The Quick Cut: A high school goes into anarchy after a girl accuses her popular track star boyfriend of abuse.
A Real Review:
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
In today's hyper aware society, everything is up for social commentary and far too often the public opinion is the one that takes primary position. So when that type of social setup grapples with as sensitive a situation as abuse from a partner, how does the truth come to the surface and the victim get the care they need? This is the topic at the heart of this novel.
A girl goes to her Principal's office first thing in the morning and tells her that her popular track star boyfriend has been hitting her. With a newly darkened eye and a seriously uncomfortable feeling, her honesty about what happened the night before starts a trail of school meltdowns and everyone weighing in on where they stand. Who should they trust: they girl with the bruised eye or the star athlete? Is there more going on?
It's so hard to talk about this book without spilling too many details! The chapters are devilishly genius in the way that they're narrated by different people, but for the first two parts the names aren't given. Rather than names, labels are used and many are a little... Controversial shall we say? It's a smart writing technique in this situation even if it did confuse me at first.
There are many complex topics battled in this book, including bulimia, anxiety disorders, and OCD. The teens in this book go through between relationships, school pressure, and social expectations is intense. To be average isn't acceptable, they have to exceed expectations. Although it provides interesting insight and was clearly carefully written, it still deserves a warning as the content is sensitive in nature.
With multiple difficult topics, this book expertly navigates the struggles of abuse in relationships.
My rating: 4.5 out of 5