ARC Review: Dime by E. R. Frank

Publisher: Atheneum for Young Readers
Publishing Date: May 26th, 2015
Genre: YA Contemporary
Pages: 336 pgs
ISBN: 9781481431606
Source: Received from Simon & Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review



Summary from Goodreads:

The realities of teen prostitution are revealed in this eye-opening, heartbreaking story from the author of America, which Booklist called "a piercing, unforgettable novel" and Kirkus Reviews deemed "a work of sublime humanity."

As a teen girl in Newark, New Jersey, lost in the foster care system, Dime just wants someone to care about her, to love her. A family. And that is exactly what she gets-a daddy and two "wifeys." So what if she has to go out and earn some coins to keep her place? It seems a fair enough exchange for love.

Dime never meant to become a prostitute. It happened so gradually, she pretty much didn't realize it was happening until it was too late.

But when a new "wifey" joins the family and Dime finds out that Daddy doesn't love her the way she thought he did, will Dime have the strength to leave? And will Daddy let her?

My Review:

I think this YA book may just be the definition of disturbing. It is a book about a young girl who gets sucked into prostitution. She is a teen girl, growing up in the foster family, and just looking for someone to show her love. This need for love in her life makes her an ideal target for a pimp. He is able to prey on her and pretends to love her. When she starts feeling comfortable then he asks her for a favour. No big deal- please go make me some money by selling your body.
This book is gritty and raw and will shake you up. This book will bother you but it is an important story to tell. These things happen everyday in every city. What makes the book so hard to read is the way it is narrated. This is the only life this teen girl has known and so it is written in a way that is normal. She has normalized the events in her life and it isn't until she sees the same thing happening to someone else that she realizes how horrid her life condition is.
While it's hard to read, this book is really good. I couldn't put it down and it stuck with me for quite some time. It got me thinking about foster care and poverty and how it lends itself to a cycle of abuse, drug use, gangs and prostitution. That's not to say everyone in this situation will fall into one of these categories but it makes it easier.
If you are looking for something thought provoking then this is the book for you. It is well worth the time and you should go out and pick it up.