Mara and Owen are as close as twins can get, so when Mara's friend Hannah accuses Owen of rape, Mara doesn't know what to think. Can her brother really be guilty of such a violent act? Torn between her family and her sense of right and wrong, Mara feels lost, and it doesn't help that things are strained with her ex-girlfriend, Charlie. As Mara, Hannah, and Charlie come together in the aftermath of this terrible crime, Mara must face a trauma from her own past and decide where Charlie fits into her future. With sensitivity and openness, this timely novel confronts the difficult questions surrounding consent, victim blaming, and sexual assault.
This was such an incredibly hard book to read, but it portrayed such an important subject matter, that I just had to keep going. I can't say that I enjoyed this book, because I don't think that's the point of it. But, the writing was absolutely beautiful. The characters were flawed and broken, and also, so very strong. I definitely think if you can read this book to do it! That it should be shared with loved ones and read in schools, and it's message should be out there for EVERYONE to see.
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5 October, 2019:
Reviewed