4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
The Sex Tourist is an intense fiction novel, written by Olivia Wild and published in May of 2016. While the novel is listed as a work of fiction, it is based on the true story of sex tourism in Eastern Europe. In a biography of the author, it is said that the novel is written based on true events in her own life. Due to the presence of extremely explicit sexual content, I have to recommend the book to only mature readers. The Sex Tourist gives a completely honest insight on the prostitution industry and all that it entails. The author does a fantastic job of pulling the reader in, while holding a grasp for the whole way through. The novel portrays the story as told in two parts: the first by Lilian Biro, the second by Vivian Biro- twin sisters with a bond unlike no other.
The Sex Tourist begins with Lilian's introduction into the world of prostitution. Strapped for cash, Lilian is encouraged by her boyfriend to begin stripping at a club. Although disgusted by humiliation, Lilian finds it a difficult task to quit, given how the job is "easy money." When Lilian's trouble-making boyfriend lands himself in some serious debt related to drug dealing, she decides to advertise herself on a prostitiution website- using the alias of Leila. She quickly becomes a crowd favorite, and over the next two years, builds up a list of regular "punters" who call her frequently for visits. When Lilian finally decides to quit the lifestyle, she takes one last call from a previous and seemingly harmless customer, which is where part two of the story begins.
Vivian knows something is wrong when she is unable to reach her twin sister on the phone, however, it takes police showing up for her to comprehend how serious the situation has became. Lilian was found hanging in a park- her life taken from an apparent suicide. When the police discover the way Lilian was dressed, as well as the signs of needle injection on her arm, they stop any kind of investigation, claiming they "have real crimes to investigate," and no time for a drug-addicted and depressed prostitute who took her own life. Knowing her sister, Vivian is unable to accept that Lilian has taken her own life, or that she should have needle marks in her arms on her own free will. When convicting information falls into place, Vivian begins her search for the deranged murderer who took her sister's life. Unable to think of another way, Vivian alters her appearance to match her sister, and poses as the deceased on the prostitution website. Determined to catch the killer, Vivian goes against all odds to keep her identity hidden, seeking her revenge on those who caused so much pain.
I had my doubts in the beginning of this book, due to the continuous jumping around of time and locations, however, it did not take me long to become totally consumed by this novel. At first, I felt somewhat put off by the overly explicit sex scenes in this book (they are more extreme than I could depict to you) but I soon realized how necessary they are to provide the adequate background on what occurs throughout the short life of Lilian Biro. I was especially pleased by the amount of research that has obviously gone into certain aspects of the novel, including correct firearms phrasing and information, DNA coding, and genotyping. There were a few occasions where I felt a bit lost on the research involving genetics and DNA- but anyone who is already familiar with Geonomics should find this easier than I did.
After finishing The Sex Tourist, I had to take more time than usual to process my thoughts about the novel. It's hard to say that I enjoyed a book that would involve so much grief and pain, especially with it being based on a true story- but that is exactly the case. I found myself mesmerized by the kind of lifestyle some live all around us. It seemed that the author has thought of everything I could have possibly wanted to ask, as there are answers to some of my thoughts and questions in the epilogue. I am pleased to give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars, and recommend it to everyone that feels they could handle the raw honesty of prostitution and abuse that is occuring in the world all around us.
******
The Sex Tourist
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like klbradley's review? Post a comment saying so!