What an amazing YA contemporary debut! One of the hardest storylines for me to enjoy is reading about a character that won't tell the people she loves something horrible happened to her. I understand that most girls that go through something like sexual assault often keep it to themselves, but I hate reading about it generally. That was not the case with this book.
Right away you love Sid, she is just likeable and reading about how she handles such a traumatic experience is so interesting and believable I could hardly put my copy of the book down. The developments in Sid's character throughout the book were heartbreaking without weighing me down. There were these light moments tucked in to keep me enjoying the story. Although the boy in this book seems sometimes too good to be true, he is flawed and a great well rounded character as well.
BOOK BLURB:
How can you talk about something you can’t remember?
Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader (at the bottom of the pyramid, but still...), a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she’s thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid—including a lock of her perfect red curls—and she can’t remember any of it.
Back home and unable to relate to her old friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect... or so she thinks.
Witty and poignant, Colleen Clayton’s stunning debut is a story about moving on after the unthinkable happens.
Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader (at the bottom of the pyramid, but still...), a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she’s thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid—including a lock of her perfect red curls—and she can’t remember any of it.
Back home and unable to relate to her old friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect... or so she thinks.
Witty and poignant, Colleen Clayton’s stunning debut is a story about moving on after the unthinkable happens.
I appreciated that his book doesn't talk down to it's teen audience at all. But it also doesn't find the need to be overly vulgar or scandalous. There is some swearing and a small amount of sexual content, but it is all thoughtfully placed in the book.
Overall, I know I would never dare attempt to write a story like this for fear of the criticism that could follow if I did a poor job. But Colleen Clayton writes a masterful story of a girl caught up in something bigger than herself. Any girl who has been through what she has whether it be sexual assault, Sid's later food issues, or even just gross men objectifying her would find truth in this book. I look forward to more books by this author, and hope she keeps writing more and more.
To read more about it go HERE.
I hear a lot of great things about this book. Everybody praises Colleen for her fantastic writing about such a heavy subject. I'm "looking forward" to read it. Great review :)
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