The Bracelet

Nov 29, 2012 Meg - A Bookish Affair rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fiction, asia

3.5 stars. "The Bracelet" is a fairly easy read about a very tough subject: human trafficking. Abby, a nurse, is running away from a failed relationship in the United States. She ends up in Pakistan, one of the most dangerous places in the world, as a UN worker. When she is there, she meets a journalist, Nick, who is chasing a story about human trafficking. Meanwhile, Abby, through her own work and her own relationships in Pakistan, becomes more aware of the issue with human trafficking. She als...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Vidya Tiru rated it 4 of 5 stars

A story that opens up aspects of one of the oft-forgotten crime of human trafficking, The Bracelet is a thought provoking read. Kudos to the author for writing about such a tough topic and the widespread, global reach of human trafficking. Poverty, corruption in every level of government and humanitarian agencies, greed, as well as plain desperation all contribute to this in so many ways.
The sad tales of the women and children who end up being the victims bring the reader a harsh dose of realit...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Kara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

The Bracelet follows the story of Abby, who, after being dumped the day after her 30th birthday and losing her job due to layoffs, runs away from her life by taking a job with the UN, as a nurse providing vaccinations in Pakistan. While there, Abby is touched by the suffering she sees in the poor, but soon comes to realize there are much bigger problems facing the populations she is sent to serve - na...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Miriam Downey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Read my full review here: http://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot.c...

The Bracelet by Roberta Gately is a fictionalized look at the serious problem of human trafficking through the eyes of a UN nurse in Pakistan. Abby needed a big change; a romance that she had depended upon was over. Hurt and angry, the idea of working for the UN for a while seemed like a good idea. Get away. Make a fresh start.

Her first assignment is Peshawar Pakistan where she is to evaluate an immunization clinic for UNICEF. Be...more Read my full review here: http://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot.c...

The Bracelet by Roberta Gately is a fictionalized look at the serious problem of human trafficking through the eyes of a UN nurse in Pakistan. Abby needed a big change; a romance that she had depended upon was over. Hurt and angry, the idea of working for the UN for a while seemed like a good idea. Get away. Make a fresh start.

Her first assignment is Peshawar Pakistan where she is to evaluate an immunization clinic for UNICEF. Before she arrived in Pakistan, she spent a period of time in Geneva training for the positing. The time in Geneva, however, was marred by a murder Abby saw committed as she was out running, and the vision of that murder haunts her nightly after she arrives in Peshawar. Her dreams seem to focus on the beautiful bracelet worn by the murder victim.

The UN house in Peshawar is in a nice neighborhood; it is staffed by a young Afghan woman, Najeela, and a housekeeper named Hana. Shortly after Abby arrives at the posting she meets Najeela's unsavory uncle, the staff of the immunization clinic at a refugee camp, and a New York Times reporter named Nick. Nick is in Pakistan ostensibly to interview Abby as a UN relief worker, but his main interest is the rampant human trafficking that is taking place in the country. He introduces Abby to the woman who runs a half-way house for trafficking victims, and Abby gets involved in helping the women at the half-way house. All is not as it seems, however, and Abby and Nick barely escape Pakistan with their lives.

Roberta Gately is knowledgeable about human trafficking and UN refugees because she worked as a nurse in several war torn countries. It is obvious that she knows a lot about the situations presented in the book, and she writes in an engaging style that keeps you reading. The plot is serviceable, but the plot is not the main reason for the novel. This is a message novel, plain and simple. Gately is trying to get out the message that human trafficking is one of the world's dirty little secrets, and while things are being done to combat it, there is a great deal of money to be made in many of the countries of the world. She indicates that government officials in many countries and even the UN are on the take, turning a blind eye to the trafficking right under their noses. The stories of the victims in the pages of The Bracelet are heart rending, and they are the important part of the novel--not the plot or the romance. The Bracelet should be read with that in mind.

Recently there have been efforts in West Michigan to identify human trafficking in our area. Michigan State University is spearheading a task force to work on the problem and alert the citizens to the problem as it appears in Michigan. You can find a link to the task force here.

This is Gately's second novel, the first Lipstick in Afghanistan was published in 2010. She recently wrote an article about how she turned to fiction writing, which you can find here.

Roberta Gately's website: http://robertagately.com/

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Jan 30, 2013 Cheryl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Abby Monroe needs to get away for a while. Especially after her boyfriend, Eric moved away and left her. Abby signs up to assist the UN. Abby is going for a morning run while on her last day in Geneva before she heads to Pakistan. While on her run, Abby hears a woman and a man arguing. The next thing Abby spies is the woman tumbling over the balcony to her death. All Abby can remember is the bracelet the woman was wearing on her arm. It was encrusted with lots of shiny jewels.

Abby travels to Pa...more Abby Monroe needs to get away for a while. Especially after her boyfriend, Eric moved away and left her. Abby signs up to assist the UN. Abby is going for a morning run while on her last day in Geneva before she heads to Pakistan. While on her run, Abby hears a woman and a man arguing. The next thing Abby spies is the woman tumbling over the balcony to her death. All Abby can remember is the bracelet the woman was wearing on her arm. It was encrusted with lots of shiny jewels.

Abby travels to Pakistan. Abby can not get the woman or the bracelet out of her head. Abby meets Noah, a journalist. Abby’s boss, Najeela is hiding something.

This book held promise and had my attention. There were both pros and cons to this book. Of course, the negatives were really very minor. For example, I felt that Abby was a bit stiff in the way she presented herself, mean towards Noah, and naïve to the true horrors of the country she was residing in. Ok, so the last item about Abby I can forgive. I mean this is part of the reason that the author wrote this book is to help share great awareness of the horrific act of “human trafficking”. Readers may have heard about human trafficking but to be honest no one really know the full extent. Human trafficking is like a way underground dark secret that people are aware of but turn their backs to. Luckily I have never had to experience this act. However, the more that I learn about this subject the more that I am intrigued to help out being awareness to others to assist. It does not happen just in other countries but in the United States as well.

It was just that since Abby was working for the UN, I thought she would be a little familiar with human trafficking. Noah was a good character for me. He has the strong personality to put up with Abby and he was a go getter. I was cheering for him that he would bring down the bad guys. Najeela and her carefree attitude did get annoying after a while. The romance between Noah and Abby did not have me totally convinced. Not after how harsh Abby was to Noah when she did not even make an effort to get to know him first.

This book had a good, steady pace. I like that the author tackled the subject of human trafficking and I thought that Roberta did it in a nice presentation.
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Jan 12, 2013 Viviane Crystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Abby Monroe has lost her job as a nurse after Hurricane Katrina wiped out the hospital in New Orleans where she worked. Soon thereafter her boyfriend Eric dumped her and moved from Boston to Oregon, saying he needed to do this alone. Now she's initially in Geneva, where she inadvertently witnesses a devastating crime which haunts her dreams for a very long time. Now, she just wants to get away which she does by being accepted for a UN job in Pakistan. The nightmare and sorrow of the past now bec...more Abby Monroe has lost her job as a nurse after Hurricane Katrina wiped out the hospital in New Orleans where she worked. Soon thereafter her boyfriend Eric dumped her and moved from Boston to Oregon, saying he needed to do this alone. Now she's initially in Geneva, where she inadvertently witnesses a devastating crime which haunts her dreams for a very long time. Now, she just wants to get away which she does by being accepted for a UN job in Pakistan. The nightmare and sorrow of the past now becomes the escape route to reshaping her life but certainly not as expected at all!

Abby receives a warm welcome from another UN worker, Najeela, and a cold, hard look from the UN housekeeper, Hana. Reeling from the sites of abandoned children and abused women at a nearby refugee cam, Abby meets an American Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist, Nick who initially strikes her as an arrogant waste of a guy but who later will be the link that helps her keep her sanity. Now Abby is enduring culture shock of the highest magnitude!

In the days ahead Abby learns of the sexual traffic and opium businesses that just might be linked to someone she is coming to know well. Story after story is recounted by women who were sold as young girls in order to insure financial solvency for the girls' family, with devastating, abusive scars that will probably never heal permanently.

The remainder of the story concerns the capture of those deeply involved in maintaining and promoting the illegal sexual and drug traffic not only in Pakistan and nearby Afghanistan but across the Middle East and Europe as well. Some characters are part of the secret sent to put a stop to this travesty of justice and the story ultimately reaches a violent conclusion involving some thought to be innocent and others who seemed unimportant who are pivotal to solving these crimes.

The Bracelet: A Novel is a hard, tough story to take but a necessary one. This is truly "real" fiction and well told. It should be a story that fosters greater dialogue about how to cope with these pathological, evil deeds and their perpetrators. Finely told, Ms. Gately(less)

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Jan 09, 2013 Claire rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-group, grownup-books, mid-east-novels-and-memoirs, realistic-fiction

Abby is escaping heartbreak and job loss, when the UN offers her a job in Pakistan monitoring vaccinations of refugees she jumps at the chance to work in her field (she is a nurse who has work in vaccinations) help out the unfortunate and get out of Boston after her fiance dumps her.
On the way to Pakistan she witnesses a murder (???/suicide??/ accident) when a woman drops from a balcony literally at her feet.
She arrives in Pakistan traumatized but keeps the unsettling event to herself.
As the d...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Reeka (BoundbyWords) rated it 2 of 5 stars

As seen on my blog:

Oh lookie! There goes my faith in humanity again..*waves goodbye for the millionth time this month*. This book pried my eyes open, yes, PRIED. I was aware of the horrors of human trafficking before ( a 32 BILLION dollar profit for this sick bastards!!), but not through such personal accounts, and I definitely did not feel the level of sickness, and disgust this book allowed me to feel. Roberta Gately included some heart-wrenching stories of pain in this pages, so I will start...more As seen on my blog:

Oh lookie! There goes my faith in humanity again..*waves goodbye for the millionth time this month*. This book pried my eyes open, yes, PRIED. I was aware of the horrors of human trafficking before ( a 32 BILLION dollar profit for this sick bastards!!), but not through such personal accounts, and I definitely did not feel the level of sickness, and disgust this book allowed me to feel. Roberta Gately included some heart-wrenching stories of pain in this pages, so I will start off with that warning.

We open with the main character, Abby Monroe, witnessing a horrific "murder" on her morning run through the streets of Geneva, Switzerland, before her big career move to Pakistan. A woman is apparently thrown to her death from an apartment balcony, but all Abby seems to be able to focus on, once she makes it to the body, is a beautifully adorned bracelet. This bracelet is then retrieved from her "murderer," as Abby watches in fear from some nearby bushes. I understood her need to hide, she was alone, and terrified for her own life, but this act of hiding, and the fact that she could not lead the police to the correct street afterwards, pretty much placed her nicely in my "I don't think I'm going to like you very much" holding cell. She instantly came off as cowardly and aloof.

Skip forward, we find Abby in the currently riotous city of Peshawar, Pakistan. She believes this career move is for the best, she is anxious to help, and even more anxious to get over her failing relationship with ex-boyfriend, Eric. At this point, I already know that the intense scene at the beginning of the book has incorrectly set the tone for the remainder of it. The rest of the story reads like a romance novel, interspersed with moments of panic, and information about the all-too-present act of human trafficking within the city, and beyond. Abby is completely oblivious to this illegal trade, and makes that excruciatingly obvious with her outbursts of "Jesus!" and other such nonsense. I couldn't wrap my head around that for a SECOND. She is an employee of the UN, how could she possibly be so uneducated about the act? It's extremely unrealistic for her to have established the position she's in without any former knowledge of this, OR the country she seems to have just been "dumped" into.

There was so much potential here, though I feel as though the author only scratched the surface. The subject matter was intense, deep, and highly controversial, but the story line fell short, and read too easily. I was very humbled, and stricken by the first-hand accounts of the abuse and humiliation experienced by the girls in this book, and I think the author did an excellent job of driving that point home-allowing the readers to really wake up and consider the world around them. Though I also think, at the same time, she made too light of something that deserves much more heart, and seriousness.

For example, in this exchange, Abby, reporter Nick, and caretaker Zara are listening to a victim of trafficking, Mariyah, tell her story. Keep in mind, she revisits moments of rape, SEVERE abuse, and even mutilation:

"Clothes washing too. Boss woman take in laundry. She get the money, but we do the work. Scrub clothes and press wrinkles away. Clothes for rich women who no do own laundry. At night, husbands of rich women come to us. Rich women do nothing."

Zara suppressed a giggle. "You were taking care of the whole family"

REALLY!? You suppressed a GIGGLE about that!? How about you throw up instead!? Which would have been the response of every other sane human being listening to that story. I just..I didn't understand how the author could possibly have thought it okay to break up the horror with humor. I know these women were trying to live normal lives now, to find happiness and meaning, but that line was just uncalled for, and made horribly disgusted.

I want to end this review by reiterating a point that another reviewer made that mirrored my own thoughts as I read on. THE COVER: why is the model a white female? Perhaps the author was keeping attempting to keep it consistent with the cover for her previous novel, Lipstick in Afghanistan, which also depicts a white female. I think the model should have better reflected the woman who actually wore the bracelet: olive-skinned, and of east Indian descent.

The characters were pretty one-dimensional, the story line predictable, and the tone completely off in relation to the subject matter. However, I learned a lot about something I only knew a little about previously, so I can't fault this book completely.(less)

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Oct 17, 2012 Lynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Whew! What an ending! Tanker trucks exploding, helicopters landing, people running for their lives!!

Nurse Abby Howell has run away - from New York, from a failed relationship - when she enlists with the UN and is sent to Pakistan to keep statistics on infant immunizations. Sounds like a pretty easy desk job? Not after Abby visits the refugee camp and witnesses, first hand, the deplorable conditions, the lack of basic necessities, and the wall filled to overflowing with pictures of "The Lost" --...more

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Apr 19, 2013 LaQuita (Just Us Girls) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am loving Roberta Gately more and more and becoming such a huge fan. The Bracelet was a book that I got to read on my way home from California. It's an easy read that keeps you on your toes and turning the page. This story touches a difficult topic that many of us know about, human trafficking, but not too many of us knows exactly what and how this is still going on. I think she did an incredible job tackling on this subject for this being a fictional story. I honestly was glued to this story...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Freda mans rated it 3 of 5 stars

An deeply emotional topic, human trafficking. Yet, it happens every day around the world, even our own backyards, while we are somewhat oblivious.
This book is about a UN worker and a reporter who try to do more. I use the word try very loosely, as its' the most difficult task to take on. Terror, fear, and more bone-chilling feelings are most of what you take out of a situation as that one. Having to find a way to stay safe and get word out about what is happening, reminds me why most of the worl...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: goodreads-first-read, crime-thriller, fiction, military-political-thrillers

I received The Bracelet for free as a Goodreads First Read. The premise drew me in: a young nurse, Abby, tries to find herself by taking a job working for the UN in Peshawar, Pakistan. Abby saw something during her training that she was not supposed to see, the death of a woman that may not have been accidental. Nick, a reporter for the New York Times, has arranged to interview Abby for a piece he's writing on the work of the UN in the region. Together, Abby and Nick must work out how the dead w...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Mary (BookHounds) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, from-publisher-author

MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT

Abby Monroe, newly dumped and laid off from her job as a pediatric nurse, decides to leave her life behind and is hired by the UN to compile statistics for their vaccine program. It is a job she is uniquely qualified for and is assigned to Peshawar, Pakistan. On her way to the refuge camp, she stops in Geneva for training and on an early morning run, she witnesses what she believes is a murder. A women falls four stories and Abby rushes to where she lands, as she approaches sh...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Literary rated it 2 of 5 stars

Mandy's Review:
(Slight spoiler alert in Overall section)

Cover/Title

It's a simple title, but it does make you wonder what is so special about the bracelet. Besides being made with expensive jewels, it does provide a link and a clue to the person, or people, behind all the terribleness of what's happening in Peshawar.

I would have liked to see the cover better reflect the feel of the novel. Yes, it's to showcase the bracelet, but the woman on the cover is white. The bracelet, in the novel, was give...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Olga Ptashnyuk rated it 4 of 5 stars

very nice easy read book - something you can take with you on the airplane (easy to follow story). It was a nice switch for me after reading too much of the classical books. The one thing I did not like about the book is the end: it felt like everything happend a little too fast. I had to read 2-3 times the same paragraph trying to understand what happened to the main "bad guy". The end was, of course, very predictable, but even though I expected it to be like that, I felt like everything happen...more

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Dec 15, 2012 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is no major literary work: the writing is pedestrian and the plot unsurprising BUT it does highlight the issue of human trafficking, developing world refugees and displaced people especially women and children. For this reason I gave it a 3 star rating. Fiction of social conscience gets some points from me. There's a little bit of intrigue, some tension, a romantic relationship too as well as development in the main protagonists. I would recommend this to teen girls and in fact class this a...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Joanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books-read

Abby Monroe is in Geneva for orientation after having lost her job as a nurse in Boston, where her position was slashed because of the recession. Her love life had also crashed when Eric, the love of her life, broke up with her by e-mail.

Abby's parents had wanted her to move in with them in Florida, but Abby chose to go work for the U.N. to get away from her heartbreak.

While in Geneva, Abby witnessed a jump or murder from an office complex. The young woman has either jumped, fallen or was pushe...more

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Mar 18, 2013 S rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

2,5
I’ve read some books that portray the abuse that many women have suffered due to sexism or some other sort of prejudice, namely in the Middle East. I think that is a subject that needs to be discussed and brought to the media so that people realize that this is real and it is important to fight against it, and eradicate such atrocity. So it’s always good to know that some authors are brave enough to tackle such a delicate and meaningful topic.

Also, the topics for discussion at the end of the...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Pamela rated it 4 of 5 stars

A look into some difficult subjects: human trafficking, life in third world countries and the corruption that exists at the highest levels of government and humanitarian organizations. Fortunately, these difficult subjects are presented in the form of an interesting novel with mystery, romance and intrigue.

This book is well written with good character and plot development. Sadly, I began to find the heroine to be annoyingly naive, but her clueless behavior is probably necessary for the plot. I j...more

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May 08, 2013 Susanne rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really liked this book after the first chapter, but then it all went downhill.
The coincidences in the plot are far too unbelievable and the naivité of the protagonist borders on the ridiculous. It's a bit difficult to believe that she has never heard of human trafficking, and cannot believe anyone would hurt children...
The characters remain clichés (the hemingwayesque journalist, the naive American, the rich girl without scruples) without any depth or credibility.
It's not badly written, though...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: gr-giveaways, read-gave-away, melissa-2012-challenge

After reading the description of this book, I was expecting a bit of a more gritty kind of book which isn't really what this is. Even though it wasn't what I was expecting it to be it was still a pretty good book. I liked the story line, it was easy to read and stay in the flow of the story.

The two main characters are Nick and Abby, I can't say I ever warmed up to Abby and while I liked Nick's character I never really saw him as a romantic interest. I actually found myself wishing the romantic...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Lynde rated it 4 of 5 stars

I give this book a 3.5 star rating. The thing I loved about this book was it's ability to raise my consciousness about the unbelievable truth of human trafficking, the lack of justice/respect for women of other countries, & how little we can do without extra money or resources. I liked the main characters and story. Abby is a tad on the naive side along with her background. The real depth of characters and storyline were the main problems I struggled with. An easy "light" read with an astoun...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Kristi (Books and Needlepoint) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs

This book was fascinating and tragic at the same time. It gave me a look inside the world of human trafficking at a time when my local church is getting involved in a local program dealing with human trafficking. It is really scary to me to think that there may be women in my own community who are trafficking victims - but that is a story for antoher day - back to The Bracelet.

Abby chose to go to Peshawar to get away from a broken heart and an unsatisfying job. She wasn't really thinking about...more This book was fascinating and tragic at the same time. It gave me a look inside the world of human trafficking at a time when my local church is getting involved in a local program dealing with human trafficking. It is really scary to me to think that there may be women in my own community who are trafficking victims - but that is a story for antoher day - back to The Bracelet.

Abby chose to go to Peshawar to get away from a broken heart and an unsatisfying job. She wasn't really thinking about where she was going, but what she was running from. When she sees a woman fall from a balcony in Geneva on her way to Peshawar, she has no way of knowing what that even will come to mean to her, but it is really just foreshadowing the events that she will experience in Pakistan.

She is pretty timid at first, pretty introverted, visiting the camp but not really stepping out side the boundaries she has erected for herself. As she gets to know the women though, her compassion comes to the forefront and she really starts to relate to them and goes out of her way to befriend them. Abby does not really understand how Najeela, an Afghan woman who works in the UN house that Abby lives in, does not want to do more for these women. Najeela is just concerned with what her European boyfriend can give her in the way of jewelry, and how she is going to get past her father's objections when she announces that she wants to marry him.

Nick, a journalist who comes to Pakistan to do an article on Abby, also helps to push Abby out of her comfort zone. Abby is determined not to cooperate with him, because she does not want to be the subject of an article. But like with the women in the camp, her carefully constructed walls start to come down and soon her and Nick have stumbled upon some key players in the trafficking world.

LIke I said in the beginning, this was a fascinating read but the tragedy that is happening both here and all over the world is horrifying. It was quick paced and really kept me glued to the pages. I would highly recomment this one if you are looking for chick lit with a little soul.(less)

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Dec 26, 2012 Thien-Kim rated it 2 of 5 stars

Over the weekend, I had some quiet time to myself and actually finished a novel in one sitting. Technically it was in bed and I wasn’t sitting. It’s still reading a book. Without mulling too much over my selection, I grabbed The Bracelet by Roberta Gately from my to-be-read pile.

After losing her nursing job and being dumped by her long time boyfriend, Abby aims for a fresh start. She takes a humanitarian aid position with the United Nations in turbulent Pakistan. Abby steps into a world of pover...more

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Jan 15, 2013 YA Reads Book Reviews rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: nichole

Originally posted on www.yareads.com, reviewed by Nichole.

Humanitarian aid Abby Howell and reporter Nick Sinclair find themselves in the middle of a human trafficking ring in Pakistan. When Abby realizes she may have witnessed a murder by a high-ranking official, she and Nick must break the story before she becomes its next casualty.
I was really nervous to read The Bracelet because it discussed such a terrifying topic for me: sex trafficking. I live very close to Seattle, WA, which actually has...more Originally posted on www.yareads.com, reviewed by Nichole.

Humanitarian aid Abby Howell and reporter Nick Sinclair find themselves in the middle of a human trafficking ring in Pakistan. When Abby realizes she may have witnessed a murder by a high-ranking official, she and Nick must break the story before she becomes its next casualty.
I was really nervous to read The Bracelet because it discussed such a terrifying topic for me: sex trafficking. I live very close to Seattle, WA, which actually has a large amount of sex trafficking, and trafficking in general going on. I also learned quite a bit about human trafficking in one of my college courses, which scared the living crap out of me. Not to mention, the movie Taken, starring Liam Neeson. Obviously, I didn’t handle that very well either.
When I read the prologue for The Bracelet, I was expecting a rather strong novel from Roberta Gately. It was pretty intense witnessing Abby watch a girl get thrown off the roof, and I expected high action throughout the rest of the novel. Unfortunately, I ended up being bored throughout most of the book.
The novel is set in Pakistan, which, honestly, is not a book for me. I don’t mind reading about other cultures, but I often find those types of books to be really educational and long, which is exactly how The Bracelet turned out for me. I also felt that the book was very repetitive.
I cannot express how much I disliked the main character, Abby. I really don’t have any logical reason for disliking her, I just didn’t. She got on my nerves so much! Not to mention, I thought she was an absolute idiot. I know that Gately was trying to educate her readers on what sex trafficking is. However, it really made Abby look bad when she had no idea what sex trafficking was. Seriously? What grown adult has never heard of sex trafficking or human trafficking? I know it’s not widely discussed, but I definitely scoffed at that. I also found her to be very obnoxious, and I felt that she whined way too much. I really did feel pity that her boyfriend of three or so years broke up with her. I did! But….going clear to Pakistan to recover, which is basically what she did, from a break up? REALLY? That’s a little over the top in my opinion.
Unfortunately, while reading this book, I found myself doing something that I never do. I skimmed a bunch of pages, and I ended up skipping whole paragraphs because I was that bored. It really did feel like a history lesson/educational novel, and I felt that this book could potentially be assigned to me from one of my professors. I read enough for school as it is, I don’t want my luxury reading to feel like school also.
Now, here’s the thing. Roberta Gately is a great writer. I understood that while I was reading The Bracelet. To make me a fan, though, Gately needs to take that great writing and make it interesting. Give me a plot that’s going to catch my attention and make me a loyal reader. The Bracelet is more of an adult novel than a young adult novel, but I read both. My books don’t have to be full of fantasy or paranormal activity. I’m fine sitting down and reading an adult romance novel or action/thriller.
In the end, I can’t tell readers whether or not they should read this book, because it really wasn’t for me. However, it did have great writing and this concept may appeal to some. I would encourage fans of this genre to give the book a chance. You never know, you may really enjoy it. Unfortunately, the book just was not for me.

Pages: 304
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: November 6th, 2012
Rating: : 1

Teaser Quote: “There is a lot to tell.” Nick was suddenly serious. He leaned across the table. “Trafficking is a big business. It’s a damned bonanza- third-biggest illegal business in the world behind arms and drugs, and it has an endless supply of resources. While the supply of drugs and arms could dry up, there’ll always be girls and women to exploit. It’s a thirty-two-billion-dollar-a year business.”(less)

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Feb 03, 2013 Danna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: angsty-love-story, crime, speed-read, prostitution, beach-reads, about-the-world, page-turner, politics, eat-pray-love, romance, chick-lit, poverty, ya

The Bracelet is an easy-to-read novel about a not-so-easy topic: human trafficking. As I read The Bracelet, the term that came to mind was "human trafficking lite." Abby Monroe is an unbelievably naive young woman who has run off to Pakistan as a UN aide worker. Her decision to enter this "unstable security situation" was made hastily, post-breakup, and as a result, Abby had no idea what she was up against. For example, I found myself annoyed at Abby, who gallivanted off to Peshawar, never havin...more

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May 10, 2013 Ellen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book...an entertaining read that also addresses a serious global issue: the horrendous, twisted underworld of human trafficking. But it definitely had some weaknesses too: although the victimized women and children in this novel were sensitively portrayed and their stories were presented with a haunting blend of emotion and gritty realism, the two main characters, Abby and Nick, seemed like cardboard cutouts in comparison. In particular, I was often very frustrated and annoyed by...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Kristin rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was wanting to like this book, largely because it deals with a serious, largely under-reported issue, but in the end... I found the writing weak, the characters not at all realistic and the story not believable as a result.

The plotline of the book is that Abby, totally inexperienced with worldwide humanitarian work, takes a job in Peshawar, Pakistan, working on a vaccination program. On the way to Pakistan, she witnesses a murder in Geneva, that is ultimately connected to her experienced in Pa...more I was wanting to like this book, largely because it deals with a serious, largely under-reported issue, but in the end... I found the writing weak, the characters not at all realistic and the story not believable as a result.

The plotline of the book is that Abby, totally inexperienced with worldwide humanitarian work, takes a job in Peshawar, Pakistan, working on a vaccination program. On the way to Pakistan, she witnesses a murder in Geneva, that is ultimately connected to her experienced in Pakistan. In Pakistan, Abby meets Nick, a New York Times reporter, working on a story about human trafficking. The two characters eventually end up working together on the time, run into problems, and you are supposed to have danger, suspense, romance, etc.

My thoughts... It's totally unrealistic that the United Nations would hire such an inexperienced person to work all alone in Peshawar, Pakistan, with absolutely no security in her housing and transportation. This wouldn't be allowed in even less dangerous locations, but Peshawar? Never. Second, Abby and her job position? Abby gets excited about including women's personal stories in her statistic reports to the UN, hoping it'll help the UN better understand the human faces behind the number. The UN understands the human situation in its camps, and it does appreciate stories to include in reports to its donors. But the stories would need to be related to the project (and its donor source). So, for example, Abby would need to report on the women's lack of vaccinations previously, and how this new access would impact their lives. I therefore found Abby's employment situation unrealistic. Third, you have Nick. Anyone who has spent any time with experienced war reporters (especially someone who won a Pulitzer!) would never believe this character. He tells Abby information and sources that would put her in danger. He constantly eats in the American club with Abby (experienced reporters always gather with other reporters in local joints). He has never ending patience with Abby... unlikely, experienced reporters hate dealing with "newbies." It's just SO unrealistic, the friendship, the working relationship, the romance.

I DO appreciate the attempt to raise awareness on human trafficking. If you know little or nothing on the topic, perhaps this book is a decent starting place. If you already know something on the topic, reading this book is like reading an elementary-school level book on the topic. It just touches the surface (a fluff book). The simplicity will drive you crazy. If you want complex, developed characters, this book will drive you crazy. If you've worked in dangerous, international disaster areas, this book will drive you crazy, as it does nothing to really show the true complexity of necessary security precautions, dangers to locals versus foreigners, and the reasons behind the security situation. When I read the fact that the author has served as a humanitarian aid worker in disaster zones I was surprised. This book simply in no way meshed with my experience living and working abroad with refugees, torture survivors, humanitarian workers, psycosocial-counselors, reporters, photographers, security analysts and security managers. So I was disappointed with both the storyline itself, and the actual writing quality. However, I DID finish the book, which is more than I have done with other books. So I rated the book as "okay," it wasn't a bad book.(less)

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Nov 02, 2012 Cassandra. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, mine, historical-fiction, 2012

Timely subject, great characters (needed more depth), insightful look at the politics of the middle-east and the workings of the UN. The crime of human trafficking is presented in riveting, humanistic, horrifying reality. While reading this book, I found myself wanting more. I read it in a little over a day, so it certainly kept my attention. The coincidence of the main character, Abby, witnessing a crime in Geneva in the beginning of the book and the involvement with the perpetrators later was...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Surgesca rated it 2 of 5 stars

I couldn't figure out who the audience was for this title. The blend of realistic fiction on an extremely current topic and a romance that seemed written for YA but had people drowning their problems with Scotch was puzzling. I didn't particularly enjoy the mix. The arc of the romance was too predictable and the hot topic included some very graphic descriptions that seemed included for shock value. It's a quick read by an author with experience in the Middle East.

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