A copy of this book should be given to every female who has experienced sexual trauma of any kind. Carrie’s bravery in telling her story should aid their recovery from such a traumatic event and make them realize that they are not to blame.
Rape happens all the time. Unfortunately, in many cases, the victims are treated as the guilty party, as though they are the ones who committed a crime. Maybe there was some casual flirting involved, maybe provocative clothing was worn, maybe suggestive glances were given. Maybe the police and everyone else decided the rape was the victim’s fault or that she just imagined it. But what if she didn’t imagine it? Whose fault was it?
Carrie has just moved to Seattle with her little girl. After a divorce, she decides it is time to move away from everyone and live completely on her own. Life is good. When she meets a handsome, charismatic lawyer, it seems to have gotten even better. But there is something not quite right in this engaging guy who appears to have it all figured out.
Carrie feels that she and Sayid were made for each other. Then one night the unthinkable happens. The guy she had fallen in love with, the one she thought was so perfect for her, hurt her in an unforgivable way and wasn’t even sorry for what he had done.
Once Carrie got over the initial shock and began to stand up for herself, Sayid’s true character begins to show through. I wanted to reach inside my Kindle, pull him out, and choke him.
If you have never been raped, you might not understand the different emotions that flooded through Carrie, but they are real. How do I know this? A little over two months after I was married, eleven days after my eighteenth birthday, I was raped. My experience, as I did not know my rapist, was nothing like what Carrie May Lucas went through in Where Fault Lies, but the emotions, the shame, and the guilt that overwhelmed me were pretty much the same.
This is a book that everyone needs to read. Carrie’s story starts out as entertaining, but then it just makes you mad. What happened to her is horrible, and I applaud her for having the strength to write about it and educate others.
Favorite Sentences:
I believe the most troubling times in life are what have built and strengthened my character.
They say love is blind, but that phrase takes on an entire new meaning in an abusive relationship.
When you’re at your worst you really find out who your real friends are, and the rest seem to disappear.
Tonight the creatures from my childhood revisit me: the monsters under my bed, the burglar creeping in through the window, the spiders I see crawling up the walls.
Rape is the only crime where the victim is assumed to be lying, until the evidence leads the police elsewhere.
New Word Learned:
nebulous – hazy, vague, indistinct, or confused
How Writers of Fiction Can Use This Book:
If one of your characters is involved in any way with a rape, this book is an excellent resource on just how someone who has been raped will react. It is also a good example of how a devious, manipulative rapist behaves, and it shows how he will groom his potential victims.
Writing Prompts:
You need to create two characters: a rapist and the one who is raped. Whether this hideous act is subtle and done by someone the one raped knows, or whether it is violent and done by a complete stranger is up to you and your story. You could even write it both way to see which one works best for what you have planned.
Once you have these characters created, you need to write a story around them. Will you write a mystery, a horror story, or a love story?
For a mystery, something said or seen during the rape could be the clue to not only catching the rapist but also the clue to solving a great mystery.
For a horror story, the rape could be the beginning of a much more terrifying tale. Maybe the one being raped turns the table on her rapist and exacts her own style of justice.
In a love story, the rape could be thwarted by a boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse. The crime that was almost committed could be the key to their relationship becoming deeper and more meaningful.
I was sent a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review. If you would like your own copy of this extraordinary book, I have provided an Amazon link below.
Amazon link: Where Fault Lies
Recommended Article: For Nonwriters: How to Write and Professionally Self-Publish a Memoir – Guest Post by Carrie May Lucas
About the Author:
Carrie May Lucas is an American author living in Seattle, Washington with her daughter. As a member of the RAINN Speakers Bureau, she works to educate and inform the public on sexual violence. Through her writing, she inspires other survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse and helps give a voice to their struggles. In her spare time, Carrie May Lucas likes to dance, run, and do yoga, and is currently getting a Master’s degree in Education.
