Incredibly hard to read, but so much better than the other books in this vein I've come across in the last year. It's so eye-opening, seeing how easy trafficking is to fall into, and how often it takes place here. Lex was held only about 30 minutes from her mom's house.

What Unbreakable Looks Like is the story of Lex, an American teenager from a difficult home who was trafficked by her mother's boyfriend and his friend. Following a sting operation, Lex spends time at a rehabilitation facility before returning to "normal" life with her aunt and uncle. Over time, with the aid of family, friends, and other loved ones, Lex gradually begins to heal and reconciles with the fact that she was not responsible for the horrific violence she endured.

Right off the bat, there were a few things that I appreciated about this book. For one, the sexual violence Lex endured was never presented in graphic detail - no flashbacks, no descriptions, or anything that would otherwise glamorize or sexualize her trauma. Second, for as much as this book presents an unrealistic portrayal of recovery (at times, it felt far too linear), I liked that the message was ultimately one of hope. While the novel doesn't shy away from depicting the reality of trafficked women, I did find myself rooting for Lex and it was a relief to watch her grow and heal with the aid of her loved ones. I also appreciated that the book contains a positive portrayal of therapy - something that's, unfortunately, all too rare in YA.

Ultimately, this was a book that I enjoyed reading - which seems strange to say about a book that discusses human trafficking, but for as much as the book is about violence, it's also about healing and recovery. The majority of the book is spent on messages of love and support, and the characters, without being unrealistic or simplistic, love and support one another in ways that felt comforting. This is a book about violence and trauma, but it's also a book about healing - and, in the end, one that has a positive message for survivors of trauma that they can, and they will, recover.

I’m so happy that this book exists. The subject, domestic human trafficking, is one that we need to talk about more openly, and this book does just that. It is a work of fiction, but undoubtedly well researched because the plot and the characters could just as well have been real.

What Unbreakable Looks Like starts with a police raid on a motel where underage teenage girls are trafficked. Poppy/Alexa ends up in hospital and is offered an opportunity to get away from this life that she never chose in the first place. Her aunt Krys takes her in and together they work towards helping Lex find trust and stability again.

Written through Alexa’s eyes, in a way that sometimes reads like a journal, What Unbreakable Looks Like is a dark tale that ultimately provides light and hope, without ever telling us that Alexa’s journey is the norm. It’s very clear all the way through that Alexa is one of the few who is able to make it through to the other side after being trafficked, and she definitely does not make it through unscathed.

I’m still unpacking this book. Kate McLaughlin was able to incorporate so many feelings, so much trauma, but in a way that is naturally threaded through the narrative. We learn about the depths of Alexa’s trauma through flashbacks to her life in the motel in parallel with her progress in the present, and how this trauma triggers certain reactions and thoughts in her.

Important topics that often fall under the umbrella of human trafficking, such as child sexual abuse, disassociation, forced drug abuse, grooming, distrust, abuse in all forms, and unworthiness for example, are all openly discussed. Trauma is not something predictable, and there is no quick fix or solution, or salvation. In order to heal one requires a strong support system, time, and the ability to understand how certain situations cause certain reactions. As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse there were parts of Lex’s journey I related to strongly, and it was not always easy to read without feeling like I was being punched in the stomach. But the author did such a good job recreating the guilt, the anger, the disassociation, the difficulty trusting anyone… No, we aren’t broken.

Every year there are thousands and thousands of (reported cases of) domestic human trafficking in the US. Kudos to Kate McLaughlin for shining a light on this epidemic in her novel. If something doesn’t look right, don’t turn away.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I highly recommend everyone read this!

What Unbreakable Looks Like by Kate McLaughlin is a heartbreaking yet inspiring debut that follows Lex’s journey to reacclimate to society after being rescued from a sex trafficking ring.

This story is heartbreaking in a lot of different ways; it’s also inspiring. It doesn’t matter that Lex is technically a fictional character – she is absolutely a representation of so many that are victims and survivors of sexual abuse and human trafficking.

I thought that McLaughlin did a great job with the development of not only Lex, but the secondary characters too like Lex’s Aunt Krys and Uncle Jamal, her first friends Zack and Elsa as well as fellow victims Sarah, Lonnie, and Ivy. Lex is the one to have the most development from beginning to end, which makes sense. She felt very realistic as she slowly got used to being in a safe place, to learning to slowly trust others and herself, and even as she stumbled.

I’m very grateful that McLaughlin decided to start the story at Lex’s rescue; I don’t know if I would have been able to start the book if it started earlier. From there, we get to see Lex’s whole recovery, some of the stumbles that she makes, and some her flashbacks. The flashbacks were hard to read even if they weren’t very detailed, but they were detailed enough. Overall, the plot made sense for the most part.

I would say that the only aspects that I didn’t always love was the pacing in some parts as well as McLaughlin’s writing choices. The pacing starts out feeling right, but then it speeds up to a pivotal moment. I feel like there was a missed opportunity to help the reader really see the actions that brought Lex to the pivotal moment where her so-called boyfriend and his friends sexually assault her. From there, the pacing goes back to feeling right. Part of it could be that the ARC hasn’t gone through another round of edits, I don’t know. This ARC had some formatting issues that I hope they fix.

Overall, I liked McLaughlin’s writing. However, some of the dialogue didn’t feel the most natural and there was some choppiness in places. In the end, however, I ended up not really remembering those instances.

I really, really enjoyed reading this book. Lex is a great representation of many who have been sexually and physically assaulted and abused. Sadly, not everyone makes it back into society. But for those who do, I hope Lex does them justice and is an inspiration, no matter how fictional. I also hope people read this and are reminded about just how big of a problem human trafficking is.

This title really split me when it came to review time. On one hand, I liked that it discussed the hard issues of trafficking and the fallout while trying to recover. On the other hand, it simply made it too easy.
The novel started with Lex being rescued from a time in the trafficking world. From there, we see flashbacks from her past that show that world that she lived in. it was gruesome, unapologetic, and real to life. I liked that this book did not shy away from the nitty gritty and made its reader queasy at times. This can be a hard book to get through, but it is a reality check for some people that don’t know much about what trafficking really is and how close to home it can be.
The reality, for me, seemed to stop there. Lex’s recovery was just too easy. She shows some misgivings about being around people and doubt that her life won’t get thrown back into that world, yet these tend to be fleeting thoughts as she quickly starts dating again. Even when she sees those responsible for her imprisonment, her fear is practically absent. I would like to say that I appreciate McLaughlin’s choice to have a strong female who can push through her horrible past, but it just wasn’t believable as this speed. If Lex was this strong, I would have expected to have escaped rather than be rescued.
The subject of drugs does fade in and out of the story, and though I wish there was a little more emphasis on this impact, I can accept that the book wasn’t cluttered with too many issues. The secondary characters were well rounded and enjoyable to read.
I would suggest this book to anyone starting out looking into the trafficking world who wants a lighter book on the subject. This would not be good as an in depth study on the subject. I did “like” (that’s weird to say) this book and found it a relatively quick read that just needed a little more meat on its bones.

Books are delightful because they give you a distraction from the real world. You can read any genre and the words will transport you to a time and place where you can be someone else for awhile. This book gave me a distraction but I had to stop reading a few times to get some air because it's so heavy! I don't normally read heavy books to escape; it's not my thing but I understand what Kate was trying to convey when she wrote this book. She explained those trials in her Author's note and many times even her husband had to bring her back from the brink of breaking.

Human trafficking is something I don't think about and I'm embarrassed to say that but I want to be honest. It's not a subject I'm entirely familiar with and it's not related to me in any way, shape or form. After reading this book and soon I will watch the documentary mentioned, I really am astounded by how easy it is to become a victim. Just reading Lex's story made me frustrated because it's so evident that she was being groomed for something sinister and I was annoyed because it seemed so easily avoidable. But when I look at the bigger picture, it all comes down to the victims support systems. The girls were taken because they were lacking something else in their lives that their pimp provided. Love, gifts, attention, money, drugs, etc. When you don't come from a loving home or feel like you are cared for, it's very easy to be persuaded by the smallest gesture. Then before you know it, you're in a room with 5 men doing things you have no choice but to do and this becomes your life.

As hard as it was to read this, I'm glad I did. Topics like these are hard and definitely a wake up call to what's happening in our present day reality. I admire Kate for going down this rabbit hole to tell a story and shed some light on a crisis that needs more support and acknowledgement.

This is an extremely powerful book with many trigger (trafficking, drugs, rape, violence, miscarriage). It was so well written and Lex’s story felt so real and painful. The more I read the more invested I became in the emotional well-being these characters and even though the triggers in this book are not to be overlooked; it was a beautiful story.

This was an important and timely book. Based on my experience with trafficking, this is an accurate rendering of the healing process. I plan to purchase multiple copies of this title and plan to recommend it as a 2023 Evergreen nominee.

Outstanding read chronicling the life of a trafficked teen during the year following her rescue. Many books tell the story of the rough life of a kidnapped woman forced into prostitution, but far fewer consider the struggles and challenges faced by the same woman trying to re-enter society. That is the sole focus of this novel. Excellent writing, exciting plot, well-developed characters, consistent pace and a heroine constantly facing barriers to success make for an outstanding read.

After reading the synopsis for this book, I knew that it was going to be moving.

Starting with a whisper and building to a crescendo, the voice of Lex is a beautiful and heartbreaking thing. This is a young woman who has seen and felt everything horrible that can be inflicted upon a person, and survived. But the most amazing thing about her is that no matter how much she thinks that the life has been beaten out of her, no matter the scars that mark her inside and out, she still has hope. Lex's hope is what eventually brings her alive.

When I started reading, I began with the impression that the character of Alexa was going through the motions. There was a lot of almost rushing through the paces: she was broken out of the motel alongside the other girls by the police raid, she was taken to the hospital, her aunt was brought in, she was taken to a house of rehabilitation... It was fact after fact, and it seemed as if not enough introspection was being inserted to make me connect. But as I started to get to know Lex, I saw the brilliance of this.

Alexa compartmentalizes her emotions and thoughts. She trained herself to do this in order to hold on to the scrap of life that she had. If she feels too much, or at all sometimes, she falls apart. Her entrance into a new home, and her introduction to new friends and a new family, is what finally gets her to open up little by little. It's something that happens at a slow and tenuous progress, and the writing shifts perfectly because of this. Suddenly Lex's thoughts, ideas and feelings begin to make more of an appearance. And as fragile as they are, we get to know her better. That's when we really begin to feel the trauma and tragedy that is her life. From here on out, the story won me over.

After the torture that Lex is put through, the people that are put into her life are a gift. And I certainly understand her mistrust at first. It's all too good to be true, that's the only thing that she has been taught to know. Her sweet aunt Krys and kind uncle Jamal, the new friend Elsa from across the street, and the boy who becomes her protector, Zack. These four people are the main front that stand by Alexa, and the patience and support that they lend her is so good in its simplicity, without any restrictions or anything expected in return, that in a way it rekindles your belief that there really are good people out there. And it's a little sad, this realization that you have alongside the lead.

I think that, due to the nature of the abuse that Lex goes through, her relationship with Zack is one of the most important ones in the novel. Their attachment, as it grows, is such a beautiful but frail thing to behold. And again, because of what Alexa is accustomed to, she purposefully attempts to destroy that more than once. This is what she knows, this is what she is accustomed to and what she believes—despite what she really wants—that Zack is after: to use her. Every time that that boy pushed her away, while remaining by her, was not just a point in his favor but a new way for Lex to realize that she deserves more, and that she is not going to be the broken thing that she believes herself to be.

Despite her initial reluctance, she wants to not just survive, but to live.

Overall, What Unbreakable Looks Like is very character driven. Through this cast and their development, the story grows and reaches its satisfying finish. There are moments when justice is certainly served, but there is also a lot of loss along the way. I cried a few times—this novel is going to make you cry or at least get the reader teary-eyed, it's almost impossible for someone not to be sentimental—and there were moments when it was difficult to read through the things that not only Poppy went through, but the other girls as well. In the end, however, it's all worth it.

Inspirational, raw, difficult to put down and poignant, this novel stays with you well after you finish.

What Unbreakable Looks Like
A Novel
by Kate McLaughlin

St. Martin's Press
Wednesday Books
Teens & YA
Pub Date 23 Jun 2020


I am reviewing a copy of What Unbreakable Looks like through St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books and Netgalley:


Due to the sensitive subject matters and rough language in this book I would not recommend this book to anyone younger than fifteen, with the exception of those who have been the victims of sex trafficking or who have had loved ones in that situation. Child Sex Trafficking is a very hard subject for most adults let alone youngsters to grasp.




Lexi was trafficked, and they changed her name to Poppy. She was kept in the hotel room with other trafficked girls, after the girls are rescued she's not sure how to be Lex again.



After moving in her aunt and uncle she knows that for the first time in a long time she's safe. The problem is she doesn't trust the feeling, Doesn't trust her new home, her new friends or her new life. Instead she believes that she is not good enough to have these good things.


After Lexi is sexually assaulted by her so called boyfriend and his friends. Lexi is forced to deal with what happened to her, and come to the realization that though it was sadly something she became used to in that hotel room, does not mean it is okay. Soon she is thrust into the limelight and comes to realize she has the power to help others. First though she'll have to confront the monsters of her past with the help of her family, friends, and a new love.


I give What Unbreakable Looks Like four out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Brutal and blindingly honest. This book really cut to the heart of what it means to be a survivor, and it did it with sparing prose and characters so real they felt like they might walk off the page. This book broke my heart and mended it again. I have a feeling WHAT UNBREAKABLE LOOKS LIKE will mean a lot to survivors everywhere.

"This is how you survive. You sit the fuck down and give them the respect they deserve, and you make a promise to yourself that they didn't die for nothin. You get mad, and you keep going. "

What Unbreakable Looks Like is a raw and heartbreaking story about human trafficking in the United States. Alexa, was trafficked into prostitution by Mitch (a friend of her mother and her father in law). As soon as he starts drugging her and using her she become Poppy, another flower to the batch of women and girls he has trafficked over the year. Poppy forgets what it is to be Alexa in order to survive, that is until she is rescued by the police and starts living with her aunt and her husband.

The story is fast paced as Mitch continues to find her and we see Alexa navigate between sadness, grief and finding herself able to love both physically and emotionally. The point of the story is beautiful, the characters are there to entice the story and make you feel for the characters yet my main problem with this book was the writing.

I feel bad for giving this book a low rating because I enjoyed the point of the story and the meaning behind it However, these books need to have more eloquent writing that is not so over the place and seems like a rant or journal entry of thoughts. The writing wasn't what I expected and if you place this story with all this meaning and add writing that is heartbreaking and raw you will get a fantastic popular story. What Unbreakable Looks Like has immature writing, hence you feel for the story and for the characters but the writing acts like a wall for you to really reach into the focus of the story.

The story (because of the writing) had a very bad flow. Although the key events and characters are there, I just didn't find myself feeling. There has to be more books like these out there that speak about this issues that many don't know happen so easily, I just wish the writing could compare to the message this book leaves behind.

*I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

-- 2 stars --

Wow, where to begin? First by thanking NetGalley for this ARC to read and review (all opinions are my own). Second to the author Kate McLaughlin to writing this book and bring to light the atrocities that are found in this world. Third to God and my wonderful parents for loving me and raising me to see the beauty in people and love. This is the story of Alexa, a young girl who was lured into a world if human depravity by those she should have trusted and her fight to stay unbroken by the crimes committed against her by people who did not and do not know her. This is the reality of the world and why we are in the crisis we are in today. The universe is weeping in despair for the inhumanity that goes on on a daily basis. This is a poignant look at what happens when innocence is stolen and arrogance is used against those who trust. Yet in the end we see Alexa at the end of the tunnel through the love and compassion of het aunt, uncle and friends. A must read.

This book was heartbreaking and emotional. I honestly didn’t know what to expect, but once I started reading I couldn’t put it down!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

What Unbreakable Looks Like by Kate McLaughlin is one of those books that manages to work its way deep within your psyche as you read your way through the book. The general premise is about Lex (Alexa), a young girl, who was coerced by a family friend into a life that she then finds she can't escape. That is the world of sex trafficking. We know she eventually does by the fact that the story starts out after the ring was busted up by the police; however, it's all those psychological chains that Lex still needs to break away from that makes the story what it is.

Unlike many others, Lex was fortunate that she had others to help her along the way though we see that she still has a very difficult path to travel. Early in the book, I thought that Lex was a little too resilient, after all she had been through, to be believable. By the middle of the book, the story takes a turn into the darker sides of her recovery. Not easy material to stomach for some yet what these girls go through in real life is much worse. Eventually, I realized that Lex's resiliency was needed to tell the story the way the author wanted as well as I don't think that a broader audience could have handled the book if it got much darker. For a story such as this, a broader audience is needed to help inform others of this sort of criminal activity as well as providing a better understanding of its effects on the girls and women who are subjected to these crimes.

Though the book is a work of fiction, it is based on a sort of crime that does happen all too often leaving much destruction in its path. McLaughlin did her homework and researched real accounts from various angles and wove those into the book.

The more I read, the deeper I became immersed within the book. By the end, it was emotional. Not something I easily do with books, I can admit to actually shedding a few tears along the way. It was personal even though, fortunately, I myself have never experienced such horrors. But I know it happens and happens to others more often than we would like to recognize. What Unbreakable Looks Like is an excellent method of helping us understand an ugly side of life that does happen, and maybe even help us to help others in some small way,if that's even possible.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of the eBook for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for my honest review.
I know this is going to sound weird, but I LOVED this book. What Unbreakable Looks Like by Kate McLaughlin had me hooked from the first page. It’s being described as a raw, unflinching and authentic, I can’t comment on genuine but I can agree it’s a raw, unflinching, and gritty look into sex trafficking.
The MC Lex, who we first meet as Poppy, was seduced by a friend of her mother and her mother’s boyfriend into a situation I wouldn’t wish on anyone. We meet some amazing women throughout this story. From Lex herself; to her aunt, the detective who finds her and protects her, to the women running the rehab facility, to Lex’s best friend, and there’s more. I love that Lex quickly learns that people all around her are dealing with something. It may not be the same as what she’s been through, but people deal with things in different ways.
We follow Lex from the motel, to the hospital, to the rehab facility, and then to her aunt’s house. There are some flashbacks, which paint disturbing pictures of what life was like at the motel and what a terrible person her mother was. BUT we also get to witness Lex discovering what love is and that she’s worthy of it, that she deserves it. It’s beautiful.
If you can get through the triggers in this book, I highly recommend it. The character growth and the lessons in love, family, and trust are just incredible to witness. I can’t recommend this read more and, in fact, have already posted about it on my insta (I’ve only done that with 2 other books) and called three other people to tell them to keep an eye out for it in a couple of months.
Thank you SO much for letting me read this one and THANK YOU, Kate McLaughlin, for writing it!

What Unbreakable Looks Like follows Lex who who sex trafficked by her stepfather's friend whom she believed she was in love with. As the book continues, we follow her journey in healing from her past and learning how to not only trust and love other, but to let them love and trust her. We see Lex try to navigate through her new life and feelings as well as how others react when they learn about what she's been through.

This story really pulls you in until you finish the book. Every detail is so raw and real. In the beginning the book, we Lex at her most vulnerable and lowest, but as the story progresses, we see her struggle to get back on her feet. Although she does stumble here and there, she remains determined in her fight towards a better life. I love the progression of her mindset from being a victim, to a survivor, and finally into an activist.

I also liked that McLaughlin included a lesbian character in this book. It was nice to see a f/f relationship that was relatively normal.

One of the main things that kept coming up was how Lex could not have gotten to where she did without her aunt, uncle, friends, etc. aka her support system. I think this was a really good point to make because in real life, everyone needs a support system. People who don't have that are more likely to go down a dark path and it's really important for people to know that if they need help, they should reach out to the people around them.

This was a really good story, with a lot of heart, about a really important topic. It covered touchy subjects with deft and grace and really conveyed the importance of getting this topic more into mainstream society in a way that made it more real, and really brought home the tragedy of it. My only critique, being a dog advocate, is the whole pitbull breeding thing. Really? It's 2020 and we're out here still talking about buying irresponsibly bred (you can't responsibly breed pitbulls. They're the number one most euthanized "breed" of dog nationwide) puppies from the next door neighbor? Huge pet peeve of mine and took away all enjoyment every time the dogs were mentioned.

WHAT UNBREAKABLE LOOKS LIKE by Kate McLaughlin | Grade: A+ | No spoilers ahead.

Wow. Just wow. This novel was absolutely one-of-a-kind! I personally have loved the recent trend in YA literature of expanding on social problems and fervent problems in the world through the teenage lens. In fact, I believe that the YA community quite honestly leads the charge in bringing important issues to the attention of the masses. And this one is no different. Before I began the novel, I of course knew what sex trafficking was in terms of a dictionary definition. I was even, as much as it pains to me to say now, pretty ignorant about it. But, now that I have finished the novel, I feel like I more truly understand the horrid industry and specifically, the lifelong and intense ramifications for those who are forced to participate. The main character, Alexa, is very likable and you simply could not help but root for her as she reacclimatizes to a life after being trafficked and relentlessly abused. The voice with which she spoke felt very authentic and honest which I appreciated. This was likely a result of the author’s extensive research on the interview and discussions with people who shared their first-hand accounts. I wrote this review only about 12 hours after I finished the novel, but I have no doubt that it will stick with me for the foreseeable future. There are lots of books that I love, but few that impact me in such a magnificent way. This novel informed, educated, and entertained me in ways that words cannot express. It is my hope that this book does the same for many more and that as a result, more can be done to help those who have been trafficked and to reduce the terrible practice in the future. I cannot wait to reread this book once it comes out this June and to read more from this author. A very special thank you to @netgalley and @wednesdaybooks for an advanced copy of the novel. While I of course appreciated this opportunity, my review is presented without bias.