Trigger warnings: rape, eating disorders
This might just be my favourite book out of the ones I’ve
read so far this summer. I found myself getting to the last few chapters just
wishing for it to be longer. It was so incredibly heartbreaking and such an
honest portrayal of what it’s like to be a naïve teenager just wanting to feel
loved, accepted and wanted.
It starts off with young Sid Murphy, going away on a ski
trip and experiences a horrible tragedy. The rest of the novel is her coming to
terms with the fact that she is forever changed and how she will move forward
and deal with what has happened to her. I’ve read so many books where the
protagonist suffers some kind of tragic event, but not many have hit me as hard
as this one did. You don’t really see it coming, and once you discover what has
happened, you yourself feel betrayed and hurt just as Sid does. Clayton really
handles the topic so well and writes in a way that you can really feel the
emotions of the character. Each character is so well special in their own way
and I honestly fell in love with each of them.
SPOILERS:// I
honestly commend Colleen Clayton for the tasteful yet honest and real way of
handling the topic of Sid’s rape. It was so heartbreaking and authentic. The
only complaint about the story is the questions I was left with in the end. Did
Sid’s rapist end up getting caught? And did Sid get professional help for her
eating disorder? Though she eventually realized that she had lost too much
weight and her illness had gone too far, it takes more than that epiphany to
get better. And finally, what happens in the end with Sid and Corey? Do they
end up going to New York together? ://SPOILERS
Colleen Clayton wrote a very raw and honest portrayal of
violation and recovery in a very unique way, taking a heavy, difficult topic
and presenting it in a way that is not too overbearing and dark. I really really
loved this book and recommend it to anyone.
9/10
