Book Review: Stranger Things by Erin Healy

Stranger Things by Erin Healy gives a glimpse into the growing nightmare of human trafficking!  If you have children, grandchildren, or are involved with leading the lives of young people at any level, this is one book that you cannot afford to miss! 



I would give this book a 6-star rating,
but since it only goes as high as 5...
5-Star it is!! 

Stranger Things by Erin Healy is a well written suspense novel that will engage your mind as it brings awareness to the horrific global illegal industry that has been labeled, human trafficking.  It has become, as the author calls it, “a malignant cancer that is killing our children.”  The book goes on to give jaw dropping statistics that place human trafficking in a third place position in the world as the fastest growing illegal enterprise behind drugs and weapons.  With this evidence in mind, it is a problem that we cannot afford to be uneducated about despite the ugliness within it.  This book not only illuminates the problem, but brings the reader to a realization that each one of us has the ability to play a role in the extermination of this dreadful new war that is directly affecting our young people.    

From the initial chapters until the very last one, the reader will find themselves totally saturated in each of the character’s thoughts.  The author manages to give a believable voice to the victims of this senseless slavery through her carefully woven mystery that is worked around the main character, Serena Diaz.  The cruel web of abuse, deceit, and imprisonment that the ring leaders use to entangle their victims is all part of the story, thus unveiling many truths behind this shocking underground world.

As in each of her previous books, Erin Healy brings a deeper message to the pages of this fiction novel.  Stanger Things, shines a spot light on an enormous problem and then it challenges us to be a part of the solution.  To play a significant role in the destruction of human trafficking, we need to speak truth into the lives of young women, thereby filling them with courage and hope that will afford them a secure foundation within the walls of their homes and schools.  This one-on-one action will have the net effect of shielding these vulnerable young ladies from the tricks of prowling predators, one life at a time.   At the completion of the book, there is an excellent “Reading Group Guide” for further discussion and reflection.   

This book is phenomenally written, engaging, educating, and filled with suspense.  The natural flow between scenes makes it an effortless read.  The predominant message of empowerment through knowledge that encourages to be followed with action is impossible to miss.  I would give this book a 6-star rating, but the review process caps at a 5-star, so 5-star plus!  Happy reading!