"Rape Girl" is a relatively short read with a lot of impact on its respective subject matter. I'll admit I read this book inside an hour (it was around 100 some pages in my galley) and it hit me emotionally with quite a few turns, though there were some issues with it.

From the beginning of the narrative, you recognize that Valerie is a victim of rape, but the unfolding story focuses on what happened in the before and after. There's a brief exchange of Before/After incident narratives before the story returns to the present and steamrolls from there. You see the main character accounting for her story - the police involvement, the rape kit, the backlash and support from her peers. Valerie deals with fears that are both internal and external in the aftermath, and the backlash against her from people who once called her friends is very real. I appreciated that this narrative dealt with the reality of the perceptions and misconceptions put against people who are raped, specifically women who are raped, because in the unfolding scheme of rape culture - these viewpoints and stereotypes are very real.

It's a starting point that I think the audience that it's aimed for would be able to take something from, though I don't know if the narrative was nearly as intimate enough for it to have more impact than it did. I was missing the deep POV from this in places though I understood the difficult emotional place that the main character was. It certainly touched on a lot of arguments in the issues, but the characters themselves still felt at an arms length for their respective roles. The best friend that distanced herself from Val (Mimi), the boy who raped her (Adam - and I thought the scene at the end where she confronts and condemns what he did was potent in itself), the mother who's torn between her own issues and helping her daughter. Many of these characters (and more) could've had a bit more intimacy to bring their characters home more.

It's not the strongest, most intimate narrative I've read on this subject matter, but I think not only was it incredibly brave of the author to write this piece (as a survivor herself), but I also think this is a good starting point for dialogue about the matter, especially for young adults. I just wish it'd had a little more character intimacy, not just for the main character's perspective, but the development of the surrounding cast as well.

Overall score: 3.5/5 stars

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher namelos.

This is a super short book but I have to say I was pretty pleased with it. My library didn't have it--of course--and I requested it through the inter-library loan system but they purchased a copy using something called the ZIP program. I'm not sure I understand what it does entirely, but I do know that if you request a book through ILL, if there is a copy online available for $10 or less they will purchase it using ZIP funds. I don't know what happens to the books after I turn them in since so far none of them have actually made their way into my library's catalog...which is annoying. Anyway I think I am going to have A TALK with the librarians when I turn in this book about maybe keeping this book or putting it on their list of books to get or buying it for them myself if they promise to shelve it. Of course this a library that THROWS AWAY thousands of perfectly good books every week, so... (It's a great place to dumpster dive--I have gotten the most awesome books & collage materials--but it's really an atrocity and I wish they wouldn't.)

So, oh yeah, this book. It dealt with a problem that is both super prevalent and unfortuantely misunderstood in an accessible and engaging way. It's true to life and examines many things that go along with rape--the triggers, the guilt, the victim-blaming, the "oh but what about the poor rapist's future" garbage, the way schools/institutions will protect the rapists over the victims, and just all around rape culture. I spend a lot of time both following rape cases in the news and critiquing rape culture with other feminists online; also talking to people in the flesh about violence against women and other oppressed groups, both physical and systemic. Although I would have liked to see some changes/additions, I have to say that overall I really approve of the way Klein handled the issue. I would love to see my library carry this book. I live in a drinking town and I often hear slut-shaming and have myself been harrassed on the street many times and assaulted on dancefloors. I know I am not the only one and have in fact gotten off "easy." I've had to call the police a few times when I've seen incidents of stalking, threats, and violence. For a while there we had a guy (a physician!) picking girls off the street, drugging them and raping them in his car. Anyway...my point is... rape culture is extremely prevalent and this book does a good job at showing how wrong it is. I think it would be really beneficial to have it in the library. I think it would be educational for the general public, and supportive & healing for victims/survivors.

And for those who haven't yet read this piece:
http://feminspire.com/the-dangers-of-rape-apologism-to-a-survivor/

http://divainpyjamas.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/rape-girl-by-alina-klein.html

Valerie is strong, she's an inspiration to girls who are victims of sexual abuse. This will not define her.

Rape Girl made me beyond furious at the treatment of Valerie. She was painted by peers and trusted adults as a liar, that she was promiscuous, to stop playing the victim and move on with her life, often giving the impression that she had no right to tell anyone about what happened to her. But for all of the judgmental, so called 'inconvenienced' adults that Valerie should have been able to trust, luckily she had pillars of support. An unlikely friend, a councilor, a cute barista, a victim support group and her loving mother. It was the difference between living... And self destructing.

Rape Girl is raw and doesn't hold back.

Review to come.

3.5 stars.Rape Girl is a quick read, but it's by no means an easy one. That's pretty obvious from the provocative title. It says it all, really - this book is about a girl who is raped. Then again, it's about so much more than that. It's about the effects of rape on not just the victim but on family, friends and the community. It's about the way society treats those victims and their rapists - all too often blaming the former and forgiving the latter. It's about a screwed up justice system in which few victims feel they can report their rape, and those who do don't always get any actual justice. It's about the fact that when it's one person's word against another, people always doubt, and sadly see the innocent as somehow guilty and the guilty as innocent. It's about life and how sometimes, it really freaking sucks.Rape is obviously a very sensitive issue and this book could have easily been exploitative, but Klein tackles the subject matter with sensitivity. It's not graphic at all, although it is confronting, as it probably should be. Klein's writing is simple, but it says so much. The characters and situations all feel incredibly real, and their reactions to those situations are authentic. At the beginning, sections are divided between "before" and "after", and it's very effective, contrasting ordinary teen Valerie with the "rape girl" she feels she has now become. I felt for Valerie; her sadness, her frustration and especially her anger were palpable and completely understandable.My one gripe with Rape Girl is that it's way too short. While the writing is good, the brevity means I never fully connected with the characters or felt immersed in the story. Because it really only had space to deal with the rape and its aftermath, it never really went beyond being an "issue" book. Not that there's anything necessarily wrong with that - it's certainly an important issue to write about, learn about and talk about. It just means it didn't quite burrow under my skin and into my heart. If there was a bit more to the story I feel like it could have had a greater impact. Nevertheless, it's certainly worth a read.I received a review copy from the publisher via Netgalley.This review also appears on my blog.