It's not as simple as that. The working girl who seems to be going around the streets freely might be controlled by paralysing fear, constant arbitrary violence and threats to her family, in an environment were stopping to think and stopping to make decisions is both saver and more bearable.
I join Sibel Hodge to "applaud Sophie for having the strength and...more
I join Sibel Hodge to "applaud Sophie for having the strength and...more
I found this book in an airport, and wanting to learn more about human trafficking, I bought it and read it within the next 24 hours.
There are a few reasons why this book only gets three stars from me. Positive aspects are that it is interesting and not badly written. There is a reason why I zoomed through it, and that wasn't because it was boring or difficult to read. However, there are many aspects that made me question how much of the story is actually true. Some of the decisions made by Soph...more
There are a few reasons why this book only gets three stars from me. Positive aspects are that it is interesting and not badly written. There is a reason why I zoomed through it, and that wasn't because it was boring or difficult to read. However, there are many aspects that made me question how much of the story is actually true. Some of the decisions made by Soph...more
Really good book and quite well written. Never a dull period where you want to stop reading.
I was glad to learn of how Sophie finally got out of the situation she was in but really wished and still hope one day that Sophie gains the strenghth to give evidence against Kas- the man who basicly kidnapped her then forced her into prostitution in Italy (and France).
The one thing I found confronting in this book was the ammount of phyysical abuse Sophie suffered at the hands of Kas, I found the book m...more
I was glad to learn of how Sophie finally got out of the situation she was in but really wished and still hope one day that Sophie gains the strenghth to give evidence against Kas- the man who basicly kidnapped her then forced her into prostitution in Italy (and France).
The one thing I found confronting in this book was the ammount of phyysical abuse Sophie suffered at the hands of Kas, I found the book m...more
I did not think I would finish reading this book. I had to stop reading halfway through chapter 7.
Horrible things happened to this woman, but so much of it happened because of bad choices that she made. She knew from the first moment she ever saw Kas that he was trouble. She had a bad feeling about him and initially listened to her gut and kept away from him. She had an inner intuition that told her to stay far, far away from this guy. Yet, over a 4 year period, she allows him to worm his way c...more
Horrible things happened to this woman, but so much of it happened because of bad choices that she made. She knew from the first moment she ever saw Kas that he was trouble. She had a bad feeling about him and initially listened to her gut and kept away from him. She had an inner intuition that told her to stay far, far away from this guy. Yet, over a 4 year period, she allows him to worm his way c...more
2 likes · like · see review
Moving book about a chilling subject. Sophie isnt an author and the writing does jump around a bit, but she wrote from the ehart and was quite desciptive, it was like she was having a cup of tea and talking to me telling me her story.
I have read other reviews in which people say they dont understand why she didnt try escape and although i think you need to be in that situation to fully understand i do see why she didnt.
Would recomend to those that can handle the content, it is disturbing in som...more
I have read other reviews in which people say they dont understand why she didnt try escape and although i think you need to be in that situation to fully understand i do see why she didnt.
Would recomend to those that can handle the content, it is disturbing in som...more
I really appreciate the effort she's put into telling her story and I know it can't have been easy for her.
I think in general it was an okay written book, she could have been a lot more descriptive and in-depth but, again, I know this is a hard thing for someone to do.
But overall, I think it's a worthwhile read. I really admire her courage and applaud her for using her story to help other people who may find themselves in similar situations.
For me the main theme here was just don't be too naive...more
I think in general it was an okay written book, she could have been a lot more descriptive and in-depth but, again, I know this is a hard thing for someone to do.
But overall, I think it's a worthwhile read. I really admire her courage and applaud her for using her story to help other people who may find themselves in similar situations.
For me the main theme here was just don't be too naive...more
Trafficked is not the type of book I would normally read but it came highly recommended by a work colleague. I read it within 2 days and found it a rather strange experience.
The idea of an English girl being forced into the sex trade and the control her Albanian "boss" had over her sounds like a dodgy Liam Neeson film but it's all true. It goes against the stereotype of Third World country citizens being trafficked into the West and the idea of a British girl being trapped in Italy seems ludicro...more
The idea of an English girl being forced into the sex trade and the control her Albanian "boss" had over her sounds like a dodgy Liam Neeson film but it's all true. It goes against the stereotype of Third World country citizens being trafficked into the West and the idea of a British girl being trapped in Italy seems ludicro...more
You - unless you're Sophie or a victim of human trafficking - CAN never ever understand what she's been through. You can never understand why she never attempted to escape. Never attempted to inform anyone when Kas showed up in Leeds.
I have read many books on trafficking and this is the longest summary of a victim's personal account.
I started reading on human trafficking with Victor Malarek's The Natashas. There's no way I can imagine myself being a survivor at all - if I were in any of those b...more
I have read many books on trafficking and this is the longest summary of a victim's personal account.
I started reading on human trafficking with Victor Malarek's The Natashas. There's no way I can imagine myself being a survivor at all - if I were in any of those b...more
I was getting so angry at Sophie for not running away! It was a very fustrating story to read till I was reading the answers to the questions I had in mind I wanted ask Sophie. As soon I wanted to ask more questions, there in the next one or two sentences Sophie had answered them as if she had read my mind! That was the main reason I had read this book in one day! I just couldn't put this book down. Sophie is so brave to be able to tell her story. Her story just proves that wemen can be weeken...more
LOVED LOVED LOVED this book!!!!!
It is so hard to believe that this actually happens in this world we live in. The place that we should all feel safe appears to be the place that we should all fear :(
The first thing I did was speak to my two teenage daughters and we agreed on our safe word, the same as the book "How is Auntie Linda?" Of course they think that it is silly and that something like that would never happen to them...so that tells me loud and clear my girls need a lot of education.
I...more
It is so hard to believe that this actually happens in this world we live in. The place that we should all feel safe appears to be the place that we should all fear :(
The first thing I did was speak to my two teenage daughters and we agreed on our safe word, the same as the book "How is Auntie Linda?" Of course they think that it is silly and that something like that would never happen to them...so that tells me loud and clear my girls need a lot of education.
I...more
I really liked this story. It was an amazing true story!
We get lots of background on Sophie, about her family, her friends and her life.
Then we meet Kas, he seems perfect and after he suddenly disappears but they meet again it seemed like fate. They spoke for years over the phone while he traveled. After going to Spain to see him and having an amazing time, she didnt see the harm in going to Italy where Kas currently lived. And that is where her life change forever.
This was an amazing read! So v...more
We get lots of background on Sophie, about her family, her friends and her life.
Then we meet Kas, he seems perfect and after he suddenly disappears but they meet again it seemed like fate. They spoke for years over the phone while he traveled. After going to Spain to see him and having an amazing time, she didnt see the harm in going to Italy where Kas currently lived. And that is where her life change forever.
This was an amazing read! So v...more
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What a harrowing story of a brave, brave young lady. The abuse she endured is unimaginable, and inconceivable. I read this book from start to finish, unable to put down, only holding on to reach her salvation. Thank you for sending out your story Sophie, you have altered some of my misguided opinions of girls working in the sex trade forever. I feel I have had my eyes opened. Finally, although this is probably worth nothing, I am sorry for the ordeal you were forced to endure, and wish you all t...more
I found it so hard to try and understand why Sophie put up with that maniac Kas. While I realize that fear and violence can make a person do things they wouldn't normally do I would have thought that basic human preservation would have made her at least try and escape. I am saddened to know that trafficking is going on around the world everyday and it breaks my heart for those affected. I also found myself wanting to shake Sophie at times and yell "run and tell someone, stop letting this happen...more
I very rarely pick up a 'Painful Lives' book, but there wasn't much choice in the train station and so I ended up running this one through the self-serve check out before jumping on the train.
I couldn't put it down.
The events that she speaks of are horrific, but Sophie glosses over the really gritty detail and as a result, it's a book that more readers can pick up and learn from. A really addictive read that is easy to blitz your way through. Sophie Hayes' story is a tragic one, but it hammers h...more
Wow. This book, whilst obviously not written by an author is none the less a real eye opener into human sex trafficking. I finished this book within 24 hours and was at times moved to tears by Sophie's account of her horrific ordeal. It is unimaginable to think that this stuff actually happens and Sophie's story will hopefully go a long way to raise awareness. I will also take away from this book not to make judgements about sex workers and to not automatically assume they are working the street...more
The autobiography of a victim of trafficking. Everyone should read this book if only to be informed. I was horrified to discover that the horrendous crime of trafficking could touch an average middle class girl living in Britain such as Sophie. There was never a moment when I wondered how Sophie could be so naive as to become involved with a man such as Kas who became a close friend over 4 years with all the appearances of a kind and caring man. It was a shocking, highly emotional but brilliant...more
Sep 03, 2012
♥ Marlene♥
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
kindle,
non-fiction
Not even sure when I finished it. Hate it when I forget to update my goodreads shelf. Especially because it has been more than a week and my brains are not working as they should be, with remembering stuff.
What I do know is that at first I thought "O no, not another book author who writes about being abused". I've read too many of those. So glad I was wrong. Not very far into it I could not put it down.
I did understand her fear and not being able to run way. That must also have been because she...more
What I do know is that at first I thought "O no, not another book author who writes about being abused". I've read too many of those. So glad I was wrong. Not very far into it I could not put it down.
I did understand her fear and not being able to run way. That must also have been because she...more
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