Review: Evan has been the perpetual new guy for far too long. He relocates constantly with his unsettled, non-communicative widower father, hence never making any real friends or lasting connections. Evan, however, he has no problem scoping out "easy girls" to add to his growing and alarming list of conquests in whatever town they happen to land.
At his last school, a boarding school in North Carolina while his father is working overseas, Evan hooks up with the wrong girl, a schoolmate Collette who comes on to him faster than you can say her full name, which leads to two dangerous and violent encounters: Evan severely beaten outside the group showers by two stereotypical big jocks and Collette viciously rape by the same boys. Although Evan's badly scarred body heals, needless to say that his wounded spirit struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder. He completely alters his looks by avoiding the shower at all costs, avoid looking at man who have strong physiques, cutting his hair completely short, and dramatically decrease his flirtatious behavior.
In an effort to become a good parent, his father moves them to the family's lake house in rural Minnesota and enlists a helpful therapist. Evan slowly works through his fears and awkwardness to gradually connect with a whole new cast of teens who offer friendship, partying, sexual, and even romantic potential; gets a job and a car; and slowly begins to resolve his feelings about the assault against him and Collette by writing therapy-prescribed unmailed letters to her.
Evan is a very hard character to like, especially in the callous ways he sizes up, uses, and disposes females. His viewpoints of women are disgusting. I wouldn't want to be in the same building as him but I also couldn't help but see how wry and intelligent he is. He knows he is first class jerk (that's an understatement) and he doesn't hide it. It's a fact. To Evan women are seen as trophies to showcase his masculinity and victories, but these are the themes that Mesrobian expertly weaves into the story without being heavy-handed. Stripped from a mother's love and only shown affection and intimacy through sex, Evan is not sure what it is to be a man and above all what it means to be loved.
Evan's character growth seemed realistic to me. While he was persistent in his negative behavior and once again found himself in trouble, he does finally have an epiphany and might finally learn a genuine lesson. He even develops a somewhat healthy relationship which I wished was a bit more fleshed out but I think it does give readers some comfort in knowing things are bright in Evan's future. Though readers may have a low tolerance for Evan initially, after witnessing his horrifying ordeal he transforms into someone with and for whom readers will eventually sympathize, want to shake into sensibility, and feel hope. Evan is a character that is unlike anyone that I've met in 2013 and very unlikely to forget.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Words of Caution: Strong language, violence (Evan's assault and Collette's rape happen off the page though we are given vivid flashbacks), sexual content and teen drug usage throughout the book. Recommended for mature teens and adults only.
If you like this book try: Uses for Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt, Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes, Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
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