Book Review: THE PALE WHITE by Chad Lutzke

THE PALE WHITE by Chad Lutzke (Crystal Lake Publishing, September 27, 2019 scheduled release date) 

Summary on the Goodreads website . . . . .

After being held against their will in a house used for sex trafficking, three girls plan their escape. 

Alex: A hardened goth-punk who’s convinced she’s a vampire with a penchant for blood.

Stacia: A seventeen-year-old raised by an alcoholic mother, her fellow prisoners the only family she’s ever truly had.

Kammy: The youngest of the three--a mute who finds solace in a houseplant. 

But does life outside the house offer the freedom they’d envisioned? Or is it too late, the scars too deep?

A coming-of-age tale of revenge that explores a friendship and the desperate lengths they will go through to ensure they stay united, held together by the scars that bind them. 

My review on the Goodreads website . . . . .

    THE PALE WHITE is one of those stories that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. Every time my thoughts return to this short novella, I become uneasy and saddened. 

    This is a dark tale that deals  not with monsters or paranormal threats, but with the most frightening of all possible scares - -  true horror. THE PALE WHITE sheds light on an abhorrent situation that is occurring daily under the radar on a global scale — the oppression and subjugation of young women as sex slaves for profit.   

     Readers who scan the summary of this book or read a few pages into it may mistakenly put it down, assuming THE PALE WHITE to be an exploitation novel with cruel and explicit scenes. That would be unfortunate, as this is a compelling and heartwarming story that primarily focuses on how three victims of sex trafficking find a means of escape and how they deal with their newfound freedom, a situation that is unfamiliar and strange to them as much as it is welcome. 

   

     THE PALE WHITE does not devote chapters to their abuse or even dwell on these events. A few concise sentences tell readers everything they need to know. Our imaginations do the rest, and convey to us the terrible nature of their plight.  Instead, after a short introduction of the characters, Lutzke begins the story with their escape and freedom. The introductory page notes that the author has dedicated the story to “the abused and neglected. No matter the degree.”

     While I cannot envision such a situation occurring to me, I connected very easily with these characters. Lutzke possesses great narrative skills and fully details the thoughts and concerns of the characters (especially those of Staci, the main protagonist and narrator) in such a clear and concise way that it feels as if we are experiencing it with them. 

   The story is somewhat bloody in the beginning, but it quickly moves toward an emphasis on strength, survival, and love.  The three young women forge a strong bond during their captivity, which they refer to as The Pale White. I found myself cheering for them and feeling real apprehension on their journey to freedom. I feared the worst for them, realizing that if Plan A did not see fruition, there might not be an opportunity to formulate a Plan B.  Rather than end on a note of cynicism as many horror stories do, the ending of THE PALE WHITE is very unexpected, uplifting and satisfying. 

NOTE:  I received an advance copy of The Pale White, courtesy of the publisher.