I normally don’t post reviews here… too many industry rules (mostly unwritten) for my taste, but I had to share this one.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Blurb
“Valerie always wanted to be the smart girl. The pretty girl. The popular girl.
But not the rape girl.
That’s who she is now. Rape Girl. Because everyone seems to think they know the truth about what happened with Adam that day, and they don’t think Valerie’s telling it.
Before, she had a best friend, a crush, and a close-knit family. After, she has a court case, a support group, and a house full of strangers.
The real truth is, nothing will ever be the same.
Rape Girl is the compelling story of a survivor who does the right thing and suffers for it. It is also the story of a young woman’s struggle to find the strength to fight back.”
My Review
Powerful and moving. I only put it down twice because I had to breathe. I loved Alina’s approach to creating Valerie’s world and experience, and appreciated that such an event was told with the simple yet painful details of a life falling apart from trauma. I hesitate to expound because I feel this story is best experienced in the pages of Alina’s book–where it can be more intimate and personal–and not here on my blog.
And the ending? I never saw it coming. Oh that I could express all the things I’m feeling right now by such an ending! But I don’t want to ruin it for you.
Thanks to Alina for sharing this heartwrenching story of hope and inner strength. I hope someday to be as strong as Valerie.
