  | Life I'm in Author: Flake, Sharon G. | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
Turned out of the only home she has known, Charlese Jones, aka Char, boards a bus to nowhere where she is lured into the dangerous web of human trafficking. While Char might be frightened, she remains strong and determined to bring herself and her fellow victims out of the dark and back into the light.
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| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: UG Reading Level: 3.50 Points: 10.0 Quiz: 512950 |
Reviews:
Booklist (+) (12/01/20)
The Hornbook (00/03/21)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 12/01/2020 *Starred Review* It’s been a little more than 20 years since the award-winning The Skin I’m In took the world of young adult literature by storm, and now Flake has returned with a much-desired sister novel. Whereas the first installment follows the life of Maleeka Madison, a 13-year-old Black girl who is bullied into setting her teacher’s classroom on fire, the second, picking up right where things left off, unfolds through the perspective of Char, her bully. After Char is expelled from McClenton Middle School, Char’s sister, JuJu, has no choice but to send her away to live with their grandparents in Alabama. But what was supposed to be a foolproof transition to a better life and new opportunities for 16-year-old Char quickly spirals as she is pulled into a sex-trafficking circle that all but strips her of who she knows herself to be. Not for the faint of heart, Flake's novel treats Char’s experiences with vivid transparency. Char’s voice is harrowing as the complexities behind her life and relationships are peeled back, exposing the pain behind her actions and a steadfast resolve to do better. Despite everything she encounters, Char is not alone, as her relationships with both Maleeka and Ms. Saunders evolve in unanticipated and heart-wrenching ways, signaling to readers that it’s never too late to try and turn things around. Included is the contact information for the National Human Trafficking Hotline along with a brief discussion of Flake’s journey in writing this difficult yet necessary sequel. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 04/01/2021 Gr 9 Up—Charlese Jones, best known as the bully to Maleeka Madison in Flake's The Skin I'm In, had a great life until her parents' death. After this trauma, her family has a hard time continuing to function and her older sister is named her legal guardian. Char, who is African American, is on a downward spiral and is sent to live with her grandparents. On the way there, she is lured into human trafficking. She must find a way to help herself and the others with her. The powerful idea that you can't understand why a person acts the way they do without fully understanding their story takes center stage in this novel. Teens will be able to connect to Char, and learn from her. The topics discussed are relevant and portrayed realistically, though the book may be triggering for some readers. If they have read the first book the character development will take on a deeper meaning, but this is truly its own story. VERDICT The long-awaited companion novel to The Skin I'm In does not disappoint. Recommend to readers who enjoyed Kim Johnson's This Is My America.—Elizabeth Pelayo, St. Charles East H.S., IL - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
