Someone I Used to Know

June 1, 2018
Blount's (The Way It Hurts, 2017, etc.) latest, a loose sequel to Some Boys (2014), again looks at the aftermath of rape, this time with a focus on secondary survivors.Told with flashbacks through the alternating perspectives of a brother and sister two years after one of his teammates raped her to gain points in a scavenger hunt, this sometimes-didactic all-tell, no-show story has a clear purpose and ultimately hits some genuine emotional notes. High school junior Ashley is a fierce survivor who turns to blogging and activism to fight her anxiety attacks; her older brother, college freshman Derek, joins a men's anti-rape group and finally gets it. Romance plays a significant role in character growth, and while the stated authorial intent was to show the effect of Ashley's rape on the whole family, the novel mostly plays out as two parallel narratives which pull together into a family drama only at the end. Characterization and polish take a back seat to message, and some of the dialogue is weak. However, the messaging in Derek's story is important: Toxic masculinity creates rape culture, and nice boys who do nothing to stop it are part of the problem. The book follows a white default.Heavy-handed, but there are readers who want this story and some who need it. (resources) (Fiction. 13-18)

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July 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-Freshman Ashley Lawrence was a victim of a rape during Homecoming and now tries to face her fears of that trauma while leading a "normal" life. Her brother, Derek, is dealing with the remorse he feels for participating in the horrific scavenger hunt with his football team that ended in his sister's assault. Her parents are strained in their marriage, having been harassed for the football team's disbanding two years ago. Even her love interest, Sebastian, tries to express his feelings for Ashley without triggering her into a spiral of depression and PTSD symptoms. With chapters that jump back and forth between past and present, this narrative truly shows the life-changing ripple effect that rape can have on a person's life and on those around her. Blount has written a heartrending but much-needed view on this subject. This book provides a nuanced look at the toxicity of rape culture and the long-lasting and harming aftermath of sexual assault. VERDICT Recommended for all YA shelves.-Danielle Jacobs, Las Vegas Clark County Library District

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 30, 2018
A timely novel by Blount (Some Boys) examines how a rape continues to affect a survivor and her family years after the assault. High schooler Ashley Lawrence was sexually assaulted freshman year by her crush—her brother Derek’s football teammate, who was trying to score points for a sort of sexual scavenger hunt. Now filled with rage, pain, and confusion, she tries to find a new normal, while Derek, away at college, struggles with guilt for standing up for his teammate, instead of his sister, when the rape case went to trial. Meanwhile, their parents’ once-happy marriage is dissolving, Ashley’s oldest brother has moved back home, and the siblings’ mother wants the whole family together to share a meal for Thanksgiving. Although the story is formulaic, the alternating viewpoints between Ashley and Derek deepen readers’ understanding of their inner lives, and the story sends a powerful message about rape culture and the ways it’s perpetuated by survivor shaming, toxic masculinity, and the tacit acceptance of harassment. Ages 14–up. Agent: Gregory Evan, Ethan Ellenberg Literary.