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Thursday, July 19, 2018

What Happened that Night by Sandra Block

Sandra Block's What Happened That Night is an intense examination of a brutal crime.  Justice or revenge?

After Harvard senior Dahlia is the victim of a callous rape, she drops out of school suffering from loss of memory and PTSD.  Eventually, she becomes a paralegal, and although the events of that night continue to haunt her, she remains unable to recall who was responsible.

Fortunately, Dahlia does have a good support system with her friends and makes an effort to endure the anger she continues to feel toward her unknown attackers.

Then a video of her rape appears online.  Dahlia is again humiliated, but her rage is fierce.  Now she knows where to begin to make payback for what she has suffered.  James, a co-worker, comes up with a plan....

If not entirely believable, you can't help but sympathize with Dahlia's determination to expose the young men who have gone on to live their lives without any repercussions. And Dahlia was not the only victim.  Of course, when the perpetrators realize that she knows who they are and is intent on unmasking them, they are not going to take it lying down.

Short chapters told from both Dahlia's and Jame's pov keep this novel moving rapidly.

NetGalley/Source Books

Crime/Suspense.  June 5, 2018.  Print length:  352 pages.

17 comments:

  1. omg rape is terrible enough, especially at that young age! And then.. have to see a video of it!??? OMG!

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    1. Sometimes I wish we could go back twenty years before every ugly thing people think, say, and do was available.

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  2. I've read Sandra Block before and liked her, but the whole rape/revenge thing isn't my favorite storyline.

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    1. Really not my favorite storyline, either. :( But it was a fast-paced one.

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  3. I've had this one on my list for a bit, but haven't gotten to it yet. I've read at least one other book by Sandra Block and I have at least one more. It's from her Zoe Goldman series (which I do like very much). Thanks for featuring this one because it gives me a reminder to try it soon. The author is a neurologist, which I find interesting.

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    1. I really liked Little Black Lies by Block! Zoe Goldman is a great character, and I need to catch up with that series.

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  4. I imagine this could be a cathartic read for the right person, sort of a revenge fantasy. I will have to check out her Zoe Goldman series since you all seem to like that better!

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    1. What Happened that Night was, indeed, a revenge fantasy. I did like Little Black Lies better--an interesting psychological thriller. :)

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  5. I can't remember if I've read anything by this author, and the topic in this book seems like not an easy read but at least it was engaging and a fast paced one. :)

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    1. It was intense. I could certainly understand the desire to take down the men who had participated.

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  6. I can imagine that might be difficult to read, troubling topic--and unfortunately still a timely one. Thanks for the review.

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    1. Troubling and timely, certainly. Even down to the how far some men will go to avoid consequences.

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  7. This is one that's coming up for me on my TBR and I have been so hoping it's good, so I am glad to see your review.

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    1. :) I just finished The Burglar which you mentioned on your blog and enjoyed it. However, since it won't be published until January, I haven't scheduled the review yet.

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  8. Unfortunately a true enough scenario in today's society (even if not the direction the book goes). This sounds like a real page turner. I will have to give this one a try.

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    1. It is a true enough scenario, isn't it? Colleges have been dealing with sexual abuse scandals forever--and many sex crimes are never even reported.

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  9. I want to read this just to see what her revenge will be like. Although, I'm all about following rules and all sometimes you just want payback! Thank goodness for fiction :)

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