Sold by Patricia McCormick

Written in verse, this beautiful, award-winning book tells the story of Lakshmi, a girl from the Himalayan mountains who is sold into sex slavery by her step-father. She is forced to work in a brothel or else face starvation and eventual death on the streets. The book is very well researched since the author traveled to India and Nepal to interview women working in Calcutta's red light district. I could not put this book down--once I started, I was hooked! McCormick is also the author of Cut, a book about self harm; the author thoroughly researched the topic, which is something I really appreciate about this talented writer. 

I recommend this book to readers who like survival stories, realistic fiction, and real world issues. It does have some explicit and inferred violent abuse, so I recommend it for mature readers. 5 out of 5 stars!