Reviews

Ever Since by Alena Bruzas

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semaykidd's review

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challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

lemonsyellow's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Virginia is seventeen. Just typing that out made me do a double take because she lived a hard life in those 17 years. Alena Bruzas takes delicate subject matter, the story of Virginia’s life, to new heights in Ever Since. Virginia has given herself the label of “that girl”. We all know one. The promiscuous girl, the party girl, the girl who cheats with her friend’s boyfriend. Virginia only does those things because she doesn’t realize she can say no. She wishes she could. She’s used to being used. She just plays along like she always has. Ever since.

It could go on like this forever but Virginia befriends the sister of her friend’s boyfriend, Lyra. Lyra is 11. Lyra loves soccer, is being tutored by Virginia and, unfortunately, is also being groomed for abuse. Virginia notices the signs immediately. She knows she should tell but she really doesn’t want to get involved. However, as she starts to care for Lyra she realizes she needs to get involved and that means facing her own harsh reality.

This story is a book for survivors, a book for their supporters, a book for friends. A book for people who haven’t lived it but could use an insider’s view. It shines light on the reality of life after abuse and how it stays with you for a long time.

Cannot recommend it enough, get your hands on this one!

Content Warnings

roseyleaf's review

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5.0

This fits folklore by Taylor Swift.
Also, this story is inspired by the author's life and her experiences. It's horrible that this stuff can happen to anyone, but then some people glorify it or ignore it as 'consensual', which is just wrong. I really hope the author and Virginia got a happily ever after.

abbyreads2's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Majority of the book was me yelling at the main character, I mean I understand why she acted the way she did but it was still a hard read and seeing her make bad decisions after another, risking her relationships with her friends. One thing that bothered me though was that we never got to see

if he did the same to his own daughter, one of her friends.

Content Warnings

eponineeurydice's review

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5.0

Ohhhh my goodness... this was breathtaking and agonizing and emotional and heart-rending and lovely. I want to cry and also float because of how freeing and also devastating it was. The writing was gorgeous, the story was beautiful, the mythological tie-ins were stunning... however, this is not an easy read by any stretch. Please be aware that it is much heavier and more detailed than most YA books. But I believe this story is so powerful and so important, so if you feel that you need it, please read it.

runaps's review

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5.0

I knew Ever Since would be a heavy read the moment I looked at the cover, and yet I felt drawn to it.
I was sexually abused as a toddler, and only started to consciously remember it as an adult. Before that I only had a few moments of panic around a certain type of man, or with affection I wasn’t warned about before it happened, sometimes as harmless as someone touching my arm.
Then came the nightmares, that slowly started to get less foggy and a lot more frighting. More detailed.
And yet, my therapist told me I was making it up, that I had a bad childhood and my subconscious was making it even worse.
I’ve never managed to make my mom admit that she knew I was abused, she shuts down and refuses to acknowledge even the most vague mention of the subject, but she is the one who made sure we hastily moved out of seemingly nowhere when I was a toddler. I never managed to make her be open with me about it, but I made her fact check a few details for me, and I really really wish that I was wrong.
What I’m saying is, I’m a lot like Paz in a way, and it’s fucking dark and suffocating and erases my sense of self. Most days I can even convince myself it was real, but my scars are right here. In the lump in my throat that keeps me from falling asleep most days. That makes me cry out of nowhere.
Ever Since was a tough read, and it’s a needed read.
I’m so glad the author told her story, Virginia deserved that. All the Virginias deserve that. Just like we deserve to claim our power.
The book title made me think about how there’s truly a before and after with something as atrocious as this. There’s a you from before you were hurt so badly and there’s the shell that survives after.
But there’s also another version of you, the one who rises above that and gives the monster your middle finger by being happy and erasing them of your existence. And I can’t wait to get up to this point.