Scan barcode
dorseycwin's review against another edition
4.0
This book was beautiful, but get ready for a sad read and check the trigger warnings before you start. The main character was heartbreaking, but her thought processes and development throughout the book were so beautifully done. All of the characters were so beautifully flawed and were definitely the main draw to this book.
jennifermreads's review against another edition
3.0
Actual rating 3.5 stars
Received advanced reader copy from publisher via Baker & Taylor book supplier
Eight years ago, Emilia survived a violent assault. She has forced the memories into a dark corner of her mind and tried to forget the face of Jeremy Lance, the young boy who was responsible and caused her so much pain. But when a discovery about her attacker’s identity is brought forward, the memories Emilia has so carefully packed away begin to resurface and Emilia struggles to come to terms with the new truths.
Initially, I had trouble with the writing style. But I eventually settled in and grew more at ease with the words. The story bounces back to Emilia’s memories of the initial assault and forward to “modern day.” Note: the story is set in 1994-1995. The format gives readers a peek inside Emilia’s mind, a picture of what it is that she recalls from the horrific event while also showing how she and her family are coping on a day-to-day basis even eight years later.
What at first appears to be a family as healed as it could be following a violent event is revealed to be a family troubled and torn. BE WARNED: This is a dark story with what could potentially be many triggers for anyone who has experiences assault of any kind. The conclusion
This is like reading or watching a tragic news story unfold. It is difficult to watch or read yet you find you cannot look away or stop until you reach the end. It is haunting, it is tragic, it has a beauty of its own.
Received advanced reader copy from publisher via Baker & Taylor book supplier
Eight years ago, Emilia survived a violent assault. She has forced the memories into a dark corner of her mind and tried to forget the face of Jeremy Lance, the young boy who was responsible and caused her so much pain. But when a discovery about her attacker’s identity is brought forward, the memories Emilia has so carefully packed away begin to resurface and Emilia struggles to come to terms with the new truths.
Initially, I had trouble with the writing style. But I eventually settled in and grew more at ease with the words. The story bounces back to Emilia’s memories of the initial assault and forward to “modern day.” Note: the story is set in 1994-1995. The format gives readers a peek inside Emilia’s mind, a picture of what it is that she recalls from the horrific event while also showing how she and her family are coping on a day-to-day basis even eight years later.
What at first appears to be a family as healed as it could be following a violent event is revealed to be a family troubled and torn. BE WARNED: This is a dark story with what could potentially be many triggers for anyone who has experiences assault of any kind. The conclusion
Spoiler
is not pretty and it is not neat. Emilia commits suicide. While the imagery of her with the birds is indeed beautiful and peaceful, the realization that she flew from the window is anything but.This is like reading or watching a tragic news story unfold. It is difficult to watch or read yet you find you cannot look away or stop until you reach the end. It is haunting, it is tragic, it has a beauty of its own.
mugsandpugs's review
4.0
Woof. You know a book's gonna be a downer when the forward contains contact info for suicide and sexual assault prevention hotlines. [b:The Fall of Innocence|30309371|The Fall of Innocence|Jenny Torres Sanchez|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1515515332l/30309371._SY75_.jpg|50794605] tells the story of Emilia DeJesus, age sixteen, still recovering from the near-death experience of childhood abduction, violent assault, and rape. Though it's been eight years since her attack, it comes to light that the man imprisoned for the crime is innocent, and the actual man responsible will die in hospice, unpunished. As the (Hispanic) author explains in her afterward, far too many women of color, like Emilia, suffer violence in silence and never receive the justice they're deserved. I think this is an important and hard-hitting novel, but don't go into it expecting a happy ending. Though this is far less graphic and far more about recovery and family than "Living Dead Girl" was, it rattled me way more. I might need to read some happy things now to shake the gloom off.
jacieandbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I’m in between 4.5 and 5... I think it is quite possibly because I’m in a state of shock. I really enjoyed this book, I loved that it was told from so many perspectives so that the reader can see the effects of trauma at various levels, the victim, the family etc. Very well written, I devoured it. My main complain is a major spoilers so don’t read on if you want the surprise ending to remain a surprise. My complaint is that throughout the book, she maintains a fairly positive attitude... I felt the suicide could have been a little better foreshadowed. Which leads to my next issue, the open-ended death. Where my first thought was suicide, her family assumed it was an accident. Is that to soften the blow? Am I, as a reader, supposed to have assumed that it was an accident or should I know that because of her confirmation that it was Carl Smith, that means she wants to be done with life? In my mind, I was relieved for her because she knows the truth. And I understand it is realistic that nobody truly know if it was suicide or an accident but I need to know! Because my mind can’t handle that it was an accident, but I felt a little disappointment that I didn’t get closure. I cried my eyes out btw.
southernbellebooks's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the overall story and the symbolism but I think a lot got lost in the fluff of the story.
alina_the_banana's review against another edition
5.0
I freaking loved this book.
It was different than the kinds of books I normally read, but I really really REALLY loved this one. It was beautifully written, deeply heartbreaking, and an honest depiction of the horrors of society.
It was gorgeous and haunting, and even though I had my doubts in the beginning, this book delivered. Great characters, horribly necessary message, important themes.
This book did not have a happy ending. No story should ever end like Emilia's, but so many do. And that's why this book is so important. Emilia never got that decisive, powerful win that we so like to hear about. So many people don't.
READ IT. NOW. That's all I have to say.
It was different than the kinds of books I normally read, but I really really REALLY loved this one. It was beautifully written, deeply heartbreaking, and an honest depiction of the horrors of society.
It was gorgeous and haunting, and even though I had my doubts in the beginning, this book delivered. Great characters, horribly necessary message, important themes.
Spoiler
The ending, I of, was one of the best and most devastating parts. Jenny Torres Sanchez puts it perfectly in her author's note at the end of the book:I was worried when I knew she wasn't going to be okay. I was worried I was writing a story without hope, that I was not providing a story we need in today's environment, stories that are a rallying cries of power, calls to action.
But I could not be untrue to Emilia, or to the depth of her pain and suffering. And I could not be untrue to you, the reader, or the the realities girls face in this world every day. I knew this book had to be honest about some ugly truths.
This book did not have a happy ending. No story should ever end like Emilia's, but so many do. And that's why this book is so important. Emilia never got that decisive, powerful win that we so like to hear about. So many people don't.
READ IT. NOW. That's all I have to say.
lazygal's review against another edition
2.0
Say it with me: please stop with the multiple POVs.
Beyond that, this was fairly predictable but teen readers will enjoy this book about a girl, horribly damaged by an attack when she was younger, and her attempts to be "normal" by having a boyfriend and going through regular high school. How that long-ago event still affects her mental state, and how she tries to deal with it, will sadden readers. As an adult, I wondered what happened to getting her into therapy, but that isn't ever discussed - and could be used as a starting point for a conversation about the need for mental health awareness.
ARC provided by publisher.
Beyond that, this was fairly predictable but teen readers will enjoy this book about a girl, horribly damaged by an attack when she was younger, and her attempts to be "normal" by having a boyfriend and going through regular high school. How that long-ago event still affects her mental state, and how she tries to deal with it, will sadden readers. As an adult, I wondered what happened to getting her into therapy, but that isn't ever discussed - and could be used as a starting point for a conversation about the need for mental health awareness.
ARC provided by publisher.
thompsonjul's review against another edition
5.0
Heartbreaking, breathtaking, and I can't believe more people aren't talking about this book. I read it in one night because I couldn't put it down. Emilia is such a strong protagonist, and the unreliability of her narration is part of what makes this novel so good. The other characters are just as strong, bringing even more depth to the story. Really brilliant writing-my best book of 2018.