Thursday, July 23, 2015

Review: What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton


Trigger warnings: rape, eating disorders

This might just be my favourite book out of the ones I’ve read so far this summer. I found myself getting to the last few chapters just wishing for it to be longer. It was so incredibly heartbreaking and such an honest portrayal of what it’s like to be a naïve teenager just wanting to feel loved, accepted and wanted.

It starts off with young Sid Murphy, going away on a ski trip and experiences a horrible tragedy. The rest of the novel is her coming to terms with the fact that she is forever changed and how she will move forward and deal with what has happened to her. I’ve read so many books where the protagonist suffers some kind of tragic event, but not many have hit me as hard as this one did. You don’t really see it coming, and once you discover what has happened, you yourself feel betrayed and hurt just as Sid does. Clayton really handles the topic so well and writes in a way that you can really feel the emotions of the character. Each character is so well special in their own way and I honestly fell in love with each of them.

SPOILERS://  I honestly commend Colleen Clayton for the tasteful yet honest and real way of handling the topic of Sid’s rape. It was so heartbreaking and authentic. The only complaint about the story is the questions I was left with in the end. Did Sid’s rapist end up getting caught? And did Sid get professional help for her eating disorder? Though she eventually realized that she had lost too much weight and her illness had gone too far, it takes more than that epiphany to get better. And finally, what happens in the end with Sid and Corey? Do they end up going to New York together? ://SPOILERS

Colleen Clayton wrote a very raw and honest portrayal of violation and recovery in a very unique way, taking a heavy, difficult topic and presenting it in a way that is not too overbearing and dark. I really really loved this book and recommend it to anyone.


9/10

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