What We Saw: An Unflinching YA Novel About Guilt, Innocence, and Responsibility―Inspired by the Steubenville Case

by Aaron Hartzler

Critically acclaimed memoirist Aaron Hartzler, author of Rapture Practice, takes an unflinching look at what happens to a small town when some of its residents commit a terrible crime. This honest, authentic debut novel—inspired by the events in the Steubenville rape case—will resonate with readers who've ever walked that razor-thin line between guilt and innocence that so often gets blurred, one hundred and forty characters at a time.

The party at John Doone's last Saturday night is a bit of a blur. Kate Weston can piece together most of the details: Stacey Stallard handing her shots, Ben Cody taking her keys and getting her home early. . . . But when a picture of Stacey passed out over Deacon Mills's shoulder appears online the next morning, Kate suspects she doesn't have all the details. When Stacey levels charges against four of Kate's classmates, the whole town erupts into controversy. Facts that can't be ignored begin to surface, and every answer Kate finds leads back to the same questions: Who witnessed what happened to Stacey? And what responsibility do they have to speak up about what they saw?

National Book Award finalist Deb Caletti calls What We Saw "a smart, sensitive, and gripping story about the courage it takes to do what's right."

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Mystery Thriller

336 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 2015

About the author

Aaron Hartzler is the author of Rapture Practice (Little, Brown), a memoir about getting kicked out of his Christian high school two weeks before graduation. The New York Times called Rapture Practice "effervescent and moving, evocative and tender." It was also named one of Kirkus Reviews and Amazon's Best Books of 2013, and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. His second book, a novel called What We Saw, was published by HarperTeen on September 22, 2015. It's the story of a girl named Kate whose friend is assaulted by student athletes at a party, and how Kate navigates small town politics to find out what really happened. Aaron lives at the beach in Los Angeles with his husband, Brant, and their two rescue dogs, Charlie and Brahms. You can find him on Twitter and Facebook.

Reviews

[Emily May · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You think what happened to Stacey was fair game. It was boys being boys. Just a trashy girl learning the hard way what can happen when she drinks too much and wears a short skirt.”

TRIGGER WARNING - Rape.

Do you remember the Steubenville High School rape case? Because I remember it very well. For me, it stood out among other news stories and I still recall the cold fury that washed over me whenever I read a report about it. I like to be aware of current events, but I wouldn't call myself a follower of news stories. This one, however, became an obsession.

Steubenville was different, you see. We are all bombarded with stories about murders and rapes almost every day. We all know it's bad, the cops know it's bad, the reporters know it's bad, and we all shake our heads together at the murderers and rapists - those ugly blemishes on society. But Steubenville was the first case where I was shocked - horrified even - at the way the media portrayed it.

I still remember so vividly how I felt reading those articles about the young girl who was raped by several male students while passed out drunk at a party. I remember how the articles began by describing her tendency to drink and go out, her unfortunate background, and I remember thinking - why? Why is the rape victim portrayed as careless, trashy, even deserving? Why is that reporter getting teary-eyed when talking about the destroyed futures of the male students?

This girl was being shamed for getting herself raped. And not only that, but she was being shamed for ruining the futures of her rapists. I was furious for her then and I still am furious now.

What We Saw is based on that case. Told from the perspective of a girl called Kate, its strong, powerful narrative takes on themes of sexism, slut-shaming, feminism and consent - the importance of saying no, the importance of saying yes, and the importance of knowing that being unable to say no is not the same as a yes.

It looks at an issue that makes me so angry - the blaming of rape victims. For being drunk, for wearing revealing clothing, for flirting, for dancing:

“Well, I just think it’s awful what that Stallard girl is doing to them. Dragging their good names through the mud.”

“Look, this is not rocket science. It’s common sense. If you don’t want to work a guy into a lather, keep your cooch covered up.”

But it also stands out from other books that look at these issues. With a spin that particularly relates to the Steubenville case, Hartzler draws on themes of how what we're shown isn't always the full story. How the media can reveal only part of the story - to powerful and damaging effect. And how not saying what you saw can make you just as guilty.

Nothing is exactly as it appears.
The closer you look, the more you see.

It's heartbreaking, terrifying, disturbing and oh so very important.

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[Jesse (JesseTheReader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

trigger warning: rape
This was such a powerful book! I'm so glad I took the time to read it and I want more people to read this book, because it's got such an important message. It's an empowering story about being brave and speaking out when you know something isn't right.

video book review here: https://youtu.be/pNnw91S_RQA

[Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edit 04/10 : I'm not usually doing this, BUT this book is worth it : only 1,99$ on Kindle today (and only today), so if you haven't bought it already and intend to, please go.

"Words have meanings. When we call something a theory in science, it means something. Reggie, when you say that you 'can't help yourself' if a girl is wasted, that means something, too. You're saying that our natural state as men is 'rapist'. (...) That's not okay with me, Reggie."

Trigger warning : Rape.

Incoherent sentences hardly articulated through my sobs : that's all I can give you and I'm so, so sorry for that. Actually, scratch that : I'm not even able to write down my thoughts - I can't, because every word I can think of seems so overused and drained of sense that I feel sick in even considering writing such platitudes.

I am DESTROYED.

This powerful, eyes-opening and heartbreaking unique and oh so important book deserves such an equally amazing review. And given the emotionally state it let me in, I'm not sure I can do it, guys.

Just, please please please please read it, because I rarely read a book that tackled the issue of rape - and more generally of sexual assault - in such honest and meaningful way.

Boys will be boys?
Why must you be hysterical about this?
There are rules?
Just when are we going to throw that bullshit away?

Victim shaming and blaming. Role of the medias. Guilt, shame, and oh, the heartbreak - I can't handle it. Rage so fierce that seized my throat.

THIS is the reality we're living in.







We're all Kates. We could all be Staceys. Please let's change that.



For more of my reviews, please visit:

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this was a fantastic book. It does contain difficult subject matter that can be difficult to read at times, but it also has a great story-line that kept me interested while making me think. And boy was I thinking. Honestly, it consumed me, if I wasn't reading the book, I was thinking about it or talking about it.

Though it took a little while to get going, once it did I hated putting it down. I'm not sure what it is but I just really connected to this book.

"It's okay, it's going to be fine."

Those are the words Ben says to his best friend Kate after she accidentally kicks him in the head when they are playing soccer at age five. Even though he's the one hurt, he wants to console Kate as she cries because she's hurt him. When he says these words to her again it's over ten years later and for an entirely different reason. But still he wants to console Kate.

Kate Weston and Ben Cody have been friends for many years. However there was a small time in between where they drifted apart but a high school project brought them back together again.

The book takes place in Coral Sands, Iowa. A small town with a HUGE focus on High School Athletics, especially high school basketball. The basketball players are worshiped, treated like heroes. These boys can do no wrong in this towns eyes...can they?

Ben is hoping for a full basketball scholarship. Since his parents divorce his mother has been consumed with couponing, filling their garage with stacks and stacks of recent sale items. He's concerned about his mom but he also wants to move far away from all of it. Kate is also an athlete and plays on the high school soccer team.

The book starts with Kate watching an old soccer video that her dad took of her and Ben when they were five years old. But as she says the video doesn't show you everything. It's one of the common themes throughout the book.

“Nothing is exactly as it appears. The closer you look, the more you see.”

Kate wakes up with a horrible hangover after a party at basketball player, John Doones house. She doesn't have much of a memory of the night before. Her friend Rachel sends her a couple of pictures of Kate looking worse for wear after a few too many drinks.

One of the pictures is of her classmate and childhood friend Stacey passed out over a basketball players shoulder...

The next day at school four high school students are brought up on charges of assault. News travels quickly as the media descends on the small town. Everyone is immediately divided in their opinions on the "Coral Sands rape case."

At first I was angry as it seemed like no one wanted to speak up. But then Kate surprised me, asking the tough questions that almost no one else would ask. Talking to herself telling herself not to get involved but she was consumed with questions. She wants to know what really happened after she left the party? Who was still there? What did they see? Where was Ben?

But will she be able to handle the answers to all of her questions?

Many of us remember the movie Grease. The catchy tunes that we sang along with. Over the years I've thought about the plot of the movie and the songs and this book really reminded me of some of those feelings. The lyrics to "Summer Loving" especially;

"Tell me more tell me more did you get very far? Tell me more tell me more like does he have a car? Or " tell me more tell me more was it love at first sight? tell me more tell me more did she put up a fight?"

The author also uses lyrics from current songs peppered in throughout the story, in the background. For example at a dance or in the car when the teens are driving....

"you can't have my heart, and you won't use my mind, but… Do what you want with my body do what you want with my body"

and

"That fairy-tale ending with a knight in shining armor, She can be my sleeping beauty, I'm going to put her in a coma…"

Lyrics to popular songs that I've even sang myself without really thinking.

The media with their victim blaming and boys will be boys crap! It makes me crazy angry. How does this still go on? Things like:

The victim and the accused were all drinking
The victim was dressed provocatively
The victim had a troubling history
The victim had a single mother who was never home

Oh but the accused? The media says "all four were members of the top ranked high school basketball team. These young men are examples of fine sportsmanship and have rallied the community despite the difficult economy. They deserve the respect and privacy as the truth is figured out".

But not just the media. Some of the other students were just as bad if not worse...

“All I’m saying is there are rules. You don’t get wasted. You don’t take off your top. You don’t flirt with raging drunks. You don’t dress like a slut. You have to play by the rules. If you don’t, this is what happens.”

Sometimes, especially when I see females blaming the victim I wonder if part of the reason is because they are scared. "If it can happen to them it can happen to me." But some think it won't happen to them because "I'm not like her....I wouldn't break the rules."

I was really impressed with this book and this author. The tough questions Kate asked and the tough decisions she had to make. I think this book will stay with me for a long time.

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

“I wonder which is worse: the fear of the unknown? Or knowing for sure that something terrible is true.”

What We Saw is a book about rape. It’s about pointing out that there is ZERO blurred line when it comes to consent. It’s about what happened when a girl from the wrong side of the tracks went to a party just “asking for it” and about the boys who decided to give her what she wanted. It’s about the aftermath of being a victim who was brave enough to file charges. It’s about a small community whose lives were so intertwined that people were afraid of losing everything if they jumped the gun and ruined the lives of the stars of the basketball team ( “#r&P” ). It’s about saying f*&^ it and speaking up anyway. It may be the most important book I’ve ever read and it should be required reading for EVERY high school student.

And yes, it talks about getting wasted, and describes sex acts and is nauseating in its reality and will break your heart and make you cry big, fat, ugly tears when you think of how many “Staceys” there are in the world and how many small communities react exactly the way Coral Sands did. It shows that everything about rape is UGLY and that anyone who dares to make excuses for it or tries to romanticize it in any way is DISGUSTING and should seriously get their head checked. It will probably end up on the Banned Books list next year due to all of those things, but the conversation has to begin SOMEWHERE so let it begin with this book.

What We Saw covers EVERYTHING. From the statements we hear every time a rape story appears on the news . . .

“All I’m saying is there are rules. You don’t get wasted. You don’t take off your top. You don’t flirt with raging drunks. You don’t dress like a slut. You have to play by the rules. If you don’t, this is what happens.”

to the “boys will be boys” mentality . . .

“Words have MEANINGS. When you say you ‘can’t help yourself’ if a girl is wasted, that means something, too. You’re saying that our natural state as men is ‘rapist.’ That’s not okay with me.”

to the reality of nearly EVERY story/party/whatever . . .

“Nothing is exactly as it appears.
The closer you look, the more you see.”

to what SHOULD be done instead of someone getting raped . . . .

“Find her friends.
Call her parents.
Give her a pillow.
Some Advil.
Make sure she has a safe place to sleep.
Don’t let her drive.”

or simply . . .

“JUST WALK AWAY.”

I apologize for the lack of bells and whistles on this review. Sometimes the books just need to speak for themselves.


ORIGINAL REVIEW:

I used an entire package of post-its on this one. It's going to take some time to figure out what to say. For now I'll leave it with the most important book I've read . . . maybe ever.

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buddyread with my awesome buddies, Melissa and Kimi. Click their names for their amazing reviews. <3

• “NOT BEING ABLE TO SAY NO ISN’T THE SAME AS SAYING YES.”

If I could, I would un-see What I Saw when I read this book but that would leave me back in the shadows of ignorance so I finished reading this book with the heaviest heart . But with a deep sense of gratitude, I look up to the author, Aaron Hartzler for writing the most eye-opening story about a very ugly issue that is rape. I have read several books that dealt with the same topic but none of them read as realistic and as meaningful as this one as this story also tackled other related social issues such as gender equality, the social media and pop culture.

Most stories that deal with this main subject are usually told using the lens of the victim. This one however is told by a girl named Kate who was once friends with the victim but who is now considered part of the “popular group” since her boyfriend is friends with those who were accused. Everything about her life seems almost perfect except for this one thing that is bothering her- the need to know the whole truth and this is where the plot revolves.

The reason I omitted a star from the rating is because I noticed some issues outside the main subject that were touched with a little partiality and at times, it felt like the entire account was too instructional but I am attributing this to the author’s strong intention to put across important messages about the main issue which he effectively undertook.

Afterthoughts:

• Awareness about all these massive issues is a necessity and I feel like a lot of people (including myself) do not have sufficient knowledge about these things. This is where this book comes in- to educate us, to make us aware, to let us know how things could seem to look okay at their surface but are definitely the opposite of okay when we look closer.

• It hurts to observe how many of our young people’s values (actually make that people in general) have deteriorated over time. The use of social media for instance- we witness firsthand how many people click away at anything and everything they see without thinking of and understanding what these things mean and without knowing that a single click could mean colossally hurting a person’s feeling, condemning somebody or assaulting someone sexually. But I could only educate people close to me. You could only teach your younger siblings or your children and it is for this reason that I am encouraging everybody to read this book that widely addresses these relevant issues.

• Like what Melissa eloquently said, we have to know when to be smart and bold enough to speak up about the things we see especially when everybody else doesn’t want to see what’s right in front of them and when others opt for silence to save face.





Special thanks to Anna (Alienor) for recommending this book to me. To pay forward, I’m recommending this to everyone^^

[Dear Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know how I would describe "being speechless" by something? It's when you're overwhelmed with so much emotions that words escape you. Something made you happy so much that you could only cry. Something made you so sad that your throat tightens and you can croak nothing out. Something made you so angry that you find it hard to mutter a single word because you're just fuming inside. This is basically what happened to me after reading What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler. It rendered me completely speechless.

I honestly don't know how to review this book, if I can even review this book and give it the justice it deserves. It's the sort that you know everyone - and I mean, everyone - should read; the sort in which when people ask you why they should bother allocating time in their lives to read it, it'd  be hard for you to explain and you simply just say, "Please, just do it. You'd miss such an important message otherwise."

I, however, would add something else to that: "Because it made me sad. Because it made me angry. And because it made me ashamed of ourselves."

There are three kinds of angles in a story when it comes to rape and rape-shaming: the victim's, the rapist's, and the mob's. This is a story of what happens behind the scenes, how the people around the two central figures of a fucked-up situation reacted when and after the rape and sexual harrassment of a schoolmate happened, and how the very same people coped with it when the victim and the rapists, as well as their small, no-name town suddenly were at the world's centerstage.

And trust me, reading it is not a all rainbows and butterflies.

Here's the thing, ladies and gents: this book is real. This book is so fucking real that it hurts. A girl was raped by a couple of popular athletes, a bunch of boys who were heralded as the town's "saviors" because of their skills in basketball, a bunch of fucking cowards who took advantage of an unconscious girl and then thought nothing of it. You think that by 2015, we as humanity as a whole would have gotten rid of our barbaric way of thinking and moved on with the times, but this book, which perfectly mirrors the mentalities of many of us today, proves to us otherwise. Do you guys remember the Steubenville High School rape case? We all know how the media portrayed that one, and how so many people turned their backs on a vulnerable, helpless young lady and instead defended their town's heroes despite the atrocious thing they did. In the end, however, the boys were found guilty, but something was said after the announcements of their verdicts that shocked and shook me to the core: the fact that a reporter, a female reporter at that, said how it was a pity that their "promising careers" were now ruined.

Doesn't that just make you want to see the world burn to ashes?

This is what you should expect in this book: a mirror of this kind of mentality. The indifference. The injustice. The way how some people think it's okay to go to a party dressed however you want, but as soon as you've been violated, it's your fault because you acted like a slut, you drank too much, your skirt was too short. You're a friend until you get your school's basketball heroes into trouble because they were stupid enough to think a no, a silence, meant a yes. And how one girl sees all of this, feels rightly uncomfortable by it, and so strives to seek the truth, even if it meant going against the tide. Even if it meant "betraying" her own best friends.

Because as cliché as it sounds, the truth hurts, but it shall set you free.

This book was absolutely heartfelt and so heart-breaking at the same time. It made me feel so much pain for particular characters, knowing this is the story of many girls out there who have been sexually abused and yet find themselves alone and harrassed even further; at the same time, it made me feel so much anger at those who refuse to see beyond their narrow-minded ways, knowing that so many people still think this way, and will continue to perpetuate that mentality to their own kids, unless we stand up just like what Kate did, see the greater picture, and encourage others to do so.

This is not a book to be missed, folks. Please, for the love of all things holy, read this book and spread it. Sometimes, taking the first step is to see what it's like in their shoes.

[Jln · Rating 5 out of 5]

"'Boys will be boys' is what people say to excuse guys when they do something awful."


This story is told from the perspective of a 16 yr. old high school junior named Kate Weston. When we are introduced to her, she is waking up at home the morning after a big party with a huge hangover. She slowly remembers her crush and friend since childhood, Ben Cody, bringing her and her truck home safely. When she gets to school on Monday, she finds out that another girl who was at the same party may not have been so lucky. Stacey is absent from school, there is a disturbing picture of her being circulated around, and everyone is saying awful things about her. When Stacey brings rape charges against 4 popular athletes, Kate is left wondering what really happened at the party, and who knew about it.

The students at school, as well as many school officials and the community blame the victim and actually feel sorry for the boys being charged. They assume the charges couldn't possibly be true, and honestly don't really care if they are. After all, doesn't a girl who wears revealing clothes and gets drunk around a bunch of boys deserve for this to happen?

"It was boys being boys. Just a trashy girl learning the hard way what can happen when she drinks too much and wears a short skirt."

The fact that Hartzler was inspired to write this by a real life rape case makes it all the more realistic and disturbing. It's probably the most relevant and important young adult book I've ever read. I would highly recommend parents read it. There are so many things kids face today, that parents probably don't even know they should be talking to them about. The fact that every kid has a phone with a video recorder on them 24 hours a day makes me shudder. They are given access to so many social media outlets, and so often just aren't mature enough to handle the responsibilities those privileges come with. Hartler held nothing back while portraying the rape culture that is sadly still so prevalent today, but also asks an important question about "silence as a form of complicity." Does knowing what happened and not doing anything about it make you just as guilty as those involved?

I don't want to say anything else because of spoilers, but I hope this thought provoking book ends up getting the attention it deserves.

*edit 11/12/15

I promise that I never update reviews, my stuff is so mediocre, I can't believe my friends are nice enough to read it in the first place. I just wanted to add to my review how much of an impact this book has had on me. Every once in awhile, you read a book that changes your perspective, and makes you think. This was the book of the year in that way for me. I feel that it has made me more aware of everything from song lyrics to advertisements. A favorite quote from the book was,

"The closer you look, the more you see." So true!

This Christmas ad by Bloomingdale's, which I learned was pulled after many outraged tweets ect, to the company is a good example...



I mean, seriously! Who in 2015 thought this was OK? It passed all of the magazine editing and everything, and was only pulled when they were called out on it. I can't believe this book was overlooked by the choice awards, but for me, it's in my top three for the year for sure.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The closer you look, the more you see.

When Kate Weston finally saw the video that was leaked and she was able to watch the whole thing... she saw a lot more disgusting and horrific things than she imagined.

Kate along with her boyfriend Ben, her friends and many people were at a friends party one night and they all got drunker than a person should. Stacey Stallard was there and what happened to her should NEVER happen.



Kate can't remember what happened, all she knows is that her boyfriend took her home early because she was so drunk and he went back.

Then at school pictures start going around and people start calling Stacey a slut. They said a lot worse when charges were pressed against 4 of the boys, the stars of the school.

I was so appalled and sickened by how even the adults in the town were against Stacey because she was trying to ruin their ball players lives. FREAKING REALLY? I wanted to get he nice people out of the town and blow the jerks and town off the map! These people are as disgusting as the boys that did this to an innocent girl! When you read the book and find out the whole story you will be even more sickened!

I would have hoped all of the townspeople would see that video and have it burned into their retina's. I would have hoped they would walk around with the shame all of their lives for taking up for the disgusting, worthless pieces of trash boys!

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List

[Kristin (KC) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rape and horrific cover-ups

A gripping plot with an important message that sees its way through to its final pages. I especially appreciated the strong, unwavering characteristics of the female protagonist.

So, what was missing in it for me?
While the storyline remained solid and in-your-face, I felt its execution lacked a little depth...dishing out razor-sharp issues without enough conviction. I sort of felt like I was observing the story, rather than drowning in it — and with elements as intense as these, I was assuming I'd lose myself in these pages. But that just never seemed to happen.

That said, I understand this story is based on real life occurances, and I do feel this author offers an encouraging amount of justice and support throughout this story.

[Vanessa J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

TRIGGER WARNING: RAPE.

Boys will be boys.

At the beginning of October there was something circulating like crazy around Costa Rica. A guy followed a girl in short skirts around San José and was filming under her skirts all the time. This whole affair was filmed by a witness and he spread the video around the media. Obviously there was a scandal, especially since the witness was stabbed the next day, but I’m not telling you this because it’s a good story for gossiping (if you’re interested, you can read more here). I’m using it because of the variety of people’s reactions.

Want it or not, when a conflict takes place, people are generally going to takes sides. In this case, some were wishing death to the stalker, and others were saying it was the girl’s fault because of her clothes, but really, is she not free to dress as it pleases her to? Why would it be her fault when it was the stalker the one who followed and filmed her?

This is where the quote I used to start this review comes to play. The excuse of some people was that he couldn’t help it because of her skirts – that he was just a man, and men can’t “help it” if an attractive girl is involved. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a problem in our society, and this is one of the causes why everything went to hell in this book.

You see… the lines between rape and consent should not be blurry. If someone says yes, then it’s a yes; but if someone doesn’t say no, that’s not synonym to saying yes. If the victim was at a party wearing revealing clothes and so very drunk, they’re in no state to give consent, and it is rape is someone has sex with them without the person agreeing. It’s not that “boys can’t help it,” and the rapist should never be excused because the girl was “asking for it.”

What We Saw portrays all these things in a very realistic and brutal way. It’s narrated by one of the victim’s classmates. The book starts the day after a rather messy party. Pictures were taken and videos were filmed. When Kate goes back to school everything seems normal, except a girl has been missing classes… and the police comes to arrest 4 students after, alleging there was sexual assault and rape in said party.

The girl should be the one people support, but as I said before, people take sides, and while a few wanted to find out what really happened (like Kate the narrator), others were already saying “boys will be boys” and that whatever happened to her she seeked it. Some even wished she would be more than raped because messing with a popular guy’s reputation – because surely the head of the basketball team wouldn’t rape anyone, especially if this girl was already known for certain things.

It was hard reading through this book, especially because everything was realistic. If I read correctly, this was based on a real-life case, which striked me even more – it made me sick. The book does not hide all the brutality that came with the case, which made it even more of an uncomfortable and saddening read, but never less powerful.

I believe this is the kind of book that should be read by everyone. I may be the 12138718709th person to say this, but it’s not in vain that I say it. This and All the Rage are probably the most important books I’ve read this year, both of which deal with rape (the first one, though, is narrated by the victim, but it’s interesting to have both the perspective of a victim and a witness) and do it in a realistic way that makes us think what is wrong with our society.

Now, some things have to be clear:
● A rape victim is NOT the one to blame. It’s never their fault.
● Yes means yes, silence does NOT mean yes.
● “Boys will be boys” or “he couldn’t help it” is NOT an excuse. That just shows how rape culture governs our society.
● Do NOT be quiet about it. If you know someone has been sexually assaulted, don’t keep it to yourself. It’s not doing good to anyone.
● We don’t have to hide this subject in the shadows. It should be talked about rape and consent. If it’s not, how is the problem going to stop? The first move is education.

Please give in and do read this book. Apart from being well-written, its subject matter is important, and it should be brought to light.

[Melissa Baez · Rating 5 out of 5]

BR with my best girls, AJ and Kimi (AJ has a quota, so you'll have to wait for her review. Click to read Kimi's.)

I wanted to write a full blown review filled with advice, rants and quotes, because trust me, I highlighted the living crap out of this kindle...But I won't.

I truly believe this is a book you should experience for yourself. I think you should experience first hand, what society really believes. We may act like a civilized group but when it comes down to it, to the truth, we revert back to what we've always been taught in the dark.

“You don’t get wasted. You don’t take off your top. You don’t flirt with raging drunks.” She leans in and grips the edge of the table, lowering her voice. “You don’t dress like a slut. You have to play by the rules. If you don’t, this is what happens.”

And this is what "What We Saw" tries to eviscerate. With it's ugly and raw honestly it exposes the truth behind the curtain, the truth we are so readily anxious to ignore. It demonstrates how we constantly perpetuate rape culture with our actions, our words, and even our thoughts while exposing how fast we are to judge the victim while salvaging the guilty.

What We Saw physically and emotionally drained me. It wasn't written with the goal of appeasing our moods but to open our eyes. It was written to make you uncomfortable because sometimes being uncomfortable is the only way to make us move.


Pre Review:
But before I review this, there's something I need to say. Even though I severely disliked this book, it should be one everyone reads. It should been given, not only to teens, but to everyone. It's a topic we tend to push aside because it's ugly and disgusting. We tend to downsize the situation because we don't want to hear it. It's so much easier to live in a world of ignorance but rape makes things uneasy, it pushes us out of our comfort zone. So we say nothing. We join the sea of people who choose to stay silent. But the thing a lot of people fail to grasp is, silence is condoning . By choosing not to speak, you're already making a decision, you're already allowing things to happen.

So speak up! Give a voice to those who can't. Don't stand on the sidelines. Raise your voice...because you don't know what it feels like. You don't know the feeling of helplessness. The struggle of saying NO over and over again but being powerless to stop it. You don't know what it feels like to be pinned down and forced. To know that no matter how loud you scream of how hard you kick and struggle, this is going to happen. How pointless it is to turn your "No"s into "Please!!" and "I'm begging you!". You don't know the feeling of your choice being taken away from you. And when it's over, you don't know what self hatred really means. You don't know what it feels like to look in a mirror and only feel disgust. To think, that is was definitely your fault, had your Nos been more convincing, he would have listened.What it feels like to have that horror in a constant loop in your mind or having countless nightmares waking up to the same hopelessness day in and day out. What it feels like to second guess every choice you make with every person you meet because if you were wrong about him then how can you trust yourself a second time around. At the end of the day, you will never know that it doesn't matter how many therapists you see, how many anxiolytics you take, or how many years have passed because that memory will be forever etched into your mind and that scar will never go away. And God forbid you ever know the feeling.

[Denisse · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is easy, people. Is it dangerous to flirt with a drunken guy? Yes. Is it a crime? No. Is it dangerous to drink enough to pass out? Yes. Is it a crime? No. Is it dangerous to wear revealing clothes? Yes. Is it a crime? No. Is it raping a passed out girl wearing a small skirt who was flirting with you a crime? Yes. You see? Easy. Men, stop making excuses on whether girls are throwing themselves at you, you sound pathetic, stop acting like animals, show respect, stop thinking you couldn’t help it cause you were drunk, take responsibility. And girls, for all you love the most, please be careful. Are you going to sit and wait for the entire world to be as honest and respectful as you want it to be? Are you that stupid? In any possible way is drinking that much a good thing, so yes, take your part of responsibility too and take care of you f***ing self, you can’t live forever thinking someone else will do it for you while living la vida loca. People, we live in a world full of cowards, so if you know something, if you see something, speak up.



Voy a dejar en claro algo. No es excusa la borrachera para cuando se comenten acciones perversas ni es excusa tomar como imbécil y si te llega a pasar algo decir que no te respetaron.

Ahora si…(warning: será reseña larga)

”The closer you look, the more you see.”

Este libro. Dios. Siento que lo he estado esperando todo lo que va del año, algo que tuviera sustancia de verdad en el tema. El abuso sexual no es un tema fácil de tratar, y en pleno siglo XXI es aún más difícil si se ve como un problema social y no como una experiencia traumática. Y es que este libro no trata de la víctima, si no de la gente que la rodeaba y sus reacciones. Lo cual es sumamente interesante. De las películas que vemos, las canciones que escuchamos, la gente con la que nos juntamos…las decisiones que tomamos.

Katie despierta con la crudota de su vida pero sana y salva en su casa gracias a que su amigo Ben la llevo a casa cuando ya no podía ni sostenerse en pie. Al entrar a las redes sociales se topa con fotografías muy comprometedoras de una compañera de curso y unos chicos del equipo de basquetbol.

”The charges stem from a party that was held Saturday night at the home of a star Coral Sands basketball player, and include sexual assault, rape, and distribution of child pornography.”

Y así, con una narrativa de lo más simple y una historia de amor de lo más normal, este librito toca todos esos temas tan de moda: Sexismo, feminismo, slut-shamming, abuso a la mujer, sociedades de mente cerrada y muchos más. Y de una forma muy impactante. Cabe decir que es un libro algo bastante predecible en ciertos aspectos y es importante recalcarlo para que no piensen que mi puntuación se la doy por ser un libro perfecto. Más bien es una novela que toca un problema social que ya ha rebasado la línea de lo ridículo.

”It was boys being boys. Just a trashy girl learning the hard way what can happen when she drinks too much and wears a short skirt.”

La verdad es que hay tanto de que hablar, y cada lector se centrara más en algún punto que en otro. En mi caso es el tema de que tanta responsabilidad le damos a nuestros actos lo que más me gusto de What we saw. Y la diferencia entre negligencia y crimen.

Altamente recomendable. Una lectura contemporánea con personajes muy variados de carácter y pensamientos, diálogos muy realistas y una trama vista desde un punto de vista necesario. No hay que tener miedo a hablar, aun cuando todos a tu alrededor te acusan. Un crimen es un crimen, las causas que lo originaron no cambiaran nunca eso. Responsabilidad y respeto, una sociedad puede sobrevivir con solo eso.

Hay muchas, muchas cosas de las cuales se pueden hablar. Los invito a leer esta novela y discutir lo que mas les haya llamado la atención.

”Who was there. What was said. What they did. What we saw.”




PD: Y como siempre, cuando de un tema importante se trata, mi opinión siempre es diferente a las demás. Que novedad. :)

[Hamad · Rating 4 out of 5]

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“Not being able to say no isn't the same as saying yes.”

I am still cleaning my shelves and trying to read the oldest books on my shelf and removing what does not interest me anymore. I sometimes need a change from fantasy and so this short but impactful book is what I have in mind when I want a change!

The book is only light in terms of weight and being a small one (300 pages) but in terms of importance, it is a huge one! I don’t know why it does not have more ratings and hype. I know the book is not a comfortable one by any means and rape is not a light topic so maybe that’s one of the reasons it is less popular than it should be.

“Boys will be boys' is what people say to excuse guys when they do something awful.”

The writing was very good, the language is suitable for the story and has the right amount of magic to make it shine literally-wise! The book is atmospheric and I kind of felt a heaviness settling on me while advancing through the book!

The characters are real people with real emotions and motivations which is the best kind of characters. I keep getting shocked by the liberties those jockey guys gets in schools and that’s something I always see in movies and books so I guess it is true but in my country, the system is much more different with focus on marks and academics so those guys do not have that much power and influence!! This is something that has always baffled me and I would like to discuss it with any of my friends who experienced it and would love to talk about the subject.

The main theme this book discusses is Rape and what out role as members of the society is! The way the victim is shamed is also portrayed beautifully (Not that it is a good situation to be in) and if you want an excellent book on the subject then read this!

“Some moments should only be recorded in our hearts.”

Summary: Great writing, characters, plot and topic! I don’t have negative things to say about this book but I am saying it is not a light read. I do recommend it!!

You can get more books from Book Depository

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)

“Nothing is exactly as it appears. The closer you look, the more you see.”



This was quite a shocking story, in which a girl is raped, and everyone would rather believe the basketball team when they say they didn’t do it, than believe the victim!

“Deacon may lose his scholarship anyway.”
“No way!” Will yelps.
“Terrible shame,” says Connie. “Over a dumb rumour. Well check the source, I always say.”



I felt quite sorry for Kate in this story, but I also felt like she maybe shouldn’t have trusted a certain person as much as she did. I did like the way she stuck to her guns about telling the police what she knew.

The storyline in this was basically about Stacey being raped, and everyone insisting that the basketball team were innocent, not guilty, and then Kate’s blossoming relationship with her best friend Ben. I have to say that I was quite disgusted with the way that everyone assumed that Stacey was lying instead of being on her side, and I really felt quite sick about that! Saying that someone is lying when they claim to have been raped is really quite awful.

“I only know that when you wear sexy clothes, guys get all turned on, and if you’re drunk and they’re drunk, you have to be really careful.”



There was some romance in this, but the question over whether Ben knew something about the events of the night Stacey was raped kind of put a bit of a cloud over the romance for me.

“It was all a big misunderstanding.”



The ending to this was okay, although it wasn’t a ‘happily ever after’. It was a satisfying ending though.



6 out of 10

[Evelyn (devours and digests words) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What does it mean to say yes? To consent to a kiss? To a touch? To more than that?

TRIGGER WARNING: RAPE.

My God. This book makes me feel like upturning furnitures and punching someone's face in.

What We Saw scared me worse than any horror books out there. I've never felt so terrified, or so sick and terribly angry all at same time.

Reading about demons - that I can deal, ghosts I can also handle but reading about rape is something else entirely. A different animal. It's the real horror and worse, it exists and if rape can happen to one person then it can happen to anyone.

The closer you look, the more you see.

The story is not told in the perspective of the rape victim (like All The Rage) but rather it is told in the victim's classmate point of view. A bystander who happen to care enough to dig out the truth and step up.

Hartzler did not even gloss over heavy topics like slut shaming, sexism and victim blaming. In so many ways, it made the book even more raw and enraging to read.

"I only know that when you wear sexy clothes, guys get all turned on, and if you're drunk and they're drunk, you have to be really careful."

. . .

"What if she didn't tell them no because she couldn't? What if she was too drunk to do anything?"

"And whose fault is that?"

It reminded me that rape is the only crime in which the victim is the one to be blamed. It makes you really wonder what a harsh world us females must live in.

What We Saw is by no means an enjoyable read. It is not meant to be one either but it has a powerful message. Reading this was like looking through a wider window the whole time. It left me badly shaken up in the end but at the same time, I've never felt so much more aware.

Everything about this book is so important.

Please, read it.

[Glass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every once in a while I stumble upon a book that reminds me of something my favorite collage professor told us, back then first year literature students, about the art of reading. About it being interactive process. It is not just you holding this seemingly harmless object in your hands, following words on paper and converting them into the pictures in your head. Books can be dangerous things. Break the rules. Bring down oppressive societies. Make people think with their own head and stop being part of the zombiefied mass. Tell the truth. And if you read just so you can escape reality and live in the la-la land of fairy tales (which are again construct of various ideologies), you are burying your head in the sand. Literature shouldn't only make you feel content and happy. Literature has to be brutal. Honest. Cruel. Make you feel angry and horrified.It has to push the lines. Protest and rage.

Aaron Hartzler wrote a book like that.

The rape culture and slut-shaming. Social media sites. These are basically topics of What We Saw. Based on real events. Real. As in this happened somewhere to somebody. What We Saw made me feel angry. I am still angry. It made me obsess over things we do not take seriously - like our children walking around with smartphones and not knowing basic rules of what is polite, safe and sending them into the big (virtual) world thinking that they are going to know to make difference between right and wrong, and pick right, hopefully, every time. That is where parenting stops. That is where murky world of modern society takes hold. And everyone hides behind the screen of the phone or computer, not realizing what "empathy" means. Turning real people into pixels, hashtags and number of likes and shares.

I have to be honest and admit that I wasn't completely won over by this book when I first started reading it. I was annoyed with main character, with how shallow and mindless she is sometimes. I am so happy that I read this now. What We Saw is the book we should make our kids read - no matter if you are a parent or a teacher. Make them read it. And talk about it. Talk, talk, talk. That is the only way to make a difference.

*ARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.*

[catherine ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 1,000,000

Trigger Warning: rape

What We Saw begins with a hangover. It's the day after a house party, and all Kate remembers are bits and pieces of the night before. But what she does know for sure, is that she got wasted, and Ben, a childhood friend, drove her home early.

But then, when a picture of Stacey Stallard unconsciously draped over Deacon Mills' shoulder appears online, the school goes into a vicious frenzy.

What is most unexpected, however, is when she accuses four of Kate's classmates of sexual assault. But what is fact and what is speculation? As the school explodes into controversy, Kate finds herself desperate to know the truth.

This book addresses the blurred line between guilt and innocence and what silence means for victims around the world.

I am adding this book to my all-time favorites shelf. It is beautiful, it is heartbreaking, and it is so important, especially in a world where victims of sexual assault are continuously silenced.

The writing style was phenomenal. One unique thing about What We Saw is how there are small, seemingly trivial memories that parallel the bigger picture. It means you really have to realize that the little things matter.

Why? Because a little idea could blow up into something bigger. Example: Rape culture. One thing that people don't seem to understand is that rape culture is everyone's problem. The idea that "boys will be boys" has poisoned modern society, and instead of telling boys how to respect others, we teach girls how to fear the outside world.

This book reminded me of the Brock Turner case. He was convicted of raping a woman while she was unconscious and should've gotten at least six years in jail. He received six months. The defense?
He was humble and dedicated.
He was a good student.
He was a champion swimmer.
Oh, and poor, poor, boy. His life will never be the same because of "20 minutes of action".

Similarly, the perpetrators in this book are pardoned. Their crimes are overlooked, just because they had been loved members of society.

And the victim? She is slut-shamed, she is bullied, and her name is dragged through the mud.

And the fact that this is so close to reality is absolutely terrifying.

I thought the characters in this were amazing. Kate's internal conflicts are painstakingly real - what would you do if the person you love is in the wrong?

She taught me the importance of speaking up - even if it seems like the hardest thing to do.

This was one of the books where romance takes a backseat. It's there, but it's not nearly as important, and I think that is one of the greatest parts of this books - it showed really powerful character development.

The characters in this were definitely very varied. It's realistic. There are people who don't care, those who do but are too afraid to speak up, and those who are brave enough to. And then there are those who blame the victim and those who doubt them and worst of all, those who commend the crime.

The horrible thing is that those last people exist. But at the same time, there are those who fight till the end.

I feel like I could go on and on and on about all the beautiful things about this book, but I'll just stop this here.

Thank you to Kate, who taught me the importance of doing the right thing and how it changes people.

The layers of my life will slowly cover and fill the gulf cleft through my heart. But deep in the bedrock of who I am is a record of these things that I will carry with me, a new map whose boundaries have forever altered the way I view the world.

Thank you to Lindsey, for saying what consent means and learning to be brave.

"'Boys will be boys' is what people say to excuse guys when they do something awful."

Thank you to Will, who showed me that there was hope.

Will nods. He swipes at his eyes. "Nobody does," he whispers. "Nobody deserves this."

Thank you to Mr. Johnson, who tried to add a lot more goodness into the world.

"Words have meanings. When we call something a theory in science, it means something. Reggie, when you say that you 'can't help yourself' if a girl is wasted, that means something, too. You're saying that our natural state as men is 'rapist'."
"That's not okay with me, Reggie." He points at the list on the whiteboard. "That's not okay with the rest of this class, either."

And thank you, most of all, to Aaron Hartzler, for writing such a beautiful and realistic story for all the Staceys in the world.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

" Nothing is exactly as it appears. The closer you look, the more you see."

Shocking. Disturbing. What We Saw is about a story that we're all too familiar with. A young teenage girl comes forward to police and pinpoints the star athletes of her local high school and accuses them of sexual assault.

As expected, the victim's lack of morality and judgement along with her loose upbringing is put on display and fellow students,teachers, and the general community close in and show their support for the alleged rapists.

Your immediate reaction might be "do we really need another book about rape/sexual assault? " And sure there are lot out there that tackle the subject, but What We Saw exposes the glaring omission in our society and the rape culture that still prevails.

Interestingly enough the book does not focus on the story of the victim or the perpetrators, who are mentioned and engage in dialogue with our central and secondary characters, but the BYSTANDERS and their interactions and perceptions are the focus. Katie, our main female protagonist is conflicted and through her and the dialogues between her friends, family and boyfriend we see all the conflict that arises when torn between "staying out of it" and "stepping up and speaking out."

This book was so hard to put down and if I had a million dollars, I would make sure there was a copy of this book in all libraries. Not just for the youth, but for everyone.

[Kimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buddy Read with ma girls Melissa and AJ the Ravenous Reader (Click for their reviews)

“Nothing is exactly as it appears. The closer you look, the more you see.”

First of all I’d like to thank my friend Anna (click for her awesome review) for recommending this book to me. I feel like there are some books that need to be read by everyone. It doesn’t matter if you end up liking it or not. It’s still important that you read it.

TRIGGER WARNING – rape.

I absolutely LOVED the beginning and the ending of this book. The writing style was on point and I was hooked from the first page. However, I felt like the story dragged on a bit in the middle part but as Anna said that’s what made it so realistic because when something terrible happens, life goes on and you don’t get to know everything in the moment.
The reason why I took a star of was because the story was actually misleading. Now that I think about it, I hope I didn’t know that this book was about rape before going into it because when we figure out that Kate doesn’t remember anything from the party, my mind automatically thinks that she’s the one who’s been raped. So I spent the whole book suspicious of Ben. I genuinely thought that he raped her before driving her home. Because of this whole theory, I wasn’t shocked to see that Ben had actually witnessed the rape. I was thinking he was part of it!

I’d like to share a few of my thoughts about the issues dealt with in this book:

Disclaimer: These are just my personal thoughts. I am not trying to offend anyone.

The Alcohol issue:
My religion forbids the consumption of alcohol. I have to say that reading books like this one actually makes me understand why something like alcohol would be forbidden in the first place. Now before you bite my head off I’d like to clarify that I DO NOT think that alcohol is the CAUSE of rape but I do think that the lack of alcohol could be a solution. I mean we all know that the world is filled with sick bastard rapists and let’s assume that (God forbid) one of them tries to assault you. I think that I would rather have my full brain under control and stab him in the eye with my keys or kick him in balls until they crack like eggs on a pan.
What made me really sad was that she made it so easy for them. She was just passed out on the couch and they were taking turns on her.
I feel ashamed to be a human being right now.


Rape:
In my country, if a guy rapes a girl and she come forward with it to the police, the guy HAS to marry her. The officer goes like

The rapist doesn’t have any say in it. He marries her right away and he can’t divorce her for at least 5 years. This may come as a shock to you but let me explain.
If you read my review on We Should All be Feminists you’d know that in my country if a girl isn’t a virgin, she’s basically ruined for marriage but if she has been married before, there’s no shame for her to marry again after she divorces the rapist. She has the right to divorce him any time she wants. Are you guys following ?
So basically, if you rape a girl …

Kinda makes those rapists think twice.

A phenomenon we’ve been seeing lately is that some girls who have consensual sex with some very rich dudes and then she runs to the police saying she’s been raped and BAM found herself a hubsy. But that’s a whole other issue haha

Feel free to disagree or share any other thoughts on the topic.
Thanks for reading.

[Aditi · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”

----Anonymous


Aaron Hartzler, an American author, pens his debut novel involving teens, assault, lies and mystery, What We Saw that accounts the story of a high school teenager who investigates the sexual assault on her friend in a small town. Withstanding the prejudices and unimaginable controversies, this young girl fights against the society, which gets enveloped by the darkness of a rape, to find out the truth.

This book is actually based on a true story, which goes as follows: (Source: Wiki)

The Steubenville High School rape occurred in Steubenville, Ohio, on the night of August 11, 2012, when a high school girl, incapacitated by alcohol, was publicly and repeatedly sexually assaulted by her peers, several of whom documented the acts in social media. The victim was transported, undressed, photographed, and sexually assaulted. She was also penetrated vaginally by other students' fingers (digital penetration), an act defined as rape under Ohio law.
The jocular attitude of the assailants was documented on Facebook, Twitter, text messages, and cell phone recordings of the acts. The crime and ensuing legal proceedings generated considerable controversy and galvanized a national conversation about rape and rape culture. Two students and high school football players, Ma'lik Richmond and Trent Mays, both 16 at the time of the crime, were convicted in juvenile court for the rape of a minor. Additionally, three other adults have been indicted for obstructing the investigation into the rape, while Steubenville's superintendent of schools has been charged with hindering the investigation into a rape that took place earlier in 2012.


Synopsis:

Kate Weston can piece together most of the bash at John Doone’s house: shots with Stacey Stallard, Ben Cody taking her keys and getting her home early—the feeling that maybe he’s becoming more than just the guy she’s known since they were kids.

But when a picture of Stacey passed out over Deacon Mills’s shoulder appears online the next morning, Kate suspects she doesn’t have all the details. When Stacey levels charges against four of Kate’s classmates, the whole town erupts into controversy. Facts that can’t be ignored begin to surface, and every answer Kate finds leads back to the same question: Where was Ben when a terrible crime was committed?

This story—inspired by real events—from debut novelist Aaron Hartzler takes an unflinching look at silence as a form of complicity. It’s a book about the high stakes of speaking up, and the razor thin line between guilt and innocence that so often gets blurred, one hundred and forty characters at a time.

Kate was at the same school basketball king's wild party where her friend, Stacey, was raped and later a video of her getting raped by those basketball champs of the school went viral in the social media. It seems the party was more than just wild, no one seems to remember anything at all, when Stacey accuses four of the basketball champs. Stacey soon becomes a victim of slut shaming because of her dressing sense and her demeanor and all, mostly because the whole town worships the school basketball team like a god. Now, Kate, who is torn between the intense deep feelings for another basket ball champ, Ben, and her friend, Stacey, who helps to get those guys arrested for rape, embarks on a not so easy path to look for the truth by traversing against the tide of this rape culture and slut shaming in a town where people have prejudices and other narrow minded thoughts when it comes to blaming the girl for getting raped by the boys.

While reading, this book might make you remind of the book, All the Rage by Courtney Summers, where the rape culture in a small town was portrayed so vividly.

The writing style is absolutely brilliant that has been mixed with emotions that only makes the readers move with it's tune. The gripping narrative style is well depicted into the storyline and that is engaging enough to keep the readers hooked on till the very end. The prose is like a kaleidoscope where our young narrator guides us through the discrimination and lies towards the ray of truth that finally sets the story free.

From the main character to those characters which are present even mildly in the book are all very strongly portrayed by stripping away their picture perfect faces to the core of ugly truth that makes them look flawed. Kate is one of the strongest YA heroines that I ever came across in the YA realistic fiction genre where the author gives her an original voice laced with realism. Kate challenges every biased fact or thought when she came across them while searching for the light. Kate's determination and calm demeanor is ideal for this book that handles a sensitive issue in the world of teenagers.
Kate too knew that Stacey has a reputation of being seductive or something like that, still Kate confronts the lies against Stacey to find out what really happened that night.

The theme itself is tricky and delicate when projecting rape not as a crime but as a society's huge drawback in the recent times. Social media once again plays a vital role which is dangerously featured in the story. The shortcomings and the drawbacks of a social media have been so excellently arrested in this story that it will make the young readers minds fill with horror as well as enlightenment towards its intensity of being used as a weapon in today's world.

The mystery will keep the readers on it's edges and along with Kate's mind and journey, the readers can easily comprehend with the dark reality about today's society, and so does the mystery, which seems so near yet so far away or rather hidden under layers of lies and inclinations towards the basketball team, especially boys. The climax is just too perfect for this dark themed book, although the chemistry falls short in this book. Kate and Ben's relationship are though portrayed at the right moments still it fails to make the readers feel deeply with their emotions.

Verdict: A must read book in today's society for all young teens as well as for the adults.

Courtesy: Thanks to the author's publicist for giving me an opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Weston wakes up hungover and trying to recall details of the party she had attended the night before at a fellow classmates house. She vaguely recalls her childhood friend and crush taking away her keys and seeing that she got home safely and it quite thankful.

Unfortunately, not everyone at the party had someone looking out for them. A photo shows up of online of Stacey passed out over Deacon’s shoulder the next morning and then Stacey is accusing several members of the basketball team of rape. But with so many people there why isn't anyone stepping up to back up Stacey's story? The boys claim innocence but Kate is determined to find out the truth.

What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler is a young adult contemporary read based on true events. A young girl is raped at a party but no one wants to speak up against their friends and fellow classmates. It even goes as far as some blaming the victim for how she dressed and how she acted instead of those accused of a crime.

What the author has done extremely well in this story is tell such a horrific event through the eyes of the teenagers involved. The story has the feel of the kids questioning what was right, what was wrong and who is to blame or when should one speak up. They go about their lives as the media circus surrounds them and the law is investigating what had happened.

I did feel this one had a tad bit of a slow start to it though but only took off a half star. Later in the story the details at the beginning made a bit more sense but it still started feeling more of a romance read which this is far from with rape being involved.

Overall, 4.5 stars. I would almost suggest that any young woman should be reading this and seeing just what could happen out there so perhaps they can be a bit more vigilant in their lives. Not that rape is ever the victim's fault no matter the situation but this book shows on a young adult level that the world can be a scary place even when you least expect it.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow. I can honestly say I don't even know where to begin with this book. Within the first few pages I was a bit thrown because I hadn't expected it to start out the way it did.

As the book progressed and became more and more in depth I found some chapters very hard hitting, and I was getting frequently upset, however that is in no way a bad thing. I think it shows how hard hitting this book actually is. As I've said before this is based on truth, and with past cases that have been on the news lately this is what makes me so angry. People can get away with things for terms like "boys will be boys" and "she's trashy/bit of a slut". Just no.

I am so pleased I have read this book, and it shows a completely different light, and that it can happen to anyone, there is no excuse behind what happened to her.

In one scene with the geology teacher, I am 99% sure I started to cheer at how open he was and expressed his opinions towards the students unlike others who had tried to cover up things. (once again the angry feelings in regards to that are on a whole other level)

This book.
THIS BOOK! Such a an eye opener, and even though it does obviously have the trigger warning of rape, I would suggest anyone to read this. The feelings I felt throughout this book, I can't even begin to explain. I'd be at home (not reading) or at work and just think to myself what would I do in this position?

What a fantastic book, and one again so hard hitting and eye opening.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

“All I’m saying is there are rules. You don’t get wasted. You don’t take off your top. You don’t flirt with raging drunks. You don’t dress like a slut. You have to play by the rules. If you don’t, this is what happens.”

I remember the Steubenville case (if you want to read about it). I was sixteen and I remember wondering why this particular case was getting so much attention. Unfortunately these kinds of things happened every day, but why did this case get such nationwide coverage, hell even global coverage. So I started paying attention to the news.

It seemed people couldn’t figure out why she was accusing them of rape. I mean she was a wild girl, liked to party, liked to drink, liked to have fun. And they were boys. Boys with bright futures ahead of them and college football careers. And she couldn’t even remember anything because of how much she drank that night.

“Well, I just think it’s awful what that Stallard girl is doing to them. Dragging their good names through the mud. If you ask me, they oughta arrest her mother and put that poor girl in a good Christian home.”

This case brought out a lot of fear for people, even me. I mean, we were both the same age, I like to have fun and party, it could have just as easily been me or any other sixteen year old girl. It also brought up a lot of questions. One of them: is not being able to say no the same as saying yes?

“Nothing is exactly as it appears. The closer you look, the more you see.”

What We Saw is based on this case. It’s about a sixteen year old girl, Stacey, who was raped by her classmates and everyone’s reactions to this. Told from a classmate’s point of view, Kate Weston, What We Saw talks about the blaming of rape survivors, slut-shaming, and feminism.

She says the word feminist like Will did last night—with scorn and derision—as if she’s spitting something out.

“Why does everybody say ‘feminist’ that way?”

“What way?”

“The way Dooney kept saying ‘herpes’ after health class last year. Like it’s this terrible, unspeakable thing.”

This book made me so fucking angry. I knew it would, these types of books usually do. I was seriously disgusted by 80% of the characters actions/behaviors. But Kate was so realistic and she goes through so many emotions in such a realistic way: apathy, concern, anger, denial, and sadness as the rumors change and more information comes to light.

But despite my disgust at most of the characters dialogue I think this is a book everyone should read, because it’s just so accurate. So on September 22, when this book is released, I hope everyone checks it out because it’s so important.

**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**

[Jennifer Masterson]

This book didn't flow well for me and was slow. Then the pace picked up and then it slowed down again. I tried but I can't get through this one. YA is not my genre though. Only some YA books work for me.

The book packs a powerful message so if you enjoy YA try it. I'm in the minority. Most people gave it 4 and 5 stars. I'm not rating it.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick review for a quick read. Note: Some discussion of rape and rape cases in this review, so possible TW for those reading this review.

This book is very hard to read, but I felt it was a necessary and completely compelling narrative. I'll admit I didn't hear all that much about Aaron Hartzler's "What We Saw" before it was released, but it took my attention considering a number of horrifying cases of recent mention in media. This I believe was inspired by the Steubenville High School rape case, which I am still taken speechless at not only the lack of help for the victim, but the attempts to cover it up for the sake of the school trying to save face. It also brought to mind the recent Stanford rapist case where a young woman - inebriated and completely unconscious - was left naked by a dumpster and raped by a 19-year old swimmer, Brock Turner. It was only by the discovery of two Swedish students who saw Turner in the act that he was caught. The young men chased him down and held him until the police arrived. The sentence that Turner received for the crime? Six months. Six freaking months. The judge gave leniency on him (and has been reported to have given lenency in other sexual assault cases), Turner's father and mother wrote letters that testified Turner as being the victim of this, and a *friend* of Turner's wrote an exposition of how "drinking" was the real culprit and not Turner's actions or lack of inhibition.

In my mind, I'm left wondering when we - as a society - are going to treat rape as the crime that it is. That women and their bodies are not objects to be taken advantage of or put on display or rated on a scale, that it isn't fair to dehumanize or assume consent when they are not in a capacity to give it. Hartzler's narrative explores many of these issues and rape culture in vivid detail - and the narrative doesn't shy away from the details of this particular horrific case.

The story is told from the POV of Kate Weston, a young woman who was inebriated at a party. She doesn't remember the details of the night, though her childhood friend Ben Cody was responsible for driving her home. Yet, following that night, Stacey Stallard accuses four of Kate's classmates (also prominent players on the school's basketball team) and starts a firestorm that culminates in a number of accusations, dehumanizations, and alienations in the aftermath, including attempts by the school (including the coach) to cover it up and move on for it in anticipation of its forthcoming championship. Kate struggles to know what to believe, witnessing many of the harmful dialogues that are involved in rape culture (blaming the victim for what she was wearing, the community shunning her morals and lifestyle, etc). She also finds herself questioning where Ben was during the events at the party, considering he went back to the party after dropping her off the night she was drunk.

I felt so much for Stacey, and her raw emotion during the brief moments we see her in the narrative had my heart aching for her. There was one scene in the narrative where Stacey's mother slams the door in Kate's face and we hear Stacey making the claim against Kate "She's one of them! She's one of them!" even as Kate tries to reach out to her - they used to be friends in the seventh grade before growing apart. Hartzler treats all the characters in this narrative with an incredible amount of conviction and dimension, and it manages still to be a fast and fluid read with a careful eye to the issues within - not heavyhanded nor lecturing, but observant and informative.

The description of the events on the tape that Stacey's in is graphic, brutal, but honest, done in a way that I felt really showed the horror of it (in which Kate and her brother Will have palpable reactions.) The way also that the narrative gradually reveals the gravity of Ben's willingness to sweep events by the wayside and ultimately put on display his dishonesty was well done. I predicted his role early on, but wasn't sure how the narrative would handle it. I'm glad that Kate was able to see the horrible thoughts and actions of the people around her and how they were dehumanizing and trying to erase the crime against Stacey.

In the end, this was a narrative that will stick in my mind for a long time. I don't give many full 5-star reviews, but this deserves every single one in my eyes. A heartfelt and gripping read.

Overall score: 5/5 stars.

[Fares · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

This is the most uncomfortable reading experience I ever had.
This is not a bad book, it's a very important book, and in that sense it's a great book. Feeling uncomfortable reading it is the point I think, but it surprised me, I was gagging and near throwing up and weirdly this is not the strongest book I read, it's not gruesome (not like some other books anyway). I can almost guarantee that you'd be ok reading it, maybe not ok but it wasn't that bad.
But something, I have no idea what, but something made this book 10 times stronger than it might have while I read it.
I'm terrible at reviews, you all know that, and I rarely ever write them but I'm writing this, that says how hard this hit. I don't know if you can call this a review exactly but, I felt the need to say something.
I don't know what you are thinking reading this XD but hey thanks for reading it. I feel better now :)

[Mrs. Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

To say I loved this book makes me feel....odd, but I did love it. It was beautiful, brilliant, and haunting. My immediate reaction after reading this was that this isn't a book about rape and it is 100% a book about rape. What made this novel truly transcendent is it's ability to weave a multi-layer story, have different narratives on our culture and daily life, and have it all work together so smoothly you hardly notice these subtle clues the author leaves around the story.

There are so many things going on in this book it's hard to write a narrative about all of them. One of the biggest things that I noticed in this book was the authors voice on our tendency, as Americans especially, to give credit to the athlete because they have talent. I will full heartily admit I am a giant sports fan. I was raised by my father and cartoons were never allowed on Sunday mornings. Instead, I was forced tuned in to whatever football game was on TV. And when the Seahawks played, the world stopped rotating. In recent years though I have had trouble with this whole, "he deserves a second chance" thing. Ray Rice. Greg Hardy. Michael Vick. Why do they have to have a second chance? Let's play devils advocate for a second and say they didn't possess talent, they were regular Joe Blows...then what? Do we sing their praises at redemption and as a society are forced to respect their wishes at a second chance with no sign of remorse and/or acknowledgement? Hartzler truly examines this notion thoroughly in this novel and I respect him and his writing incredibly for it; for going the distance and saying....this is a problem, a serious fucking problem.

Other reviews will comment on the slut shaming and such and I am not going to because I....what's the word....don't know much about the topic. I'm not a feminist in a traditional sense and I can't even apply a good definition for the word. I believe in equality of course but I's not a passion of mine. Who knows, maybe it should be. However, there is a lot more than just a rape case going on in this book that perhaps should be equally talked about but isn't really. I for one was completely entranced with how Hartzler portrayed high schoolers. My high school experience and what I actually remember are two totally different things. I would like to remember things in a pretty, sepia toned portrait but don't. My life in high school didn't end like the lyrics of that Vitamin C song and I didn't remain friends forever with people I thought I would be. Over the years I blamed them but slowly realized after realeasing my anger and frustration that the problem wasn't them....it was me. Truth be told I just never fit in, with anyone really. And...it's ok. You grow up and you grow out and it's normal. Kate had to realize this....the problem wasn't her it was everyone else; everyone who wanted to believe the jocks, everyone who wanted to burry it, everyone who wanted to think it never happened. Kate realized she was different and she was OK with that...sometimes fitting in isn't the worst and your life can still be fulfilling and happy.

I liked how this book wasn't told from the perspective of the victim but rather an outsider and how she processed the information that was coming forward. I will say, I didn't like the fact that people started to believe Stacey until the video was released and there was physical proof but again, that is another little gem Hartzler includes in his narrative and it's uncomfortable and brilliant. I found this novel to be written impeccably and when I say I can't find fault in it, I mean it. Now, I'm no professional and didn't even major in lit in college, but I honestly found this book to be perfect in every way.

I think this is a very important novel for people to be reading and would recommend it to everyone. Even if you like it or not, it should be read and the story told.

[Joce (squibblesreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

This book not 100% perfect, but it was 100% important.

Why are girls so often told that if they just put on some more clothes that they wouldn't be "in danger of getting raped" anymore? Why are these girls just looking for attention? In so, so, so many rape cases on the news, we see them highlighting how so-and-so was a party girl, or used substances in a way that was "risky". In contrast, the rapists are framed as nice boys, ones who had futures in sports and academia. Case in point: the Steubenville High School case.

"That's just the way guys are," says Christy.

Stacey used to be Kate's friend in the 7th grade. Ben, a boy who Kate has been friends with, drives her home and makes sure she's safe after a night of drinking at a party called #Doonestown. The next day at school, a few members of the Coral Sands basketball team are arrested for Stacey's sexual assault and rape. The story is told from Kate's point of view, which I thought was smart of Aaron Hartzler, as we got to see the POV of both a female, but also someone who is part of the friend group that was accused of the crime.

We also get to know Ben a lot better, whose mother is a hoarder, a mental health diagnosis that we don't often see in YA fiction. We see his struggles dealing with a parent with mental health challenges, using the material items that she hoards to cover her pain.

Aaron Hartzler rips apart the musical Grease, which is unfortunate, because I really used to love it before I saw the misogyny in it. But it speaks to the theme of the book - ultimately, in this small community, what the lauded boys want/need is far and above the human and legal rights of the female victim.

You lose track of the lie.

By curtain call, the music has made you completely forget the whole point of the plot - the takeaway of this entire story - which is that Sandy decides that what Danny wants is more important than what she wants.

The rage and fury I felt doesn't just lie with the teachers and school staff, but also with Kate's friend group.

"Look at us, Kate. We're not like her. You're not like her."

"You don't get wasted. You don't take off your top. You don't flirt with raging drunks."

Hartzler even touched on intersectionality, introducing the character of Lindsey Chen, Kate's friend. She is Korean, one of the three Korean kids in the school, and whose parents are janitors who rely on the White population in Coral Sands for employment. Not only does she have to deal with being a female adolescent in this situation, but she also has to consider the community's view of her race and ethnicity in the context of this crime.

My one complaint was that in the midst of all of the strong feminist and progressive messages Hartzler sends, he inadvertently body shames a character, the direct quote being:

Her abs are clearly defined, the muscles in her arms ropy and straining like an aging pop star's, with too little fat on her body and too much Pilates on her schedule.

I understand why he incorporates the description, but no one deserves to be told that they have "too little fat on [their] body".

Overall, a small flaw, but enough for me to decrease my rating .5 of a star because it was so glaringly obvious and out of place among the strong, incisive messages that Hartzler sends.

[Kels · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book blew me away. The writing, the characters, the depth and development of the plot, the FEELSSSS!!!! Seriously, this is a book that needs to be passed around and shared. This is a book that will make you think twice, that will engage you, but it will also entertain you as well. It's simply fantastic.

Full RTC.