[Review} Little Peach by Peggy Kern

Title: Little Peach

Author: Peggy Kern [Twitter]

Publisher: Balzer & Bray/HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins

Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary, Social Issues

Release Date: March 10, 2015

Source: ARC provided by the publisher. Opinions are honest and my own. – review policy here.

Little Peach explores a really interesting subject. Not because it's new but because it's often referred to in a historical or foreign context... sex trade. Little Peach is a young girl who is in the hospital recounting how she got to this point. 

Kern's writing is griping and comes with a quick pace which develops into a solid read with a smaller page count. The only tip-offs to Kern's privilege come through a couple of authenticity slip ups but the revelations she brings to the forefront more than make up for this. 

Little Peach and her companions bring to life the underground world of modern-day sex trade through the unveiling of gang and pimp culture in the pursuit of the American dream. Kern's ability to narrate the girls and their handlers in such a way that the public would never suspect they are kept under control, etc. furthers the realism and disbelief.

This is an extremely short read but each page is more and more revealing. You keep turning in an attempt to understand how this happened to Little Peach and the other young women, to see how easy it is to fall down the rabbit hole, and to keep from being completely horrified all at the same time. 

Recommended for readers who enjoy crime procedurals such as Criminal Mind and Law & Order: SVU. There are several triggers in this novel that may not be comfortable for some readers including drugs, sex, and violence.

4 Stars – Gritty tale that brings a fresh light to a real American problem.