Very meh...
Right after this I've read a book that handled rape in much better and realistic way than this one. My review will be short because I don't have much time, but what I don't understand is why that many people love this book. It's nothing special. It's not groundbreaking or heartbreaking, for that matter. It doesn't deal with emotions about rape and being almost-raped the way it should. To be honest, I didn't think about it much whilst reading the book, but when I've read "Faking Normal" right after this and in one fucking breath, I've come to realize that this book doesn't deal with the subject that way I think it should.
I found it utterly unbelievable that Jackie would be okay with sex right after the guy almost raping her. She shakes and she has traumas, sure, but she's still okay with Lucas touching her and everything. As far as I know, that would be almost impossible for her to even think about in the first few months.
Also, I hate the way this book is wrapped in a perfect little bow at the end when the rapist is arrested and suddenly, everything is fine and dandy. I'm sorry but that's not realistic. Jackie should've had traumas for much longer than she really did.
Every guy except Lucas and adults is presented as an uncaring dick when it comes to the subject of rape and getting Buck arrested. Why does the main hero always have to be the only sane one? Can somebody please explain it to me? Not all guys are jackasses and not all of them will agree to something as covering up the rape.
Moreover, Lucas was your perfect, tattooed, damaged NA hero with a dark past, and that's the part that annoyed me the most. Maybe it's my fault I went to read this soon after finishing "Beautiful Disaster" so I couldn't help but to compare. And while the writing is much better than in BD, there are still issues with this book I could not look away from.
This wasn't a bad book, but it also wasn't my kind of a book. I hope someone else enjoys it more than me.
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