Scar Review

Date Published:  March 24, 2010

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Page Number:  248

Publisher: Westside Books

First Thoughts:

This is one of those raw kinds of books; where emotion meets reality. The whole content is a very touchy subject to most readers, sexual rape and cutting are serious issues that have been debated for years…but the way the author presented this story was amazing. The inner voice was strong and so rough…there were moments in this book where I just wanted to turn away, the deep emotion was a bit much at times but I think these kinds of stories need to be voiced; need to be heard. This is definitely a book that will stay with me for years to come.

Plot:

The overall organization of this story was good, I found the overall plot to be fulfilled, though I felt at times things were a little rushed (these issues/moments are REAL and each one should have their shining moment). There was one thing I was confused about in the beginning and it wasn’t until halfway through that it finally clicked and I got that ‘Aha!’ Moment….but maybe the author meant it to be that way. I thought the big moment in this book was rushed, it needed more to it; more time for both the character and reader to digest the new information, but the end itself was concluded well enough. I really thought the whole purpose of this story was strong and heard, there wasn’t a problem of hearing the voice of the story or learning a great deal not only from the characters themselves but the overall storyline itself. There was just so much that I learned from this story, things that I’ve heard before but not necessarily understood, this story helped me understand; it filled in some of those gray areas and broadened my perspective on life. As for the romance in this story there was some but it was sweet, tender and soft. Though I understand this type of romance isn’t for everyone (girl loves girl) I really thought it opened the story even more. The intensity they felt for each other is something hard to find and I really liked that the author chose to take this romance both at a slow pace and adding a dark edge to it. The pain and conflict added to this aspect of the plot was great and I really loved reading about it. But like I said if you’re uncomfortable reading about this type of romance this book might not be for you.

Characters:

What to say about them? I really enjoyed that they had so many layers to them, like an onion in fact. It was like the more I read the more layers were revealed, I learned so much about these characters and they were very much three dimensional. The main protagonist was very strong and weak at the same time; there were parts to her that I loved and then there were parts that I didn’t like but perhaps those little parts I didn’t like are just a part of her and because of what she went through it left those little bad parts behind…As for the minor characters, some of them were perfect, they added texture to the story but there were a few I felt didn’t necessarily belong, like they were just there. But overall I really liked the creation of these strong and unique characters.

Transformation of the Character:

There were a few transformations that took place throughout this book and the biggest of them all kind of in a way let me down…I felt that there should have been more to it, like it should have been described more in depth…but I guess the way it ended kind of left it up to the reader to imagine…it wasn’t that bad honestly I just thought the character would have changed a little bit more or in a different way but everyone takes to situations differently…maybe I need to study human behavior perhaps then I might better understand this complex character. But overall the transformations were good and believable.

Description:

I loved how this author described what the character was feeling, it was so emotional and dark at times, though it didn’t necessarily make me cry it did make me FEEL and that can impact my thought as much as crying. As for the dialogue I felt there wasn’t too much or too little, it wasn’t awkward at times or anything it was just right for this story. I liked that at times dialogue just wasn’t possible so the author chose to write in a different way…to describe the inner thoughts and feelings. As for the way she described the scenes, I felt she was able to set them up to where I could picture them, it wasn’t like I had to strain to see this story it was just painted so beautifully. Overall the description was just right for this story.

Style:

I liked this author’s style of writing, I had recently read the first book “Hunted” in another series she started and liked her style and in this book I think it was even better. The way she cut off certain moments and scenes gave an even stronger impact on the scene and reader. And I liked she chose to stay in one POV; I just don’t think this book would have felt right with more than POV. So overall I enjoyed this aspect of the book.

Quote of the Book:

“I nod. I can’t tell her, but I’m better than I was before. I know how to stop the shadows now; how to keep them from coming into my art. I know how to keep myself safe. All I have to do is cut. Cut until it all bleeds away.”

Goodreads Summary:

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.

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good realistic book; something that you can learn from without feeling like you’re learning. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone who is shy of same sex relationships and to anyone who isn’t ready to read a raw and emotional book, this WILL open your eyes so much to these particular issues. I really did enjoy this book; I definitely learned a few things and will definitely keep this in the back of my mind. I really liked that the author included some help pages and links at the back of the book, it allows readers who are in similar situations to get help…this author really did all she could to connect to those who are in the same boat. I will definitely be reading more books by this author, the strength she must have to even write it must be enormous, it was raw, emotional and dark; I loved every minute of it.

My Rating: