Audio: Someone I Used to Know - Patty Blount

Nick Mondelli (Narrator), Amy Melissa Bentley (Narrator)

Audio CD, 10 h

Published August 7th 2018 by Tantor Audio

YA Fiction

Own

My thoughts:

This one was hard listening at. I just wanted to rage against the world! But it is a book that you have to listen to/read. Even better, a book to read at school and discuss.

The book takes place in the present, but also in the past, 1 year ago, 2 years ago, and sometimes we go further back to look at the relationship between brother and sister, best friends, and where it went wrong.

2 years ago Ashley was raped. It was her brother's teammate, and someone she liked. That is also when she started to hate her brother and still do. She is still coping and will always try to cope. She has anxiety attacks and is trying to find ways to deal. Oh my heart broke for her. It was so hard to listen when she was hurting to so badly.

What was different with this one than other books is that her rapist actually got sent to jail (albeit a stupid short sentence). And even if people still sneer at her, she has a great support system and friends at school. But that does not mean she can just get over it and move on. She is angry and hurting.

Loved her friend, especially Sebastien!

Half this book is Derek's. He messed up. And I was all for her hating him, but the more I got to know him, and to see how badly he was hurting too, the more I wanted them all to forgive each other. He has his own guilt. He wishes he could have stopped it. He should have stopped it. He learns how to honestly be a better human being. If we all stood up to BS and "boys being boys", then maybe things could start to change.

I liked how it did not only show her side, but also how her family was trying to deal. You never get to see much about the those trying to help, and those that might be clueless how to help. 

Conclusion:

Powerful and raw at times. A great book

Narration.

I love Amy Melissa Bentley's voice. So yes she was superb as always.

As for Nick, I am not sure I have heard him before...but anyway he did a great job too as Derek.

Blurb:

From the award-winning author of Some Boys comes an unflinching examination of rape culture that delves into a family torn apart by sexual assault. It's been two years since the night that changed Ashley's life. Two years since she was raped by her brother's teammate. And a year since she sat in a court and watched as he was given a slap on the wrist sentence. But the years have done nothing to stop the pain. It's been two years of hell for Derek. His family is totally messed up and he and his sister are barely speaking. He knows he handled it all wrong. Now at college, he has to come to terms with what happened, and the rape culture that he was inadvertently a part of that destroyed his sister's life. When it all comes to head at Thanksgiving, Derek and Ashley have to decide if their relationship is able to be saved. And if their family can ever be whole again.