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Ordinary Girl
An Amazon #1 Bestseller!
Trafficked!
I close my eyes and pretend I’m not me anymore. I try not to smell his stale breath on my face or feel what he’s doing to me. It’s over quickly, and this one doesn’t want to stay. He stands, zips his pants, and leaves.
And if he leaves, there’s always someone else. Always. There’s no chance of escape.
Ever.
A harrowing tale of a high school senior who’s headed for college, but suddenly finds herself the victim of sex trafficking. Based on true-life accounts of survivors, Heather’s story reveals a dark and dangerous world where you can trust no one.
Will she survive?
Due to subject matter, this book is suggested for ages 16 and up.
Trafficked!
I close my eyes and pretend I’m not me anymore. I try not to smell his stale breath on my face or feel what he’s doing to me. It’s over quickly, and this one doesn’t want to stay. He stands, zips his pants, and leaves.
The shift seems harder than usual, and my skin crawls worse with each new man who enters my motel room. I want to leave, to run, but Tommy’s thug is standing guard out in the parking lot.
And if he leaves, there’s always someone else. Always. There’s no chance of escape.
Ever.
A harrowing tale of a high school senior who’s headed for college, but suddenly finds herself the victim of sex trafficking. Based on true-life accounts of survivors, Heather’s story reveals a dark and dangerous world where you can trust no one.
Will she survive?
Due to subject matter, this book is suggested for ages 16 and up.
220 pages, Paperback
Published April 30, 2019
About the author
Pamela Gossiaux
15 books14 followersPamela Gossiaux is the international bestselling author of the Russo Romantic Mystery series, the romantic comedy Good Enough, the YA novel Ordinary Girl, and the inspirational books, Why Is There a Lemon in My Fruit Salad? How to Stay Sweet When Life Turns Sour, and A Kid at Heart. She is also a keynote speaker, freelance writer, and teaches writing workshops. She lives and writes in Michigan near a wonderful university town with her husband, two sons, and three cats. Visit her website at PamelaGossiaux.com.
Visit her website at pamelagossiaux.com
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Visit her website at pamelagossiaux.com
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Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 15, 2019
I wrote this book to bring awareness of how traffickers work. Not all girls (or boys) are snatched off the streets. More than 60% of trafficking victims are slowly lured in by their traffickers. Heather's story is based on the true accounts of survivors.
May 1, 2019
An Important Story Powerfully Written
Many of us hear the words “Human Trafficking,” and we think of cigarillo-chomping unshaven villains, smuggling bound and gagged girls and women into the country. This is far from reality. Most sex trafficking victims in this country are “home grown,” real kids lured and groomed into a world they can’t understand. Through Lost Voices, I work with these young people, helping them heal from experiences many of us have trouble imagining. I can tell you that they are kids just like yours and mine.
This book shines a light into the shadowy corners of the real world of sex trafficking. Meticulously researched and well-written, Pamela Gossiaux has crafted a chilling insight into one of our society’s most pernicious problems. This is an important book - read it.
- Mike Ball, Executive Director of Lost Voices.
Many of us hear the words “Human Trafficking,” and we think of cigarillo-chomping unshaven villains, smuggling bound and gagged girls and women into the country. This is far from reality. Most sex trafficking victims in this country are “home grown,” real kids lured and groomed into a world they can’t understand. Through Lost Voices, I work with these young people, helping them heal from experiences many of us have trouble imagining. I can tell you that they are kids just like yours and mine.
This book shines a light into the shadowy corners of the real world of sex trafficking. Meticulously researched and well-written, Pamela Gossiaux has crafted a chilling insight into one of our society’s most pernicious problems. This is an important book - read it.
- Mike Ball, Executive Director of Lost Voices.
April 16, 2019
This book is an engaging and informative take on the issue of human trafficking. The story is made highly relatable by the main character of Heather, an honor student who's had a hard go of it financially and with her home life. She is an 'ordinary girl', one with hopes of romance, education, and adventure which turn horribly wrong when she trusts the wrong person.
For those who are not familiar with the insidious nature of this crime, this book will be an eye-opener. It was a compelling read, and I found myself rooting for the main character to find an escape. This isn't a light read, but if you stick with it the message is important and moving. A great cautionary tale of strength, trust, and tenacity.
For those who are not familiar with the insidious nature of this crime, this book will be an eye-opener. It was a compelling read, and I found myself rooting for the main character to find an escape. This isn't a light read, but if you stick with it the message is important and moving. A great cautionary tale of strength, trust, and tenacity.
April 25, 2019
"Ordinary Girl" by Pamela Gossiaux is a brave and important story, told in crisp, realistic prose. Pamela Gossiaux’s book about Heather tells of the unfortunately common and sickening crime of slavery occurring across this country. "Ordinary Girl" tells the story in the finest of concise, realistic writing. With a riveting pace, "Ordinary Girl" is a haunted-house rollercoaster ride of hard to imagine cruelty and evil… and Heather’s daring attempts to survive and escape.
April 20, 2019
Exploring the world of sexual abuse
Michigan author and freelance writer Pamela Gossiaux is an inspirational Christian speaker and the author of ‘Why is There a Lemon in My Fruit Salad? How to Stay Sweet When Life Turns Sour’, ‘A Kid at Heart: Becoming a Child of our Heavenly Father’, ‘Six Steps to Successful Publication: Your Guide to Getting Published,’ proving her abilities as a humorist and a sensitive thinker. Her other books - ‘Good Enough’, ‘Mrs. Chartwell and the Cat Burglar’, ‘Trusting the Cat Burglar’, and ‘Romancing the Cat Burglar’ established her as an important contemporary author. And now she steps into the arena of social commentary while scribing this exceptional novel about human trafficking – ‘Ordinary Girl.’
Having proved her ability to write cogent adult romantic comedy, Pamela expands her purview in creating a well-crafted and involving story that places the tragic crime of sexual abuse before the reader in a novel that works on every level. The story is fiction but is based on Pamela’s investigation of the reports of true survivors of sexual abuse, making this a novel of tremendous impact.
Composing a seductive synopsis is a gift and here Pamela shines, too. ‘A harrowing tale of high school senior Heather who’s headed for college, but suddenly finds herself the victim of sex trafficking - Trafficked! I close my eyes and pretend I’m not me anymore. I try not to smell his stale breath on my face or feel what he’s doing to me. It’s over quickly, and this one doesn’t want to stay. He stands, zips his pants, and leaves. The shift seems harder than usual, and my skin crawls worse with each new man who enters my motel room. I want to leave, to run, but Tommy’s thug is standing guard out in the parking lot. And if he leaves, there’s always someone else. Always. There’s no chance of escape. Ever.’ Pamela describes the descent of Heather into the life of sexual abuse using the inner pain of the character instead of R rated graphic scene descriptions usually associated with stories of this genre. And that makes the emotional impact of her writing even stronger.
The elegance of her prose is suggested by the opening passage: ‘I sit on the edge of the motel bed and swallow the pill that will help me relax. My shaking hand sloshes the water in the glass. I am scared all the time. Fear is constantly clawing at my stomach. Sometimes it’s quiet. Sometimes it shouts at me. The pills help quiet its voice. There’s a single knock on the door, and it opens. A man walks in and my stomach flip-flops. He is here early, and the pill hasn’t had time to take effect yet. The last one wore off already.’
Pamela Gossiaux has become a major player in the realm of writing. She deserves the rewards and attention that are bound to come her way!
Michigan author and freelance writer Pamela Gossiaux is an inspirational Christian speaker and the author of ‘Why is There a Lemon in My Fruit Salad? How to Stay Sweet When Life Turns Sour’, ‘A Kid at Heart: Becoming a Child of our Heavenly Father’, ‘Six Steps to Successful Publication: Your Guide to Getting Published,’ proving her abilities as a humorist and a sensitive thinker. Her other books - ‘Good Enough’, ‘Mrs. Chartwell and the Cat Burglar’, ‘Trusting the Cat Burglar’, and ‘Romancing the Cat Burglar’ established her as an important contemporary author. And now she steps into the arena of social commentary while scribing this exceptional novel about human trafficking – ‘Ordinary Girl.’
Having proved her ability to write cogent adult romantic comedy, Pamela expands her purview in creating a well-crafted and involving story that places the tragic crime of sexual abuse before the reader in a novel that works on every level. The story is fiction but is based on Pamela’s investigation of the reports of true survivors of sexual abuse, making this a novel of tremendous impact.
Composing a seductive synopsis is a gift and here Pamela shines, too. ‘A harrowing tale of high school senior Heather who’s headed for college, but suddenly finds herself the victim of sex trafficking - Trafficked! I close my eyes and pretend I’m not me anymore. I try not to smell his stale breath on my face or feel what he’s doing to me. It’s over quickly, and this one doesn’t want to stay. He stands, zips his pants, and leaves. The shift seems harder than usual, and my skin crawls worse with each new man who enters my motel room. I want to leave, to run, but Tommy’s thug is standing guard out in the parking lot. And if he leaves, there’s always someone else. Always. There’s no chance of escape. Ever.’ Pamela describes the descent of Heather into the life of sexual abuse using the inner pain of the character instead of R rated graphic scene descriptions usually associated with stories of this genre. And that makes the emotional impact of her writing even stronger.
The elegance of her prose is suggested by the opening passage: ‘I sit on the edge of the motel bed and swallow the pill that will help me relax. My shaking hand sloshes the water in the glass. I am scared all the time. Fear is constantly clawing at my stomach. Sometimes it’s quiet. Sometimes it shouts at me. The pills help quiet its voice. There’s a single knock on the door, and it opens. A man walks in and my stomach flip-flops. He is here early, and the pill hasn’t had time to take effect yet. The last one wore off already.’
Pamela Gossiaux has become a major player in the realm of writing. She deserves the rewards and attention that are bound to come her way!
April 16, 2019
I did not enjoy reading this book. This book was devastating. But I'm glad I read it. Ordinary Girl is the entirely-too-realistic story of a high school teenager who’s struggling with all the normal stuff – college acceptances, family tragedy, friendship drama – and then it all twists sideways when she trusts the wrong person and vanishes from her own life and into the life of a drug addict and prostitute. Human trafficking has become more and more of a buzzword these days as awareness of how prevalent it actually is bleeds into the national consciousness. This book goes beyond the terminology and makes you feel how it happens and understand how it easy it is for an ‘ordinary girl’ to be tricked away from her family and friends and then trapped – not by chains or bars – but by addiction and shame, both manufactured by the manipulations of the people who run this shadow world.
Ordinary Girl is harrowing and upsetting, but now that I've read it, I think I get it. Instead of just dismissing human trafficking as something that happened to people already on the fringes of society, I get that it’s indiscriminate and cruel. None of the girls who get trapped deserve what happens to them (of course!), no matter how insecure their lives were before, but the scariest part of the story is how easy it is for these young women to fade away into this underworld. The positive part is that there are many people and organizations working to rescue these victims and to raise awareness to keep this nightmare from happening to anyone else. The surest way to combat darkness is to shine a light through understanding, thus lessening the stigma and shame that works far more effectively than locks and keys to keep people trapped in this hell.
I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Ordinary Girl is harrowing and upsetting, but now that I've read it, I think I get it. Instead of just dismissing human trafficking as something that happened to people already on the fringes of society, I get that it’s indiscriminate and cruel. None of the girls who get trapped deserve what happens to them (of course!), no matter how insecure their lives were before, but the scariest part of the story is how easy it is for these young women to fade away into this underworld. The positive part is that there are many people and organizations working to rescue these victims and to raise awareness to keep this nightmare from happening to anyone else. The surest way to combat darkness is to shine a light through understanding, thus lessening the stigma and shame that works far more effectively than locks and keys to keep people trapped in this hell.
I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 24, 2019
Based on information from survivors of human trafficking this book shares the emotional manipulation and fear that are used to make victims dependent on their captors. Written with insight from a first person perspective that brings empathy without unnecessary graphics this heart-wrenching story is a must read.
Pamela Gossiaux grabs you from the very first word and pulls you into the story as she perfectly captures the vulnerability of a teenage girl broken and alone in the most horrible circumstance imaginable.
Heather sees college as an escape from a not so perfect life. With a mother who is depressed and addicted to drugs, she works hard on her academics and doesn’t date. She spends her time studying, working after school, hanging out with her friends, and hoping for that one college letter that will allow her to escape. That is until the perfect storm happens and everything familiar is yanked away in an instant.
Lured in by a handsome, charming young man who promises connections that could get her into Harvard, her dreams are shattered as she quickly realizes things aren’t as they seem. Drugged and sold into prostitution she’s thrust into a life that you only read about in the news. Suddenly the difficulties she left behind pale in comparison to her new reality. She just wants to go home.
This book is for all those out there who just want to go home. You are not forgotten.
Pamela Gossiaux grabs you from the very first word and pulls you into the story as she perfectly captures the vulnerability of a teenage girl broken and alone in the most horrible circumstance imaginable.
Heather sees college as an escape from a not so perfect life. With a mother who is depressed and addicted to drugs, she works hard on her academics and doesn’t date. She spends her time studying, working after school, hanging out with her friends, and hoping for that one college letter that will allow her to escape. That is until the perfect storm happens and everything familiar is yanked away in an instant.
Lured in by a handsome, charming young man who promises connections that could get her into Harvard, her dreams are shattered as she quickly realizes things aren’t as they seem. Drugged and sold into prostitution she’s thrust into a life that you only read about in the news. Suddenly the difficulties she left behind pale in comparison to her new reality. She just wants to go home.
This book is for all those out there who just want to go home. You are not forgotten.
October 18, 2019
Ordinary Girl
This book was not put down for a minute. I read it straight through.It is one of the best books I have read in quite a long time.I do not want to spoil the story for anyone,by from the 1st page you will be hooked.
This book was not put down for a minute. I read it straight through.It is one of the best books I have read in quite a long time.I do not want to spoil the story for anyone,by from the 1st page you will be hooked.
July 26, 2020
3 stars - Good story, quick read. The ending is a *little* bit too tidy, but I do recognize the importance of this book’s subject matter and appreciate the author talking about it.
January 2, 2021
So powerful. Great read.
December 23, 2022
Eye opening
This book was hard to read since I have two beautiful granddaughters that I hope never finds them in this situation.
This book was hard to read since I have two beautiful granddaughters that I hope never finds them in this situation.
April 29, 2019
This was a difficult book to read due to the topic of human trafficking. But I am thankful that the author took on this subject. Especially in the form of a young adult book. Although the author recommends it for 16 and older, I feel it’s important for teens to read this sooner (perhaps 14?) as a realistic, cautionary tale about grooming and abduction into human trafficking.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews