A review by missbradleys_bookcart
Hidden Girl: The True Story of a Modern-Day Child Slave by Shyima Hall

3.0

I read this because we had a book club set and I wanted some more non-fiction and memoir to book talk. It is a fairly quick read, the vocabulary is accessible and although the content is mature, there is nothing sexual or too mature for a grade 8 or 9 student to read. It did tend to drag on, so if the reader does not engage with the content deeply, they may lose interest. The story starts out in Egypt and then transfers to California so part of the setting may be familiar to readers. Shyima comes from a Muslim family, is sold by a Muslim family, to a Muslim family, so there is a great deal of confusion and anger about religion that is dealt with in the telling of the story. The social justice issue of human trafficking is also one that may interest readers and could connect to other examples happening all over the world.

Although I found the writing to be weak, and I felt the story didn't flow well because of this, Shyima's voice as a language learner who had no early education and who has struggled to find her voice, did shine through. For the right reader, with the right connections, this book could lead to some deep thinking, as there are many terrible examples still happening in the world RIGHT NOW that can be discussed.