SLAVE Paperback – October 24, 2017

I had no idea this would be the page turner it was--I could not put it down! Beautifully written, the voice of this innocent survivor shines through the muck of an abusive, lonely world. For me, this is the story of triumph over evil, and how a young boy was able to connect to a higher power that kept him sane and hopeful. In our weakest moments we can find a shred of faith to get us through. A sad story with a happy ending, something we all want to hear!

Slave is an inspiring, hopeful, and often painful story about forgiveness, self love, and redemption. It is written with surprising description and memory for detail. It leaves you tearful at times, yet you find yourself unexpectedly laughing out loud and marveling at the author's cleverness and deep insight. It is not your typical "happy ending" as it goes to a much deeper level with demonstrated promise for the author's continuous growth and for ours as human beings. This book is for anyone who has suffered in life or who doubts their value and potential. A page-turner.

While this was difficult to read, it was just as hard to put down. The author does not sugarcoat anything about his upbringing, trauma, and the journey to self-redemption. A powerful story about the will of the spirit and the will to survive. Also fascinating is the backstory of the author and the group of wild children roaming the streets of Berkley and Oakland in the 70's- the children of hippies and revolutionaries- with no boundaries or guidance, left to fend for themselves. It's a haunting look at the political and social turmoil of the era and the effects on the children who were products of it. While there are some editorial issues, the content is what drives the book.

Slave is a heartbreaking memoir of Jabali's childhood experience in an unimaginable world, which most people can't even begin to fathom, and his resilient continuing journey. His story is raw, vivid and painful to read although I could not put it down. We rarely get to hear firsthand from a survivor, and even less often get to hear how it affects the rest of their life, and in hand all of our lives as humans as a whole. An emotional but beautiful book. Not to be missed!

It is hard to say this is a good book. Because, truly, it is one of the hardest reads I've had to suffer through. As I read Jabali's journey, I felt his pain, I heard his rage, and I became to know him as a canny, thoughtful, unbreakable boy who traversed something so unspeakable that it is hard to fathom. Jabali lost his closest family, lost his innocence, and lost his childhood. What he did not lose was his inherent ability to see himself as a viable human being in a world that did not see him. There is so much strength and courage in this wretched journey, and even in the most unbelievable pieces, you begin to understand how much a child can endure, but should not endure. You see a child who has the intelligence, wit and soul-searching availability to see himself as someone outside of his pain. Jabali's courage to share with us his incredible journey and to do so with the insight within himself, so much so that not only does he heal us through his process -- he grew to grasp how much his experience could benefit all children. This astounding account of a very young child going through something so brutal it is barely comprehensible leaves us with hope for every one of us who have suffered. Jabali's strength is in his ability to show us how to pay it forward. A must read.

Compelling, heartbreaking, and inspiring. I had no idea what this story was about and I was hooked from the beginning. We as humans are so powerful and capable of doing the unthinkable and conquering over any obstacle. Jabali Smith is all of that and then some. This is a must read for anyone!!! This story will blow your mind and hopefully make you a better human being in the process. "Love is the most powerful force in the the universe" (Jabali Smith).

What a difficult yet amazing read! I'm so grateful to Jabali Smith for telling his story so openly. I knew slavery existed, yet it always seemed far away from me and something I could do little to change. Here is a story from a city less than an hour away from where I live. It is unbelievable to think that so many children slip through the cracks of the system and no one knows or cares that they are being abused, left uneducated, starving, used as slaves and sexual objects--just in that one city alone! This means this problem is much larger than we probably all thought, and likely exists all across our country today. Even when he was in the hands of people who could potentially save him, it seemed they weren't educated enough in the ways of brainwashing, fear and deception to catch on to what he couldn't tell them.

A heartbreaking story written with the voice of a child who proves that survival, even under the most unthinkable circumstances, is possible. Jabari Smith is brutally honest in telling the story of his horrific childhood. I found myself completely wrapped up in his experience, feeling anger, sadness, disgust and, fear. As he describes his triumphant emotional transformation, I felt pure admiration for his strength and belief in love.