First as usual, I must thank both Netgalley, and the publisher, Namelos, for allowing me to read an egalley of this book. The story is exactly what you think it is about, a girl who is raped. The story is very realistic, I think what happens is something that happens a lot. The main character is Valerie, a normal teenager, who throws a party when her mother is out of town and she has the house to herself. There is a boy she's hoping will show up, Adam, and finally he does. Unfortunately, Valerie has been drinking, doing shots, and having wine coolers that a popular girl shares with her. So by the time Adam gets there, she's a bit drunk. Adam also has been drinking, and decides to play a game of spin the bottle, but with just himself and Valerie. And so of course, he matches up with her. And they go into another room. Valerie's alcohol intake stops anything from happening as she pukes all over his shoes. She ends up sleeping on the couch after everyone has left. She doesn't remember what has happened. But she wakes up to her clothes being taken off her body. And Adam is there. Her little sister is outside playing in the snow, and while she tells Adam no, she doesn't want to make too loud of a scene, because she doesn't want her little sister to come in and see this happening. So, it happens, he leaves, and she immediately goes and showers and throws her clothes away, and tries to hide it. But her mom comes home, and it's Thanksgiving, and she can't hold it in. The story comes out, she names Adam, and the police take her story. But now, her best friend doesn't believe it was rape. People at school are against her because it is her word against Adam's, and he is the popular one. When she finally gets back to school, she hears someone call her the "rape girl". And that becomes her experience.
The book doesn't necessarily do anything "new" for this type of book. It's very short, and is pretty much just straightforward. The story is good, you do feel for Valerie. And as someone with personal experience with this type of thing, I did really understand the feelings and such. The feeling that it was Valerie's fault. One line I really thought was good, was the fact that rape is the only crime where a victim must prove their innocence. That really sat with me, because it is the truth. A sad truth, but a truth none the less.
