Looking for the best YA books about human trafficking? As an award-winning author and blogger about issue-driven YA fiction, I know how stories can take us to other worlds and allow us to see through the experiences of other characters Here are my top three recommendations about human trafficking:
Purge by Sophi Oksanen - a powerful and epic historical story about two women and how their lives are intertwined by human trafficking.
Property of Nobody by Khristina Chess - a searing novel about an unaccompanied minor from Honduras who flees murdering coyotes, only to become ensnared by human traffickers.
Trafficked by Kim Purcell - a young girl is tricked into coming to the U.S. for a job, only to find herself in debt bondage to terrible people who imprison her in their home.
Human trafficking happens all over the world, affects both men and women of broad age groups, and takes several forms: forced labor, sex, and organ removal. Reading books about this terrible topic can raise our awareness of this prevalent problem and help us be more alert for potential victims as we move through airports, stay in hotels, and shop in holiday crows. Seeing a young protagonist escape a terrible situation can even inspire us to activism and social justice.
So which YA books about human trafficking should you read for National Human Trafficking Prevention Month? Below you will find reviews of all my favorites in this category. I can guarantee some disturbing content here, but you will also find great reads.
Property of Nobody by Khristina Chess
“No one is coming for you. No one is missing you. And no one will mourn you if you’re killed.” ― Khristina Chess, quote from Property of Nobody
Wow! Property of Nobody seized me from the first page and never let go.
In a genre where male voices are rare, Teódulo stands out—a gripping, unforgettable protagonist trapped in the insidious web of debt bondage. His descent is slow, suffocating, inevitable. I worried for him. I fought alongside him. I clung to every choice he made, knowing escape might never come.
This novel doesn’t just tell a story; it forces you to see the brutal reality—the dark underbelly of immigration, human trafficking, organized crime, and the children who are swallowed by it. It’s haunting. It’s raw. And it’s painfully authentic.
Freedom is not free. And for Teódulo, it may never come at all.
A breathtaking and unforgettable novel, Property of Nobody has sparked conversations across book clubs and reader communities—solidifying its place as one of the most talked about and memorable YA books of the decade. If you’re searching for YA books about human trafficking that will challenge you, move you, and stay with you long after the last page, Property of Nobody is an absolute must-read.
Purge by Sofi Oksanen
"The only thing left alive was the shame." ― Sofi Oksanen, quote from Purge
I picked up Purge to add to my list of YA books about human trafficking, but this novel is pure literature, a stunning international masterpiece that spans decades of history, generations of pain, and dark twisted family secrets.
Set in Estonia and bouncing between 1941 and 1992, two protagonists tell their tales in a long and dizzying narrative that weaves between present terror and past horror. These women are bound to each other in multiple ways. Their mutual distrust them unreliable narrators, so that only the reader really only has the full picture, and sometimes even that picture is murky.
As I think back on each of these women's experiences, I see so many parallels in what happened to each, even though the details are very different on the surface. For example, both are raped. Both are silenced. Both are shamed. One is betrayed. One is a betrayer.
This is the kind of epic novel that I can think about for a long time and even read again. I missed things and know that I would see even more in a second reading because the book is so sweeping and full of such meaningful symbolism and detail.
A true masterpiece. I loved it!
Trafficked by Kim Purcell
Trafficked an absorbing YA novel about human trafficking that shows how an orphaned teenager easily becomes a victim of this terrible crime. Hannah was easily duped into leaving her home for the promise of a better life in the United States, a salary, and a chance to study English. Instead, she became a slave, forced into being an unpaid nanny and a maid, fighting off sexual advances of the husband of the house and his male associates, and being beaten and verbally abused by the wife. She is young, slow to realize her situation, and not great with English.
The plotting of Trafficked was thrilling. There were plenty of twists to keep me invested. For example, there is a backstory about how Hannah was "chosen" by this family that is revealed little by little.
I was rooting for Hannah to find a way out and take charge of her life. I worried about her because I knew the odds were not in her favor.
Human trafficking is a real, modern problem across the world, and you won’t want to miss Hannah’s heartbreaking and thought-provoking story. She begins the novel in a state of naïve innocence in her home country, and by the end, she has become mature and wise to the adult world. It’s a realistic and sad tragedy.
Sold by Sue Barrow
I wanted to like this book. Sold is a YA book about human trafficking where the parents sell one of their children to a wealthy relative in the UK. Roza is forced to clean and babysit for this abusive family. The plotting is very similar to Trafficked, but its execution doesn’t meet the mark.
There are a lot of unrealistic aspects of the story, like the way Roza goes to the library and gets a job that her “jailers” don’t know about. She has too much freedom to make her captivity seem realistic. Her character is shallow and not well developed.
If you’re looking for YA books about human trafficking, read Trafficked instead.
Other YA Books about Human Trafficking
If you are looking other YA books about human trafficking, check out the Human Trafficking Books and Novels on Human Trafficking lists on Goodreads. You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which lists other reviews of YA contemporary books about tough topics for teens.
Khristina Chess is an award-winning author of a dozen young adult novels, including The Cutting Edge of Friendship, The Delinquent Hero, and Junior Missing. Hollow Beauty, her book about eating disorders, was named a finalist in the Next Generation India Book Awards. She tackles tough teen topics and writes binge-worthy books across multiple genres, including contemporary, thriller, mystery, and adventure.