Laine has been sexually abused by her friend Leah for years, and now Leah is dead and Laine begins to heal.
Publisher’s Description
An unflinching story of a troubled friendship — and one girl’s struggle to come to terms with secrets and shame and find her own power to heal.
Leah Greene is dead. For Laine, knowing what really happened and the awful feeling that she is, in some way, responsible set her on a journey of painful self-discovery. Yes, she wished for this. She hated Leah that much. Hated her for all the times in the closet, when Leah made her do those things. They were just practicing, Leah said. But why did Leah choose her? Was she special, or just easy to control? And why didn’t Laine make it stop sooner? In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laine is left to explore the devastating lessons Leah taught her, find some meaning in them, and decide whether she can forgive Leah and, ultimately, herself.
Genre: Contemporary
Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Leah
Sexual Orientation:
Lesbian/Queer: Leah
Romantic Orientation:
Not explicitly discussed
Race/Ethnicity:
White: Laine, Leah
Disability:
Mental illness
Trigger warnings: sexual assault/rape, death, self harm, substance use or alcoholism, suicide/suicidal ideation