A review by penstarling
Ceremony by Robert B. Parker

3.0

There's been a rightful uproar in Romancelandia this past week over someone categorizing a book about a 15yo girl and 35yo man in a coerced sexual relationship as Romance. Ceremony is a book that also deals with adult men having sexual relations with 15yo girls. But Ceremony calls the men 'baby rapers' and does what it can to save the girls. Or at least limit their exploitation. I think in this day and age a lot of people would find the conclusion of this story at the very least unsettling if not out right wrong. But I think for a story from 1982 it's somewhat revolutionary in recognizing that family isn't always the place for some kids and that social services can easily fail the same kids. Some times all you can do is try and mitigate the damage to kids who are already fucked over and would run away from home or foster care. It isn't a perfect solution. April Kyle doesn't get the same satisfying ending that Paul got in Parker's Early Autumn. But it is, in my view, a realistic look at life for some teenagers, and does what it can to help one who might otherwise be entirely lost.