Review: Rehabilitating a relationship after rape is  an extreme challenge for an author.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 20, 2014
I think that for readers who don't believe in the "good rape," making a relationship that begins with a rape feel sincere is a difficult thing.  I mean, if you can convince us that a rape victim can be made to enjoy his experience that is one thing, but how do you manage for those of us obstreperously opposed to the idea?This author does not attempt to use "good rape" techniques at all.  Instead, he attempts to build a situation in which the victim is able to forgive his rapist.  The prison setting (in which the victim is almost resigned to the idea) and a picture of a man who is almost catatonic in his separation from the world allow the victim to see the rape as a trial rather than a violation, and as the characters grow even that is left in the past.Beyond that, you'll have to read the story to find out how it goes.  I think it was a little short, and maybe would have been better if more time was spent on the growth of the characters, but overall I think the author did a good job tackling a very challenging subject matter.  His strength is in really sympathetic characters, and he uses it here to full advantage in making us believe that a person who did something so terrible could be someone worth knowing.  It felt like maybe it was setting up for a sequel?