Author: S. Walden
Published: March 14, 2013
Publisher: Penny Press
Source: Purchased
Brooke Wright has only two goals her senior year at Charity Run High School: stay out of trouble and learn to forgive herself for the past. Forgiveness proves elusive, and trouble finds her anyway when she discovers a secret club at school connected to the death of her best friend. She learns that swim team members participate in a “Fantasy Slut League,” scoring points for their sexual acts with unsuspecting girls.
Brooke, wracked with guilt over her friend’s death, decides to infiltrate the league by becoming one of the “unsuspecting girls,” and exact revenge on the boys who stole away her best friend. An unexpected romance complicates her plans, and her dogged pursuit of justice turns her reckless as she underestimates just how far the boys will go to keep their sex club a secret.
(This is a New Adult fiction book with mature themes. It contains graphic sex and language and a description of sexual violence.)
This is not your typical sweet, happy romance. Going Under addresses very abusive and hard-to-handle subjects, such as rape, underage drug/alcohol use, depression, etc. If you're not one to handle these heavy issues, you probably shouldn't read this book. If you don't mind "issue" books, there's a powerful story behind this one.
Brooke was the perfect MC that I long for in books. She was imperfect and definitely made her share of mistakes. She was also completely realistic and someone I could say I know personally. I often laughed out loud at some of the things that left her mouth, such as "this dress is bullshit" right in the beginning of the story. I knew from chapter 1 that I would like Brooke.
Walden did a wonderful job of addressing a very tough issue with such a sensitivity that it was a fabulous read. Her knack for drawing out the suspense, making your insides beg for the conclusion, was so powerful. My heart was pounding out of my chest for the last third of the book... so much so that I couldn't put it down, even into the wee hours of the night. I read this one with my sister-in-law, and though we were supposed to stop at 80 percent that night, it just didn't happen... I finished the story ahead of time. (Sorry, Becca!) But no worries... she completely understood when she got that far along and also didn't want to put it down. Thus, she forgave me. ;)
If you enjoy a more tragic, harsh story, as I do, with the realistic aspects off the charts, you will most definitely enjoy this book. Walden's writing style was perfect. The story was fast-paced and kept me on the edge of my seat. I was so pleasantly surprised with this book. I'm eager to see what Walden comes out with next.
I wanted to tell her that real life wasn't a motivational seminar where you're brainwashed into believing that writing down daily affirmations and chanting them over and over made them come true.
"Stop thinking like a bitch and start thinking like an assassin!"
"Look, I just didn't know you moonlighted as Nancy Drew in your spare time."
"Quit crying, for Christ's sake. You cry all the time. Aren't you supposed to be big and tough?"
I looked at him stunned. "For real?"
"Yeah, Wright. 'For real'. Straighten up and stop acting like a total wimp. You wanna be some badass fem crusader? Then start acting like one."
S. Walden used to teach English before making the best decision of her life by becoming a full-time writer. She lives in Georgia with her very supportive husband who prefers physics textbooks over fiction and has a difficult time understanding why her characters must have personality flaws. She is wary of small children, so she has a Westie instead. Her dreams include raising chickens and owning and operating a beachside inn on the Gulf Coast (chickens included). When she's not writing, she's thinking about it.
She loves her fans and loves to hear from them. Email her at swaldenauthor@hotmail.com and follow her blog at http://swaldenauthor.blogspot.com where you can get up-to-date information on her current projects.
I have this book, and am anxious to read it soon. I do love heavy books, and from all accounts, Going Under seems to be very well-done.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Lisa!
This book sounds like something I would enjoy, because I honestly like tragic kind of books that portray harsh issues that people go through. I definitely would have to read this! Thanks for introducing me to this amazing book!
ReplyDeleteWell I hadn't even heard of this book before. But now, I must get my hands on it! Sounds excellent. I love this style of read.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy stories such as this one if they are handled well. With the respect and honesty and humility that they deserve. This sounds like a very powerful, very moving story, and one with a good message. I think I might like to check this out!
ReplyDeleteWell, lisa, this is the first time I hear of this book
ReplyDeleteThough it looks dense, I might actually give it a try sometime
Since it looks real and sincere
Your reader,
Soma
http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/
I am pretty sure I bought this a while back. Now you have me wanting to read it. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy the occasional dark read and really enjoyed this one. It was done in a way that unraveled throughout and there were some great twists in the story. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it too! Thanks for your thoughts!
ReplyDelete