The Opposite of Innocent
First of all I am so sorry so much time has passed since I have last updated my blog. Life has just gotten so over whelming and I have had some personal struggles and issues to take care of. Being a single mom for a two year old is pretty hard but harder yet when the father is worthless. I thankfully have a restraining order against him until March and he has limited visitation so that takes a huge burden off my shoulders!
This year I have been reading as much as possible. I have been trying to step out of my comfort zone and picking up things that I normally wouldn't. My most recent book to fall into that category is the Opposite of Innocent by Sonya Sones. I am not really into verse novels but went ahead and decided to give it a try. I wasn't a huge fan and ended up giving the book a 3 out of 5 stars. Here is the good read summary.
Poignant and chilling by turns, The Opposite of Innocent is award-winning author Sonya Sones’s most gripping novel in verse yet. It’s the story of a girl named Lily, who’s been crushing on a man named Luke, a friend of her parents, ever since she can remember. Luke has been away for two endless years, but he’s finally returning today. Lily was only twelve when he left. But now, at fourteen, she feels transformed. She can’t wait to see how Luke will react when he sees the new her. And when her mother tells her that Luke will be staying with them for a while, in the bedroom right next to hers, her heart nearly stops. Having Luke back is better than Lily could have ever dreamed. His lingering looks set Lily on fire. Is she just imagining them? But then, when they’re alone, he kisses her. Then he kisses her again. Lily’s friends think anyone his age who wants to be with a fourteen-year-old must be really messed up. Maybe even dangerous. But Luke would never do anything to hurt her...would he? In this powerful tale of a terrifying leap into young adulthood, readers will accompany Lily on her harrowing journey from hopelessness to hope.
I understand that these type of stories are important. Especially no more than now in this day and age with all that is going on around the world with #MeToo. I have no idea how to really talk about this book with out too many spoilers. I mean there were just so many times I was frustrated with this story that the only part I was really ok with was the ending.
The writing flowed beautifully and Sonya really is a talented writer and really tackeled the story but I could not connect with these characters. I couldn't feel an emotional pull to feel sorry for these characters. I didn't hate the bad guy as much as one would expect,
Lily was.... ok. At times a bland character. I know she was the victim but yet knowing what 14 year olds know in this day in age, she wasn't an innocent person to suddenly be changing her mind. I know that sounds wrong, believe me I am not judging a book character or how women, girls, boys, men, in today's society should behave, everyone is different but I have seen 14 year old girls getting pregnant and having babies so I can't buy into the whole argument that she was only 14 she didn't know better in this story. I didn't find her character to be someone to feel sorry for, I just felt frustrated.
I will always stand by the #MeToo movement, I have mentioned times before I am a victim of being molested as a child and then raped as an adult, I will never victim shame, but just from things I have seen in my person views and from other people I have met, this book just was too flat for me.
I wouldn't recommend it to those who are searching for a gut twisting contemporary that will shake you to your core. This book is not that at all.
For more serious issue contemporaries to give you all the feels, one of my favorite authors would be Sarah Dessen.
