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A review by trrm
Those Girls by Chevy Stevens
5.0
I had to take multiple breaks when reading this book. It has sexual assault (a lot!) and it was too much for me that I had to take a break for a bit before I could continue pushing through.
The story itself was well written and when it wasn't so traumatic. I struggled through two parts in the story (that discussed violent SA) because I just wanted it to be over. I felt so sorry for the girls (sisters) who were trying to get away from a bad situation and ended up in a worse one.
Now I'm going to start talking about the story and it's going to include spoilers so stop reading now!!
****** SPOILERS AHEAD ******
Three sisters live with their abusive, alcoholic father. One night he comes home and attacks the middle sister because he found out she was having an affair with a married man. He burned her face with a hot pan right off the stove. He then proceeded to try to drown her (if I remember correctly, I read this like 3 books ago so I could be confusing it with another story but I'm pretty sure this happened in this book). The middle sister Courtney was on the verge of death so the youngest sister was forced to shoot her father to save her sister. They girls decided to to hide their father's truck and buried his body in a field. They realize they can no longer stay at the farm because their father was hired to work there and with him not coming back it was going to become suspicious QUICKLY.
The girls decided to runaway and ended up being taken by male cousins who brutalized them them for 5 days, Courtney getting the worst of it. They were able to get away and found help. The girls' original names were Dani (eldest), Courtney (middle), and Jamie (youngest) but had to change their identities so they couldn't be found especially after the way they escaped their rapists. Dani became Dallas, Courtney became Crystal, and Jamie became Jess. Jess was a virgin and was raped by one of the men which ended up with her getting pregnant. She planned on giving the baby up for adoption but last minute she decided to keep her and named her Skylar.
18 years later, the girls are doing well except Courtney/Crystal who parties a lot, is promiscuous, and is very obviously still struggling with her trauma of her childhood and the rapes. Skylar is close to Crystal who she views as the "fun aunt" and one night after a lot of drinking, Crystal almost kills herself. After that, she decides to go back to kill the men who hurt her and her sisters. Skylar has no idea about their past or who her father is but was able to break into Crystal's house, check her computer history, and saw that she looked up the town that the girls were assaulted in. Skylar not knowing anything about what happened to them lies to her mother about going on a trip to a cabin with her friend but really is going after her aunt.
It takes some time for Skylar to locate her aunt but prior to that she started putting all the pieces together and realized that her father isn't the man who her mother told her was but the man who raped her at 15 years old. When she found her aunt, the one that brutalized her the most (Gavin) had her tied to his bed and kept her as a sex slave. He was going to hurt Skylar too even though his cousin (her biological father) knew that she was his child but he didn't care and wanted nothing to do with the situation. Luckily, Jess and Dallas figured out where Skylar ran off to and went after her. The sisters were staking out the house while inside Skylar and Crystal were able to break free. Crystal walked behind Skylar, pushed her out the door, and stayed inside to kill Gavin but also got herself killed in the process. Jess and Dallas were right outside, saw Skylar so they ran to get her. Skylar was hysterical and Crystal ended up killing Gavin but also died in the process.
The truth was finally revealed that Brian and Gavin held the sisters captive for 5 days, Gavin BRUTALLY raping the two eldest (Courtney got it the worst) and Brian was the only one who raped Jamie which is how they knew he was the father. With Gavin dead, Brian was taken to in to face punishment for what he had done and the girls went back home with one less sister.
I listened to this book because I don't have much time to read these days and man, I was hooked! Other than the SA (both times it happened in the book I took a break because it literally devastated me for those poor girls), I couldn't stop listening. The ending was devastating for me, the fact they lost one of their sisters but Courtney struggled her whole life after what they went through in Cash Creek (that's where Brian and Gavin lived) and I don't think she had the will to live anymore. She got her revenge and in my opinion, died in peace knowing Gavin wouldn't live to hurt anyone else.
I am the eldest of 3 sisters and I couldn't imagine living through something like that. Visualizing the girls, their relationships with each other, the love they had for one another and how eventually they were able to accept Skylar was such a powerful part of the story. Skylar looked like her father AND her siblings (he had 2 children with his wife by this point) but her mother and aunts looked past all of that and loved her.
Spreading the ashes of Courtney and making the paper cranes to carry Courtney's soul to Heaven also broke me! I love my sisters so much and I couldn't imagine losing one to such a horrific tragedy. This one really hit me hard and while it took me through a rollercoaster of emotions, it was totally worth it all!
The story itself was well written and when it wasn't so traumatic. I struggled through two parts in the story (that discussed violent SA) because I just wanted it to be over. I felt so sorry for the girls (sisters) who were trying to get away from a bad situation and ended up in a worse one.
Now I'm going to start talking about the story and it's going to include spoilers so stop reading now!!
****** SPOILERS AHEAD ******
Three sisters live with their abusive, alcoholic father. One night he comes home and attacks the middle sister because he found out she was having an affair with a married man. He burned her face with a hot pan right off the stove. He then proceeded to try to drown her (if I remember correctly, I read this like 3 books ago so I could be confusing it with another story but I'm pretty sure this happened in this book). The middle sister Courtney was on the verge of death so the youngest sister was forced to shoot her father to save her sister. They girls decided to to hide their father's truck and buried his body in a field. They realize they can no longer stay at the farm because their father was hired to work there and with him not coming back it was going to become suspicious QUICKLY.
The girls decided to runaway and ended up being taken by male cousins who brutalized them them for 5 days, Courtney getting the worst of it. They were able to get away and found help. The girls' original names were Dani (eldest), Courtney (middle), and Jamie (youngest) but had to change their identities so they couldn't be found especially after the way they escaped their rapists. Dani became Dallas, Courtney became Crystal, and Jamie became Jess. Jess was a virgin and was raped by one of the men which ended up with her getting pregnant. She planned on giving the baby up for adoption but last minute she decided to keep her and named her Skylar.
18 years later, the girls are doing well except Courtney/Crystal who parties a lot, is promiscuous, and is very obviously still struggling with her trauma of her childhood and the rapes. Skylar is close to Crystal who she views as the "fun aunt" and one night after a lot of drinking, Crystal almost kills herself. After that, she decides to go back to kill the men who hurt her and her sisters. Skylar has no idea about their past or who her father is but was able to break into Crystal's house, check her computer history, and saw that she looked up the town that the girls were assaulted in. Skylar not knowing anything about what happened to them lies to her mother about going on a trip to a cabin with her friend but really is going after her aunt.
It takes some time for Skylar to locate her aunt but prior to that she started putting all the pieces together and realized that her father isn't the man who her mother told her was but the man who raped her at 15 years old. When she found her aunt, the one that brutalized her the most (Gavin) had her tied to his bed and kept her as a sex slave. He was going to hurt Skylar too even though his cousin (her biological father) knew that she was his child but he didn't care and wanted nothing to do with the situation. Luckily, Jess and Dallas figured out where Skylar ran off to and went after her. The sisters were staking out the house while inside Skylar and Crystal were able to break free. Crystal walked behind Skylar, pushed her out the door, and stayed inside to kill Gavin but also got herself killed in the process. Jess and Dallas were right outside, saw Skylar so they ran to get her. Skylar was hysterical and Crystal ended up killing Gavin but also died in the process.
The truth was finally revealed that Brian and Gavin held the sisters captive for 5 days, Gavin BRUTALLY raping the two eldest (Courtney got it the worst) and Brian was the only one who raped Jamie which is how they knew he was the father. With Gavin dead, Brian was taken to in to face punishment for what he had done and the girls went back home with one less sister.
I listened to this book because I don't have much time to read these days and man, I was hooked! Other than the SA (both times it happened in the book I took a break because it literally devastated me for those poor girls), I couldn't stop listening. The ending was devastating for me, the fact they lost one of their sisters but Courtney struggled her whole life after what they went through in Cash Creek (that's where Brian and Gavin lived) and I don't think she had the will to live anymore. She got her revenge and in my opinion, died in peace knowing Gavin wouldn't live to hurt anyone else.
I am the eldest of 3 sisters and I couldn't imagine living through something like that. Visualizing the girls, their relationships with each other, the love they had for one another and how eventually they were able to accept Skylar was such a powerful part of the story. Skylar looked like her father AND her siblings (he had 2 children with his wife by this point) but her mother and aunts looked past all of that and loved her.
Spreading the ashes of Courtney and making the paper cranes to carry Courtney's soul to Heaven also broke me! I love my sisters so much and I couldn't imagine losing one to such a horrific tragedy. This one really hit me hard and while it took me through a rollercoaster of emotions, it was totally worth it all!