OVERALL IMPRESSION: I flew so fast through this book. It is intense, scary, and amazing. When I was reading this, I felt like I was there with Sarah. I felt her struggle, her fear and desperation as well as her bravery. This book made me want to pick up everything Cheryl Rainfield has ever written.

CHARACTERS: Sarah is such a strong and inspiring character. Nick is amazing as well. He never gives up on Sarah and is there for her and her parents. Needless to say, I hated the character that kidnaps Sarah. He was cruel and disgusting.

COVER: I'm not a big fan of the cover. It's not horrible, I just don't like covers with close ups of people on them.

*I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.

 

Wow. I didn’t really know the darkness I was getting myself into when I started this. I mean, it’s obviously an issue book. It also had to be pretty dark if it’s about a girl who cuts, but I didn’t expect it to be dark on so many levels. This is one that’s been on my to-read list for a very long time, and I’m glad I found an opportunity to get to it.

Scars is about Kendra, a teen struggling with the sexual abuse she experienced as a child. With the help of her therapist and a new friend, she tries to access buried memories to remember who her abuser was. Somehow, her abuser knows and he’ll do anything to keep her from remembering.

 

Let me begin by confirming that Scars is extremely dark and heavy. You should probably prepare yourself for that before you begin reading or listening. I was aware of the subject matter before beginning, but what really makes Scars as dark as it is are all the details. Kendra is experiencing a lot of emotional and psychological trauma. I’m not ashamed to say that I cried a few times, and I felt horrified at other times. She’s so strong though, even if she doesn’t realize. Surviving the kinds of things she went through is nothing less than amazing. There are numerous children and teens never make it through this kind of abuse. There are some other details that are shocking and awful, but I don’t want to spoil the wonderful way in which they’re revealed. Rainfield does such a great job with the pacing of this book. I was very invested in the characters and the plot. My one complaint has to do with the writing. There was no real room for processing. Instead, Rainfield spelled everything out for the reader; I would have enjoyed coming to my own conclusions a little more.

 

The narration was good. Not exceptional, but still worth the listen. Emily Bauer was definitely emotionally invested and does a great job with delivery and syntax. The downside is that the production quality wasn’t quite up to par. I don’t usually notice things like this, but an words with an “s” sounded harsh to me. I suppose the problem could have been my headphones, but I’ve never noticed anything like that before using them.

 

I recommend this book to readers who like gritty issue books. This book is appropriate for readers ages 16 and up.

Sarah has endured so much in her life thanks to her birthmark. Bullied and ridiculed for the mark on her face, and then she gets kidnapped.

 

Horrifying and incredible, Sarah is an amazingly strong female character throughout this story! She is able to find her inner strength when she needs it and overcome everything she has been through. What a powerful story!

 

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.  Release date: 10/1/13

 

**portrays rape scenes

Also I can't wait for:

 

Crash into You by Katie McGarry
Premeditated by Josin L. McQuein
Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally
What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

 

It had a very powerful start, putting us in Sarah's shoes, showing how it feels to have such a prominent stain on her face. She is tormented and she feels like no one gives her the chance to see who she is besides someone that is not physically perfect. I liked the dual perspective and getting to know Nick. He is nerdy and he is kind so I automatically was cheering for him even though he knew that she didn't see him like that. He saw past her face, and found her beautiful anyways. He thinks she is strong and they have a connection through comic books, he draws and she writes them. There is a lot going on with Sarah, her dad has trouble at work and while she was going to get treatments for her face, that had to be put off because of the finances. I did like her mom, and I know as a teen that had to be annoying to be constantly told your parents think you are beautiful and that it is more than physical beauty to the world. But I am glad that she is present and saying these things. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the formatting. I am not sure, it is probably a product of being an ARC (advanced reader copy) but there were "l"s missing, and some of the lines were cut off. But anyways, Cheryl Rainfield the author writes with such passion and so beautifully dark and gritty. The details of what Sarah went through weren't skimmed over, they were examined and it focused on her feelings too. I was amazed at how strong she was, how courageous and the will to survive. I also thought this story was all the more powerful because Cheryl writes from personal experience in abuse. That really touched me that she can relate with her main characters that way, that the feelings and emotions come from a very real place. And that she is able to share the stories, no matter what details are fiction and what comes from what she has experienced is a real gift. Not only to survivors of abuse or captivity that there is hope and that outlets exist for pain, but to those who haven't been through something like this to get a harrowing and realistic look at the mindset and experience of someone kidnapped, raped, and manipulated. I also rooted for Sarah so much because she was smart. Even though desperate, she used her brain and did what she needed to in order to survive for the most part. She learned from her mistakes and her pride, and she was a mental fighter. I love how she became her own hero and learned to see the beauty inside and out.Bottom Line: Powerful look of a courageous main character with a will to live.