Someone I Used to Know
By: Patty Blount
TW - afterwards of a sexual assault
The story flips perspectives between two teens - Ashley, a sexual assault survivor, and her brother, Derek.
Ashley was raped by a football player who was playing a scavenger hunt game played by most of the school football team. Derek was a part of that team, and also played the scavenger hunt game. Ashley deals with the aftermath of her assault, where she has become a pariah in her town, where the boy who raped her only got a two year sentence, and where her brother Derek can't understand and cope with what happened to his sister.
This book is powerful. Truly. This book is timely to the current #metoo movement, survivor guilt and shame, family aftermath, and the difficulties of the court system, where the victim is forced to prove and relive their trauma over and over. The part I really thought was good was reading about the perspective of the brother, Derek. He played the game with most of the rest of the football team, he made choices that affected Ashley's life, and he has to deal with those consequences.
This is a book that everyone should read. There is not a direct scene of rape, but there are allusions to it that may be difficult for those who have experienced trauma to read. I really believe more boys should read this, to truly understand a girl's perspective on guys, dealing with aggression and toxic masculinity.