mafol308 's review for:

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

5.0

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When I first read this book, I was angry at the end. I wanted Dean to suffer (beyond his physical injuries). I thought his apology was disgustingly self-serving. He only wanted to apologize for falsely accusing Ani in the shooting, something his “fans” would understand. But of course he wasn’t going to apologize for the real pain he caused in gang-raping Ani. Knowing they had his audio admission and would be able to use it against him was good, but I really wanted to witness the take-down. I was so mad that I didn’t get to see him pay for what he did. But if we’re being realistic, an admission of guilt is far more than most sexual assault survivors get. Perhaps the author intended for the reader to be angry about the lack of justice at the end. It is, afterall, a more accurate reflection of the way things are. In the movie, Ani tells Dean, “You see, I was a victim too. Just nobody ever treated me like one.” Sadly true for so many. I applaud the author for her courage in writing the book (and the movie screen play). At the time I didn’t know it was based on a similar experience from the author’s own life. Ani isn’t the Luckiest Girl Alive but she is one of the strongest.