A review by mugsandpugs
The Fall of Innocence by Jenny Torres Sanchez

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.