I think a lot of people don't know how to review books that they can relate to on a very personal level or have never experienced for themselves. This is probably one of those books where people know it's important but can't quite explain why except that it deals with a lot of heavy subjects (sexual assault, rape culture, etc.) in a easily digestible way.

But there is so much more to this book than just those aspects, even though it was what is focused on. There's the nuance of the subtle shift between victim and survivor - and how sometimes you can be both in the same instance. And McLemore excels at these subtle aspects in all their work, but especially this one.

Ciela was such an interesting character because she exuberated confidence in some ways because of the "show" she is putting on for her family and friends. But she's also keeping so much of herself hidden by doing so. I really liked the exploration of what it means to be marginalized by others and by yourself when you don't identify with the "norm" in your area or circle.

I also really appreciated Lock and his story line. I think it's so rare for these types of stories around rape culture to feature men. Lock describes it perfectly by saying that people don't generally believe it because of the stigma in society about how men should behave, act, and enjoy sex, so they shouldn't be "able" to be raped. But that's not the case. The two of them balanced the story so well and I loved every minute of it.

I wasn't a huge fan of the way that each of them was assaulted but that (while not really a minor detail) felt like a minor element to me. They both experienced a shared trauma and had to deal with it together.

I am glad that the ending was open to reader interpretation of where it goes next. I think sometimes "justice" is just speaking up and telling people your story.