Publisher: Lorimer
Purchase: Amazon
Synopsis via Goodreads:
Luna Begay is as studious and serious about her Aboriginal heritage as her sister, Issy, is outgoing and fun. When Issy convinces Luna to go with her to a party full of rich kids, Luna is surprised to end up talking with Jon, who is charming, sophisticated, and very good-looking. But the night turns bad when Jon drugs and rapes Luna.
Feeling guilty and ashamed that she will be perceived as an "Indian slut," Luna doesn't tell anyone and remains in denial until Issy figures out that Luna is pregnant. Knowing that her decisions will affect her parents and Issy as much as her own future, Luna has to work out how to deal with the consequences of that one night, and she has to do it fast.
*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
One Night is a good story, but I feel like it could have gone deeper. In regards to what happened to Luna, I'm well aware that many girls don't speak out with the way they are often dealt with by the public, but I wish that this story had gone a different way and that Luna had fought for justice. I agree with her decision about her baby though, she showed strength in that sense.
Other things that warmed my heart was the thick bond between the siblings, which is not often portrayed in YA books. I also liked the parents, how hard they worked to give their children opportunities, and the healthy family environment they had. The easy writing and the fact that the main character is diverse was also a wonderful thing and I'd love to read more books with characters having Aboriginal heritage. But I did have an issue with the pace. It was too fast for a story depicting such topics. Would have loved for the author to slow down a bit and give more. Like I said, this is a good story with some serious and very much realistic topics, but they weren't truly delved into and that would have pulled me in a lot more.
About the Author
Melanie Florence is a Canadian author of Cree and Scottish heritage. She is a recent winner of the Second Story Press Aboriginal Writing Contest for her picture book Stolen Words (Second Story Press, Spring 2016) and her first book, Jordin Tootoo: The Highs and Lows of the First Inuit to Play in the NHL was chosen as an Honor Book by the American Indian Library Association. One Night is Melanie's first Young Adult novel and is part of Lorimer’s Sidestreets series.
This sounds pretty heavy. I tend to shy away from the subject of rape, but at the same time, it's an important topic for discussion especially with the young people. It's fantastic to see this was written by a Canadian author. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, it definitely hits the mark where that can occur at parties and the possible outcome, but would have been heavier had it been fully fleshed out. Still a good read though.
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