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. 

Audio Review: Some boys - Patty Blount

Some boys go too far. Some boys will break your heart. But one boy can make you whole.

When Grace meets Ian she's afraid. Afraid he'll reject her like the rest of the school, like her own family. After she accuses the town golden boy of rape, everyone turns against Grace. They call her a slut and a liar. But...Ian doesn't. He's funny and kind with secrets of his own.

But how do you trust the best friend of the boy who raped you? How do you believe in love?

A gut-wrenching, powerful love story told from alternating points of view by the acclaimed author of Send. 

Audio CD, 8 pages
Expected publication: November 21st 2017 by Tantor Audio (first published August 5th 2014)
YA Fiction
For review

My thoughts:

Another  book with rape culture and slut shaming. Why do everyone always believe the boy! Ugh, i want to hit so many people in the face.

She was drinking

She was wearing revealing clothes.

They had dated before

Was she a stripper? Ehm, no, why even ask her that! 

It is a month later and Grace has lost all her friends and people call slut and liar after her. The boy who raped her is the school hero and no one believes he could do anything like that. While she has to be afraid, alone, deal with panic attacks and wish someone would take her side.

The book is told from two POVS. Hers and Ian's. The boy she has to spend time with, the boy who is Zach's bestie. And yes obviously this is a romance too. That is actually something I could have been without. It felt like she fell too fast, yes she had been in love with him, but after something like that I just feel it should take more time to even think about kissing a boy. But then I changed my mind, we need happiness too! This is a book after all. In real life no one would have believed her and that boy would have had a happy ending while she would have gone to therapy. Instead she will get a happy ending and hey, I needed that. We all need that.

But there was still the issue with Ian. But, there is the but again, he is a teen. Why would he believe that of the friend who he has known for years, who has helped him, who is awesome? To believe the word of a girl who does like, but....he is a teen, so yes he is a coward, yes even spineless at time, but no one else was there. There is no evidence after all. I did want to kick him at times, but do not worry he gets it in the end and I liked him for it.

Conclusion:

'A tough emotional book.

Narrators.

Em Elridge  and Joe Hempel

I liked that they had Em doing Grace's POV and Joe Ian's. They both did a good job, I do think Joe was the better one though cos he had a good range. While women do not always make men sound that manly...or too manly ;)

It was great listening too and it sure made me want to go there and scream at people.