This post is going to be about the recent book I had the pleasure of reading. It was one of the easiest reads that I have had lately. Nothing wrong with an easy read and sometimes it is nice to get away and not stress about what is being said. It was simple and for the most part to the point. There were a few times throughout the story that I got a little confused on what was staying and I would have to go back and reread. However, that could also be my fault and some of the distractions that were around me. Also i was able to finish this story in a couple hours one evening. It is a very quick and easy read.
SPOILER ALERT!
If you are wanting to read this story I would stop now. There are a few things that I want to discuss and talk about that could spoil this story for you.
So if you have recently saw I guess this book has been turned into a lifetime movie. Which is awesome, like who doesn’t like a movie especially if it is based off of a book. Of course we all know that books and movies can be a lot different and there can be changes. However, just from reading the movie summary online, there was a huge change I noticed. One that I feel if I was going to watch the movie, could and probably did change the whole dynamic of the story.
In the story Deanna was caught by her father having unprotected sex with a 17 yr old Tommy while she was 13 yrs old! In the movie summary it stated that it was a video of her having sex, which is a huge major change. First if that was a case of a video going around of 13 yr old having sex, that is considered child pornography which is a felony. Yes, of course this is a movie and a lot of things are changed and do not always mimic society and the laws and regulations that are in placed. In the story she was still having sex with in individual who was much older then her, it was consensual, however, could still be considered statutory rape. Of course this is all my personal opinion and if you know me then you know there is a lot of passion that I have behind this topic and how deep this is for me.
Deanna was completely pushed away by her father, friends, and even her school. Her father would no longer look at her, talk to her, let alone acknowledge her. Friends she had at the time no longer talked to her or would consider her a friend and she became known as a school slut. She took the day one day at a time and tried to make the best of what she had.
On day, Deanna, decided to stand up for her self. To be able to take control of her life and wanted to finally have answers. She stood up to Tommy, confronted him with the thoughts, feelings, and hurt she had experienced with this. Stood up to her father about how he has been treating her and has been ignoring her. She finally gained the courage that she needed to make her self feel whole and to get her life back. Deanna was a strong women who was able to get control back, standing up to all of the individuals who have made her feel horrible and miserable.
Like I said this was a simple read and gets straight to the point. It was a well written book and expressed the feelings, thoughts, and stories that so many have trouble sharing. However, Sara Zarr did an amazing job sharing this story, addressing the struggles, thoughts, feelings, and isolation that an individual can feel or experienced with an event like this.
-Simply Kelsey
