Just another bookadict

4.5 a bit confusing/puzzled stars

First of, I loved the cover... very expressive and beautiful. Together with one wording title, it was intriguing. Summary itself was a nowadays common kind of genre description, but read it anyhow.

The punch line was obvious from the epilogue. No big surprise there, but I guess it wasn't an aim to keep you in the dark with that.

As I've never read any books about rape and it's psychological after-math, so the way it was written, it was shocking powerful and very vivid. Usually in books when a characters has been raped (or any other way sexually abused) it's always referred as "dirty." But not with Candace. Her personality, individuality, herself was taken away. And while her parents tried to take it away from her ever since childhood, it actually happened in her adulthood. She was already struggling with issues and this added with her being raped, is what kicked in all her PST. Her dealing or non-dealing with this new personal existence (or none of it) was what I liked most in this book.

But what confused/puzzled me:
- Ryan: he's only an addition to the story; although we get glimpses of his own drama (and I love his tatoo), but he's not that well build-up character and I really couldn't put my finger on his "suddenly fell in love" thing. I know he gets a separate book, but still...
- Candace parents: douchebags, shallow, picture-perfect couple, I got that. But, seriously: although they said "my way or the highway" and she was fine with that, they haven't even at least try to keep in touch with her? And it could have give an extra kick for this book if e.g. her mother would find out about her rape. I'd say, something could have got out of it being evolve a bit.
- Gay pair as help aid: at first, I really liked the relation and how they tried to help her. And I totally get it... but at some point, it was too much for me. And although they really tried to help her, reassure her to do something about this situation, in reality, they only made Candace to rely them more and more, not making any progress with getting better.
- End conflict: okay, it was predictable the truth comes out somehow, but I had the feeling that (no matter time changing hints) it was wrapped-up. Including Candace sudden change of heart, that skipping New York and rather stay with Ryan and in Seattle. For me the ending part was somehow a fast back and forth, and I couldn't wait that this book ends.

Overall: the mental aftermath of a rape and coping is what really intriguing in this book. But all the dramatic flaws made it slow and difficult for me to finish it.