Starred Review At 17, Poppy is one of Mitch's "flowers," whom he keeps at a motel and sells for sex on a secret website. When rescued from a life as a trafficked teen, Poppy has a choice: escape the hospital where she's recuperating or live with her aunt and uncle, who want to help her become Alexa x ain. She chooses her family and begins the difficult journey to recovery. She makes friends who are supportive, but trust remains an issue, and obstacles impede her pathway. For every step forward, "Poppy" reminds Lex that she doesn't deserve anything good in her life. At school, she is sexually assaulted by the boy she's dating and his friends. She's also afraid that her pimp will learn where she lives and kidnap or kill her. Lex's protracted progress is heartrending and moving, but with her support system's constant love and reassurance, she gains internal strength and finds her voice. As a narrator, Lex is frank and reliable. Her history is one of manipulation and exploitation, but eventually her story becomes one of hope and confidence. Drugs, physical abuse, rape, and death appear through the story and are tough to absorb; however, graphic depictions are avoided. This shines a light on a little-talked-about topic that involves teens.

A trafficked teen readjusts to the outside world after her rescue.At the motel, she was Poppy, but now she has to find her way back to being Alexa "Lex" Grace. Although Lex's stable and loving aunt, Krys, and uncle, Jamal, take her in, she makes supportive friends, and even adopts an adorable puppy, the voice in her head tells her she isn't worthy of it all, and she struggles with trust. Plus, her pimp is still out there, so she knows she's not truly safe. Lex starts dating Mike, who uses her for sex, which is what feels normal for her. Things go too far when Mike and his friends corner Lex in a school bathroom and sexually assault her. With the support of her aunt and uncle and a couple of new friends, Lex learns to value her self-worth and speak up. This story of resilience and recovery is gritty and heavy but ultimately hopeful. Lex's first-person narration is straightforward and authentic. Frank discussions of rape, drugs, and abuse can be hard to stomach but are not overly graphic. Lex's story ends well, but it's made clear that, unfortunately, she is an exception. Other girls she knows return to prostitution and drugs, with grave consequences. Lex and her aunt are white, and her uncle is black; other secondary characters are racially diverse, and one new friend is gay.A gut-punch story with an uplifting ending. (Fiction. 14-18)