Deals beautifully with a sensitive subject
I'll start out by saying that parts of this book are hard to read due to the subject matter...the story very much revolves around rape and its aftermath. If this is a trigger subject for you, please be forewarned.
With that out of the way....I found the book very impressive. It centers on Em, a teenaged girl who supports and defends her older sister during her rape trial and afterwards. I though the author did an amazing job of showing the various ways in which both rape and the related trial affect both the victim and her family. There was also a lot about the justice system, and how it sometimes doesn't actually find justice during sentencing.
Em was a very realistic character. I truly thought her actions and statements rang true for a young woman her age. While I didn't agree with everything she said and did, I found it all true to character.
A unique aspect of this book comes as Em learns more about the true historical figure of Marguerite de Bressieux, a 15th-century French noblewoman. This woman became a knight and avenged victims of rape during a time when society did nothing to help. I was intrigued to read about Marguerite, and would love to learn more about her.
I really enjoyed this book, and got a lot out of it. I was also pleased to discover Joy McCullough, a new-to-me author.
With that out of the way....I found the book very impressive. It centers on Em, a teenaged girl who supports and defends her older sister during her rape trial and afterwards. I though the author did an amazing job of showing the various ways in which both rape and the related trial affect both the victim and her family. There was also a lot about the justice system, and how it sometimes doesn't actually find justice during sentencing.
Em was a very realistic character. I truly thought her actions and statements rang true for a young woman her age. While I didn't agree with everything she said and did, I found it all true to character.
A unique aspect of this book comes as Em learns more about the true historical figure of Marguerite de Bressieux, a 15th-century French noblewoman. This woman became a knight and avenged victims of rape during a time when society did nothing to help. I was intrigued to read about Marguerite, and would love to learn more about her.
I really enjoyed this book, and got a lot out of it. I was also pleased to discover Joy McCullough, a new-to-me author.