Someone I Used to Know by Patty Blount Pages: 384
Published by Sourcebooks Fire on August 7, 2018
Genres: Young Adult, contemporary
Source: eARC from Publisher
TRIGGER WARNING: Boys will be boys is never an excuse.
It’s been two years since the night that changed Ashley’s life. Two years since she was raped by her brother’s teammate. And a year since she sat in a court and watched as he was given a slap-on-the-wrist sentence. But the years have done nothing to stop the pain or lessen the crippling panic attacks that make her feel like she’s living a half-life.
It’s been two years of hell for Derek. His family is totally messed up and he and his sister are barely speaking. He knows she partially blames him for what happened, and totally blames him for how he handled the aftermath. Now at college, he has to come to terms with what happened, and the rape culture that he was inadvertently a part of that destroyed his sister’s life.
When it all comes to a head at Thanksgiving, Derek and Ashley have to decide if their relationship is able to be saved. And if their family can ever be whole again.
Someone I used to Know by Patty Blount is a young adult contemporary novel that deals with a serious issue. Someone I used to Know looks at the aftermath of dealing with your life after a sexual assault. One of the things I admire most about author Patty Blount is that she is not afraid to deal with tough issues. Someone I used to Know is not a fun read by any stretch of the imagination, nor is it a light, breezy story. It is a heavy narrative, but it’s an important one. Someone I used to Know is a novel that will stick with me. It is a novel that I will remember, but be warned that it does deal with rape, so if that is something that is upsetting for you to read about, this is going to be a difficult novel for you.
Our main character is Ashley. And honestly this novel was hard for me to get through, but I loved Ashley so much that I wanted to hear her story to the end. And the character growth we get to witness with Ashley is so wonderful. Patty Blount is so excellent at writing characters. Characters that you feel like you know. Ashley felt real to me, so all of the emotions she was going through, I felt. I felt her at her weakest and I felt her as she gained confidence and strength again. Watching Ashley’s journey made the tough subject matter worth it for me. Someone I used to Know is a really wonderfully executed story. Ashley is a powerful character. Someone I used to Know by Patty Blount is a book I would recommend you check out for yourself.
Praise for SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW
“A beautifully crafted look at the complications of returning to ‘regular life’ after a devastating sexual assault. Fierce in its unapologetic dissection of rape culture, toxic masculinity, and athletic entitlement, Patty Blount does not hold her punches with respect to how difficult healing can be for an entire family. This book is thoughtful and thought-provoking, and ultimately very hopeful for survivors and those around them.” ―Christa Desir, author of FAULT LINE and BLEED LIKE ME
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