This stunning, free verse memoir is riveting.

From the introduction: “Finding my courage to speak up twenty-five years after I was raped, writing speak, and talking with countless survivors of sexual violence made me who I am today. This book is how it happened….This is the story of a girl who lost her voice and wrote herself a new one.”

So, pretty much you know you’re in for it. Here are some take-aways for me:

–An honest look at being an outcast multiplied by poverty.

–The difference a couple people can make in a life, for good or ill.

–Few people want to hear about rape/sexual assault unless they’ve lived it.

4/5 stars. Gritty read. Will be reading speak before the Festival of Faith and Writing as well.