Name: Megan During's review of Asking For It by Louise O'Neill
Item: Asking For It
Rating: 4
Author: Megan During

Louise O'Neill

'A soul-shattering novel that will leave your emotions raw. This story will haunt me forever. Everyone should read it' Guardian In a small town where everyone knows everyone, Emma O'Donovan is different. She is the special one - beautiful, popular, powerful. And she works hard to keep it that way. Until that night . . . Now, she's an embarrassment. Now, she's just a slut. Now, she is nothing. And those pictures - those pictures that everyone has seen - mean she can never forget. For fans of Caitlin Moran, Marian Keyes and Jodi Picoult. BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2015. The award-winning, bestselling novel about the life-shattering impact of sexual assault, rape and how victims are treated.

Asking For It

Tess Sexton

kara madden

FROM THE WINNER OF THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR AWARD. It's the beginning of the summer in a small town in Ireland. Emma O'Donovan is eighteen years old, beautiful, happy, confident. One night, there's a party. Everyone is there. All eyes are on Emma. The next morning, she wakes on the front porch of her house. She can't remember what happened, she doesn't know how she got there. She doesn't know why she's in pain. But everyone else does. Photographs taken at the party show, in explicit detail, what happened to Emma that night. But sometimes people don't want to believe what is right in front of them, especially when the truth concerns the town's heroes...

Asking for It

Megan During

This book was pretty difficult to read, not only because of the topic but the writing style itself. The beginning was a little confusing. The way characters were introduced and the number of them made it a little difficult to keep track of who was who. I found myself re-reading passages and thinking about keeping a flow chart to keep them all in line.

The writing itself was a little hard too. It was almost disjointed at parts, with the main characters thoughts overshadowing actual spoken words and random flashbacks, that you don't realize are flashbacks until your half way through and realize the setting just drastically changed for no reason.

But beyond that, I felt the book was good. It broached an important topic and while it the ending was frustrating I found it to be truthful. The fact is rapists are probably not going to be convicted, even with a mountain of evidence, because the victim is blamed, just like the title says they were in some way asking for it. People take the side of the boys or men involved because it's easier. It's easier to call a girl a slut and say she is just having regrets rather than admit that dangerous and harmful people are in their midst. I think Louise O'Neill perfectly summarized this towards the end of the book when Emma thinks "They are all innocent until proven guilty. But not me. I am a liar until I am proven honest" It's an extremely sad but entirely appropriate statement when it comes to rape and sexual assault.

Was this the best book, no but was it a good start and way to get a conversation started yes. So it's definitely worth a read.

Chloe Drewett

** spoiler alert **
           This is one of those books that everyone in the world needs to read. Every page made me feel like I was having an anxiety attack but it was totally worth it. Louise O'Neill does not shy away from anything and it makes for an incredible read.

I found the small detail of the story being set in Ireland as opposed to America to add to the horror of the story, perhaps because we are so desensitised to rape culture in America. But I think the best aspect of this book is how unlikeable Emma is in her internal monologue leading up to the night when she gets raped. She's cruel to her friends and completely superficial and you find yourself disliking her, it would be much easier to sympathise with an innocent, nice girl who goes out for her first party and gets raped, but Emma shows that it doesn't matter what your personality is, every female is at risk of this horrible crime and the victimisation that follows.

The ending is a tad infuriating but reading O'Neill's reasoning makes sense. The whole time I was reading the aftermath of going to the police, I was waiting for Emma to turn around and start fighting and realise that this was not her fault but that's not how every rape victim reacts and it was interesting to read this different story.

I will be lending this book to every person I know and hounding them to read it.

Gaurav Verma

The story isn't much but I loved the ending!

After reading, I felt something... I felt sad, devastated and broken.

Emma Motze

This book messed me up. I cannot say I loved it because a book that is about this certain topic is not written to be loved. I will cherish the lessons I have learned from this book, and I will probably read it again. I have never had a book affect me in this way. It really got me to think about how lucky I am to never have experienced something like that, but it also taught me to not victim blame.

Asking for it

Becky

This is not an easy book to talk about because the subject matter itself is serious and it needs to be discussed. That being said, it still makes for an uncomfortable read. You cannot claim to have enjoyed the books, but you can appreciate the point it's trying to make. Rape is not discussed, and when it is too often we blame the victim. We teach girls how to prevent rape, how to avoid, why are we not teaching boys not to rape? And that makes it sound like it's a one-sided issue, but where is the discussion about men being raped, as well?

This book is a shocking look at the reality of rape, the struggle for conviction and how it is something which doesn't affect just the victim and the rapist, but every other person their lives touch. 

This is not a comfortable read, but you will not want to stop reading. This is a book you find yourself absorbed into as you are continually watching for it all to get resolved. This isn't a book of happy endings, instead, it's a reality check on what it is like to be the victim in a small community where people still believe what you wear, how you act, and your previous actions determine whether or not you get raped. 

I do think it's a YA book everyone should be reading but don't go in expecting a hertwarming story. Be prepared to be shocked.

Alexia

Sally

It is hard to describe my feelings for this book. I loved it, but hated it at the same time. I loved the writing and how the story was build, but i hated the story for obvious reasons. 
It was hard to read, but definatley worth it!

Ruth Parker 

This book was amazing. A must read.
The ending. Oh god the ending.

Devastated.

Don’t feel like I want to get up.

Loved it.

Keep the books coming Louise O’Neill. I’m your biggest fan.

Jordan Robinson

I can't even begin to explain how impactful and absolutely emotionally draining this book was for me. 
When I finished it, I felt like crying. I wanted to scream, I wanted to run into the streets and make everyone I came across read this book. But I can't do those things, so that's why I have goodreads. 
If you're triggered by sexual assault / rape, I would consider not reading this. 

Thinking about this book as a whole makes my heart heavy because it's a reflection of the world and culture we've created for ourselves. We need a new way of discussing sexual assault, rape, consent and new ways of treating the victims. This book was a glimpse of how fucked up rape culture really is. 

Anyway, read this fucking book.

kara madden &
Asking For It by Louise O'Neill

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