Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Synopsis:
“Ali Greenleaf’s story is complex and beautifully told; full of fury, heartbreak, and hope.” –Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces and How to Make Friends With the Dark
Ali Greenleaf and Blythe Jensen couldn’t be more different.
Ali is sweet, bitingly funny, and just a little naive. Blythe is beautiful, terrifying, and the most popular girl in school. They’ve never even talked to each other, until a party when Ali decides she’ll finally make her move on Sean Nessel, her longtime crush and the soccer team’s superstar. But Sean pushes Ali farther than she wants to go. When she resists–he rapes her.
Blythe sees Ali when she runs from the party, everyone sees her. And Blythe knows something happened with Sean; she knows how he treats girls. Even so, she’s his best friend, his confidant. When he tells her it was a misunderstanding, she decides to help him make things right.
So Blythe befriends Ali, bringing her into a circle of ruthless popular girls, and sharing her own dark secrets. Despite the betrayal at the heart of their relationship, they see each other, in a way no one ever has before.
In her searing, empowering debut novel, Hayley Krischer tells the story of what happened that night, and how it shaped Ali and Blythe forever. Both girls are survivors in their own ways, and while their friendship might not be built to last, it’s one that empowers each of them to find justice on their own terms.
Review:
Huge thank you to the Penguin Teen Influencer program, Razorbill, and Netgalley for providing this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
I don’t really know how to review this book. Something Happened to Ali Greenleaf is the story of Ali, who was raped by popular it boy Sean, and Blythe, who is the queen bee of high school and is Sean’s best friend. Hayley Krischer tells the story of Ali’s rape, the events that follow, and how both girls are forever affected.
Something Happened to Ali Greenleaf is quite hard to read at times. The trauma and emotions that Ali goes through are unimaginable but unfortunately so common. I had a very hard time sympathizing with Blythe at all, but I understand how the author was trying to show us another victim. Blythe is extremely unlikeable and I don’t agree with her actions but I do understand how she is a victim of Sean’s too.
This story is about rape culture in our society and the way victims are shamed and manipulated. It is a powerful story that shines light on a difficult subject. It at times made me sick to my stomach. But I am so glad I read Ali’s story. It is honest and heartfelt.
The author provides trigger warning and multiple resources for sexual assault survivors.
Something Happened to Ali Greenleaf is an intense, emotional, gut wrenching, and authentic story. While it can be difficult to read, this story is so important and powerful.
Tales of an Avid Reader 