Selling Out by Amber Lin
This review is from 2013 and is kept here for reference. Titles, prices and availability may have changed.
Recommendation
Selling Out is the darkest book I’ve ever read that uses humor to ease the pain felt as the revelations continue to delve into deeper darkness. Shelly is one of the strongest female characters I’ve ever read. Despite, or because of, her insanely abusive history, she is a master of sarcasm and innuendo. Throughout the story, she fights for what she feels is right and makes no excuses for her actions. Selling Out is a follow-up book to Giving It Up, but it could be read as a standalone. This is not a book for the weak-hearted. I should also mention that there are so many situations that could and will trigger negative emotions and flashbacks that if you are a survivor of any kind of abuse, you should know this before starting to read it. HIGHLY recommend. [March 2013]
Publisher synopsis
Shelly Laurent escapes her life as a high-class escort, but against her better judgment she takes the scared young Ella with her. In retaliation, her pimp and his dirty cops frame them both for murder. On the run, Shelly turns to the one man who could be her salvation: Detective Luke Cameron. She doesn't know if she can trust him or if he's just a mirage, but she needs his help to free them all.
With a heart forged in fire and irreverence born of necessity, Shelly fights Ella's demons–and faces her own. She throws light on the shadows of Chicago's underworld, challenging everything she knew and the man she's come to love. Together, a prostitute and a cop fight for truth stronger than secrets, hope deeper than deception, and a bond more enduring than betrayal.
Review published March 13, 2013