This book was in toberead list for the longest time, thanks to bookgram and booktok. But I never really got around to read it cos I was busy reading the books by female authors first😋 sue me but most of my favorite authors are females, hence the accidental discrimination. Girls always write better for girls.

But this book, after finishing it - I officially have a first favorite male author.

The story starts slow. So slow that I almost gave up halfway and just believed my assumption all along - girls always write better, for girls. But once it picks up, it picked up pretty fast, and soon you find yourself in love with the characters.

Spoiler warning before you read this review further.

I never read the book’s synopsis, so I had no idea what the story is about. When it came about the town, the hockey - I almost gave up. And then the first wave came.

The sexual assault on the main character.

I wanted to cry. I wanted to hide out and stay hidden for the rest of my life. The emotions exerted by the author was too real, I was up at a page and down at another page, and suddenly the world is alright again. The book put you down so hard but would soon pick you up again. The characters told in the story were far too real that you would understand each and every single one of them, by the end of the book, and yet still leave you hanging for a closure.

For the victim, when you were raped, you were never raped once. It will occur every single day in your mind, it relives, it never goes away. But for the doer, it only occurred once, and he will soon move on. The sad part is, when the girl started saying no, it never gets heard - never - until she would soon tire of saying it, fighting it, that she would soon give up. Cos it’s the easier thing to do. Give up, and maybe next time he would hear you.

Saddest thing is, he never does. 

I am currently on Us Against You, and so far I find it reallyyy hard to put it down. So glad I ticked off one of my toberead list, that I get to add another book to it.