Title: Into the Light
Author: Scarlett Blackwell
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Genre: contemporary M/M
Buy Link: Amazon.com
Length: Novella
Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
A Guest Review by Feliz
Summary Review: It’s been a long time since I’ve been so unsettled by a book – and not in a good way. In my opinion, this book shouldn’t have seen the light.
The Blurb: Sheriff Sean Keller hides a terrible secret – he watched a heinous crime committed eighteen years ago and did nothing to prevent it. Now he finds himself face to face with Eden Gray, the victim of that crime, who is now not so much the boy anymore, but the man. Eden makes Sean sit up and remember those forbidden desires he thought he had locked away forever and the guilt which has blighted his life.
The Review: When I read this book for the first time, I found myself becoming more and more uncomfortable. Something didn’t sit right with me, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. It couldn’t be the writing in and of itself. I like Scarlett Blackwell’s writing, I’ve read and enjoyed several books from her – she’s usually good at making emotions real and palpable. It couldn’t be the topic in and of itself either – the rape was heavy stuff and surely not everybody could stomach it, but I normally don’t get easily worked up. So I tried to get behind the characters by reading it a second time, and as I looked – really looked – at what bothered me so, I found my self thrown. I’ll explain:
The premise is a man, Eden, who returns to his hometown eighteen years after he’s been raped during his highschool years in order to confront (or take revenge, however one wants to put it) the bullies who did it to him, now all grown men. There were four of them. The three who actually did it are either dead or unreachable, and the fourth, who watched his friends commit the crime but did nothing to prevent it, is Sean, now the town’s sheriff and striving to be a good man. Since Sean is the only one left, Eden’s entire wrath unloads on Sean’s head. The rape has left Eden broken, he’s become sexually promiscuous, troubled and even suicidal because it robbed him of the last bit of self-respect. On the other hand, Sean has agonized endlessly about his inaction that night ever since, crushed from guilt, punishing himself with denying himself emotional nearness to anybody and also, denying his true needs. Because the truth is, Sean is homosexual, and always had a crush on Eden, even when he was bullying him in highschool. Back then Sean was too afraid of being outlawed himself if he admitted his attraction to Eden. Eden, on the other hand, was also lusting after Sean back in highschool, but after that night he blamed Sean alongside the actual rapists for what was in effect the destruction of his life.
Now my problems: First, the rape happens on-page, in every cruel detail. Admittedly, the pain, violence and cruelty is not glossed over. But it’s described during a flashback from Sean’s point of view, and so it is distant, and interspersed with rationalizing how Eden had brought his doom upon himself through his slutty behaviour. How can a rape victim ever DESERVE rape? How can rape be rationalized?
Second, this reasoning and blaming of Eden weaves like a red thread through the entire book. Eden IS a broken man, behaving erratically, but in a sexualized way. All this provocative , self-destructive behaviour of Eden’s (after his return) was in my opinion meant to signify a cry for help, a sure sign that he had internalized his humiliation so deeply that he himself is convinced he didn’t deserve any better. It could have been a great psychological plot device and means for a comfort/ salvation/ redeeming tale. But instead we look at Eden through Sean’s eyes, and Sean is actually sexually aroused and titillated by Eden’s provocative behavior. For all the belaboring of Sean’s remorse and his feelings of guilt and him trying to make it up to Eden and get his forgiveness, what he actually does is look at Eden with his own egotistical goals in mind. In fact, after Eden has a nervous breakdown and turns to Sean for comfort, Sean fucks him and then is surprised that Eden throws him out. My point is, what horrified me is that I saw the victim through the violator’s eyes, and thus Eden wasn’t a victim at all, but an object of sexual desire, fit for violating yet again, and all that he had to suffer became his own fault.
Third, the writing is actually very good. I wished it wasn’t; if this was poorly written I could have simply picked it apart with glee and left it at that. But it seemed to me that the author had good intentions with this book, but she failed to get them across, and I was under the impression that this was mostly due to the fact that Eden doesn’t get to voice his real pain. We only see him react to it, but not deal with it. Although the author took a major effort to really make the love/ hate/ love between Sean and Eden plausible, Eden didn’t come out as healed or even just improved. He remained broken, and the only one who came out improved – healed, as it is, was Sean – the guilty one. Again, this horrified me, because how does the rapist deserve – well, he wasn’t actually the rapist but you get my point – to come out outwardly unscathed while the victim doesn’t?
I really can’t recommend this book for entertainment.
*** ******* *****
When Feliz discussed this book with me I was appalled and we could not decide whether she should go ahead and review it, or if I should write the publishers to tell them we would not review it, and why. However, we decided that we owed it to you, the readers, to review the book and leave it up to you to make up your own mind whether to buy this book or not. I think that the author was short-sighted at the very least to present the story in such a way that the victim was victimized yet again. This is exactly what the courts do to rape victims who are treated like debris and blamed for causing their attacks.
Like Feliz I, too, like Scarlet Blackwell’s other books (except for Rescue Me, also published by Silver) and I have reviewed several of them – all positively. As a matter of fact I have another book of hers to review in a few days which I’m sure will be positive as well since I have already started reading it. However, I couldn’t let this one go without at least expressing my own personal opinion and horror at the shameful treatment of a rape victim in Into The Light.
Wave
I am not actually sure I agree, although I definitely see your point of view. Mind you I *expected* to be upset by this book since it had been shaping up to be “rape him till he loves you” kind of book. And I still get angry when I think about the book I read almost a year ago with this trope, that much I hate it. So just wanted to explain that I do feel strongly about this kind of plot, I mean yes, Shawn was not a rapist, but to me it was pretty much almost the same.
So, I have not seen Eden being blamed for his behavior, I had seen *Eden* blaming himself. I think it was nicely rebutted when he was on the stand and it strikes me as plausible that victim will be blaming himself, while of course it is completely wrong and he was as you said crying for help.
Am I making sense? Yes, Shawn was sexually aroused, but I saw it as being aroused by *Eden* no matter what he would have been doing, just by the fact that he is back in the city. Shawn wanted him for years after all. Yes, I see and understand the objection about them getting together in the first place (although I gleefully enjoyed that Shawn was put through such agony contrary to what many many books do to rapist), however I do not see that Shawn was sexually aroused by Eden’s specific behavior and that Eden was being blamed for it.
Oh and while I agree that Eden is still pretty broken at the end and I wish he would have been more healed, I am not sure I agree Shawn is unscathed either. His whole life is no more after all?
Thank you for the great review Feliz. Just my opinion. I certainly see how this book could be a turn off, for me it *almost* was, but ended up not to be.
I think you did the right thing to post the review. I looked on Goodreads just now and saw that many readers had the same reaction to you Feliz, and there were some who liked the book. I can see why it would appeal to some readers, some people really like hurt/comfort and that sort of thing. However I felt uncomfortable just reading the review. While I think in principle it could be interesting to understand the motivation of someone who commits such a crime or who stands by and allows it to happen, it sounds like the author completely missed the mark and made a bad situation worse by not giving Eden a voice and objectifying him again.
Thank you Feliz for tackling what was obviously a difficult review. I won’t be reading the book.
Oh one more thing, what actually annoyed me is not giving more force to Shawn’s cowardice. After all, for all his agony he was not in agony enough apparently to go to law enforcement and confess, so I really would love him to be shown to go prison at the end.
Oh that’s interesting, Sirius. So the whole issue of Sean’s responsibility was avoided? Thanks for adding that, I really will steer clear of this book.
Hi Leslie, it was not avoided, but he does not go to prison, (statute of limitations?), he suffers other consequences though. Again, cannot say more for fear of spoilers.
It is wierd because this book had all the potential for me to be thrown against the wall and hard, but while I still do not particularly care about accessory to rape and rape victim getting together in the first place, if they *were* to get together, to me this author is actually the first one who put the wrongdoer through such a ringer that I could at least tolerate it.
Sirius and Leslie,
I can clearly see why people might feel different about this book. As I said, the writing is good. I don’t even think this “blaming” of Eden was intentional on the author’s side. And of course the rape victim would blame himself, that’s the “normal” reaction to being raped, feeling filthy, and completely worthless. In fact, I think Eden’s character was well done, as torn and deperate as he was. What bothered me so was that we look at Eden’s most crucial moments from the outside, through other person’s eyes. Sean’s friend, who in a way impersonates the general public, was just as condescending, just as hateful seeing Eden not behave like the good little victim, but lashing out and trying to defend himself whil at the same time he is too broken to do so to any effect. It was so subtle, the objectifying, the victimization of Eden, just like it happens in real life, so subtle as to make me feel creepy but almost go unnoticed on the first read – through.
I definitely see how more from Eden’s POV would have made a book much stronger, but we hear him a little bit at the end and to me his narrative was exactly what Feliz was saying – that he was crying for help etc. We hear from him on the stand, I cannot say more for the fear of spoilers, but we do hear from him.
“While I think in principle it could be interesting to understand the motivation of someone who commits such a crime or who stands by and allows it to happen, it sounds like the author completely missed the mark and made a bad situation worse by not giving Eden a voice and objectifying him again.”
That’s exactly my point, Leslie.
Feliz, what an extremely difficult review for you to write. Bad enough to have a book that is disturbing, but normally you can just stop reading and/or delete.
I like that you really tried to give the author benefit of the doubt,
but you just can’t put a wrongly balanced book right. I would have thought with the subject of rape, it would be the main time to be certain sure, as an author that you had got it right.
Hope you have a fun work lined up for your next review.
Hi Raine,
Perhaps she did think she had it right and couldn’t see what I did, since she, as the author, was too close. There’s no way she could have done this intentionally.
Wow. I can see why this book would be so upsetting to read. I enjoy Scarlett Blackwell’s books but think I will skip this one.
I’m sure it is well written, as her books usually are. But I like to see justice served and victims finding some sense of peace and it doesn’t sound like either of those things happen here. That just leaves me feeling angry.
Perhaps this persistant brokenness of Eden’s is meant to be a cliffhanger, leading to the next instalment. If so, it was an unhappy one.
Feliz oh yeah, I hated Shawn’s friend, but to me what happened to him was the suggestion that author was not speaking through him? I *hope* I am making sense, because I certainly do not want to come through as if I thoroughly enjoyed the plot in the first place. It is more like to me it was a significant improvement of what I had seen done with this trope before?
I would hope that in real life poor Eden would have never come back, you know?
Not buying this book :no:
Let see if the rest of the series goes the same way :afraid:
Thank you for your review 😎
And thank you for adding the cover artist ^^
I’m not a fan of the whole victim ends up with tormentor story line. But this just sounds so unappealing and so wrong. Yeah, it’s safe to say I’m so staying away. Thanks for the review.
Glad to know I’m not the only one who hated this book. Maybe it would have been better told from Edens POV, but I’m not sure. I was wondering if we were supposed to feel sorry for Sean because it sure felt like the author wanted us too. And it just didn’t happen. Sean was just pathetic, Eden sad and Paul was crazy. (I think Sean pushed him there, just my opinion.) Sean seemed to bring out the worst in those around him. Just a bad book.
Ok, thank for warning me from this book, sounds like something I would hate. I actually intended getting this book just because I love Scarletts books from Samhain, but I think it’s better for the author if I don’t.
*sigh* Again, I wish all publishers would content warn like Amber Allure does.
Feliz, I think it was a very good decision to publish this review. It’s been estimated that around one in four women (and I believe one in eight men) will be victims of sexual violence), and our culture tends to conflate sex and violence. I think a lot of us – me included – try to work through this safely in our fantasies and fiction (eg, the tremendous popularity of noncon – non-consensual – fic). I’ve certainly found some of Scarlet Blackwell’s work interesting in regard to these themes, but it seems to me that this book and “Rescue Me” (which I found just icky) suggest that she might want to think things through a bit more carefully.
This author’s books address problematic and controversial topics, and mostly in a very thoughtful way, which is one of the reasons why I normally like her writing a lot.
Absolutely agreed; I’ll still keep watching what she writes. BTW, Katja (below) mentions “Where Allegheny Meets Monaghela”, which deals with guilt and violence (albeit domestic violence) and is very nuanced – and also pretty sexy, IMO.
Feliz
Thank you again for writing this review.
I can’t think of any circumstance or rationalization under which it’s right to re-victimize a rape victim. ‘Nuff said.
Interesting. I read the blurb and excerpt for this and considered buying it. In the end I didn’t because I had just read another book with somewhat similar theme about leftover guilt (Where Allegheny Meets Monaghela, which I think is going to be reviewed soon). I’m glad now that I didn’t buy this one because I probably would have hated it.
What I find interesting, though, is that Silver Publishing seems to be publishing books that cause very strong reactions, good or bad (I’m thinking about the review RJ Scott’s Texas book couple of weeks back). Feliz/Wave, is this just a coincidence or is Silver Publishing willing to take more risks/less careful about editing content?
Hi Kaija,
I couldn’t say anything about content editing at Silver. I’ve read only a few books by this publisher which I enjoyed greatly – Blood Pond by DJ Manly immediately comes to mind.
Silver publishing publishes books with VERY varying quality… you can get something really good but you often also get bad stuff that just shouldn’t be published. They’re a bit like dreamspinner in this sense but maybe overall lower quality than DS.
The coverart is very good for all their stuff though, so one has to be careful not to b fooled!!!
Thank for review – it confirmed my suspicion that it’s book not for me.It’s shame, because I liked earlier Scarlet Blackwell’s work. However, “Rescue me” was unbalanced – long period of struggle and then suddenly we have perfect relationship 😯 . After end of the book I had only one question: where that change of Matt’s heart come from? That was unsettling. “Into the Light” takes a few steps too far for me.
Thank you, Feliz & Wave, for publishing this review. I can see how this was a difficult decision, especially when trying to be fair to the author. However, I’m glad you did it. This is after all, what this site is all about. I will completely avoid this story and carefully watch the reviews for this publisher’s books in the future.
Opinion, nothing more. The reviewer has an opinion, and doesn’t like the story because it made the read, “uncomfortable”.
To bad. Lots of books have made readers uncomfortable, and they are considered classics by many. The people that are uncomfortable by the books, try to ban the books. The only reason this reviewer gives the story such low marks is because they didn’t like the plot, they were “uncomfortable” with the plot. Such is life. At least the writing, editing, and author were not panned.
The fact is, books the make people uncomfortable, are the books that get remembered. So, here’s a toast to Scarlett Blackwell. She’s created something that will be remembered, because it makes people, “uncomfortable”.
This is very true, Lark – the review is my opinion, and my opinion alone.
The one star for books on this site signifies “not recommended”, and this is the only reason this book received one star. Not because I merely didn’t like the plot, and not because the plot “made the read uncomfortable” – I’m well aware that life isn’t just kittens and flowers, and I’m all for honesty and realism in the books I read. As I said, this book could have been great with just a small shift in perspective. (but I’m no editor, and I won’t arrogate to me the right to tell authors how they should write books) What it comes down to is whether I can recommend this book or not, and in this case, I can’t, thus the one star.
Hi Lark
Thanks for commenting.
This book stretches the meaning of “uncomfortable”. English is not Feliz’s first language so sometimes her words may not fully express what she means. My words would have been a lot stronger. In my opinion this book re-victimizes the rape victim and it doesn’t matter whether the victim is male or female.
I used to volunteer at a rape crisis center and the main reason that people don’t report rape is because of attitudes that are evident in this story. Rapists get off scot free because they know that 9 times out of 10 the victim won’t report the crime because the whole judicial system makes it appear that they are the criminals. Words like “they asked for it” “she wouldn’t dress like that if she wasn’t looking to be raped” “No decent person wears that kind of make-up” “men don’t get raped unless they are asking for it” etc. I could go on but you get the message I’m sure.
I have read many books by this author and this is the second one for Silver that crosses the line as far as I’m concerned. Her books that are published by Samhain are totally different and a joy to read. I guess she figured out that Samhain would never publish this book in it’s present form and Rescue Me which is why she went to Silver. Or maybe it’s because this book is not a romance. IDK.
This is what I said at the end of the review and it still stands:
We don’t tell people what to do – we recommend a book or not and the reader then makes an informed decision.
I’m trying not to remember this book.
BTW Feliz is just one of many readers/reviewers who had a similar reaction to this book.
Good afternoon and thank you for commenting, Lark.
I will say outright that I haven’t read this book and have no intention of doing so, however I will echo the words of Feliz, Wave and several others here that a) as all reviews are, this is a single opinion, and b) while there are folks who will and do like this story, Feliz’s opinion seems to be shared among others. It isn’t right, it isn’t wrong, it’s just an opinion.
On this site we try to bring forth opinions and recommendations so that readers can make informed decisions about book purchases. Feliz could not recommend this book because of the reasons she lists, and I would not want her or any reviewer on this site to be less than honest about their feelings. There are other reviews that do recommend it, and it is up to the reader to decide based on all of the information available whether or not they will still move forward. If yes, then they go in with eyes wide open and perhaps the subject matter, or how it was presented, will not be a problem.
Again, thank you for your comments.
Thank you for writing the review. I know it’s hard to be placed in a position where you were. Thank you so very much for your time and opinion.
I’d have to think about buying the book, probably for the same reasons it made you uncomfortable. I tend to like dark but sometimes, it strays a bit too far over the edge. Kudos for a well-balanced review.
thanks reece. It’s everyone’s choice to read this anyway; I’m glad if I’ve helped you decide.
“But it’s described during a flashback from Sean’s point of view, and so it is distant, and interspersed with rationalizing how Eden had brought his doom upon himself through his slutty behaviour. How can a rape victim ever DESERVE rape? How can rape be rationalized?”
Isn’t it logical for Sean to attempt to rationalize it, whether he’s right to do so or not? It’s what people do.
“All this provocative , self-destructive behaviour of Eden’s (after his return) was in my opinion meant to signify a cry for help, a sure sign that he had internalized his humiliation so deeply that he himself is convinced he didn’t deserve any better.”
You say that is your opinion, but maybe that wasn’t the author’s? Maybe it wasn’t a cry for help?
As Lark so aptly noted, the books that make people uncomfortable are the books that get remembered. Why? Because they make you think, they make you feel, long after you’ve turned the last page. Would you prefer everything glossed over with tacked on HEA just to keep people from being uncomfortable? In real life, don’t you think this happens? All the time?
People stay with abusers. People love their abusers. People accept blame for things they shouldn’t. You can’t blame a book for that. If you don’t like the concept, then I guess it isn’t the book for you. Doesn’t make the book good or bad, though.
Besides, the more you tell people not to read something, the more they’ll read it. Being put on the banned list isn’t the worst thing that can happen to an author.
Thanks for an insightful review.
Hi julie,
thanks for your thoughtful comment.
I wanted to point out that by no means do I tell people not to buy this story. As I said above, the review is my opinion, this is what I as a rewiever owe to the people who come to this site. I’m aware that probably people will buy and read this book precisely because of the review. Why not?
Decision help is the purpose of a review, and if people follow a recommendation or not is their own decision.
Yes, horrible things happen in real life, and sometimes they need to be addressed in fiction, too. And tacking on HEA’s is definitely not the way to make everything right. If this book serves to open people’s eyes about the mistreatment of rape victims in our society, more power to it.
Julie
Please see my response to Lark to save me repeating it.
I think what Feliz said over and over today is that she’s providing one opinion about the book, which is what we do here on this site every day. We provide the information and leave it up to the readers to decide whether they will buy a book, or not.
I read the book and I agree 100% with Feliz’s review.
We’re not in the business of banning or burning books. We simply recommend or not which I believe is what a review site is all about. FYI many other readers who have actually read the book seem to agree with what Feliz said. Here is a much tougher criticism of this book from Damon Suede, a GBLT writer who criticizes both the book and the publisher:
http://www.damonsuede.com/reviews/Review-IntotheLight.html
Perhaps that would shed a different light on this story from the perspective of the editing and POV.
There are other opinions on review sites (Goodreads for one) that seem to agree with Feliz’s opinion.
It was actually Damon’s review on goodreads that first made me decide not to read this one. This review just confirms my decision.
Thanks for the review, Feliz. I’m glad you decided to post it.
Hi Julie, and thank you for commenting.
Like Wave, I will direct you to see what I wrote to Lark, which would be of similar response to your thoughtful comments.
A review on this site is nothing more than an opinion, a recommendation for or against — or even somewhere in the middle — a book. In the end, it is up to the reader to pick up or pass over a book based on a number of things, including the opinions of reviewers here and elsewhere, both pro and con. Even if Feliz was the only person to write that the story didn’t work for her, it is still a valid opinion, but note that while there are some readers who liked it, a good number of others had a similar experience to Feliz.
And I agree with you — it is true that some folks will pick up a book just to see if it is as “bad” as the reviewer has said. Again, totally up to the reader. If nothing else, this and other less-than-stellar reviews have generated quite a bit of buzz over this title, author and publisher.
I read this book sometime ago – and it was an unsettling book – as a rule I don’t read books with rape in them – but I did not read the blurb – and started to read it and finished reading it – I am more inclined to Sirius veiw of this book of two very damaged people – and how they reach a very fragile and delicate way forward to some kind of future – a lot of the pain and sadness is implied – and I feel that sometimes that prison is not the only punishment that is real – loneliness and guilt and regret and anger and horror mostly at oneself is a heavy burden to bear – I do think that this book should
have been published and that it is of value – sorry if the above is not clear I am not a writer but a reader!
No worries, you’ve made yourself perfectly clear Minnie. Thanks for commenting as someone who has actually read it and came out with a different opinion.
Owh hell… I should have know the crime would be rape. What else is knew. But I like the cover! Damn… too bad.
Definitely staying far far far away from this book!!!
Kudos for the review, it couldn’t have been easy to write it!
Thanks larissa, and no, it wasn’t easy to write.I’d rather not have rated it at all, but since I think the topic is too important for something lukewarm, and I certainly couldn’t in good conscience go for five stars, so it had to be one. made people think after all…
I love this site!! I love Wave’s heart and passion. I love the reviewers deep abiding respect for authors and what they go through. I love the reviewers and commenters respectful honesty!
What I got from this review is that this is a well written book that is very provocative and is not recommended for entertainment reading. Thank you! Great Job! :bravo:
🙂 That’s what I wanted to say, Reggie. Glad i could bring it across!!
Thank you for the review and warning Feliz! This had to be a hard one.
I, personally, don’t like reading books where the victim ends up with the, or one of the, abusers. Especially if said abuser hasn’t had a ton of counseling to change his/her behavior. This would not be a book for me on so many levels!
I appreciate you taking the time to write this.
It is like a train wreck… You just can not stop watching. The mere idea of the book like this horrifies me, but for some twisted reason I want to get it to see myself. Very unsettling… 🙁
Hi Wave and Felize!
I went back and read the blurb and it does mention “a heinous crime” but no forewarning of sexual violence explicitly.
This is exactly what we discussed on the post on the need for full disclosure from the publisher. If Felize or some other reader had the chance to flip through the book at a bookstore she would have become aware of the integral part sexual violence had on the tone of the story. She could have chosen not to read it based on fore knowledge. I guess I shouldn’t belabor an already stated issue but I’m sorry that you and Felize were the victim of this buyer beware atmosphere. I wish we could trust publishers and not have an adversarial relationship with them. When this happens to me I feel victimized myself. Like the publisher should have warned me and didn’t – bait and switch.
I still don’t know what can be done about it. It would be okay with me if the site had a DNF for violence beyond personal limits.
Thanks for going before me and giving warning.
Hi Feliz,
Thank you for going ahead and writing this review. I decided, after reading other reviews on GR, not to read this book simply because it isn’t something that I’d like.
I’m in a similar situation now with a book that I’ve had out for review for a couple of months. It made me sick the first time I read it, and I had to put it down halfway through. The topic is similar to this, but also different in ways. I’m not sure what I’m going to do. If I had been able to finish reading it the first time, I would be happy to write the review and show why I felt the way I did, but I wasn’t able to stomach my way through it. Now, just the thought of starting it up again makes me sick to my stomach. So I need to decide if I’m going to try again or not do it. I’m leaning towards the latter, I think. I’m just not sure what to do.
By the way, I think you made it very clear why exactly this book upset you and how it could have been written so that the book was better. Don’t worry about those people who are saying that you just don’t like the topic — that’s a load of crap. Being provocative doesn’t make a classic. It might make your book infamous, but infamy and fame are not the same thing. Besides, if the author had written the book with the POV shift that you thought would make the story more powerful, the the provocation would still be there.
Some people love to rag on reviewers when they don’t like a review and say how little their opinion matters, then build them up the next time they write a review they love. Just keep doing what you’re doing, Feliz. You’re a damn fine reviewer and writer.
Hi Cole,
thank you very much for your kind words.
Isn’t it fascinating how people can get all worked up about a book (or even, like here, over a book review)? Isn’t it great that books can have that kind of impact on people? One of the reasons I love books so much, and reviewing. Even if it sometimes takes a book that makes you sick, it’s great to be reminded why we do what we do. I can only imagine what it would do to say, a victim of rape or violence, to come across such a topic without warning in a book they intended to read for entertainment.
So let me encourage you to go with your stomach feeling in regard to your problematic review. In the end, it’s all about helping other people to make an informed decision, like Wave said.
:hug:
Authors always take a risk when they tell a story from the “bad guy’s” POV. Readers want to identify with the protagonist, but we feel uncomfortable/guilty/gross trying to identify with unenlightened or morally corrupt characters who don’t redeem themselves in a satisfying way.
I think the problem here is the book is marketed as a romance and in a romance we expect the characters to positively evolve. If they don’t, it doesn’t mean the story is bad, it’s just not the experience the reader is seeking.
Since the story appears to be well written, I might read it if I am in the mood for something morally complex and unsettling. But if I want a romance, I’ll look elsewhere.
Thanks for the review.
Exactly, Diane. Thank you for this comment.
Feliz, thank you for a very thoughtful review. Normally this wouldn’t be a book I would choose. I’ve only ever read one of this author’s previous books (Captive, which I considered experimental), but this conversation has me absolutely fascinated. I think I’m going to have to read it just to have a opinion of my own. (And you know I’m rarely short of opinions!) Thanks again.
Hi Buda,
Good thing you’ve got your own opinions! I’m looking forward to hearing them, if you like.
Feliz, this book is one of the worst things I’ve read in years. The actual rape was probably the most honest part of the book. The rest of it was pure trash. Hateful trash, at that. Having Paul constantly saying and thinking that Eden deserved the rape, even having Sean thinking it before he sleeps with Eden paled in comparison to Eden saying on the witness stand that he deserved it by being flirtatious. The resolution scenes were sweet but couldn’t possibly be believable after the vitriol spewed through the entirety of the book. I think I was actually rooting for a double suicide.
This writer has officially been placed on my Never AFuckingGain List. Next time, my friend, I will take your wise counsel.
Buda
The funny thing is that this author’s books published by Samhain are completely different. She is a really good writer and I have another book of hers to review next week, the last one in a series, which I absolutely love.
However, I think that this particular book is horrendous in terms of the treatment of the rape victim, who was ridiculed throughout the book and had no redeeming qualities. What a way to make rape victims feel that being treated like scum of the earth is A-OK. I know that this is fiction but it turns my stomach, especially knowing how fragile rape victims are in real life. I hope none of them read this.
Wave, this is such a sticky subject, isn’t it? I mean, lots of writers tackle taboo/sensitive subjects with heart, compassion and honesty. So much could have come from this book, but it seemed none of the characters were capable of more than the basest of emotion. I could understand a love-him-but-hate-his-difference-and-what-it-says-about-me bullying situation in high school. I can even get that those feelings would/could linger many years later. But if someone (Sean) has felt so much guilt and shame for the situation for eighteen years, is he really going to immediately think “the little slut deserved it”? And how does that make him a compassionate hero? I was supposed to like the guy, right? Why? Because he overcame his revulsion of “a slut” enough to fuck him and “fall in love” with him?
The last thing I want is to appear that I’m calling for censorship, because that’s so not it at all. I simply think a writer or publisher should consider the possible negative impact on someone (in this case, a rape survivor) reading such an insensitive treatment. We’ve all talked about how gay men were treated in literature previously (no HEA for the Queer, remember?). How is this any different?
Buda,
I appreciate you reading this and coming back here to speak your mind, I really do. But, if I may, I would advise against rejecting this author completely, you’d miss a chance for some really good books. I still think she honestly didn’t know what she was doing with this one. While reading it, I couldn’t help thinking what if someone who actually suffered rape came across this unassumingly? I’ve seen some things during my life that made me shudder at that thought.
Thanks for calling me your friend! :yes:
Feliz, I trust you, but I am skeptical. Maybe you can email me a couple of recs. If you promise this was just an aberration, I’m willing to give another go when I finally catch up on my to-do list!
In the interest of good sportsmanship, I’m going to apologize for the trash comment. That was my heat of the moment, put the kindle down and grab the lappy reaction. Giving myself some time away from it, I can appreciate that perhaps some people will like the book. I dislike it intensely on multiple levels. But trash was harsh. I apologize. (And no, Wave didn’t ask me to.)
Buda
I always knew that under those hot looks lurked someone who would do the right thing without being asked.
As I mentioned earlier in the comments, I volunteered at a Rape Crisis Center for years, and because Toronto is, as you said so correctly, San Francisco North, both men and women came to the center, traumatised and in the worst possible shape physically and mentally. This is why this book affected me so much. To know the reality of what rape victims experience and then have them treated as if they are worse than nothing is why I feel so strongly. A different POV might have improved it marginally but if the prose and dialogue remained the same I would still feel that this book should never have been published. But that’s just me offering a single opinion.
Many readers will buy this book because they will wonder what all the fuss is about, and in a way I wish they would because then they will understand Feliz’s and my perspective.
Me being me, I too bought the book because of the cover, as I’m a sucker for a cowboy or a cop.
I did read the whole book, and came away with almost a “dirty” feeling.
IMO, Sean raped Eden during that breakdown scene. A person in the middle of a breakdown isn’t capable of making the decision to have sex with someone, that to me was another rape scene.
On another note, I want to say thank you to Feliz, and all the reviewers on this site, for doing just that; reviewing books, regardless of their own personal taste or opinions. Kudos to you all!!
Im glad to see this one reviewed here. Ive been really undecided about buying. The blurb had a good premise, but the excerpt failed to follow thru for me.
Thanks for your review.
I had this book on my list to review for the site I work for but after reading the blurb, I emailed Silver Publishing and asked what the crime was Sean witnessed. When the reply was “gang rape,” I knew this was not a book for me as a reader or reviewer, so I skipped it.
This victim/abuser theme has been done before – General Hospital’s Luke and Laura in 1979. I’d like to think we have evolved more as a society since that famous rape aired on daytime television which hinted that the rape victim secretly “wanted it,” but from this review it looks like we haven’t, which is a shame.
Thank you for an insightful review.
Thank you, Feliz and Wave. I haven’t read the book but I have read similar stories and I agree something like a change of perspective can make all the difference.
I think you should be proud to provide such an insightful review. This wasn’t just a throw-a-way, “I didn’t like it.” But you read the book not once, but twice, to try and figure out what bothered you so much about it. And that takes heart. My hats off to you for going the distance.
Thanks Feliz for this review.
I don’t discount books for bad ratings. Often I’ll disagree enough to read it anyway. However, I would not be able to handle this topic, however well written.
This is a book I may or may not read. (It is stuck in my bottomless TBR pile.) I bought the book based on the author, cover, and the blurb. I don’t mind darker stories when I’m in the mood. If I do decide to read it, I will be reading it with my eyes open knowing what to expect.
I am very grateful for the review. You have done what I expect from an reviewer. You told the reader, in your opinion, the good, bad and ugly and left it up to the reader to decide what to do, read or not read.
Thank you.
Feliz, thank you for this very thoughtful – and obviously very difficult – review! The discussion is fascinating, and, like Buda, makes me more inclined to read the book so I can form my own opinion.
I’ve tried to read two Scarlet Blackwell books, and both turned out to be DNFs. So I wasn’t particularly inclined to read more by her. I’m afraid this one may turn out to be another DNF for me (and if so, probably the last time I’ll try this author), but this review and discussion has me too curious not to find out for myself.
Thank you all for commenting. Reading books and discussing them is what we’re all here for, after all. I like it best if a book evokes a lively discussion, either in a good or in a bad sense. Books are simply great, aren’t they?
The rest of it was pure trash. Hateful trash, at that. Having Paul constantly saying and thinking that Eden deserved the rape, even having Sean thinking it before he sleeps with Eden paled in comparison to Eden saying on the witness stand that he deserved it by being flirtatious.
What confuses me about this opinion is that it’s the characters who are saying this, not the author. I don’t think anyone would say she condones rape, right? It’s truly how some people feel, that they brought on what happened to them by their own behavior, whether it’s rape, beating beaten or cheated on or whatever. So you’re mad at the characters for being who they are?
In what way does this make this book trash when other reviewers even say that it’s well written? I think what it is is disturbing to some people, and those people cover their feelings by trashing what has disturbed them. It doesn’t make the book bad or good.
There are consequences for characters offending a reader’s sensibilities. I can only speak for myself, but this story would end up in my electronic trash can!
It’s a question of can I trust this writer enough to buy a story based on a blurb and an excerpt? The answer to that question is NO **** NO!
The great thing about Indie press is that writers have way more freedom to create. They can write whatever they want and publish it themselves even. Great!
But I don’t want to read or even expose myself to everything out there. There are a lot of choices out there and I will choose what I like to read and the authors I trust over authors I remember a bad experience from.(They ended up in the trash can!) I’ve never YET bought another book from an author after a trash can purchase.
Nothing personal just about trust as a teller of stories that won’t offend me.
Yeah Freedom! :forit:
Hi Julie Lynn – Careful now, or you’ll draw me into a conversation about authorial responsibility. (Actually, you won’t, because no one wants to go there.)
Eighteen years after the fact of the rape, there is no reason why Eden should feel or think he was to blame for what happened to me. Is there no rape counseling in his world? The man was in a mental hospital for pete’s sake, you think there wouldn’t be extensive counseling probing into the reasons for his suicide attempt?
As for if the book was well-written, I would say it was not. That has nothing to do with the story, but rather with sentence structure, late-in-book shifting POV, etc.
As you pointed out in your response, my reaction is an opinion. It does not make it law. I found the book appallingly bad and in extremely poor taste. Others have trashed books I adored. It’s the nature of the beast. Will I read this author again? Most likely not. Do I harbor animosity toward her? Absolutely not.
I’m sorry you may be disturbed by these comments, but when a story attempts to take on rape – with the rapist and victim both being a prominent part of the story – the topic is going to garner a lot of heated reactions.
If people aren’t having a reaction to the characters in the book, the writer is definitely doing something wrong. Forgettable characters = forgettable book.
Feliz the reviewer explicitly pointed out how good a writer the author was to highlight why she took extra care in writing up her review – to fully explain why the story did not work for her. I took it to mean that the story was free from SPAG and the sentences were strung together somewhat coherently. (As an aside, considering I’ve read this author’s work before and have never liked her writing style, I disagree with Feliz, but it’s clearly a your mileage varies-type issue.)
To get back on track, the reviewer clearly had a problem with how the characters were drawn in the story. If other readers, having read the book for themselves, express their opinion unfavorably, so be it. Using a blanket statement such as: [readers]’trashing what has disturbed them’ is unbelievably rude to readers who gave an honest opinion on the book. Their comments, however harsh, was directed at the book and its characters; yours, on the other hand, was aimed at the readers.
Silly question time: what is SPAG? I’m sure it will be blindingly obvious once I know, but I (and Google) am currently at a loss.
As for the story, I tried to read Just Desserts last night and then this one, thinking I might appreciate the angsty story more if I first enjoyed the sweet one (yes, sorry, pun intended). I mean no disrespect to the author or her fans, as everyone has different tastes (thank goodness!) but clearly her books just don’t work for me.
I gave some real thought to why all four books I tried turned out to be DNFs, and perhaps the conclusion I reached might help explain the underlying difficulties with this book. Her characters struck me as over-the-top caricatures, not quite far enough for satire but too far to take seriously. And despite these being sold as romances, it was never clear to me why any of the couples were together beyond intense physical attraction.
On Marie Sexton’s blog, she says that One More Soldier was originally written by Ethan Stone. While it never quite worked for him, she was inspired, and after much discussion he gave her his blessing to make it her own. She went on to change it a lot; as I understand it mostly just the seed of the original story remained. I mention this because it shows how something that might not quite work for one author can be brilliant in the hands of another. Not that one author is better or worse than another (I love both Marie Sexton and Ethan Stone), but that it’s about having the right pairing of author and story.
I could see Into the Light being a wonderfully intense, beautiful, and cathartic story in the hands of someone like Amy Lane, ZA Maxfield, or KA Mitchell. With nuanced and realistic characters we’d be sympathetic rather than disgusted and/or contemptuous. If we saw on-page what they loved and found appealing about each other, a HEA would be believable and desirable. As has already been said several times, something this charged needs to be handled carefully; maybe Scarlet Blackwell just wasn’t quite the right author for this particular story.
Jesus, Jessica, are you high? Do not let Amy Lane anywhere near this story! There aren’t enough Kleenexes in North America to get through her treatment of another story like this! (Talker was enough of an emotional roller coaster!) 😀
Aside from that, I completely agree with your comment. Well said.
Thanks, Buda. :hysterics: No, I’m not high. As I was typing ‘Amy Lane’ I was imagining the mountain (no exaggeration) of tissue I’d need to get through the story. But emotional roller coaster though it would be, I think at the end it would be as deeply satisfying as all her stories.
Hi Jessica,
Sorry for the late response. SPAG is short-hand for spelling & grammar issues. I also agree with your comment, especially this:
Hi Julie Lynn,
I think that’s Buda’s point exactly. It’s the book that is discussed here, not the author. How could I, as a reader, possibly know the author’s thoughts? I can only mirror what I read, and I can only refer to what I thought while reading it. Yet, since reading this book prompted certain feelings within me, I voiced those feelings. It’s my right as a reader to become upset at characters, and it’s also my right to like or dislike characters. That has nothing to do with the author as a person, only with his or her writing. It doesn’t make a book bad or good, either, it only makes a book bad or good FOR ME, and I wouldn’t consciously choose something that’s bad for me, now would I?
As Reggie said, there’s an abundance of choices out there.
Scarlet Blackwell is a wonderful writer, with that being said, Into the Light was one of the biggest let downs. The plot just lost its train of thought. I think the “rationalization” of this rape and the brutality was trying to prove that this assault was every bit brutal and traumatic for both, Sean and Eden. We see everything through Sean’s eyes, and he seeing Eden, a broken man, in a sexual way did not bother me in the least. Maybe the author could have written a different story following this line. Eden came there for revenge, but all he seemed to do was show up wherever Sean was…could not Eden’s revenge have come through entrapping Sean who he knew desired him and then utilizing this leverage to destroy him? Its through Sean that we see Eden, but what if even Sean did not realize Eden’s intentions from the beginning. That he was a victim as much as Eden was, but what if Eden proves differently? That Sean was never a victim, but was just at fault as any of the other perpetrators that committed the actual rape. That’s one of the things that bothered me, that suddenly after the rape Sean seems to see “the light” he’s a completely a different man–a victim, and I don’t think that was fair to Eden. I was constantly bombarded that Sean had changed, that he is living with guilt, while Eden appears to be just a casualty. It became clear to me when Sean did not comfort Eden after he is shot that he could never have been a victim.
It’s interesting to see that on Amazon, this book is getting good reviews from people who are calling it a tear-jerker and are enjoying it (I admit I haven’t read it) — so, as has been pointed out here, readers bring their own emotional perspective to a read, and many might enjoy this angle on a controversial topic. I loved Just Desserts, but it’s obviously got a totally different tone. Life Class was good too. Even though I definitely appreciate the reviewer’s take on this one, I would be willing to read more by Scarlet.
I just finished this book and even with the warnings about it, I was really appalled. I love Scarlett’s work. I even really liked ALl For Love, her novella set in prison. The characters in that were flawed and hard to really like, but the story worked. I went into this story knowing the warnings about how the rape was handled, and I actually thought that it wouldn’t bother me too much. I was really wrong. The whole idea of Eden “deserving” it, and the way Sam still thinks about Eden was really disturbing. I really didnt care at all for Sam, and I felt like Eden needed some real help that he never got. Overall, extremely disturbing, and I would feel terribly if any survivor of sexual assault thought that this was in any way a normalized version of life. Frankly, though I dont expect authors to speak for everyone, I do expect better than this.