I was a little hesitent when I requested this book. I don't normally like to read books about Rape, but I was hoping this one wouldn't make me too angry.
The writting was surperb! I really connected with Val, the main character. I felt so bad for her and everything she endured from the onset of the book.
When Val's mother is out of town she throws a party where there is underage drinking. Her and her best friend Mimi are getting ready when the guests start to arrive. Val puts her little sister to bed ( had me cringing at the mention of a smal child there) and then begins to look for Adam, whom she is crushing on.
Val drinks two wine coolers, and when Adam finds her he gives her something else. After a bit ( not really long at all). Adam suggests they all play spin the bootle, he flicks the bottle so that it lands on Val and they go off together. Val get sick and ends up puking on Adam's shoes. She passes out and I guess the party ends shortly after that.
The chapters in the beginning go from Before to After and switch a few times, so you get the Rape in sections. Val wakes up with a major hangover, and her little sister goes out to play. Adam ends up coming back over and while Val is passed out on the couch he removes most of her clothes. When she awakens, you can imagine what happens.
Val ends up telling her mother, who then calls the cops. So the rape charge is made. The whole school ends up hearing about it and while a few believe Val, most of the school, her now ex best friend included, think that she made it up.
I know how fast and vicious rumors can spread and be in High school, so that wasn't really surprising, what really got me going and had me so mad I almost walked away, was the Principal of the school. I won't go into details about it and ruin anythign, just know that if that was my daughter, I would have his head on a stick!
Val ends up in a support group, and while listening to the other girls talk, she starts to think that maybe she wasn't really raped. I will say that I am happy about the support that the other girls gave her, and the message in the book was really glear and one of support for all young/old girls going through this.
I love the book, and will be purchasing my own copy as soon as I can. I feel that this is one book that really needs to be read by everyone, you may not be a victim yourself, but you may know someone who is. In the acknowledgements of the book, the author states that she herself was a 16 year old rape survivor, and that a portion of the proceeds from Rape Girl will go to Pandora's Project and RAINN. I LOVE when authors take a portion of the money they make and donate to a cause. ( )

Told primarily from the the perspective of the girl, we learn about the before during and after. Heart-breaking, gut-wrenching and and just a difficult book to read, mainly because it felt so true and real. ( )

I can't even begin to explain how raw, heart wrenching, painful, incredible and real this story is. While personally I found it triggering, I could not put it down. It's the first novel that's really hit home for me and I would read it a thousand times over. It may be short but it is not light reading. It will break your heart, infuriate you and probably make you cry. A lot.

All in all, this has to be one of my all-time favourites and I am thankful it was written and written so well. ( )

I was a little hesitent when I requested this book. I don't normally like to read books about Rape, but I was hoping this one wouldn't make me too angry.
The writting was surperb! I really connected with Val, the main character. I felt so bad for her and everything she endured from the onset of the book.
When Val's mother is out of town she throws a party where there is underage drinking. Her and her best friend Mimi are getting ready when the guests start to arrive. Val puts her little sister to bed ( had me cringing at the mention of a smal child there) and then begins to look for Adam, whom she is crushing on.
Val drinks two wine coolers, and when Adam finds her he gives her something else. After a bit ( not really long at all). Adam suggests they all play spin the bootle, he flicks the bottle so that it lands on Val and they go off together. Val get sick and ends up puking on Adam's shoes. She passes out and I guess the party ends shortly after that.
The chapters in the beginning go from Before to After and switch a few times, so you get the Rape in sections. Val wakes up with a major hangover, and her little sister goes out to play. Adam ends up coming back over and while Val is passed out on the couch he removes most of her clothes. When she awakens, you can imagine what happens.
Val ends up telling her mother, who then calls the cops. So the rape charge is made. The whole school ends up hearing about it and while a few believe Val, most of the school, her now ex best friend included, think that she made it up.
I know how fast and vicious rumors can spread and be in High school, so that wasn't really surprising, what really got me going and had me so mad I almost walked away, was the Principal of the school. I won't go into details about it and ruin anythign, just know that if that was my daughter, I would have his head on a stick!
Val ends up in a support group, and while listening to the other girls talk, she starts to think that maybe she wasn't really raped. I will say that I am happy about the support that the other girls gave her, and the message in the book was really glear and one of support for all young/old girls going through this.
I love the book, and will be purchasing my own copy as soon as I can. I feel that this is one book that really needs to be read by everyone, you may not be a victim yourself, but you may know someone who is. In the acknowledgements of the book, the author states that she herself was a 16 year old rape survivor, and that a portion of the proceeds from Rape Girl will go to Pandora's Project and RAINN. I LOVE when authors take a portion of the money they make and donate to a cause. ( )

this should be required reading for all teenagers. Boys and girls alike. ( )

A short but powerful story about a sixteen-year-old girl who is raped by a boy she has a crush on. The story and characters are incredibly real, so this story, while never graphic, is emotionally gripping. ( )

3.5 stars.

I finished it in just 2hours. It's a fast read book since it only has 129 pages. And it's too short to my liking. I mean, the idea is good. But I wish Alina Klein elaborated more. Cause it's like the author's cramming it all up in a 100page something book. I thought that there're more pages left, I didn't expect to the story would end just like that. I feel like there's still a lot of potential for this book.

Valerie could still grow, develops her character. But it just, BAM! That's it. And there were times that I was confused. I can't fully understand Valerie. I mean, yes, I know she's traumatized because she was raped. She lost all her friends, she was accused as a liar and all that. But still I don't see enough emotions in her. She's like, dead, flat or something. Cause in the first pages, she's not really, you know, horrified like a rape victim. She lacked emotions, as Katy said to her review. I think the mother horded all the emotions she should feel.

Oh, yeah. I think that's it. The mother was much more heartbroken (which is of course, understandable, who's mom would just let it happen, anyway?), her mom has it more emotions than Valerie.

I like how Valerie's family been very supportive of her and how she told her mom about it. Not all could admit that they were raped. And mostly girls just keeps it to themselves cause they are afraid of what the society and their peers would think. How it would ruin their image. But you must know that we shouldn't really keep it to ourselves cause it could happen again to anyone. What if it's your sister was next? You'll just blame yourself that you kept it all by yourselves. So better man it up! Remember, YOU. ARE. NOT. ALONE. ( )

Went to a writing conference where the author presented. She spoke about the process of writing Rape Girl and how she blended fact and fiction. I think the obstacles that Valerie faces are well-presented and easily accessible. This book will be helpful for girls going through similar situations. ( )

I've seen a lot of great buzz about this novel but I was disappointed. Valerie's emotional pain as a rape victim rings true enough, but the Wesley and Sandrina characters seem contrived. The principal insisting Valerie meet with Adam seems implausible as does her friend Mimi's complete abandoning of her. I also didn't understand the significance of Adam's desire to be a Mormon missionary. His attitude and behavior is certainly not reflective of someone with a deep-felt religious faith. I've read much better rape survivor stories, Laurie Anderson's Speak towering above them all. ( )

Cover Impressions: I will be honest, the cover didn't wow me. It was the title and synopsis that got me interested. Perhaps it looks different on the physical copy, or perhaps there is some symbolism behind the cover image that I missed. Either way - do not judge this one by it's cover!

The Gist: Valerie wanted to throw a fun party and maybe flirt with her crush. She didn't know that within 24 hrs she would be labeled as The Rape Girl and that she would lose her friends, her reputation and her sense of self.

Review: Rape Girl is one of those rare books that wraps it's tendrils around my heart and refuses to let go. I read it in pretty much one sitting, over a few hours and am still left with an overwhelming need to re-examine and discuss it. I want to make my friends read it, I want to bombard the author with my questions and, more than any of those, I want to get multiple copies for my classroom.

The first few chapters of this book are divided into Before and After. This is incredibly effective and reflects the way that many victims will always structure their memories. While we follow Valerie's rape and the aftermath, we do not get the graphic descriptions that can be common in other books on this subject and this allows it to maintain appropriateness for teens. Throughout this novel, we are privy to Valerie's inner thoughts and feelings as her friends desert her and her family struggles to deal with their own sense of guilt. The pain from each of these people is palpable and poignant.

The actions on the part of Valerie, her mother, best friend and even her rapist feel incredibly realistic. At one point, we hear from this young man and my stomach turned to ice simply reading his justifications for his crimes, knowing that a person with this deluded sense of entitlement as a man will most certainly assault another woman. While his words are chilling, they seem typical of a person who has convinced himself that he has done nothing wrong. I was also seriously disturbed at the actions of the principal. As a teacher, the thought that a man in that position could so blatantly side with the perpetrator of a rape makes me ill.

Rape Girl has easily made my list of top books for 2012 and is one that I highly recommend to both teens and adults.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 13 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing, Talk of Sex
Violence: Rape - No Graphic Descriptions
Inappropriate Language: Bitch, Fuck, Ho, Dildo, Ass, Whore, Shit, Bastard
Substance Use/Abuse: Underage Drinking ( )

RAPE GIRL is a short story with a powerful message. It follows the journey of Valerie after she is raped. Valerie is brave enough to tell that she was raped. The aftermath of her revealing the horrible truth is absolutely devastating. I know this is really how people are too and that is part of what made this book so outstanding.

Kline maintained the perfect mixture of happy and sad, defeated and triumphant. Her writing gripped onto me and would not let me go. It was so honest and emotional. The characters all had their parts to play and Kline manipulated their puppet strings with ease and grace. This is a delicate subject matter and it was handled well. The ending gives me hope that people can heal.

5 stars to Rape Girl.

Originally posted on Thinks Books: http://thinksbooks.blogspot.com/2013/01/review-rape-girl-by-alina-klein.html ( )

Klein, A. (2012). Rape girl. South Hampton, NH: Namelos. 125 pp. ISBN: 978-1-60898-124-3. (Paperback); $9.95.

Your name is Valerie. You have a little sister, Ainsley. You love her and want to protect her, but you do not always want to babysit. You do well in school and take pride in your academic accomplishments. You have a best friend and you have a popular boyfriend. People admire you. This story begins, however, when Valerie is not Valerie—she is the Rape Girl. Valerie’s mother goes away for the weekend and leaves Valerie in charge of her younger sister. Like many teens left alone, Valerie plans a party. At her party, her friends see her go willingly into the den with her boyfriend and crush, Adam. They saw all the alcohol she willingly consumed. Her friends do not see her throw up on his shoes. They do not see her passed out alone. Nor do they see Adam come back to her house the next day and rape a very hung over Valerie, who is worried that her little sister will see what is happening. When Valerie reports the rape to the police, she is accused of trying to ruin this fine Mormon boy’s life. Rape is not often reported because of many of the issues raised in this short book—somewhere in the neighborhood of 75% of rapes are NOT reported. Valerie’s best friend abandons her and the school treats her as if she is the problem. Despite the fact that Adam is not held accountable for his actions legally, this book is more about Valerie finding ways to move forward without being a victim. This book is an attempt to see the value in reporting a crime even when you may not win. Klein, a rape survivor herself, shares with teens a very realistic scenario for what happens after one reports a rape. Teens will read this book and understand that, perhaps, the best reasons for reporting a rape do not stem from the possibility of justice or revenge, but from documenting the crime, identifying the perpetrator, and moving forward. When Adam asks her why she reported him and then discovers that she is not, as he feared, pregnant, he says, “Then what the hell? He shook his head at me. ‘It’s not like I’m some pervert lurking on a jogging trail somewhere waiting for a victim. I’m just a guy, not a rapist.’” (p. 120). Readers understand that our society has a long way to go toward educating teens about what is and is not appropriate between young men and women. This book is a direct and straightforward look at rape. It will not win any awards for language, but it should win a spot in high school libraries. It is a book that should be shared with school counseling offices. If your school is like most schools around the country, you will have students who will benefit from Klein’s description of the various emotions possible after a rape. Perhaps reading this book will keep your school from responding as poorly as Valerie’s school.

The plot is not a psychological thinking kinda plot but rather a simple story of a young girl's struggle with rape. Though the story is simple the meaning behind it makes this a deep and serious read for me. I've mentioned before that I like fantasy, paranormal, dystopian, and romance. This is neither and yet I loved it. I also hated it at the same time. Well, they do say that love and hate is a fine line.

So why that fine line? Was it because of the writing? The story? No.

The writing was simplistic but perfect for the tone of this book. The descriptions were in synce with the writing, striking a perfect cord of give and take for me. I loved the whole formatted lot of this book. NO problems to report.

I also found the character's genuine and human. Their needs and wants were correctly fueled by their deeds and actions. Their mindsets on par with real people their age. It was hard not to wonder if perhaps, these characters were reflections of real life people. So major props to the author there.

So again, why mention hate? Because of the subject. Rape. I hate it and the fact that it happens. It's an ugly word to describe an ugly deed. Such a thing takes place in the pages of this book, hence the title. Yet the book isn't about the action itself but rather the reactions afterwards. The struggle the rape victim had to go thru with herself, her family, her friends, and with her attacker. I found the book spoke adequately concerning those reactions.

Overall, I thought the book was amazing and a great, thoughtful read. I hated how I felt during the book, all sad, angry, and frustrated at the same time. Yet, I love that someone went there and wrote about it because, let's face it. Our world isn't perfect and such things do sadly happen. The author does a superb job here with the subject. The only reason this book didn't rate five stars is because I found the ending a bit abrupt. ( )

Author: Alina Klein
Published By: Namelos
Age Recommended: YA
Rating: 5
Blog For: GMTA

Review:

"Rape Girl" by Alina Klein was definitely hard for me to read. To know that this has happened is really saddening...however, we are all left to think that maybe there is help out their for the victims. I would say that this book is a worth reading book that needs to be discussed with the teens. I really liked how this victim Valerie narrated this information of how she was raped after a party in her own house by a guy she liked.

"Rape Girl" was very well written showing Valerie's reactions.... also the reactions of those around her and even undergoing stages of post traumatic shock...which lead to disbelief, depression and guilt. Returning to school didn't help her much however, the support therapy group was able to help her come out of her shell. Thank God Valerie had support from her mom, brother(Sam), a friend... Sandrina..Valerie's support therapy group, and Mrs. Gimli.

By this author letting us know "that she herself was raped as a teenager and by reporting this heinous crime inflicted on her, another five girls also found the courage to follow suit and come forward with similar stories." WoW! I definitely believe she knows what she is talking about. And due to Ms. Klein deliverance to
us you are made to understand why Valerie was so ashamed and blamed herself. I didn't like the treatment that Valerie had to go through. I thought it was so sad... of all of those who sided with her attacker...even the principle and even those bullying Valerie. They just thought she was lying...trying to get attention for herself. WoW! Now, I will stop here and simply say you must pick up "Rape Girl" and see for yourself how this turns out.

This was a hard read for me...being told to always do the right thing and seeing this was not the case for this young lady. It was like one her Valerie's teacher said."rape is the only crime in which the victim has to prove her innocence"..how sad is this!



I believe this fast paced novel is just what is needed for our teens and I would recommend ..."Rape Girl" to all the YA understanding that NO means NO! ( )

Valerie is a high school student that while her Mom is out of town throws a party that has unexpected consequences. When she reports that she was raped everything changes. While Valerie struggles with what was done to her we see a glimpse of the pain and guilt of a victim and the changes it effects in her family.

The character of Valerie was well developed and you were able to empathize with her plight. This is not a book I would pick up for enertainment, but to help better understand where a victim is coming from and how it effects everyone around the person. ( )

When I initially saw the book cover for Rape Girl by Alina Klein, I thought it was clever but I didn’t think I wanted to read a book about rape – no way, no how. I kept thinking about it though and, when a book I originally scheduled for today’s review didn’t live up to its hype, I knew which book I wanted to have take its place. I’m so glad I made that choice. Like me, you may not initially think you want to read a book about rape either; however, this one is so well done that I think you’ll quickly change your mind. Read the rest of my review at http://popcornreads.com/?p=4360. ( )

A novel pretty short, too short maybe since you can not put this book down before knowing how Valerie will heal. The subject does not leave indifferent and it is very well written by Alina Klein.
I was touched by the accuracy with which the author portrays the emotions and stages through which pass Valerie during its reconstruction. After reaching the end, I read that the author spoke knowingly. That touched me even more! This experience should not have been easy to put on paper for her but it is what made the story so realist.

No trash details, just a sad story that unfortunately happens too often. Why some men can not understand the meaning of the word "no"? Why having fun and drinking a few glasses must be the door open to abuse? What is going on in someone's head to force an act that should be pleasurable and shared?

As rape can happen to all women at any stage of their life, this testimony, even though it is fictionalized, shows the importance of talking about it and go to the police to help the victim to rebuild herself.
Paradoxically, doing the right thing is also more complicated when one sees the difficulty of the task. The victime must prove her innocence because in the minds of many, the victim has often played or seduced before chicken out and must have something to blame because it does not happen to good girls.
Bullshit! It's so absurd but so often heard that it becomes revolting.
I was also most angry against the women in this book. Even if the book depicts in a very real way how relationships can change in the aftermath, with guilt, awareness, pity feelings that the victime receive from her relative or friends. Nobody is prepared so nobody knows how to deal with a traumatic event. It's why communication is the best way to try to move forward. Don't guess the feeling, ask or don't ask but be strong.
To be honest, I was not able to understand Mimmi and her friends, who think that rape can make somebody popular... Are you insane, awfull bitc... or too much of a coward ?

Beyond the main subject that is treated very skillfully, my pleasure was mitigated by the religious aspect with reference to Mormons. Why want to place the action in a context like this? This troubled me because I did not see the interest of this precision as rape can occur in any social class or religious affiliations.

I also would have wish to know more about the support group. Maybe Valerie should have confide more because even though she showed great strength to face adversity, her judgment and by accepting a confrontation with Adam, the healing process is very long.
Even though I felt that hope was at the end of the tunnel for Valerie, the fact that the novel is so short I was given the impression that I was missing something to be sure that she has faith in the future.

It is a story that I highly recommend for the correctness of the emotions ...

Lucie
http://newbooksonmyselves.blogspot.fr/2012/07/rape-girl-by-alina-klein.html ( )

Due to the subject matter, this book was definitely a tough read. However, since it was only 126 pages and had plenty of tension I finished it in one sitting. This book explores the emotions of a young teenage girl as she deals with the aftermath of a rape. The novel had plenty of discussion points that would make it an ideal addition to a classroom or book club list. A few things I felt could have added more to the story, but overall a highly recommended read.

What I Liked: This was actually the first YA novel I've read that dealt with rape. I really felt that since the novel was told from Valerie's POV, readers were able to connect with her. She's not perfect, she drinks, flirts, gets into fights, and I felt that helped bring home the point that no matter how she acted, she didn't deserve to be raped. Her emotions were described in rich details, especially where she blamed herself for the attack and had to learn to take back her life. The conflicts with her peers were unnerving and made the horror of her attack continue on well after the actual act. The ending was very different than I was expecting and the non-resolution gave it an even more realistic feel.

What I Didn't Like: The bluntness of the title made me think the attack would be described in a similar manner. However, very few details are given and I think a more unfettered look could have made many of the themes of the novel being driven home more. Also, the story takes place in Utah and the conservative ideals of the Mormon community are touched upon in relation to Valerie's rape. I think this theme could have been explored even more. The actions of the principal seemed slightly unrealistic (I kept thinking of the lawsuit Valerie's family could have against the school), but it did make him another terrible villain for the story.

Star Rating: Four out of five stars

Check out my reviews on http://authorheather.com ( )

After being raped by one of the popular boys at school Valerie breaks down in tears and tells her mom. The police are called, a medical exam is taken and Valerie is left with a sense of hurt and guilt. After her best friend dumps her and the school turns against her, Valerie sinks into depression and wonders if the whole thing is even worth it. With the help of a new friend and a support
group Valerie is able to make it through the injustices that occurred after the rape.

This was a very powerful and moving story. I hope that lots of young or teenage girls read it and realize that they can tell somebody about what happened. It takes courage to speak up and face your abuser, and I found this story empowering. ( )

A great book for class discussion.

This is a subject that really has no 'right' answers; a situation that should never arise, yet once it does, can never really be resovled.
Should you speak out after a rape, or hide it away? And if you do speak out, is that the end of your suffering? Could it be that things could actually get worse??

When Valerie holds a party in her house the weekend her mother is out of town, things get rather out of hand. What happens is so believable that we are immediately swept up into Valerie's life and into her struggle to remain true to herself in spite of peer pressure and bullying.

It is horrendous, just how many rape cases are never reported, and of those that are, how many are thrown out of court. My hope for this book would be that it might give rise to discussion in schools that could, hopefully, illustrate to the boys, the effect of their behaviour and just how unacceptable it is - that when a girl says 'no' she means it.

Highly recommended. ( )