Lola Smirnova

There's something intriguing about reading sex worker's memoirs. It's dark, fascinating, and impossible to put down. This novel is a fictionalized account of what it takes to "make a living" working in the post-Soviet Ukrainian sex trade. Julie and her two sisters are desperate to find work, jobs are few and far between. When a friend tells the sisters how much money can be made by working in the "cabaret" (whore house) they decide to try their hand at making some quick money. Julie (the youngest sister and narrator of this story) especially has a hard time avoiding hard drugs and booze because it helps take the edge off of what she is doing. She isn't ashamed of being a call girl, but sometimes she just needs to forget some of the nasty things she does for money (namely an old man named Death). Her sisters try to get her to get clean, but Julie is convinced that there isn't a problem. This story spans about a year and chronicles Julie's descent into greed and addiction. Compelling, dark, and impossible to put down, this quick read will make you feel a little better about your life, or will maybe cause you to rethink your life's decisions.

I received this book for free from the publisher in return for my honest, unbiased review.… (meer)