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The Source

"A pacy, provocative and utterly compelling debut about a journalist as she investigates allegations of sex abuse at an army base."

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LoveReading Says

LoveReading Says

A powerful, intense whammy of a debut that is both uncomfortable and exhilarating to read. Set in two time frames, we see 13 year old schoolgirl Carly as she tries to look after her mother and baby sister, and ten years later, journalist Marie as she investigates sex traffickers and allegations of sex abuse at an army base years before. Author Sarah Sultoon is an award-winning former CNN international news executive, and it shows. Chapter one throws you in the deep end, and I re-read it to fully comprehend what was happening. The subject matter is devastating yet thoughtfully handled even as it makes you flinch. Pacy and provocative I felt as though I was racing to keep up in both timelines. The words were sharp edged little missiles that fired into my thoughts and made them scatter. As information began to piece together, as 1996 hurtled towards 2006, I felt the hope that slipped almost silently through the years. Thought-provoking, tense, and expressive The Source is an utterly compelling debut that I can highly recommend. 

 

Liz Robinson

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Reader Reviews

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Realistic, raw and utterly absorbing. You’ll find yourself suddenly hurtling towards the climax with such speed and intensity that you’ll find it hard to tear your eyes away. You’ll miss your stop on the bus with this one, that’s for sure!

The Source tells the story of disadvantaged teenager Carly and, ten years later, that of investigative journalist Marie. Neither woman has an easy life but they are survivors, clawing their way from one day to the next. They face trauma, betrayal and abuse of the most insidious kind but there comes a point where you need to stop running from your demons and start hunting them down yourself instead.

I’m not a huge fan of dual narrative books to be honest. I often find myself trudging through one of the threads just to get to the more engaging storyline and quite often the reconciliation of the two can be clunky at best. The Source shares none of these faults. Both Carly and Marie’s stories are equally compelling. They are realistic, raw and utterly absorbing.... Read Full Review

S Harper

A difficult subject written about with sympathy and bravery.

The subject of this book is harrowing to say the least, as it deals with the subject of grooming children for sex with army officers. It begins in 1996 when Carly, a 13 year old girl, is encouraged by her older brother and a friend to attend parties at the army base in the town where they all live. It then jumps to 2006, when Marie, a young news reporter, becomes involved in an investigation to expose a sex trafficking ring. The story moves back and forth between the two time scales as we learn about the operation which goes to the highest levels.


I found the sections about the young girl Carly and her horrendous home life very shocking and she is portrayed very sympathetically, and her bravery in coming forward to report what was happening is very moving.... Read Full Review

Evelyn Love-Gajardo

A hard-hitting, well written novel that deals with a difficult subject.

The Source is a hard-hitting novel that deals with sex-trafficking and the sexual abuse of children. Although a bleak read, it is also a story of resilience, hope and a desire to reveal the truth whatever the cost.

The chapters of the novel are divided between Marie and Carly. Marie is a junior TV newsroom journalist. It is 2006 and Marie is working on a story to reveal the extent of the trafficking of young girls for sexual purposes. This is dangerous, undercover work, but a story which Marie and the producers hope will bring about the arrest of some wicked people.

Carly is thirteen when her story begins in 1996. She lives in the “army town” of Warchester, Essex, where her brother is stationed. Carly has a hard time.... Read Full Review

Angela Elizabeth Thomas