Taint

Taint is unlike any novel I have read. It is very skillfully written and tells the story of a female best friend dealing with the aftermath of her male friend's rape and the lengths she goes to - to obtain 'justice.'

Rebecca is a high school student and along with her best friend Luke, they are preparing to move onto their next chapter - college - when Luke calls Rebecca, telling her that he has been raped by one of the popular boys - who happens to be the headmaster's son.
Rebecca is academically gifted, at the top of her class, but begins to spiral in her ever-consuming quest for justice. However, Luke doesn't quite see it this way.
The novel doesn't end in the way I expected which was surprising and it had a clever twist.

Well written - I look forward to reading more of Kelley's work.

First of all huge kudos to Ms. Kelley for tackling such a heavy topic. I think that bringing awareness to the commonality of men/boys being raped is so important. I liked this book overall but some of the characters just fell flat for me. I did not anticipate the ending which was a great twist.

I couldn’t put this down. It covers an incredibly sensitive topic in a way which shines a light on the impact which society’s perceptions and responses to rape have on how survivors perceive themselves and the crime. More than that, this book is a complex analysis of friendship and of love in all its different guises. It will test your views of justice and what is right while making you reflect on what it is like to be a young person coming to terms with trauma.

I enjoyed Taint.
It kept me reading till the very end as I really wanted to know what was going to happen.
I also think the book dealt with trauma really well and I haven't read a book before dealing with this specific topic before.
The only reason I gave this book a lower rating is because I really didn't like the main character.
I really loved the twist at the end though!
Thank you netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'll start by saying I really appreciated this book's willingness to tackle such a heavy but important topic. It did a good job of showing the impact that rape/sexual assault can have on people, including the friends and families of survivors. The story follows Rebecca, he learns that her best friend Luke was raped, and she becomes consumed with hatred and a desire for revenge. I liked the overarching plot of the novel, and I liked that it ended with a bit of an unexpected twist.Thank you to the author

Powerful and thought provoking, Taint is a novel which is definitely suited for older teens and is one that will also have a profound impact on adults who read it.