Review: Dark and emotional, sad but also uplifting
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 20, 2012
"I've killed two men in my life." That's how BELTED begins, and the story that unfolds after that first statement is just as raw and bold and honest. The story is told in first-person from Chastity's POV, putting the reader right there with Chastity, in her pain, in her darkness, and finally, in her hope. As Chastity relates to us her story, it feels very much like a troubled friend baring all in truthful confession.The story takes place over several years, starting with a scene where Chastity has just turned twelve and is raped by her father. She has long been the focus of her father's belt, but now that her age has made her a woman in his eyes, she is now the target of his sick desires. I can't tell you how heart-breaking and poignant this scene was. And I must say it was written with sensitivity and care, and not written to titillate or sensationalize. It's just very honestly written, very emotional and very sad.The author has a sure and natural way with language, really writing some beautiful imagery. This scene, after Chastity's father has sexually abused her for the first time, is especially haunting: <"I want you to know it's not your fault." His hand grasped my knee, but I shrank from his touch, clinging instead to the pillow I once again had picked up. My hand kneaded the squishy softness rhythmically in time with my rocking body. I couldn't look at him. I stared at the mussed up comforter. Cinderella's upswept golden hair, now dull and lifeless from use and years of washing in harsh detergents, was riddled with lint of different colors.>Chastity's tarnished innocence is reflected in that sad, childish comforter on a twelve-year-old's bed. And to see a childhood that will never be what it once was, what it should have always been-- perfect and bright, this was painfully beautiful and well-crafted imagery. And the author layered such image and thoughtful detail throughout the story. BELTED is an emotional read with a lot for the reader to take away from it. It is dark, yes, with the violence and the sexual abuse, and with its damaged heroine suffering beatings and cutting herself in order to cope, but even with this darkness, there is also hope and light waiting for Chastity and for the reader.As Chastity makes her way through life (we see her from age 12 to around age 26), she is a sort of Goldilocks looking for the right one, the hero, the savior, that one person to fix every broken and needy thing within her, but that person who has to mend and fix it all is Chastity herself. She is the one who must stop the cycle of abuse by learning how to love and how to value herself. BELTED is an emotional and disturbing read with some uncomfortable scenes, but it's also an uplifting read with a very unforgettable character. The story pulled me in, and even now, several hours after having finished this story, I'm still thinking about Chastity.