Scan barcode
A review by jenn_sveda
Dangerous Play by Emma Kress
5.0
I really enjoyed this one! I think the characters were believable, relatable, and empathetic. Sometimes it was hard to keep all the members of the team straight - I sometimes confused Liv and Ava, or forgot who the triplets were when they weren't mentioned by name. The story felt real and heartbreaking without being hopeless.
The story constantly surprised me, in all the best ways. There were many times where I felt the narrative was trending towards being too sympathetic to the sex offenders, and I thought "Here we go with the 'not all men' caveat," only for the characters and the narrative to affirm that yes, sexual assault is systemic, cultural issue that impacts everyone. I thought the message was clear without feeling preachy, and the solution that the team eventually arrived at was realistic and touching. As much as I loved the hooded vigilante angle, I think it was more meaningful and impactful to have the characters heal through sharing stories and building support networks instead, because that's a solution that we as readers can mirror.
Overall, I think this was a great YA book, and definitely something I would recommend for anyone looking for grounded, moving stories of combatting rape culture without leaning too hard into glamorizing trauma.
The story constantly surprised me, in all the best ways. There were many times where I felt the narrative was trending towards being too sympathetic to the sex offenders, and I thought "Here we go with the 'not all men' caveat," only for the characters and the narrative to affirm that yes, sexual assault is systemic, cultural issue that impacts everyone. I thought the message was clear without feeling preachy, and the solution that the team eventually arrived at was realistic and touching. As much as I loved the hooded vigilante angle, I think it was more meaningful and impactful to have the characters heal through sharing stories and building support networks instead, because that's a solution that we as readers can mirror.
Overall, I think this was a great YA book, and definitely something I would recommend for anyone looking for grounded, moving stories of combatting rape culture without leaning too hard into glamorizing trauma.