Monday 6 October 2014

Twisted by Lola Smirnova


In the corrupt economy of post-Soviet Ukraine opportunities are scarce. Young and eager sisters – Natalia, Lena and Julia – harbor dreams of a better life. Naïve and tempted by the allure of ‘quick’ money, the girls set off on an adventure that changes their lives forever.

Can they stay out of trouble enough to fulfill their ambitions? Can they hold on to their idealism in a world where depravity and danger are constant companions? How far are they willing to go to make a buck?

Twisted is a disturbing behind-the-scenes look at a world that most will never see. It is shocking, raw, and explicit.




Thank you to Kelsey at Book Publicity Services for sending me a copy of this book for review.

When I first saw the blurb for this book I thought it sounded very intriguing but I was quite worried, worried that I'd hate it or that it would be so horrible to read I'd have to stop. Yes there were some scenes that were hard to read, but this book is so gripping you can't put it down. I read it in 1 day whilst I was also at work.

Twisted follows the lives of three sisters Julia, Lena and Natalia, who decide to leave poverty stricken Ukraine where they have been struggling to get by and move to Luxembourg to sell their bodies for money. Julia struggles to adapt to their new way of life which leads her into a whole new world of trouble and Natalia and Lena must try and save her. Obviously, prostitution is a terrible thing and you may judge this book by learning that's what it is about, but it is much more than that. We get to learn why people do it and the things they have to put up with, that the reason most of them are on drugs is just to cope with the terrible things they are putting themselves through to earn a bit of money. This book is such an eye opener and shows you that you shouldn't judge people for selling themselves, yes they have chosen to do this, but in this book Lola explains why and you do start to understand.

This book jumps straight in and has you hooked from the first page.It is based on Lola's real life experiences as a sex worker and this shows by the detail and in-depth characters Lola has created in this book. You can't help but feel sorry for all three of the girls and hope they can find a way of getting out of the life they have. Lola has a brilliant way of telling you her story, her writing style is so easy to follow and it feels as though she is just talking to you.

Each of the characters are so likeable, all three sisters are each there for one another and help each other out, Julia was my favourite character because she was just so easy to connect with and you want her to be happy. There is quite a few times in the book you think she is going to the happy ending she deserves then something happens so she is back to square one again.

This book is at times hard to read and quite disturbing which may affect you but it has so much emotion and real life that you just can't stop reading. Every detail that Lola has added into this book works so well in telling you her story. I would definitely recommend this book, it is well worth a read. 


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