I found this really hard to get into — the dynamic between main characters reminds me of so many others I have already read, and I just can't get in the mood to go through with it again.

Cloud Girls

“What I do to the clouds I’d what these men do to us: create things in the air that do not exist.”


Well this was an absolute delight and whirlwind of a story. I went in ~blind~ captured by the title and cover and spelled reviews.

Harding captures such genuine portrayal of 2 woman in sex trafficking. This is NOT for the light heart my friends. Nico and Sammy were 3rd dimensional and I still think about these characters!!!

Obviously, like any amazing storyline from two perspectives, the young girls lives cross paths. An unforgettable story, that will leave you saying “WOW THIS IS AMAZING,” but not actually feeling like this was amazing based on the very sad story line.

Really necessary and beautifully written. An author to keep on your radar!

5⭐️

First published in Ireland in 2017; published by HarperVia on April 25, 2023

Cloud Girls is an account of sex trafficking told from the perspectives of two girls. It’s the kind of book that is likely intended to call attention to a social problem. While the novel might raise a reader’s awareness, it falls short of telling a compelling story.

Nicoleta Zanesti is from Moldova. Nico’s father sells her at the age of twelve, as soon as she has her first period. Her parents tell her that they have found her a husband, a wealthy man who will give her everything she wants, but it seems likely that her father knows (and her mother fears) the truth. Nico’s mother makes a timid show of resistance but she has been trained to defer to her husband. Her younger brother is too small to protect his sister.

Nico is the best student in her class, but the transfer of her ownership from father to “future husband” must be kept from school authorities who might interfere. Nico begins to suspect that she has been deceived when she learns that the man she expects to marry already has a wife. When the van in which she is riding picks up more girls, she realizes that marriage is not in the cards.

Samantha Harvey lives in Ireland. At fifteen, Sammy is sexually experienced, having been pimped out by her boyfriend to his friends. Sammy’s mother is a lush. To avoid returning home and to keep her friend Lucy out of trouble when they stay out all night, Sammy injures herself with a bottle to simulate a sexual assault. When the plan does not work as she expected, she flees from home and turns to alcohol and prostitution.

Eventually a woman in a brothel gives Sammy a phone number and she joins a prostitution ring with the expectation of being paid. Instead, she finds herself in a group of trafficked girls. Sammy is given drugs and condoms that men won’t wear and promises of eventual compensation, but she isn’t given freedom.

As a young virgin, Nico is viewed as a valuable commodity. She’s sold on to the Irish prostitution ring, a transaction that is only explained in the broadest terms. I suppose that makes sense since Nico is telling the story from her perspective and isn’t privy to how or why she’s destined to work in Ireland. In any event, Nico is put to work with Sammy and a few other girls. When Nico tries to run — not to escape, but just for the joy of running — the girls learn that leaving is not an option.

The plot follows an expected arc, taking the reader through a sanitized version of the lives of girls who are forced to have sex. The novel’s descriptions of sexual abuse are not graphic, but Lisa Harding makes clear that the girls are the victims of the men who use and abuse them in varying ways. Perhaps the censored portrayal of sexual encounters with children is an act of mercy or a sensible way to avoid any hint of prurience, but it also detracts from the story’s power. It may be for that reason that the narrative often comes across as a story that has been imagined rather than one that has been lived. The story’s conclusion splits the difference between an ending that is relatively comforting and one that is unresolved.

Sammy is surprised when she recognizes a couple of respected family men from Dublin at one of the gatherings where she is offered as entertainment. Much of the book consists of Sammy and Nico being disappointed that men do not live up to their expectations of decency. To some extent, this is a novel of innocence shattered.

Harding explains that the story is based on firsthand accounts of trafficked girls. In this case, reading the actual accounts might be better than reading fiction that filters the emotions of the trafficking victims through an author. Still, the novel creates a sense of what it must be like to be sold as an Eastern European child or to drift into a forced prostitution ring as a troubled Western European teen. The story tells an important truth and Nico and Sammy are, simply by virtue of their circumstances, sympathetic characters.

RECOMMENDED

I truly sometimes think I am broken. The writing here is certainly beautiful and masterful. Yet, it was not for me and I could not connect. I like things to be more straightforward, so things like symbolism and speaking in big picture mode is lost on me. I don't want to work to determine what I am supposed to be taking away from what I just read when all I want to do is get lost amongst the pages. I don't even know what I am trying to say other than soooo many people loved this and I didn't. So we'll just go with it's me, not the story.

This book gives a raw and poignant glimpse into the dark reality of sex trafficking.

Nico is a twelve-year-old girl from a poor family in the small Eastern European village of Moldova. Her father marries her off to a complete stranger who promises to give her a better life, but Nico quickly learns that all is not what it appears to be. When she reaches Ireland, she meets Sammy, another young girl down on her luck.

With an alcoholic mother and adults who have failed her left and right, Sammy falls through the cracks and finds herself seeking attention in all the wrong places. Together, Sammy and Nico form a bond that ultimately helps them navigate the dark underbelly of the sex trafficking world while yearning for hope in a hopeless situation.

This was a very harsh and startlingly honest story, and I appreciated that the author didn’t hold back in her depictions of the brutal exploitation and abuse that is experienced by these young girls. Often they come from dire and desperate situations, and for someone to offer them even a sliver of kindness is like offering them a life preserver in an endless ocean. To take advantage of their desperation in such a manipulative way is so deplorable and disgusting. You have to be the lowest of the low to treat another human being like that, and it’s no wonder so many of these girls have emotional scars that last a lifetime.

Overall, I thought the book was okay. The subject matter, though difficult to read at times, was not what bothered me. It’s something that needs to be spoken up about, no matter how dark and depressing it may be. But there was just something about the writing that didn’t quite grab my attention, and I think it was mainly Sammy’s POV. I found myself drawn to Nico’s story, but Sammy’s wasn’t as engaging for now. I do recommend this book, though, because I think it’s important to address the horrors of sex trafficking in a more tangible way.

*Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for providing a copy of this book to review.*

This is not an easy read but it's an important one. Sex trafficking is a very real issue and this books sheds light on how easily girls of different backgrounds can fall into it. The friendship between Sammy and Nico is one that provides hope and shows how women can come together to cope with even the most dire of circumstances; the issue is that the should never have to.

Thanks to HarperVia and NetGalley for the copy to review.

A synopsis in the (loose) style of Dr. Seuss:
I am on some form of transportation, could be a car, a plane, or a boat...I fainted or slept or am in the hospital.
I am on some other form of transportation, could be a truck, a train, or a bird...I ate or dressed or put on makeup.
I am on yet another form of transportation, could be a pogo stick, a bike, or a segway...I ran or read or well...you know.

This book is repetitive and the voice is immature, which while fitting to the characters' ages, the voice is also at times *too* mature. For my non-book work, I support a company that takes stopping human trafficking very seriously so I am aware of some of the issues presented in this book, although it does put them more in perspective. The biggest jar was the constant reminding that this is not a book from the 1950s or earlier, since so many scenes seemed like they could not be modern, but then they talked about planes and mobiles and other things that reminded you it's supposed to be present day.
Very simply written which is expected since it's from the perspective of two young teenagers. I also read Bright Burning Things via ARC and liked it a lot which is why I think this book was suggested to me. I appreciated the alternate mother/daughter relationships but there's not as much of that as there was in BBT. I also had reflections of Shuggie Bain, Nightcrawling, and Demon Copperhead. If you liked any of these, I would suggest Cloud Girls. Lots of TW's! I didn't *love* the ending, would have liked something a little more tangible.

I could not finish enough of this book to be able to leave a comprehensive review, but I hope it finds its audience and I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Nico and Sammy...oh, my heart. This book will make you so angry and sad at the loss of their innocence starting with the hands of the people who are supposed to love and protect them. This is not an enjoyable book...it is filled with abuse and immersed in the world of sex trafficking. It is well written but will definitely bring about intense emotional feelings. Be warned!
4 stars

The cloud girls is a very difficult read. It is the story of two young girls from different countries and broken lives who ended up in sex slavery. While
Living in the brothel, Sammy and nico form a bond and find strength within each other that helps them survive their new jobs and lives. This is not an easy or mindless read-the book is dark, heavy, and graphic. However, it is well-written and eye opening and you will feel for the characters. It was a quick read as well, despite the subject matter being so weighty. I would recommend it but with caution on the subject matter and triggers embedded within the novel.

Thanks for the publisher for the arc provided via NetGalley.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

I didn’t really know what to expect with this novel when I started reading it. I did not expect it to be as heart breaking and disturbing as it was. Sammy and Nico come from two vastly different homes and families, but both find themselves victims of sex trafficking. I appreciate this book for highlighting the very real situations that happen all across the globe. Nico seemed to be the only likable character in the novel to me. Sammy was not like able at all to me- she definitely needed help from the abuse she suffered at home, but she never wanted anyone to help her or try to help her- rather she was rude and dismissive of others if they showed concern for her well being. I definitely think she had mental health issues that needed to be addressed as well. I can’t say I would necessarily recommend this to anyone unless you can stomach this type of story or read it again myself.

You know those flyers in women's bathroom stalls? The ones asking if you're in danger, if you're being trafficked? Cloud Girls is the heartbreaking story about two of these girls, from different parts of the world, who are in that exact situation.

They are girls with dreams and that end up living a nightmare, basically prisoners. Barely glanced at, harshly judged, mostly ignored, with no one to trust. Harding gives voice to these characters with deep, dense and brutal prose:

"Once I start on this track, I can’t stop. I know it’s not good for me, storing up the memories, taking them out, spitting on them, polishing them so they are as vivid as the moment I’m meant to be living."

There are shimmers of hope through the darkness, the girls retaining their inner spirit. Another heart-wrenching story from Harding, author of Bright Burning Things. My thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Cloud Girls was published in April 2023.

I’ve tried to get into this one for over a week, but I finally decided to mark it DNF. The synopsis seemed interesting, but the story cannot capture my attention. Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the chance to read this book.

Heart wrenchingly eye opening! This book wasn't a fun read, but it was a good read. Enjoyed the back and forth style where the chapters switched every other one between the two main characters and their points of view. It's not a topic any of us should be comfortable with or like to think about, yet it's such a real issue. The graphic reality of many girls' (and boys') plights is inked out on the pages of this book that while fictitious in nature is sadly 100% based on all too real events that are going on every day across the globe. I hope reading this book will make more people uncomfortable and help raise awareness about this horrifying subculture that is quietly thriving behind the scenes of communities all around the world.

Very grateful to the author and publisher for providing this early release copy via NetGalley. I've truly enjoyed not enjoying this book!

I can't remember the last time I had such a hard time finishing a book. I started it so many times and nearly DNF'd it but I hate to give up on a story. I don't have an issue with the subject matter generally so I'm not sure exactly what my problem was. I felt lost through most of the story and l, for me, it never really quite came together. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either.

I wasn’t expecting this. I didn’t think I’d get so attached to these characters and their tragic story. I didn’t think I’d be so devastated in the end. Harding pulls this all off with gravitas. Bravo!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins Harper Via for gifting me a copy of the new novel by Lisa Harding - 4.5 stars!

Nico is beautiful, bright, at the top of her class and barely a teenager when her father sells her off to a man who promises her family that he will take care of her. Sammy is a streetwise teenager who can't tolerate life at home any longer due to a neglectful, alcoholic, abusive mother and a father who's barely there and doesn't believe how bad her home life is. These two young women's lives intersect at a brothel, where they are forced into a horrid existence.

This is a dark, disturbing look into human trafficking. Both of these girls had families that failed them, a support system that collapsed, and had all hope and dignity taken away from them. But they managed to form a vital friendship that kept them going. This is such a sad look at a society that looks the other way and at men who can take such advantage of children. The statistics of trafficking are appalling - this is a stark look at its very human consequences.

In her Author's Note at the end of Cloud Girls, Lisa Harding briefly discusses her involvement with a campaign in Ireland to end child/young adult sex trafficking. Through this campaign, she was invited to read the firsthand accounts of several girls that were trafficked for the sex trade. It was those haunting, harrowing accounts that inspired Cloud Girls, whose two central characters are composites of many of those girls.

Nico is a 13-year-old from a poor family in a small Moldovan village. Times are hard, and when Nico's father is approached by a man who wants to marry his daughter, who promises to give her a better life and more opportunities in England, he agrees. Nico's parents know this offer sounds too good to be true, but they can only hope for the best as their daughter is whisked away -- a young girl's innocence and freedom exchanged for the money they so desperately need.

Meanwhile, in Dublin, Ireland, 15-year-old Sammy has been failed by every adult in her life. Her escalating acts of misbehavior are a cry for help and attention, but no one seems to hear them. Leaving behind an alcoholic mother who, when she isn't berating her or behaving inappropriately, completely ignores her existence, Sammy sets out alone into the city, where she is forced into devastating sexual situations just to survive.

Nico's and Sammy's stories converge when they both arrive at a suburban brothel, and in each other, the two girls find friendship and some measure of comfort and hope in the darkness of their circumstances.

Cloud Girls is a devastating, powerful novel that brings into harsh, unflinching light the realities of child sex trafficking. Given its subject matter, this is obviously an incredibly difficult book to read, but it's so important. Harding doesn't shy away from the most uncomfortable, darkest parts of this seedy underbelly of society, but she is also not exploitive. It's a fine line to tread, but she manages to pointedly show us the horrors of Nico's and Sammy's situations without being too graphic. The specifics of many situations they're in are only inferred rather than relayed in explicit detail, and the subtlety makes the message even more haunting and impactful.

Nico and Sammy carry this novel, which is more character- than plot-driven, and they are such authentic, lovingly-drawn characters. Harding has given each of them a strong, distinct voice, and each girl is heartbreakingly sympathetic in her own way: Nico for her innocence, Sammy for her armor of false bravado. Harding's writing is emotionally resonant and profound as she draws readers completely into this world that exists on the fringes of polite society, into the lives of children who are exploited and abused and caught in a hamster wheel from which they can't escape. Harrowing and unflinching, Cloud Girls grabs readers by the throat and tells us to stop looking the other way. Thank you to HarperVia and NetGally for the advance reading opportunity.

Cloud Girls was such a hard read. The subject matter can be very disturbing but it is really important to educate ourselves on these topics. The book was written well and I was thoroughly invested in the characters. I simultaneously could not stop reading, but also had to put it down a few times. This book is something that will resonate with me for a long time.