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Most Helpful Favorable Review
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Haunting
This was a hard book to read and review. The subject material is bad enough but as the story unfolds you almost want to shield your eyes.
Batuk Ramusdeen is a 15 year old prostitute who was sold by her parents when she was only 9 years old. It is obvious that she is ...
Batuk Ramusdeen is a 15 year old prostitute who was sold by her parents when she was only 9 years old. It is obvious that she is ...
This was a hard book to read and review. The subject material is bad enough but as the story unfolds you almost want to shield your eyes.
Batuk Ramusdeen is a 15 year old prostitute who was sold by her parents when she was only 9 years old. It is obvious that she is a bright, funny and imaginative child who if she had been allowed, would have had a very different trajectory than the one we find her inhabiting at the start of the story. But for reasons best known to her parents, they sell her off to a life that is unfathomably cruel and brutal. She is initiated into her new status after being raped by one of the "uncles" who wins the bidding war on her virginity. From here on, she is taken to a brothel where she sleeps with a minimum of ten men a day. In this life of abuse, she has one close friend, Puneet, a boy who is considered a favorite of the madam as the customers can't seem to get enough of him. Batuk takes up writing in her notebook as a way to escape the life that she is forced to inhabit. She is an astute observer of her life and the situations around her. She also surprisingly manages to retain her sense of humor and display a resilience that is hard to fathom. Words are the only outlet from the tragedy and unending violence of her life and they are her friends when all else fails.
I will warn that this book will definitely be very hard to take for most people. None of the brutalities that Batuk suffers are glossed over but instead they are relayed in specific and excruciating detail. It is very hard to imagine this kind of treatment being meted out to anyone but worse still to a child. The idea for this book was conceived of when the author, Dr. James Levin, was in India doing research and happened upon a girl in a brothel who was writing in a book. He spoke to her about her experiences and that encounter inspired this work. His writing is stunning in part because of the subject matter but also because he is a first time writer who has managed to produce an amazing story. A poetic and poignant tale that shines a light on what is a sad reality for many children.
All US proceeds from the sale of this book are to be donated to the International and National Centers for Missing and Exploited Children.
Batuk Ramusdeen is a 15 year old prostitute who was sold by her parents when she was only 9 years old. It is obvious that she is a bright, funny and imaginative child who if she had been allowed, would have had a very different trajectory than the one we find her inhabiting at the start of the story. But for reasons best known to her parents, they sell her off to a life that is unfathomably cruel and brutal. She is initiated into her new status after being raped by one of the "uncles" who wins the bidding war on her virginity. From here on, she is taken to a brothel where she sleeps with a minimum of ten men a day. In this life of abuse, she has one close friend, Puneet, a boy who is considered a favorite of the madam as the customers can't seem to get enough of him. Batuk takes up writing in her notebook as a way to escape the life that she is forced to inhabit. She is an astute observer of her life and the situations around her. She also surprisingly manages to retain her sense of humor and display a resilience that is hard to fathom. Words are the only outlet from the tragedy and unending violence of her life and they are her friends when all else fails.
I will warn that this book will definitely be very hard to take for most people. None of the brutalities that Batuk suffers are glossed over but instead they are relayed in specific and excruciating detail. It is very hard to imagine this kind of treatment being meted out to anyone but worse still to a child. The idea for this book was conceived of when the author, Dr. James Levin, was in India doing research and happened upon a girl in a brothel who was writing in a book. He spoke to her about her experiences and that encounter inspired this work. His writing is stunning in part because of the subject matter but also because he is a first time writer who has managed to produce an amazing story. A poetic and poignant tale that shines a light on what is a sad reality for many children.
All US proceeds from the sale of this book are to be donated to the International and National Centers for Missing and Exploited Children.
posted by TrishNYC on April 16, 2009
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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Realistic shocking account
The Blue Notebook by James Levine is told in the point of view of Batuk, a young girl who has been sold into prostitution by her father. From then on, she works through several places, including the streets of Mumbai, then being bought from place to place where her fina...
The Blue Notebook by James Levine is told in the point of view of Batuk, a young girl who has been sold into prostitution by her father. From then on, she works through several places, including the streets of Mumbai, then being bought from place to place where her final place ends up being in some sort of hotel.
It's a hard read. Although being only two hundred pages, it is an account in extreme graphic detail of Batuk's life after being sold by her father. She does not skimp away the grisly details that happens to her and how she is meant to please her clients. The only light hearted moments I get are when she shares a laugh with her friend Puneet and how they make fun of the "Hippopotamus". I thought they were so cute together but, even that little bit of happiness fades as Batuk is passed on to another place to do her work.
My heart went out for Batuk. You see her innocence shatter and how she narrates the entire story you don't hear much emotion, it's almost as you can hear a flat voice through the diary entries. It's a bleak and depressing read but it probably is a very realistic account of what happens out there to child prostitutes anywhere in the world.
There are only a few things I didn't agree with in this book. I'm not for flowery poetry writing and mini stories and there's a few parts of that in this story. I mostly skipped it by as I didn't have much patience for that. I don't really understand how you can be that literate when you've only learned to read and write at a missionary hospital but that's just my opinion. Second, the ending was very vague. However, if you really think about it, no one in this world really cares where a prostitute ends up, therefore the ending shouldn't matter. It's very shocking, but it's sadly true however, I would have liked to know where Batuk ended up. Also note, due to the graphic nature and content this is not for the squeamish. It didn't bother me much, but there were parts where I cringed.
Overall a very sad and in depth look into the life of a child slave. It'll make you feel for the millions of child slaves and helpless women out there suffering where they have no control over their lives and sadly, no where to turn to.
It's a hard read. Although being only two hundred pages, it is an account in extreme graphic detail of Batuk's life after being sold by her father. She does not skimp away the grisly details that happens to her and how she is meant to please her clients. The only light hearted moments I get are when she shares a laugh with her friend Puneet and how they make fun of the "Hippopotamus". I thought they were so cute together but, even that little bit of happiness fades as Batuk is passed on to another place to do her work.
My heart went out for Batuk. You see her innocence shatter and how she narrates the entire story you don't hear much emotion, it's almost as you can hear a flat voice through the diary entries. It's a bleak and depressing read but it probably is a very realistic account of what happens out there to child prostitutes anywhere in the world.
There are only a few things I didn't agree with in this book. I'm not for flowery poetry writing and mini stories and there's a few parts of that in this story. I mostly skipped it by as I didn't have much patience for that. I don't really understand how you can be that literate when you've only learned to read and write at a missionary hospital but that's just my opinion. Second, the ending was very vague. However, if you really think about it, no one in this world really cares where a prostitute ends up, therefore the ending shouldn't matter. It's very shocking, but it's sadly true however, I would have liked to know where Batuk ended up. Also note, due to the graphic nature and content this is not for the squeamish. It didn't bother me much, but there were parts where I cringed.
Overall a very sad and in depth look into the life of a child slave. It'll make you feel for the millions of child slaves and helpless women out there suffering where they have no control over their lives and sadly, no where to turn to.
posted by Sensitivemuse on September 6, 2009
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Haunting
This was a hard book to read and review. The subject material is bad enough but as the story unfolds you almost want to shield your eyes.
Batuk Ramusdeen is a 15 year old prostitute who was sold by her parents when she was only 9 years old. It is obvious that she is a bright, funny and imaginative child who if she had been allowed, would have had a very different trajectory than the one we find her inhabiting at the start of the story. But for reasons best known to her parents, they sell her off to a life that is unfathomably cruel and brutal. She is initiated into her new status after being raped by one of the "uncles" who wins the bidding war on her virginity. From here on, she is taken to a brothel where she sleeps with a minimum of ten men a day. In this life of abuse, she has one close friend, Puneet, a boy who is considered a favorite of the madam as the customers can't seem to get enough of him. Batuk takes up writing in her notebook as a way to escape the life that she is forced to inhabit. She is an astute observer of her life and the situations around her. She also surprisingly manages to retain her sense of humor and display a resilience that is hard to fathom. Words are the only outlet from the tragedy and unending violence of her life and they are her friends when all else fails.
I will warn that this book will definitely be very hard to take for most people. None of the brutalities that Batuk suffers are glossed over but instead they are relayed in specific and excruciating detail. It is very hard to imagine this kind of treatment being meted out to anyone but worse still to a child. The idea for this book was conceived of when the author, Dr. James Levin, was in India doing research and happened upon a girl in a brothel who was writing in a book. He spoke to her about her experiences and that encounter inspired this work. His writing is stunning in part because of the subject matter but also because he is a first time writer who has managed to produce an amazing story. A poetic and poignant tale that shines a light on what is a sad reality for many children.
All US proceeds from the sale of this book are to be donated to the International and National Centers for Missing and Exploited Children.3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Realistic shocking account
The Blue Notebook by James Levine is told in the point of view of Batuk, a young girl who has been sold into prostitution by her father. From then on, she works through several places, including the streets of Mumbai, then being bought from place to place where her final place ends up being in some sort of hotel.
It's a hard read. Although being only two hundred pages, it is an account in extreme graphic detail of Batuk's life after being sold by her father. She does not skimp away the grisly details that happens to her and how she is meant to please her clients. The only light hearted moments I get are when she shares a laugh with her friend Puneet and how they make fun of the "Hippopotamus". I thought they were so cute together but, even that little bit of happiness fades as Batuk is passed on to another place to do her work.
My heart went out for Batuk. You see her innocence shatter and how she narrates the entire story you don't hear much emotion, it's almost as you can hear a flat voice through the diary entries. It's a bleak and depressing read but it probably is a very realistic account of what happens out there to child prostitutes anywhere in the world.
There are only a few things I didn't agree with in this book. I'm not for flowery poetry writing and mini stories and there's a few parts of that in this story. I mostly skipped it by as I didn't have much patience for that. I don't really understand how you can be that literate when you've only learned to read and write at a missionary hospital but that's just my opinion. Second, the ending was very vague. However, if you really think about it, no one in this world really cares where a prostitute ends up, therefore the ending shouldn't matter. It's very shocking, but it's sadly true however, I would have liked to know where Batuk ended up. Also note, due to the graphic nature and content this is not for the squeamish. It didn't bother me much, but there were parts where I cringed.
Overall a very sad and in depth look into the life of a child slave. It'll make you feel for the millions of child slaves and helpless women out there suffering where they have no control over their lives and sadly, no where to turn to.1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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brownsugabookluva
Posted October 14, 2012
will leave you in awe!
penetrating. vivid. disturbing. perfectly written.
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A story about a child prostitute in Mumbai...
A great fictional story which, no doubt, is true for the many children sold into prostitution in India. The Blue Notebook's main character, Batuk, is a bit unbelievable because she learned how to read and write within weeks while being hospitalized at a young age, but her writing reflects someone at a college student's level.
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Overall, I liked this book and find it to be a great addition to my home library. Batuk's story is interesting and reads quickly. -
Boo34
Posted December 27, 2010
Highly Recommended.
This is a tragic story written about a terrible subject in a wonderfully gentle way that does not offend but which truely enlightens the reader. After reading it I bought several copies to support 'missing and exploited children'. I gifted them to people I thought might be interested in reading about this subject. I can't really understand why I never saw this book on the best seller list, maybe I just missed it but it's really well written and a significant book on a significant subject.
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Angela2932ND
Posted April 12, 2010
Disturbing but So Worth Reading
Oh my. This book is extremely moving and thought-provoking. I heard the author speak on the NPR, and this is a first novel. It's extaordinary, but very, very disturbing. It's about a child prostitute in India and was inspired by the author's recent visit to the country. Profits from the book go to the International Centre for Missing and Exploited
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Children and the National Center for Mssing & Exploited Children. -
Anonymous
Posted September 12, 2009
A book that will challenge you.
I could not put this book down once I started it. The story was written from the point of veiw of a bright young girl who was sold into the sex slave industry by her parents. Her story was compelling and disturbing. It challenges you to open your eyes and see how children are being exploited and destroyed for the perverted pleasure of adults. It also challenges you to step up and try to make a difference in any way you can.
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Anonymous
Posted September 6, 2009
Hard to read but sucks you in until the end.
I don't think I realized how graphic this book was going to be. It explores the life of a child sold into sex slavery. This is a tragic story that will keep you reading in oreder to find the fate of Batuk. The story is a reminder of how thankful we should be to live in the US where for the most part it is not an acceptble practice to sell and abuse children. This is a subject that no one talks about because it is uncomfortable and I must say that it made me think. I am very thankful to know that the author donates 100% of the books US proceeds to The International Center for Missing and Exploited Childersn.
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Anonymous
Posted September 6, 2009
A very Hard but necessary read.
I don't think I realized how graphic this book was going to be. It explores the life of a child sold into sex slavery. This is a tragic story that will keep you reading in oreder to find the fate of Batuk. The story is a reminder of how thankful we should be to live in the US where for the most part it is not an acceptble practice to sell and abuse children. This is a subject that no one talks about because it is uncomfortable and I must say that it made me think.
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I am very thankful to know that the author donates 100% of the books US proceeds to The International Center for Missing and Exploited Childersn. -
Sad but a great book
One of those books that despite how sad and graphic it is, you keep wanting to read because you truly hope that something good happens. Truly sad and eye opening. I would not recommend you read this book if you are very sensitive and should not be given to a young reader. It is so lovely to know that Batuk is just a fictional girl, however I cannot help but think there is probably a real girl going through similar situations.
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I think all readers will fall in love with Batuk, which makes the story even harder to read. -
Anonymous
Posted January 3, 2011
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Posted December 23, 2010
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Posted November 18, 2010
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Posted October 14, 2012
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Posted September 9, 2009
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Posted August 29, 2009
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