Naked

     Naked, by Stacey Trombley is a hauntingly beautiful novel. Naked is Trombley's debut novel, and an excellent one at that. I was actually reading a different book that was slow going, and raced through Naked in a couple of days. This novel was just published on July 7th, so go pick up your copy today!
     Exquisite is a 16 year old prostitute living in New York City, no stranger to sex and police stations, for that matter. But Exquisite wasn't always a prostitute - she used to be a girl named Anna who lived an hour outside of the city with her parents until she ran away at the age of 13. The novel opens up with Exquisite once again in a police station, but this time is different. A lady is sitting across from her who she decides is definitely NOT an officer. Her instincts are right - this lady is anything but, trying to coax information out of her without being violent - trying to help her. This lady, Sarah, soon offers Exquisite a way out of her prostitute life, which she is more than ready for. Exquisite had been living with a guy named Luis who sold her to men for money until he was done with her and sold her to a pimp, abandoning her. Sarah knows that Exquisite is really Anna, and wants to help reunite her with her family. After some time, Exquisite relents, and confirms she is Anna, and did run away from home when she was 13. Her parents are already at the station to take her home, but Anna is less than thrilled that this is the solution. There was a reason after all that Anna ran away from home at 13 and never came back.
    Anna goes back home, walking on eggshells. Not much has changed, just that her father views her as an even more vile human being and her mother is still submissive to everything her father says. Anna hasn't known parental love since she was a young child, and it doesn't appear moving back in after three years is going to help. But Anna has to move on, including going back to school and not getting into any more trouble. She soon starts school - a freshman in high school at 16 - and the rumors are there from the start. She constantly is stared and sneered at, hearing the words "whore" and "slut" flung at her from every direction. She doesn't know how she is going to handle it, until Jackson enters her life. Jackson lives down the street from Anna, and they soon become good friends. Jackson doesn't believe the rumors and their friendship blossoms. Anna feels safe with him, and Jackson stands up for her time and time again. But Jackson doesn't know the truth of Anna's part, and Anna is terrified to have him find out.
    It isn't until more and more threatening mysterious notes are dropped off in Anna's locker that she becomes concerned. She is finally fitting in - her classes are making sense, her relationship with her mother is improving, she has a few friends and she has rediscovered her passion for art. But these notes dropped off in her locker threaten the new life Anna has built for herself - they threaten to expose her, and Anna knows they are serious because they address her by her street name Exquisite.
    What happens when Anna is put in a situation where she is alone with the mysterious man putting notes in her locker? Will Anna be able to tell Jackson the truth and still keep him as a potential boyfriend? Will Anna be able to overcome her past and move on with her future.
    Find out when you pick up a copy of Naked, a choice you won't regret! :)