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A review by mayflowergirl74
Some Boys by Patty Blount
3.0
What I loved about this book was Grace, her strength and courage and ability to keep going, even when absolutely nobody had her back.
What I disliked about this book was pretty much everyone else. When Grace is raped by the most popular guy in school, nobody that should believe her does. Her supposed best friends call her a slut and make her life miserable, and the guys at school who once had crushes on her now see her as a sloppy second whore. Even her crush, Ian, the guy who discovered her left alone in the woods, nearly unconscious with her panties wrapped around her ankles after she'd been raped has a hard time believing she's telling the truth. Everyone apparently sees so little redeeming value in Grace that they can't even give her the benefit of the doubt that she might not be lying. Even her shitty, slut-shaming cheating dad, her mom and every adult at school are basically worthless when she needs them the most. The only person who really stands up for her in the beginning, who actually shows her he believes her, is Ian's dad. There are a few other people who believe her, who want to support her, but their relative silence is pretty deafening. If Grace hadn't been the most beautiful girl in school with the resolve to keep going and with a popular guy who still had complex feelings for her, I'd hate to think what would happen to her.
As for Ian, it's understandable that Ian had divided loyalties, that his place on the team and with his circle of friends would make it hard for him to stand up to them, but he was cruel to Grace at times when I don't think he needed to be. He did learn some important things about himself, and I did like his questioning of the status quo and how the girls he and his buddies hit on might actually feel. Still, I don't see Ian as especially heroic. He only did the right thing when the truth couldn't be avoided. I guess maybe that's realistic, and sadly it might also be realistic that Grace didn't dropkick everyone of these losers out of her life.
You don't have to forgive everyone, Grace. There are better people in your world (I hope). I really do.
What I disliked about this book was pretty much everyone else. When Grace is raped by the most popular guy in school, nobody that should believe her does. Her supposed best friends call her a slut and make her life miserable, and the guys at school who once had crushes on her now see her as a sloppy second whore. Even her crush, Ian, the guy who discovered her left alone in the woods, nearly unconscious with her panties wrapped around her ankles after she'd been raped has a hard time believing she's telling the truth. Everyone apparently sees so little redeeming value in Grace that they can't even give her the benefit of the doubt that she might not be lying. Even her shitty, slut-shaming cheating dad, her mom and every adult at school are basically worthless when she needs them the most. The only person who really stands up for her in the beginning, who actually shows her he believes her, is Ian's dad. There are a few other people who believe her, who want to support her, but their relative silence is pretty deafening. If Grace hadn't been the most beautiful girl in school with the resolve to keep going and with a popular guy who still had complex feelings for her, I'd hate to think what would happen to her.
As for Ian, it's understandable that Ian had divided loyalties, that his place on the team and with his circle of friends would make it hard for him to stand up to them, but he was cruel to Grace at times when I don't think he needed to be. He did learn some important things about himself, and I did like his questioning of the status quo and how the girls he and his buddies hit on might actually feel. Still, I don't see Ian as especially heroic. He only did the right thing when the truth couldn't be avoided. I guess maybe that's realistic, and sadly it might also be realistic that Grace didn't dropkick everyone of these losers out of her life.
You don't have to forgive everyone, Grace. There are better people in your world (I hope). I really do.