Review: This is all pretty implausible
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 07 20, 2013
From the beginning, I was most interested in this book because it was set in Detroit.As a Michigan resident, I like reading anything from the state.The problem is, the author never gives Detroit any personality. She tries -- but she's just not successful.I've taken a few days to think about this book after finishing it, and there are a few things about it that really don't sit right with me.The first is the rape itself. I have no problem with the graphic nature of the scenes, however I find it interesting that the description seems to go on and on (and on and on and on) like it's erotica. Yeah, it almost read like "forced seduction" erotica in some spots.Second, the police procedure in this book is hilariously bad. I don't know one police officer (and I know a lot of them) that would actually question a victim in this manner. For example, fingerprints aren't generally taken with ink anymore and police officers don't usually try and antagonize rape victims.When you couple this with the parents' ridiculously over-the-top reaction to the rape of their daughter -- seriously, it's way too contrived -- and the fact that the main character seems to be over what happened to her in a matter of days, and the book just feels forced.When the reveal of the rapist is complete, it makes no sense. His motivations aren't explored -- and since you really don't know the character -- it's hard to engage in the storyline or why he's suddenly there twirling his mustache like a mad man.Honestly, I think the amount of plot in this book was more like the first third of a regular book. Yeah, it's really lacking in plot. And, what plot there is, seems to be forced. The author falls into that trap of telling her readers what is happening instead of showing them.It is an indie, so there are a few typos -- but this is really clean for an indie. Most of the stuff I noticed was missing punctuation, a missing word here or there, and a few style things that only a MIchigan resident would notice.I give the author credit for tackling a difficult subject, but it really should have been fleshed out more. This only took about two hours to read. I got the book in a free promotion, but I would have been ticked off to drop $5 on such a short book.In the end, the author did a decent job -- especially in the immediate aftermath of the rape -- but she should take her time and flesh out the rest of the story so it doesn't feel so rushed.