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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
a beautiful book that accurately captures depression and the shame that comes with SA
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
fast-paced
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Really thoughtful depiction of a teenage girl after being sexually assulted at a party. The chapters are relatively short so I feel like it was pretty fast paced and the ending was very satisfying.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
3.5/5
I overall really enjoyed this novel and the exploration of trauma and rape culture, especially in the first 3/4 of the book. I feel like too often, rape is viewed as this intentional thing that we would never be capable of, when that is simply not the reality. The truth is, anyone can rape, and anyone can be raped. I really liked how Melinda’s initial assault was handled, because it didn’t seem like Andy truly realized the severity of what he had done. And that is how rape culture works. It tells men that if she says no, she’s playing hard to get. It tells men to keep going, because she really wants it, she’s just too scared to admit it.
However, this was all thrown out the window once we get to the chapter “Prey”. In this chapter, Andy finds Melinda and attempts to rape her “for real” after she tells Rachel about what he had done. The scene feels too graphic, and it feels too pre-mediated. It feels like the caricature of rape that I had originally thought the book was subverting. In the very next, and final chapter, Melinda finally speaks, and she tells Mr. Freeman what had happened. The inclusion of a second assault scene was simply unnecessary to to the overall story. Melinda did not need to relive her trauma again to speak, we see in the chapters leading up to the assault that she is slowly but surely recovering and growing as a person. I most likely would have given the book a higher rating had the second rape scene been omitted.
I overall really enjoyed this novel and the exploration of trauma and rape culture, especially in the first 3/4 of the book. I feel like too often, rape is viewed as this intentional thing that we would never be capable of, when that is simply not the reality. The truth is, anyone can rape, and anyone can be raped. I really liked how Melinda’s initial assault was handled, because it didn’t seem like Andy truly realized the severity of what he had done. And that is how rape culture works. It tells men that if she says no, she’s playing hard to get. It tells men to keep going, because she really wants it, she’s just too scared to admit it.
However, this was all thrown out the window once we get to the chapter “Prey”. In this chapter, Andy finds Melinda and attempts to rape her “for real” after she tells Rachel about what he had done. The scene feels too graphic, and it feels too pre-mediated. It feels like the caricature of rape that I had originally thought the book was subverting. In the very next, and final chapter, Melinda finally speaks, and she tells Mr. Freeman what had happened. The inclusion of a second assault scene was simply unnecessary to to the overall story. Melinda did not need to relive her trauma again to speak, we see in the chapters leading up to the assault that she is slowly but surely recovering and growing as a person. I most likely would have given the book a higher rating had the second rape scene been omitted.
this was phenomenal. i see myself in melinda so much, even though i have not been through the horrors she has. we are similar, but she is stronger than i am. the style of dialogue is novel and works very well and i cried at the end
reflective
sad
tense