Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have heard good things about this author, though I had never read her before this book, so when it showed up at one of my favorite book review sites, I thought it would check it out. I have to say, though, I find myself rather appalled by this story. It is written in such black-and-white terms with stereotypical characters. The issue of rape on college campuses needs to be handled with a delicate and deft touch in fiction. It is a real and horrific thing. Unfortunately, the author did not display the required touch at all. Everything is an extreme in this book, and ultimately a caricature of what it should be about, whether it's characters or the plot. Every man in this book seems to be seen as a potential rapist, except, perhaps, for a few men that are depicted as absolute saints. Most men—and women—fall somewhere on a spectrum between extremes. In this book, the pervasive attitude about men is so strong that it feels like actual “man-hating,” which doesn’t seem appropriate in any novel. Every woman, of course, in this book of extremes is a potential victim, at this point is hammered home far too often and with little subtlety. The characters feel dull because they are simple stereotypes. A book like this needs to have nuanced and individual characters, and that just didn't happen. And, seriously, the level of drinking and partying going on! How could they possibly study! I cannot recommend this book. TRIGGER WARNINGS: rape (including descriptions of events), suicide I received a free copy of this book—thankfully—but that did not affect my review.