Violated

It's November, 2017, stories of violation are everywhere in the age of Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey. This book and its author were so much more impactful for me because of what I see on the news every day. Fessenden does a spectacular job of bringing the reader into the agonized mind of a person who has been subjected to rape (I hate the word victim) and also into the helplessness of those who care about that person. This is that most rare of stories, one that truly sucks the reader into an arena where they might not wish to be but cannot willingly escape. Not a light read, but a truly intense one.

This book was about a sensitive subject. Some will say it's not feeling enough. Well, let me tell you being Violated whether you are a man or woman is not full of flowers and rainbows. If someone wrote a story about exactly went on, step by step, no one could stomach it.
I know this story inside and out and I had my moments where I couldn't keep reading. Not because of the author's writing but because of what he wrote.
For someone who knows what Derek went through, I still cannot comprehend what it would mean for a man like him, being that I am female and it's different for everyone.
I am proud of the author for touching on such a sensitive subject without having to bring the reader to their knees.
I love how Russ handled Derek all through the book. Healing doesn't happen in a chapter of a book. He didn't push, he let Derek come to terms in his own time. It isn't just about the rape itself, it all started with a voice.