The Pain Eater by Beth Goobie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Maddy is raped. That is not a spoiler. It happens in the first page of the book. She is raped by people she knows.
And rather than reach out to anyone, or tell anyone, she buries it inside her.
This is a heart wrenching story.
I would like to say that this book is contemporary and meaningful now, because of the Stanford rape case that is being talked about in the news, but unfortunately, if that rape case had not happened, there would have been another. It is the sad fact that this book will probably be contemporary and m in the new news for a long time to come.
Boys and men should be taught that rape is not sex. Rape is power. And in this case, it was power over Maddy.
The name of the book is the name of the group story that the class writes, about a pain eater, one who eats the pain of others so they don’t have to carry it around with them any more. This second part of the story appears to be unrelated to Maddy’s story, (view spoiler)
Very moving story. The author got us deep, so deep that we could feel Maddy’s pain. I burst into tears I don’t know how many times. The voices are all so real, all so well written. Maddy’s, her friends, her parents, her older sister, everyone. Well done. Really well done.
This should be standard reading for kids in school, as a book to discuss in class, or read on their own. Not sure if it would change their thinking, but it would get them to think a little at least.
Thanks to Netgalley and Second Story Press for making this book available for an honest review. And, let me say, Second Story Press is bringing out some great books lately.