Publication Day!
April 25, 2023

4.5⭐

Cloud Girls by Lisa Harding is heartbreaking, almost unbearably so. Nicoleta “Nico” Zanesti, an innocent child of twelve from Moldova, has no option but to trust her parents, her father in particular when he “marries” her off to a stranger. She believes her father’s promises that she will see the sea, travel and have a wonderful life in London. Little does she know that she is being sold off to a child trafficker. Fifteen-year-old Dubliner, Samantha “Sammy” Harvey, on the other hand, is the child of an alcoholic, emotionally abusive mother and a father who is around but practically ineffectual as far as being an influence on her life is concerned. Refusing to notify the relevant authorities of her situation at home fearing that she would be placed in foster care Sammy chooses life on the streets. She hopes to make some money and start over on her own, but even she is unprepared for the brutality and darkness that ensues. These two girls come from different backgrounds, they are different people but their fates are intertwined when they both end up in the same “house” with several other girls in Ireland. Sammy is shown to be stronger and relatively more mature than Nico. Initially self-absorbed and a tad indifferent to the other trafficked girls around she is deeply affected by their suffering, Nico in particular. Nico finds comfort in memories of her home and family, and the clouds she still enjoys watching – a refuge from the harsh reality of her life. Subject to unimaginable acts of brutality and trapped, with no one but one another to turn to, they attempt to ease one another’s pain while wishing for a sliver of hope in what they begin to realize is a hopeless situation.

With its powerful prose and compelling characters, this novel is an emotionally impactful read. The narrative is shared from the first-person PoVs of Sammy and Nico in alternating chapters. Both Sammy and Nico are very well-fleshed-out characters. The story gives an unflinching, bleak and harsh look into the underbelly of child sex trafficking and the plight of those trapped in a vicious cycle of debt, exploitation and abuse. In the Author’s Note, Lisa Harding shares that both these characters are based on the composites of the testimonials of several children who were victims of sex trafficking. Given the subject matter, it goes without saying that this is not a light read. But it is an important story that needs to be told and one that will stay with you.

Many thanks to author Lisa Harding, HarperVia and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

⚠ Sexual Abuse of Minors ( )

What a heart-wrenching story. Between the characters and the knowledge of this very real problem, I couldn't put the book down. I hope this story raises awareness and inspires action against sex-trafficking. ( )