Review of GOING UNDER by S. Walden

(Blurb from Goodreads.com)

Brooke Wright has only two goals her senior year at Charity Run High School: stay out of trouble and learn to forgive herself for the past. Forgiveness proves elusive, and trouble finds her anyway when she discovers a secret club at school connected to the death of her best friend. She learns that swim team members participate in a “Fantasy Slut League,” scoring points for their sexual acts with unsuspecting girls.

Brooke, wracked with guilt over her friend’s death, decides to infiltrate the league by becoming one of the “unsuspecting girls,” and exact revenge on the boys who stole away her best friend. An unexpected romance complicates her plans, and her dogged pursuit of justice turns her reckless as she underestimates just how far the boys will go to keep their sex club a secret.

(This is a New Adult fiction book with mature themes. It contains graphic sex and language and a description of sexual violence.)

The way I read it ~

An intensely dramatic read.

I felt myself getting so in tune with Brooke's sassy personality that I often would have the same reactions to situations or blurt out loud practically the same responses. What a mouth on that kid!

The book dealt with a very real, and very serious subject and I felt the author's aim was not really to entertain but to educate the reader in a way, by showing a side of rape that most people don't get to realize. That it isn't all black and white. That sometimes there's a murky grey area in there that, while being utterly disgusting and uncomfortable to think about and deal with,  is actually quite enlightening. And real.

It was a good story. Characters were fairly developed, though I did feel like the ending was rushed. So much of the intense drama culminated just when I wanted the pace to kind of slow down a little.

All in all, I think three stars will suffice. And three sugars.

Rated Just right 3 out of 5 Sugar cubes

Reviewed by Leelo