Dime by Frank, E.R.
Atheneum, 2015. 978-1-4814-3160-6. $17.99. 314p
Thirteen-year-old Dime has been in the Foster Care System, and has been abused by it.
She decides to run away, unfortunately trusting the first "nice" man who offers her help. As she slowly realizes that she is being groomed as a prostitute, she also believes that this is her “family.” She has food, a good place to sleep, and “sisters.” When the world again falls apart, it is so difficult to watch.
Human trafficking is a popular theme currently, and this slight book brings that home once again through human interaction. Dime is thirteen. There are many girls in middle school like her. The sexual situations are not graphic, but still real. The book is not without hope, but hope is only in the background. Dime has so much to overcome that the sheer weight threatens to drag both you and her down.
For teens looking for the feelings involved with the “why” of a teen becoming a prostitute. Difficult to read, but important to discuss and understand. Frank has long produced gritty, well-written novels. This BBYA selection is no exception. It is an important book to read and discuss. Dime’s voice will stay in your mind for a long time.
Recommended 13 up
Boy, this book is a rough read. I think I could only recommend it to my more mature readers. Your review states the sexual scenes are not graphic--I think they are even though they don't spell EVERYTHING out.
ReplyDeleteBoy, this was a rough read. I would only recommend it to my more mature readers. Your review said the sex scenes weren't graphic but even though things weren't spelled out, they were still plenty graphic.
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