Why did you choose to make Julia thirteen? Isn’t that pretty young for this to happen to someone?

Sadly, no. Traffickers look for vulnerable kids, and middle school is an incredibly difficult time in young people’s lives. Middle schoolers are dealing with so much happening in their bodies, increasing academic pressure, changes in friendships, possible interest in dating—there’s a lot going on. Sometimes it looks like the other kids have it all figured out, but I’ll let you in on a little secret: no one in middle school does. No matter how pretty or cute or popular or cool someone seems, middle school is a time of confusion and change for everybody, and that’s why it’s a time when young people are especially susceptible to influence from traffickers.