Synopsis:
Ellie Frias disappeared long before she vanished.
Tormented throughout middle school, Ellie begins her freshman year with a new look: she doesn’t need to be popular; she just needs to blend in with the wallpaper.
But when the unthinkable happens, Ellie finds herself trapped after a brutal assault. She wasn’t the first victim, and now she watches it happen again and again. She tries to hold on to her happier memories in order to get past the cold days, waiting for someone to find her.
The problem is, no one searches for a girl they never noticed in the first place.
TE Carter’s stirring and visceral debut not only discusses and dismantles rape culture, but it also reminds us what it is to be human.
“This isn’t a story of great romance or of true love. It’s simply a story of being lonely and how comforting it is to be called beautiful.”
THIS. BOOK.
I died so many slow deaths as I listened to the audiobook with my mom. My mom was also interested in reading this book so, we decided to listen to it. First, let me start off by saying, I’m not a huge fan of audiobooks (I love to feel the actual book in my hands – I’m one of those readers!!!) but lately I haven’t had that much time to read so, I decided to give the audiobook a chance. What I learned is I can actually enjoy listening to an audiobook if the narrator is good. The narrator was excellent!
This is the first book that I read where something brutal happened to the main character. The reality of this book sucks because this happens in real life – all the time. Honestly, it could happen to anyone. (Clearly, if you follow the #metoo movement you know this holds true – I just gave a major clue to what happens in the book!)
The authors writing style drew me in from the beginning. Until about an hour or so into the book I realized that Ellie’s current state wasn’t what I thought it was which was the first major twist and honestly, from there I wanted more. (You will not understand the first part of my last statement if you haven’t read the book.) The author gave no clues but then out of left field revealed it. At that point, I was totally and utterly sucked in and I NEEDED even more… like I needed my last breathe to know what happened!
Even though this book had a violent side, it it also had soft moments where you got to feel the innocence of someone who wanted to be seen, who wanted to trust, and who just wanted to be loved. All the characters in this book were vital to shed light on the actual reality of the different possible mindsets and view points of the situation.
“The court of public opinion moves much faster than the law.”
The author’s note at the end of the book was beautiful and I’m glad she wrote this book! She gave justice to those who didn’t get it! She gave a voice to those who were silenced! She has given HOPE to survivors!
In conclusion, this was a real written book. It touched on a subject that we sometimes want to turn a blind eye to. I’m glad, I read this book and I’m so thankful to the author for writing it! If you have read this book, I would love to know your thoughts. If you haven’t, READ IT and let’s discuss.
Find this book on Amazon: Kindle/Hardcover/Paperback/Audiobook
