⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐" ... an admirable attempt to encourage those victims to follow in her footsteps and the b
I applaud this author for her courage in writing this book with such honesty. It shows real strength of character to revisit and describe in detail the harrowing event that has had a lasting impact on her life. A beautiful young girl from a middle-class family, Kellcey was intelligent and articulate with a bright future to look forward to. The world was her oyster until she had the misfortune to fall madly in love with Ben. The crowd he hung out with were an unsavoury bunch, his best friend, privileged and spoilt, a crude and intimidating character. It was Ben’s allegiance to him that resulted in his failure to protect Kellcey and ultimately led to her downfall. It’s easy to see the reasons for Kellcey’s poor decisions: the tragic death of her sister leaving a huge void in her life and a need to fit in and be accepted by her peers. Being shy and sensitive by nature meant that Kellcey was open to intimidation and far too trusting; not forgetting that she was only sixteen at the time and still naive in many ways. It would be wrong to suggest that she was unaware of her sexual allure and, though outwardly embarrassed by the crude innuendos, what girl doesn’t want to feel she is desirable and pretty enough to warrant some attention? (This is not to say that she encouraged this – far from it). This is even more understandable, given the traumatic situation at home - the rising tension between her parents as their crumbling relationship eventually breaks down and the father Kellcey hero-worshipped no longer having time for her. Ms Kells doesn’t shy away from any of this in a well-written account of her ordeal and the devastating effects of rape. But, despite her gruelling experience, she manages to intersperse the story with some wonderful descriptive passages that highlight the happier times in her life, giving the reader a colourful glimpse of the interesting places she has seen. Above all, Ms Kells gives hope and inspiration to others who have suffered a similar fate, proving that life doesn’t have to be defined by one terrible event and that it’s possible to fight back and become a stronger person in spite of it. This is an admirable attempt to encourage those victims to follow in her footsteps and the book is well worthy of the highest rating. Well done Kacey Kells! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
