I got this book for free using publisher but I promise all opinions are my very own! 
Prayers for the Stolen
ISBN: 9780804138789
by Jennifer Clement
Format: ARC
Published by Crown Publishing Group on February 11th 2014
Genres: Coming of Age, Fiction, Hispanic & Latino, Literary
Pages: 240
Source: publisher
Goodreads 
A haunting story of love and survival that introduces an unforgettable literary heroine Ladydi Garcia Martínez is fierce, funny and smart. She was born into a world where being a girl is a dangerous thing. In the mountains of Guerrero, Mexico, women must fend for themselves, as their men have left to seek opportunities elsewhere. Here in the shadow of the drug war, bodies turn up on the outskirts of the village to be taken back to the earth by scorpions and snakes. School is held sporadically, when a volunteer can be coerced away from the big city for a semester. In Guerrero the drug lords are kings, and mothers disguise their daughters as sons, or when that fails they “make them ugly” – cropping their hair, blackening their teeth- anything to protect them from the rapacious grasp of the cartels. And when the black SUVs roll through town, Ladydi and her friends burrow into holes in their backyards like animals, tucked safely out of sight. While her mother waits in vain for her husband’s return, Ladydi and her friends dream of a future that holds more promise than mere survival, finding humor, solidarity and fun in the face of so much tragedy. When Ladydi is offered work as a nanny for a wealthy family in Acapulco, she seizes the chance, and finds her first taste of love with a young caretaker there. But when a local murder tied to the cartel implicates a friend, Ladydi’s future takes a dark turn. Despite the odds against her, this spirited heroine’s resilience and resolve bring hope to otherwise heartbreaking conditions. An illuminating and affecting portrait of women in rural Mexico, and a stunning exploration of the hidden consequences of an unjust war, PRAYERS FOR THE STOLEN is an unforgettable story of friendship, family, and determination.From the Hardcover edition.
I love heavy issue books. When I read the synopsis to this one I had to read
This is not an easy book to read at times. Ladydi is just a kid in our eyes. A kid that knows way to much about the war. I have heard about the drug wars in Mexico but like most people did not know details of it. This book gives us a in-depth look at what the women actually go through. I had to keep telling myself that this is just a work of fiction. It still made me feel ALLL THE FEELINGS. I wanted to reach out and save Ladydi from her life.
This is like a panting of what life is like in a developing country. In it we see how people live in huts with dirt floors but have all the latest appliances. We see the contrast of life. We see how the government pretends to do something about the drug wars but in reality they are controlled by the drug bosses. We see the grinding poverty of a people trying hard to survive, where beauty is a recipe for disaster.
I couldn’t belive some of the things that I read. Hiding in a hole with scorpions to evade the drug mafia. If the drug mafia catches you, then you will become a sex slave. This story is about Ladydi so we do not see what happens when a girl is “stolen” but rather we get the info that Ladydi gets. At times I was frustrated cause I wanted to know exackly what happened but then again, it would have taken away from the story if it was included.
I was shocked at some of the things that the book talked about. Like when someone disappeared then there was nothing to be done. I felt a sense of injustice and rage and wanted to tell them that their lives mattered.
Many people think that one can just pull themselves out of poverty but reading this book I can see that is not always the case. Sometimes where and when we are born determines what kind of life we will have. This book showed that there is no easy answers when it comes to places like this. It also showed how bad life can be, that people will pay anything to get into the USA.
This book is a hard read, yes but it is also an important one. With people complaining about the influx od refugees this book may explain why people are so desperate to escape. I know some people lack the ability to have empathy for those less fortunate, but it is my hope that this book will bring the issue to light to all those that read it.
