Unleaving by Melissa Ostrom

Unleaving

by Melissa Ostrom

After surviving an assault at an off-campus party, nineteen-year-old Maggie is escaping her college town, and, because her reporting the crime has led to the expulsion of some popular athletes, many people - in particular, the outraged Tigers fans - are happy to see her go.

Maggie moves in with her Aunt Wren, a sculptor who lives in an isolated cabin bordered by nothing but woods and water. Maggie wants to forget, heal, and hide, but her aunt’s place harbours secrets and situations that complicate the plan. Worse, the trauma Maggie hoped to leave behind has followed her, haunting her in ways she can’t control, including flashbacks, insomnia and a sense of panic. Her troubles intensify when she begins to receive messages from another student who has survived a rape on her old campus. Just when Maggie musters the courage to answer her emails, the young woman goes silent.

In a book that is both urgent and timely, Melissa Ostrom explores the intricacies of shame and victim-blaming that accompany the aftermath of assault.

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

4 of 5 stars

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Maggie was gang raped. Maggie was brave and fought for justice. Maggie became a social pariah, and was forced to leave her home. What happened to Maggie, before and after her assault, was wrong, but leaving her hometown put her on her path to healing.

This was an emotional read, but hopeful. I really appreciated that Ostrom focused on Maggie's recovery. There were flashbacks, which I think were there to help us understand her mental state, but they were not graphic. I didn't feel like I needed all the details to understand, that a grievous crime was committed against Maggie, but I did love getting to watch her take back what was stolen from her.

A big part of Maggie's recovery was the amazing "family" Ostrom assembled. Her own parents were helping her, as best they could, but Maggie really did need to get some distance from where the crime was committed. Being with her Aunt, Wren, brought so may other people into her life. Sam, Linnie, Caleb, Kate, Ran and the other bookclub girls were all integral to Maggie's healing process. I especially liked that many of the characters were dealing with their own issues, and it was that shared pain that made their interactions so meaningful. Maggie's story was powerful on its own, but coupled with Wren and Linnie's stories, it packed an even bigger emotional punch.

I also adored the setting. My daughter did her undergraduate degree at Syracuse, so I am fairly well acquainted with Central New York. It was fun to see Dinosaur BBQ and Stella's (two awesome eateries) visited in the book. Ostrom also did a wonderful job taking us to the shores of Lake Ontario. She wrapped me in the sounds, the smells, the colors, and the textures, which really rounded out the experience for me.

I had a love/hate relationship with the ending. I loved that everybody seemed to be healing and good things were happening. Linnie, Wren, and Sam all had such wonderful futures in the works. I also thought the decision Maggie made was fantastic. I never doubted her inner strength, and it was great to see her tapping into it again. My problem was that it seemed a little abrupt. I sort of understand why the author ended where she did, but I still kept looking to see if there were some pages missing.

Overall: This was an incredible healing journey, which showed how important love, support, and understanding can be.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 14 March, 2019: Finished reading
  • 14 March, 2019: Reviewed