This is a courageous work, a pouring out of the soul. It is a work written in service to all who are exploited by prostitution, and one which aspires to address the severe injustice of their plight. Wendy spares herself no detail, no matter what the cost. Every detail of her actions, her relationships, her feelings and her innermost thoughts is explored. It is a powerful approach to the journey of her life, as in this way the reader is allowed to make the journey with her, often into the very darkest of places.During her teenage years, while she was still just a child, Wendy was coerced into prostitution. Earlier in her life she had been abused. Now, by the time she was just 17, she was a victim of human trafficking or modern-day slavery. Over the next 14 years she endures horrific treatment at the hands of a pimp, an accomplished abuser who manipulates her and others under his control.The pimp though was only part of the tale of her exploitation. The clients who willingly paid for her services, and for the services of others, some of these others only minors, occupies a significant part of her story. Prostitution is stripped down to its most fundamental elements: the selfishness of the buyer, the victimisation of the seller, and the enrichment of the pimp. Most often little money is made from each transaction, hardly enough to sustain the exploited, that is had it been left to them. The reality of course is that it is the pimp who collects all of these small sums from the many girls under his control. Poignantly, Wendy's first sense of freedom as an adult comes when she is imprisoned.There are many themes to the book's journey. Foremost among them is the sense of the sheer number of children who are vulnerable in the United States today. Not only that, but the reality of where a great many of these young people end up is beyond alarming. It is evident from the book just how many pimps are well-acquainted with this reality, and well-acquainted too with exploiting the constant supply of these young people.Another theme of the book concerns the fact that all of this exploitation is really just slavery in a modern guise. In a letter to her mother, during the years of exploitation, Wendy is able to intuit the reality of her predicament. She means nothing to the man who pimps her - he has no feelings - none for her or the others he exploits - she is just a slave to him. Her experience reflects a broader reality that slavery is still very much alive in a world no longer conscious of its presence.There are other themes, but one in particular deserves special mention. The use of force, deception or coercion to engage an adult in prostitution constitutes human trafficking under international law. When that person is under 18 years of age, as Wendy was, it is slavery regardless of how the enslavement occurred. Part of Wendy's journey entails her escape from slavery, but that part of her tale doesn't unfold as one might expect. Having suffered so much under a regime well-acquainted with slavery, she now suffers again under another impoverished by its lack of understanding.I have read a great many books on human trafficking and modern slavery. I recommend this book highly.I wish the author the very best in her advocacy.@davelohan