Author: Cheryl Rainfield
Pub Date: March 2010
Publisher: Westside Books
Author website: www.cherylrainfield.com
248 pages
Review source: Publisher via NetGalley
From GoodReads:
Kendra, fifteen, hasn't felt safe since she began to recall devastating memories of childhood sexual abuse, especially because she still can't remember the most important detail-- her abuser's identity. Frightened, Kendra believes someone is always watching and following her, leaving menacing messages only she understands. If she lets her guard down even for a minute, it could cost Kendra her life. To relieve the pressure, Kendra cuts; aside from her brilliantly expressive artwork, it's her only way of coping. Since her own mother is too self-absorbed to hear her cries for help, Kendra finds support in others instead: from her therapist and her art teacher, from Sandy, the close family friend who encourages her artwork, and from Meghan, the classmate who's becoming a friend and maybe more. But the truth about Kendra's abuse is just waiting to explode, with startling unforeseen consequences. Scars is the unforgettable story of one girl's frightening path to the truth.
One word to describe this book? RAW
Kendra has been raped and sexually abused for ten years. But she does not remember who did it to her. Therapy sessions are helping her to uncover who did it, but it doesn't help that she is being stalked by her attacker.
Kendra has two outlets for her pain: art and cutting. Her parents, while they know what happened to her are absolutely clueless as to what she is going through. Her mom is detached and wants everything to be fixed NOW and doesn't understand why Kendra needs therapy. Her dad is kept in the dark by the mom, but yet he pushes to understand and see if Kendra can remember who it was.
As she comes closer to remembering, her world is tossed upside down due to job cutbacks for her father, dwindling finances that would force her to quit therapy. And she meets another broken girl whom she falls in love with.
All in all, this book felt more of a recovery story than it did about abuse. And that is so not a bad thing-it's good. Too often we read about the abuse, but the stories often stop after the assailant is captured or stopped. Scars gives us a look into the aftermath of the abuse. Rainfield did a superb job of exposing your emotions and preying on them. At times I felt disgusted, nauseated, and just plain sad. The author's note explains that she used to cut. This gave an extra knowledge to the story-it wasn't just a story.
From the time that I finished this book till now, a couple weeks or more have passed. And I am still thinking about the book. A book that stays around your mind for a while is a powerful book.
Please see the previous post for a resource list that Cheryl gave me permission to reprint. She had such great descriptions that I wanted to share.
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