Wow….what a ride! This book covers very serious topics like sex trafficking, rape, prostitution, and drug abuse. But despite the heavy topics, this book is very enjoyable to read. I really like how the author didn’t try to sugar coat what had happened to Lex, but at the same time had her be hopeful of her future.

Lex used to be your typical teen till she got sucked into sex trafficking by her much older boyfriend who then placed her in a motel for prostitution purposes. When the police find her, she’s unable to think that her life could possibly get much better as she feels she’s damaged goods. And just when she starts to feel better about her new life with her aunt and uncle, something equally harrowing as her past occurs once more, she’s sexually assaulted by five of her peers at school.

But this time Lex doesn’t back down. She stands up for herself and wishes to take down those who did her wrong. I think this book explores very dark topics but does it with so much poise and dignity that you can’t help but root for Lex and her journey.

This is a very timely novel and I recommend this for both adults and teens to read. Lex is a beacon of hope and light in a world that can too often be the darkest shades of black.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Really loved this book! There needs to be more books that deal with this topic. I feel like there aren't many dealing with human trafficking. I love the main character and how strong she is and is able to love people again with a little help.

This was a difficult but fantastic read. I connected immediately and felt deeply for the characters in this book, I cried as well. Living near to where this tale unfolds brought me in even farther and I couldn't put it down. It's raw and powerful and I think it's so well written. My heart broke a few times. I would recommend this book (and might suggest is to my book club) and I would read more from this author without hesitation. Thank you for the opportunity to read this advance copy and to offer my opinion. I didn't find any errors and I didn't find anything that deterred from the story.

It has been a few days since I have read this, and I still don’t know how to write my review for this. I keep thinking about it and how stuff like this happens all the time and how more things need to be done to stop it.
Lexi is a 16-year-old girl who has red hair and blue eyes. She lived with her alcoholic mother and her boyfriend. Lexi was befriended by there friend Mitch and every time he came around; he would bring her gifts and compliment her. All the attention that she got from him she thought was love even though she was lied to.
To me the most horrible thing about this story and what intrigued me was that Lexi was part of a human sex trafficking ring and her new name was Poppy. All the things that Lexi goes through is horrible I couldn’t even fathom it all. The day comes when he finally gets rescued by a police officer and then moves into a loving home with her aunt. The title of the story is
When you think of stories about sex trafficking you think that its woman from foreign countries but really its not its from all over the world. And this book should be read by all IMO. even if you think that you might not like it, I still think that it’s a book that describes what happens in that part of the world and needs to be stopped.
The author approached a topic that not many authors that I know would tackle, let alone a YA book about it. I think the author did an amazing job making Lexi a loveable character and making the story feel real like you are right there along with her.

Wow, this is one of those books that rips your heart and soul out while reading, but also teaches you the disgusting this world possesses! This is a book that may not be suitable for everyone, as it definitely has themes that are often triggering for some, if you are not triggered by sexual abuse then you should pick this book up. Be sure to prepare for having your emotions pushed to a point you’d think is impossible. Well written, characters developed amazingly, and chilling! A must read for those who can stomach the disturbing darkness within the pages! A must read; for those who want a look into the dark world of sex trafficking!
I’ll make sure I buzz this book up on many platforms!

This is probably one of the most profoundly painful books I’ve read in a decade. I will say that if reading- very in depth descriptions of sexual abuse and trafficking is a trigger to you- you ABSOLUTELY should not read this book. If you can handle it though? This book is very well written and accurate in its portrayals. “Watching” Lex work through her healing is so inspiring. The characters are well rounded and a true representation of the fullness of REAL humans. This book does a great job of exploring how people aren’t perfect, but at the end of the day most are not monsters. I’m thankful to have read this book and gotten to know Lex’s story.

This was a tough read, but a good one. It has dark themes and heavy storylines, but it's SO worth reading. It blew me away.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger Warnings: Rape, Sexual Assault, Miscarriage, Abuse, Suicide, Domestic Violence & Self Harm.

This book was a whirlwind and the subject matter was very heavy. You hear about the horrors of these online ads that women/men get trafficked through or use at their own volition. This reminds me of the true crime novel I read this year called Lost Girls. It revolved around their disappearances, accounts of their life through friends/family and the finding of their bodies.

What this book does it show the other side. It shows you the perspective of someone from this situation, the thoughts and feelings one goes through during and after leaving, the struggle of feeling “normal” and accepting themselves to be enough to have a decent life. It’s a book that young adults should read to be aware of the horrors out there, to know what consent is, and know that actions have consequences.

The reason this book did not get the full 5 stars is the writing. The writing felt a little simplistic to me and everything ended wrapped nicely in a bow. As well, scenes were a bit jumpy. One moment she’d be at school then all of a sudden she’s back home with her aunt and you have to go back and re-read a few sentences in case you missed some.

Something else that I thought this book should have added (note - I received an uncorrected proof before publishing) is resources to contact if a reader or someone they know finds themselves in a similar situation.

**review posted to blog closer to release date**

What Unbreakable Looks Like is a well researched novel on sex trafficking. Lex’s story is one of heartbreak and unspeakable horrors. Even though this is a work of fiction, I think Kate McLaughlin’s work will help bring focus to sex trafficking, a subject that hardly anybody seems to be talking about. This wasn’t an easy or fun book to read, and you should take care when reading it, but I also truly believe that everyone should read it and educate themselves about what is happening in our country.

Thank you so much Wednesday Books, Netgalley, & Kate McLaughlin for early access to "What Unbreakable Looks Like!"

"What Unbreakable Looks Like" is a heartwrenching story of a teenager, Lex, who was lured and groomed into a human trafficking ring. When the ring gets busted, Lex finds herself in a difficult position. What will she do?

This book is definitely one of my favorite reads for 2019! However it does not come out until June 2020.

I was literally hooked by the story by the second chapter. The whole storyline was very interesting to me. I had to know if Lex makes it through the difficulties of her life. The friendships she makes were truly some of her lifelines in some of her changes.

I think Kate McLaughlin did a wonderful job writing about human trafficking. It can be a difficult subject to touch but awareness of this issue is very important. This crime is horrendous and more common that people think. She has definitely gave readers a good inside look of survivors of human trafficking.

I highly recommend this book for teens and adults! It is a beautiful and yet horrifying story that can open a good discussion for a book club.

What Unbreakable Looks Like
by Kate McLaughlin
Pub Date: 23 Jun 2020
Read courtesy of NetGalley.com

There's a group in my high school promoting the understanding of human trafficking. I think I now understand it more with this book than from the group's efforts alone to educate our community. What Unbreakable Looks Like brought the topic home, literally. I embarrassingly never realized how close to home it could be. Thank you, Kate McLaughlin, for this important story.

At first I was thinking this coverage of the topic was too much for some of my high schoolers, but I was self-censoring. If it could happen to my students, they should be able to read about it. I'm also going to recommend it as a book club title sponsored by the group in my school who have taken on this terrible topic.

What Unbreakable Looks Like is an accessible read. I read it in one day, which shows how well-written and well-told this compelling story is. I made a note at one point in the book at which Alexa (not Poppy) sees a familiar, i.e., threatening, car and speculates who is behind the wheel. McLaughlin deftly uses Alexa's thoughts juxtaposed with the reality of the situation to allow the reader to experience what Alexa experiences. Not once did I feel I encountered a character who did not have a part to play in this story; the characters were real, three-dimensional people. The flow of the story, which flashed back and forth in time, didn't confuse the reader and might have even helped to break the tensions in the action to allow the reader to process the intensities.

I highly recommend this visceral novel to high schoolers who are drawn to social issues or to the YA genre of realistic fiction that includes death, drugs, and disease (which is actually a genre-subsection in my library!) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a book that goes deep into the after life of those were were sexually trafiiced. It shows how our young main character had to cope through what happened to her and how she must adjust to real life now that things are over. Or so they seem. This was a great read.

Excellent book about sex trafficking in the US and what trauma can do to a person. Beware of triggers: sex trafficking, rape, domestic violence, suicide, substance abuse.

This book shattered my heart into a million peaces then mended it back together with just a few scars to show. This story, although fiction, tells an all too true account of how young girls get pulled into sex trafficking. The main character, Lex, is so believable. You feel her anxiety, her pain, the moments where she shuts down, her grief, and her desire to just be normal. Her love interest is the guy you hope all teen guys (really adult men too) could be. The advocacy piece of the story is beautiful as well. I will definitely be recommending this to older teens and adult readers alike.

This book was incredible. There were some major trigger warnings for suicide, rape, sexual assault, self harm, physical assault, alcoholism and drug use. These triggers made it hard to read the book however it covered many important topics that are necessary for people to learn about. This book looked at intimacy and trust after trauma and was beautiful.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of What Unbreakable Looks Like by Kate McLaughlin.

When she was rescued from the hotel where she was sex trafficked, she was Poppy. Now she's Lex again and after months of drug use and perpetual abuse, she is expected to re-enter the world and experience normalcy again, but is that even possible? School peers are cruel, the boys even crueler, and the flashbacks are unbearable. Lex acts out and pushes away people that are trying to help her, how can she be expected to ever be normal again?

This was an important novel about the very real occurrence of sex trafficking that is happening right now. It outlined just how easily a young woman could be pulled into that world. It was horrific, but also offered hope. I'm grateful that we are exposing this problem more and more.

This was a very heavy story. It's raw and gritty, but also beautiful. It's empowering and hopeful. A girl, who has had every adult figure in her life let her down, is given a new chance to start over, with people who love her and want to help guide in her in journey. There are parts that will absolutely infuriate you. I was boiling with anger more than once. And fictional or not, I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around Lex and never let her go. Because there are still so many Lex's out there in this world. Trapped inside this horrible life. This book is relevant and hard-hitting. It is a very impactful reading experience. I finished it days ago and am still left with emotions stirring. I am thankful that I got to read Lex's story and am even more thankful that authors are putting stories like this out there. If your looking for a thought-provoking novel that will leave its mark on you than I highly recommend this one!

I’m literally so in love with this book. It’s coming out a timely time and it covers the reality of human trafficking, the power that social media and the internet has within that evil system, and how a survivor lives after. This is a must read for high school girls!

Grab yourself a hot cocoa, recipe is in the book, and get settled. You are going to need a box of kleenex and a strong stomach to get through this detailed book on sex trafficking.
THIS IS A MUST READ BOOK FOR EVERYONE! Especially teenage girls, their parents, anyone who is around children should read this book...FULL STOP! READ THIS BOOK!
Alexa was groomed as a young adult to fall in "love" with an older man who needed a favor. This favor turned her into a drug addict and led to her being raped over and over again.
This book is so much more then just the sex trafficking and the addiction.
Its about struggle, self loathing, but most importantly REDEMPTION!
This is such a great book. It pulls you in and does NOT let go!

This book was an emotional roller coaster that everyone will want to ride! Trigger warnings for rape and sexual assault though. I wouldn’t recommend reading it if you’ve been through that. Otherwise this book was absolutely amazing and I couldn’t put it down. The characters were developed really well and the plot was definitely intense. As soon as I finished this book I went ahead and preordered a copy!