Book review: Some Boys by Patty Blount

Sometimes it's possible to be lonely in a room full of people.  It can be especially lonely in a room full of people who know your worst secrets, many of whom despise you for them. Some Boys by Patty Blount is far more than a story about the loneliness a girl faces after a rape, it also shines a spotlight on the blame-the-victim mentality our society so readily embraces and illustrates the importance of standing against it-- even if one must stand alone.

Grace counts the days since her world changed.  She dons her armor of heavy makeup and severe, spiky clothes and boots every day then climbs into a battle that begins each time she steps aboard the school bus.  Thirty-two days ago, a horror story happened in her world. She went to a party and was raped. She had been surrounded by people she knew and considered friends, yet no one intervened.

Now, thirty-two days (and counting) later, she's increasingly isolated as people turn against her and even bully her for speaking out against her rapist, Zac, a star lacrosse player for the school.

Grace is surrounded by people who try to make her life a living hell.  She faces physical aggression, verbal taunting, and online criticism and attacks almost too horrible to imagine.  She continues to stand strong in the face of their onslaught, but in doing so, she ends up facing a disciplinary consequence at school. Her penance is to spend the week of spring break cleaning lockers with another student who is also on punishment-- Ian.  He, unfortunately, is Zac's best friend.

In their turbulent time together, each is forced to face some realities about one another and about the whole situation. They form a truce and cautiously begin to consider a relationship together. Neither arrives at that emotional place easily, but as a reader, it was a huge relief to finally see someone in Grace's world finally begin to show some basic human decency toward her! It was also heartening to watch her begin to heal, at least a little bit.

This was definitely not an easy read!  It is hard when a story holds itself up as a mirror that reflects society and shows its ugliest of faults. It was, however, an important book to both read and discuss if we ever hope to get past the crime of endlessly blaming-- even attacking anew-- the victim.