WHAT WE SAW by Aaron Hartzler is a work of young adult contemporary fiction that provides chilling insights into the rape culture found across America.
After a small town high school party, a teenaged girl accuses members of the basketball team of rape. Kate attended the party, but she and her basketball playing boyfriend left the party before the alleged rape. Soon, members of the basketball team are arrested and the media gets involved. Kate listens to all the different perspectives and tries to piece together what really happened.
Librarian will find a broad readership for this work of realistic fiction. The novel avoids strong language and graphic descriptions of rape. Instead, it focuses on the perspectives and actions of those connected with the incident.
While librarians are likely to immediately see connections to the 2012 Steubenville, Ohio gang rape incident, youth may not aware of the many examples of high school party-related rapes. This book provides an excellent opportunity to explore nonfiction works related to sex crimes their impact on the lives of teens.
To learn more about the author, go to http://www.aaronhartzler.com/.
Published by HarperTeen on September 22, 2015. ARC e-book.
