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The Pain Eater
She hadn’t told anyone. Not a single soul. Not one word about that night and what had been done to her had ever passed Maddy Malone’s lips. She’d thought about it at first - had been desperate, even frantic, to tell. But then had come the shame, and the intimidation from the boys who raped her - and the one who held her down.
Now it’s the beginning of a new school year and Maddy is hoping that she can continue to hide, making herself as quiet and small as possible. She is consumed with keeping the memories at bay, forcing them down through small cuts and the burn from the end of a cigarette. But when her English class is given the assignment of writing a collaborative novel about a fifteen-year-old girl, The Pain Eater, fact and fiction begin to meet up. When the boys spread rumors about Maddy, she realizes that continuing to hide the truth will only give them more control, and she slowly gains the courage to confront them.
Now it’s the beginning of a new school year and Maddy is hoping that she can continue to hide, making herself as quiet and small as possible. She is consumed with keeping the memories at bay, forcing them down through small cuts and the burn from the end of a cigarette. But when her English class is given the assignment of writing a collaborative novel about a fifteen-year-old girl, The Pain Eater, fact and fiction begin to meet up. When the boys spread rumors about Maddy, she realizes that continuing to hide the truth will only give them more control, and she slowly gains the courage to confront them.
236 pages, Paperback
First published September 13, 2016
32 people are currently reading
2684 people want to read
About the author
Beth Goobie
30 books77 followersBeth Goobie is best known for her quirky and dark young adult novels. She's published several of them, beginning in 1994. Her novel Before Wings won the Canadian Library Association's Young Adult Book Award in 2000, and was chosen by young readers for the Best Books list of the American Library Association.Much of the turmoil in Goobie's life has been laid bare in two books for adult readers, Scars of Light, which is autobiographical poetry, and The Only-Good Heart, a book of short stories. Both are built on the theme of cults, abuse, and emotional torture. They were, she says, both therapeutic for herself and a warning to others.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
February 6, 2017
“This novel is called The Pain Eater,” said Kara. “In the hills of Faraway, there lived a tribe that had a tradition. Once in each generation, they chose a child who had to carry the pain of everyone in the tribe. They called this child ‘the pain eater.’”
Warning: both the book and this review contain discussion about rape.
Goobie's The Pain Eater is about fifteen-year-old Maddy Malone who was raped one evening by three boys from her school, held down by another, while a fifth boy stood by and did nothing. This is the first thing we are told in the prologue and it paves the way for a searing tale about rape culture, victim-blaming, and all the reasons why rape victims don't speak up - as well as all the reasons why they should. It is somewhat inspired by the Rehtaeh Parsons rape and suicide.
It shares similarities with Speak - Maddy shrinks into herself, pushes her family and friends away, and refuses to talk about what happened to her. But Goobie has chosen a different and very effective technique here: Maddy's English class is given an assignment to collaborate on a novel by writing one chapter each, and, through this novel about 'The Pain Eater' and the class discussions following it, many parallels to Maddy's situation become obvious.
Upon entering the classroom, she’d folded herself inward like a jackknife; her goal now was to be present as little as possible. From this point onward, during English class she would not exist.
'The Pain Eater' is a fantasy character who is sentenced to literally eat the pain of her village on every full moon. Everyone else gets to live in peace by unloading their burdens onto her. Every student in Maddy's class comes to the assignment with a different style and angle. Some students sympathize with 'The Pain Eater', whilst others suggest her fate is her own fault, or even that she likes it.
Some of the messages are, admittedly, a little heavy-handed, and yet that didn't really matter to me. I feel like this book is intentionally accessible for younger - perhaps middle grade - readers. The author writes in a simple, straightforward way about the issues, and she doesn't shy away from drawing clear-cut metaphors so no one can be in doubt about what is being said.
The Pain Eater is extremely powerful and moving despite, or perhaps because of, it's simplicity. I was pulled so entirely inside Maddy's head and felt a very real fear and sadness for her.
What is especially wonderful, though, is when some classmates stand up for 'The Pain Eater', give her a voice, and humanize her. The strength that can be gained from a single ally is astounding and beautiful. I cried a little at the end, if I'm being honest.
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April 27, 2024
Graphic. Moving. Heartbreaking. Raw.
Real.
Words that encapsulates The Pain Eater, a book that has been on my TBR since seeing Emily May's review in 2017. A book following the aftermath of Maddy Malone being raped–Ken, the one who acted on it; Keith, who stood with his head back, howling; David, who stood by, frozen, not doing anything about it; Robin, who held her down; and Pete, who prowled. What follows is the plot, essentially about a story titled The Pain Eater, a made up story between the classmates that is a creative writing assignment for Maddy’s English class that is coincidentally connected with Maddy’s story. Emily May mentions that this is loosely inspired by the suicide of Rehtaeh Parsons, and the story also cites her.
She hadn’t done anything wrong. She hadn’t attacked and hurt someone else. So why was she being punished this way – shut out of ordinary human activity, all those normal parts of life like smiling, conversation, hellos and how are you’s?
The author’s decision of interweaving the plot of the story along with the timeline of Maddy’s character and life is done well. Initially, I was worried it would be difficult to pull this decision off, as the plot of the story is about Maddy, and we know this, but the characters don’t, coming across as some sort of coincidence. Regardless, in a story of barely over 200-pages, the story is emotionally gripping and moving, offering perspective on the aftermath of sexual assault. The young adult perspective of the characters is apparent, as the targeted audience of young adults isn’t hidden but is also not entirely obvious, given the fact that this story isn’t just for young adults. The Pain Eater is a perfect example of why and how young adult novels don’t have set, targeted audience, as it can be relevant to anyone of any age but is something considered worthy of reading in my opinion, with its strong themes related to rape, speaking out, and trauma. It is fictional but still real, a real-life portrayal of being a girl.
The author’s ability to pull off a little over 200 pages to showcase the journey of healing and acceptance for Maddy is written well. While I do think the ending felt a little loose and could have been done with a couple more pages to show more development, I think the journey was developed well. Maddy doesn’t heal quickly and instead absorbs her movements and healing strategies little by little. As the reader, we know the made-up story of the pain eater and Farang is connected to her, but Maddy and everyone else doesn’t, not until later on. And while this decision of writing may bother others, I found it to be a strong choice by the author. It was a way for Maddy to come to terms with what happened to her, to have the last say in how it ends, to make her own choice for what was taken from her. The story doesn’t dive deep into her trauma, which I did think was a sort of weakness the story had, but I was able to shrug it off and blame it on the fact that the story is fairly short. Still, Maddy’s reactions are evident in her actions and reactions. The reader’s perspective of her mind is helpful in understanding how she feels, offering sympathy. I also appreciated how the author didn’t make Maddy an emotionally immature teenager for what happened but instead offered references to understand her character in an interpersonal way, making it easier to understand where Maddy was coming from. I think too often many authors offer their biases in their characters, making it plainly obvious how they want us to react, but I appreciate it when it’s up to us.
It was her goodness, her own good soul – the part of her that had left her during the rape because it wasn’t able to bear what was happening. Now, finally, it had returned. Sitting down, Maddy hugged and rocked herself, welcoming the lost part of herself home.
While I wouldn’t say I enjoyed this, I would consider it a winner. Stories like this aren’t necessarily enjoyable, in my opinion, but they’re emotionally gripping, taking my attention into full level. I was rooting for Maddy the entire way. It’s a mix of character driven and plot driven. And since it is a contemporary of a teenage girl in high school, there isn’t much room of plot that isn’t related to teen angst, which is what this story sticks to. Still, the plot relies heavily on the story of the pain eater and Farang, where we as the readers learn about this made-up character, following her along with Maddy’s own struggles.
That being said, as I said before, I do think the ending was a little loose. I wish we could’ve had more closure on what happened to Maddy but also the boys at fault–Ken, David, Pete, Keith, and Robbie. Me personally, I love it when justice is served, and it felt like justice was about to be served here. It felt like Maddy was getting the ending she deserved but wasn’t there yet, and not because she couldn’t but because the decision to not give it to her now wasn’t there. We know about the cops being involved and an investigation about to be done, but what about it? What happens next? Plus, even Maddy giving Farang the ending, we’re never really told that everyone knows the truth about what happened, despite the rumors and what people have been hearing. More like, we have an idea of what happened. Adding on to that, I wish there had been more development on Maddy’s trauma. I’m no professional, so it’s not that I want to say she has PTSD, but we know she has…something. Her nightmares and flashbacks, her flinches, her self-harm, her artistry, the depression taking over her little by little, no longer being into what she was into before, etc,. It felt like there were things missing to her character, offering a loose glimpse into her character arc. It may be that the author wanted to focus more on her character healing and the journey she goes through, but I think the author had room for more character development related to who Maddy was as a whole and her personality.
Despite that, I think this story is eye-opening. There’s family support, a sisterly bond, a trio friendship slowly unfolding, the usual high school backfires, and a look into things related to victim blaming, slut shaming, popular kids, and why many victims don’t speak out. Personally, some of the things related to the teenagers that were Maddy’s classmates felt accurate. While nothing like this happened at my school, it was easily imaginable, although disturbing. Still recommended for anyone looking into a more strong, emotional YA contemporary.
But who cared about soul stones in this day and age? Who cared about truth, and what really happened, especially if knowing the truth brought pain?
Words that encapsulates The Pain Eater, a book that has been on my TBR since seeing Emily May's review in 2017. A book following the aftermath of Maddy Malone being raped–Ken, the one who acted on it; Keith, who stood with his head back, howling; David, who stood by, frozen, not doing anything about it; Robin, who held her down; and Pete, who prowled. What follows is the plot, essentially about a story titled The Pain Eater, a made up story between the classmates that is a creative writing assignment for Maddy’s English class that is coincidentally connected with Maddy’s story. Emily May mentions that this is loosely inspired by the suicide of Rehtaeh Parsons, and the story also cites her.
She hadn’t done anything wrong. She hadn’t attacked and hurt someone else. So why was she being punished this way – shut out of ordinary human activity, all those normal parts of life like smiling, conversation, hellos and how are you’s?
The author’s decision of interweaving the plot of the story along with the timeline of Maddy’s character and life is done well. Initially, I was worried it would be difficult to pull this decision off, as the plot of the story is about Maddy, and we know this, but the characters don’t, coming across as some sort of coincidence. Regardless, in a story of barely over 200-pages, the story is emotionally gripping and moving, offering perspective on the aftermath of sexual assault. The young adult perspective of the characters is apparent, as the targeted audience of young adults isn’t hidden but is also not entirely obvious, given the fact that this story isn’t just for young adults. The Pain Eater is a perfect example of why and how young adult novels don’t have set, targeted audience, as it can be relevant to anyone of any age but is something considered worthy of reading in my opinion, with its strong themes related to rape, speaking out, and trauma. It is fictional but still real, a real-life portrayal of being a girl.
The author’s ability to pull off a little over 200 pages to showcase the journey of healing and acceptance for Maddy is written well. While I do think the ending felt a little loose and could have been done with a couple more pages to show more development, I think the journey was developed well. Maddy doesn’t heal quickly and instead absorbs her movements and healing strategies little by little. As the reader, we know the made-up story of the pain eater and Farang is connected to her, but Maddy and everyone else doesn’t, not until later on. And while this decision of writing may bother others, I found it to be a strong choice by the author. It was a way for Maddy to come to terms with what happened to her, to have the last say in how it ends, to make her own choice for what was taken from her. The story doesn’t dive deep into her trauma, which I did think was a sort of weakness the story had, but I was able to shrug it off and blame it on the fact that the story is fairly short. Still, Maddy’s reactions are evident in her actions and reactions. The reader’s perspective of her mind is helpful in understanding how she feels, offering sympathy. I also appreciated how the author didn’t make Maddy an emotionally immature teenager for what happened but instead offered references to understand her character in an interpersonal way, making it easier to understand where Maddy was coming from. I think too often many authors offer their biases in their characters, making it plainly obvious how they want us to react, but I appreciate it when it’s up to us.
It was her goodness, her own good soul – the part of her that had left her during the rape because it wasn’t able to bear what was happening. Now, finally, it had returned. Sitting down, Maddy hugged and rocked herself, welcoming the lost part of herself home.
While I wouldn’t say I enjoyed this, I would consider it a winner. Stories like this aren’t necessarily enjoyable, in my opinion, but they’re emotionally gripping, taking my attention into full level. I was rooting for Maddy the entire way. It’s a mix of character driven and plot driven. And since it is a contemporary of a teenage girl in high school, there isn’t much room of plot that isn’t related to teen angst, which is what this story sticks to. Still, the plot relies heavily on the story of the pain eater and Farang, where we as the readers learn about this made-up character, following her along with Maddy’s own struggles.
That being said, as I said before, I do think the ending was a little loose. I wish we could’ve had more closure on what happened to Maddy but also the boys at fault–Ken, David, Pete, Keith, and Robbie. Me personally, I love it when justice is served, and it felt like justice was about to be served here. It felt like Maddy was getting the ending she deserved but wasn’t there yet, and not because she couldn’t but because the decision to not give it to her now wasn’t there. We know about the cops being involved and an investigation about to be done, but what about it? What happens next? Plus, even Maddy giving Farang the ending, we’re never really told that everyone knows the truth about what happened, despite the rumors and what people have been hearing. More like, we have an idea of what happened. Adding on to that, I wish there had been more development on Maddy’s trauma. I’m no professional, so it’s not that I want to say she has PTSD, but we know she has…something. Her nightmares and flashbacks, her flinches, her self-harm, her artistry, the depression taking over her little by little, no longer being into what she was into before, etc,. It felt like there were things missing to her character, offering a loose glimpse into her character arc. It may be that the author wanted to focus more on her character healing and the journey she goes through, but I think the author had room for more character development related to who Maddy was as a whole and her personality.
Despite that, I think this story is eye-opening. There’s family support, a sisterly bond, a trio friendship slowly unfolding, the usual high school backfires, and a look into things related to victim blaming, slut shaming, popular kids, and why many victims don’t speak out. Personally, some of the things related to the teenagers that were Maddy’s classmates felt accurate. While nothing like this happened at my school, it was easily imaginable, although disturbing. Still recommended for anyone looking into a more strong, emotional YA contemporary.
But who cared about soul stones in this day and age? Who cared about truth, and what really happened, especially if knowing the truth brought pain?
August 22, 2019
3.5 stars
“She was just a smudge of nothingness these days- a blur of silence that everyone ignored.”
The Pain eater follows a girl named Maddy Malone, who at the age of fourteen was raped by a group of boys from her school. She hasn’t told a single person about what happened, hoping to sink into the background and go about school unnoticed. That is until Maddy’s English teacher assigns a group novel-writing project. She thinks that reading her chapter to the class might be enough to reveal the truth.
This book dealt with various important topics, such as victim blaming and the fear that comes with speaking out. The Pain Eater is also the first time I’ve read a book that is focused on a rape victim.
While the main storyline and Maddy’s character was great, there were a few things that ultimately brought this book down.
For one, the popular girl stereotype. Two of the popular girls in Maddy’s school were trying to influence people writing the next chapter of the class novel so it’d go their way, hopefully pissing off the ‘smart girl’. For me, this alternate plot really took the spotlight off of rape for a bit, and made this feel like a cliché high school drama, which I didn’t like.
I feel that I’ve learned a lot about the way victim’s feel, and Maddy was a great demonstration of just that. This was an impressively eye opening novel, and I can certainly appreciate that.
The family aspect was really powerful at times, and more than anything I wanted Maddy to regain the relationship she had with her sister and parents before the rape. It was difficult to realize, that a part of someone is taken away from them when things like this happen. Maddy was lost, unknown to even herself, and more than anything, she wanted herself back.
“We have to move forward. We have to believe change is possible.”
“She was just a smudge of nothingness these days- a blur of silence that everyone ignored.”
The Pain eater follows a girl named Maddy Malone, who at the age of fourteen was raped by a group of boys from her school. She hasn’t told a single person about what happened, hoping to sink into the background and go about school unnoticed. That is until Maddy’s English teacher assigns a group novel-writing project. She thinks that reading her chapter to the class might be enough to reveal the truth.
This book dealt with various important topics, such as victim blaming and the fear that comes with speaking out. The Pain Eater is also the first time I’ve read a book that is focused on a rape victim.
While the main storyline and Maddy’s character was great, there were a few things that ultimately brought this book down.
For one, the popular girl stereotype. Two of the popular girls in Maddy’s school were trying to influence people writing the next chapter of the class novel so it’d go their way, hopefully pissing off the ‘smart girl’. For me, this alternate plot really took the spotlight off of rape for a bit, and made this feel like a cliché high school drama, which I didn’t like.
I feel that I’ve learned a lot about the way victim’s feel, and Maddy was a great demonstration of just that. This was an impressively eye opening novel, and I can certainly appreciate that.
The family aspect was really powerful at times, and more than anything I wanted Maddy to regain the relationship she had with her sister and parents before the rape. It was difficult to realize, that a part of someone is taken away from them when things like this happen. Maddy was lost, unknown to even herself, and more than anything, she wanted herself back.
“We have to move forward. We have to believe change is possible.”
June 13, 2016
The book opens with the rape of fourteen year old Maddy by three of her schoolmates. She tells nobody.
One year later, Maddy's pain is too much to bear. She burns herself in an attempt to cope with how bad she feels. She is used to keeping her head down and being invisible. Over the year since the attack, Maddy has worked out the identities of her attackers and things come to a head when she finds herself in English class with two of them.
The class are set an intriguing task-a collaborative story. And so begins a fascinating story.
As much about the creative act of writing as it is about Maddy's brave decision to finally speak about what happened, this novel is powerful. Like a number of books on this topic, I feel this should be a must-read for teenagers.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is one book I'll be urging my students to consider when it's published.
One year later, Maddy's pain is too much to bear. She burns herself in an attempt to cope with how bad she feels. She is used to keeping her head down and being invisible. Over the year since the attack, Maddy has worked out the identities of her attackers and things come to a head when she finds herself in English class with two of them.
The class are set an intriguing task-a collaborative story. And so begins a fascinating story.
As much about the creative act of writing as it is about Maddy's brave decision to finally speak about what happened, this novel is powerful. Like a number of books on this topic, I feel this should be a must-read for teenagers.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is one book I'll be urging my students to consider when it's published.
January 14, 2023
"Because I'm not eating your pain anymore. And I'm not eating my silence anymore, either. Silence is a poison and it's not a good poison."
a very heavy and moving story. it was hard to read at times, so please check the trigger warnings beforehand.
a very heavy and moving story. it was hard to read at times, so please check the trigger warnings beforehand.
February 10, 2017
Holy. Shit. This book... I will write my review as soon as I have processed what I just read. What I will say though is 1. Tears 2. Important.
Okay, actual review:
*Thanks NetGalley for an ARC of this book, however, all opinions are my own*
This book opens up as Maddy Malone is getting gang raped. This is the prologue. So, obvious trigger warnings for rape but also self-harm.
Maddy Malone is fifteen years old when part of her soul is stolen from her. She becomes a shell of her old self and that much is apparent to, well, everyone. She tells no one and internalizes all the shame and guilt and pain that too often accompanies these types of traumas. When the memory begins to overcome her, she pushes it down by bringing her mind to the real world via self-harm. Now, when she was raped, her perpetrators were wearing masks from the school play. Seven months later, here we are, and she has identified 3/5 of these boys and successfully avoided them. Until the new school year begins.
The Pain Eater is really a book within a book - in Maddy's English class this year, they have to write a story collectively as a class. It is up to the first person on the list, Kara, to come up with an idea for said story. This is where The Pain Eater is born. This is where Maddy realizes she has to sit in a classroom with multiple of her rapists.
This story explores everything from peer pressure, to PTSD, victim blaming, slut shaming, bullying, grief, family, and more.
Now, this isn't usually how I would review a book, but there are things I feel the need to address as a sexual assault survivor.
Maddy's view on therapists. I've seen some comments about how people don't appreciate this and trust me, I get it, I do. BUT, I get Maddy's side as well. When you go through something like this, it can be very hard to accept. You don't want to talk about it because talking about it makes it real. I don't think Maddy truly believes that only crazy people see therapists, it's just a coping mechanism to avoid talking about her trauma.
Her rapists bullying her months later. This isn't out of the norm. They had power over her and were only now realizing just how much power since they were seeing her in class on a regular basis. They wanted to watch her squirm and be submissive to them because they could see just how fucked up and distraught she was. I wasn't surprised at this at all.
Her mannerisms. She folded into herself. She was very skittish and paranoid and would do things like dig her thumb into her opposite hand to keep grounded. All of these things seemed genuine and not exaggerated. People deal with things differently and it was very believable.
She healed on her own time. It took months but she did it on her own. She had some encouragement from a couple of friends and family but she found a way to do it. No, she didn't go to a therapist but neither did I. I found my own way to heal and that's all that matters - healing. And without a boy to sweep her off her feet and tell her it was all going to be okay. No, on her own. I've never been so happy to see myself in a character in this way but holy shit, did I feel proud. I did it, Maddy did it, we fucking did it.
All in all, I think the representation in this book was spot on and I cannot recommend it enough.
Okay, actual review:
*Thanks NetGalley for an ARC of this book, however, all opinions are my own*
This book opens up as Maddy Malone is getting gang raped. This is the prologue. So, obvious trigger warnings for rape but also self-harm.
Maddy Malone is fifteen years old when part of her soul is stolen from her. She becomes a shell of her old self and that much is apparent to, well, everyone. She tells no one and internalizes all the shame and guilt and pain that too often accompanies these types of traumas. When the memory begins to overcome her, she pushes it down by bringing her mind to the real world via self-harm. Now, when she was raped, her perpetrators were wearing masks from the school play. Seven months later, here we are, and she has identified 3/5 of these boys and successfully avoided them. Until the new school year begins.
The Pain Eater is really a book within a book - in Maddy's English class this year, they have to write a story collectively as a class. It is up to the first person on the list, Kara, to come up with an idea for said story. This is where The Pain Eater is born. This is where Maddy realizes she has to sit in a classroom with multiple of her rapists.
This story explores everything from peer pressure, to PTSD, victim blaming, slut shaming, bullying, grief, family, and more.
Now, this isn't usually how I would review a book, but there are things I feel the need to address as a sexual assault survivor.
Maddy's view on therapists. I've seen some comments about how people don't appreciate this and trust me, I get it, I do. BUT, I get Maddy's side as well. When you go through something like this, it can be very hard to accept. You don't want to talk about it because talking about it makes it real. I don't think Maddy truly believes that only crazy people see therapists, it's just a coping mechanism to avoid talking about her trauma.
Her rapists bullying her months later. This isn't out of the norm. They had power over her and were only now realizing just how much power since they were seeing her in class on a regular basis. They wanted to watch her squirm and be submissive to them because they could see just how fucked up and distraught she was. I wasn't surprised at this at all.
Her mannerisms. She folded into herself. She was very skittish and paranoid and would do things like dig her thumb into her opposite hand to keep grounded. All of these things seemed genuine and not exaggerated. People deal with things differently and it was very believable.
She healed on her own time. It took months but she did it on her own. She had some encouragement from a couple of friends and family but she found a way to do it. No, she didn't go to a therapist but neither did I. I found my own way to heal and that's all that matters - healing. And without a boy to sweep her off her feet and tell her it was all going to be okay. No, on her own. I've never been so happy to see myself in a character in this way but holy shit, did I feel proud. I did it, Maddy did it, we fucking did it.
All in all, I think the representation in this book was spot on and I cannot recommend it enough.
April 5, 2017
I was worried about reading this due to the subject matter, but I'd heard it was good, so I gave it a shot and I'm happy I did. The juxtaposition of the "Pain Eater" story with Maddy's life was powerful and fascinating. To me, it showed how fiction can sometimes convey truth of emotion better than nonfiction. Small spoiler, I would have liked an epilogue to find out what happened with the case, but the ending worked because you got the feeling that no matter what happened, Maddy was going to be okay.
Content warning: description of rape (though not graphic, just disturbing), some strong language, and some sexual bullying
2017 challenge: a book that is a story within a story
Content warning: description of rape (though not graphic, just disturbing), some strong language, and some sexual bullying
2017 challenge: a book that is a story within a story
July 21, 2016
I received this ARC from NetGalley one exchange for my honest review.
I am going to be the black sheep here. Everyone else seemed to love this book and I'm sorry, but I just didn't.
Maddy is gang raped one night after a school play. Five boys are involved; three boys rape her, one holds her down and one watches from afar. For a book about a girl who is raped, I just didn't feel much in terms of emotion. Maybe the fact that I have read so many books on the subject has ruined me. But I just found it dry. When Maddy was talking about how she had changed, I wish the author had showed me instead of told me. The author kind of wrote a couple of paragraphs about symptoms that a lot of rape victims have and I would have rather Maddy experience those things directly, if that makes any sense. Now Maddy has amazing parents that are very loving and very worried about her because they can tell that something is wrong. I didn't like her sister though. Her sister has once conversation with Maddy about how worried she is and when Maddy doesn't tell her what's wrong, she gets mad and stops speaking to her. Really? So your sister (whom you supposedly love and are supposedly so worried about) is going through something and because she doesn't tell you right away, you decide to pull away and stop talking to her? That annoyed me so much.
Here's something else that annoyed me: Maddy's view on therapists. Maybe it's my counseling background, but I saw red. Her parents suggested a therapist and Maddy acted like therapy was only for crazy people who were seeing things and hallucinating and acting like zombies. I get why she didn't want to go. She didn't want the therapist to try and get the story out of her. But for Maddy to completely rail against therapy like that made me so mad. Oh and she never changed her opinion on that and never went to therapy. Fabulous.
I didn't really understand the boys who raped her. I mean, I don't generally get rapists anyway. But these guys were wearing masks the night of the rape and have no idea if she can identify them or not, but they start to bully her and basically reveal themselves SEVEN months later. Really? If they were going to do that, why didn't they do that right after? I guess that part didn't make any sense to me.
I did like a few things about this book (besides the amazingly supportive parents). First, the title of this comes from a collective novel in Maddy's English class where each student took turns writing a chapter. I thought that was a pretty cool assignment and the story was interesting, especially the twists that the students put on it. Of course it became a huge metaphor for Maddy's life. What I really liked . . . no, LOVED . . . about this book was that there was NO ROMANCE!! In other books where a girl has been raped, there is usually guy involved who tries to make the girl get over her rape and all that. But not this time. Instead, there was friendship. Maddy developed a great friendship with a couple of girls and THAT was what helped her move on. I loved that.
All in all, while there were a few good things about this one, I just had more issues with it than I would have liked. I wouldn't recommend this one.
I am going to be the black sheep here. Everyone else seemed to love this book and I'm sorry, but I just didn't.
Maddy is gang raped one night after a school play. Five boys are involved; three boys rape her, one holds her down and one watches from afar. For a book about a girl who is raped, I just didn't feel much in terms of emotion. Maybe the fact that I have read so many books on the subject has ruined me. But I just found it dry. When Maddy was talking about how she had changed, I wish the author had showed me instead of told me. The author kind of wrote a couple of paragraphs about symptoms that a lot of rape victims have and I would have rather Maddy experience those things directly, if that makes any sense. Now Maddy has amazing parents that are very loving and very worried about her because they can tell that something is wrong. I didn't like her sister though. Her sister has once conversation with Maddy about how worried she is and when Maddy doesn't tell her what's wrong, she gets mad and stops speaking to her. Really? So your sister (whom you supposedly love and are supposedly so worried about) is going through something and because she doesn't tell you right away, you decide to pull away and stop talking to her? That annoyed me so much.
Here's something else that annoyed me: Maddy's view on therapists. Maybe it's my counseling background, but I saw red. Her parents suggested a therapist and Maddy acted like therapy was only for crazy people who were seeing things and hallucinating and acting like zombies. I get why she didn't want to go. She didn't want the therapist to try and get the story out of her. But for Maddy to completely rail against therapy like that made me so mad. Oh and she never changed her opinion on that and never went to therapy. Fabulous.
I didn't really understand the boys who raped her. I mean, I don't generally get rapists anyway. But these guys were wearing masks the night of the rape and have no idea if she can identify them or not, but they start to bully her and basically reveal themselves SEVEN months later. Really? If they were going to do that, why didn't they do that right after? I guess that part didn't make any sense to me.
I did like a few things about this book (besides the amazingly supportive parents). First, the title of this comes from a collective novel in Maddy's English class where each student took turns writing a chapter. I thought that was a pretty cool assignment and the story was interesting, especially the twists that the students put on it. Of course it became a huge metaphor for Maddy's life. What I really liked . . . no, LOVED . . . about this book was that there was NO ROMANCE!! In other books where a girl has been raped, there is usually guy involved who tries to make the girl get over her rape and all that. But not this time. Instead, there was friendship. Maddy developed a great friendship with a couple of girls and THAT was what helped her move on. I loved that.
All in all, while there were a few good things about this one, I just had more issues with it than I would have liked. I wouldn't recommend this one.
July 16, 2019
"Because I'm not eating your pain anymore. And I'm not eating my silence anymore, either. Silence is a poison and it's not a good poison."
Wow just wow...
My sister mentioned this book to me and I'm so glad I decided to read it. This was such a moving story and I loved it so fucking much.
Beth Goobie tells the story of fifteen-year-old Maddy Malone who was gang raped by a group of boys. It talks about her struggles to speak up about what happened and her shame associated with the rape. In her 10th grade English class, her teacher assigns the class to write a class story. Each person in the class writes a chapter of the story until it's finished. The topic of the story that the first person chose to write about is about a "pain eater" who is a person that the people in the story's tribe feed their pain to.
This book was so powerful and meant so much to me. No words can describe how much this book resonated with me and made me feel all of the feels. I just loved and empathized with Mandy and all she went though and how strong she became at the end. Most of the people in her class made me want to find the ability to somehow punch them through the pages but I resisted that urge in fear of hurting the wonderful pages. Overall, although I only have three working brain cells, even they could tell what a beautiful book this is. If I could rate this with a million stars I would.
June 15, 2016
Maddie was gang raped after a play last school year, she didn't tell anyone and now that the new school year has begun she's not faring well. She's internalized her pain and has begun abusing herself. She has figured out 3 of the boys who raped her and is startled to find that one is in her English class. As the semester progresses, her English teacher assigns a collectively written story with each student supplying a short chapter. What Maddie begins to realize is that some of her classmates see her as the "pain eater" for all the troubles they have. As long as Maddie can be blamed and forced to quietly bear their shame, they don't have to feel guilty. Throughout the course of the novel, Maddie has to look long and hard inside herself to find out if she has the courage to stand up to the bullies/rapists/passive bystanders and set herself free. This is a deep novel with plenty of room for discussion.
February 27, 2017
* Received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much! This doesn’t affect the review in any way. My opinions, are as always, my own.*
Wow.
That pretty much describes everything I have to say about this book.
I never go much for this type of books because they make me a bit uncomfortable. But this book was incredibly amazing! It was emotionally a heavy read. But it was so realistic, so powerful, so sad and most of all, so cleverly told! And that's the way I didn't want to do a synopsis, other than the one we have from Goodreads. I started reading the book without knowing more than that and it just blew my mind. And that's what I want to happen with you guys too!
This story talks about rape in a very unique way. The story is slightly inspired by the rape and suicide of Rehtaeh Parsons. And right in the beginning we know what happened to Maddy Malone. A fifteen years old girl that was raped by three boys from her school, while a fourth held her down, and a fifth boy stood by watching and did nothing.
After that we see Maddy's life changing, we see her feelings, her battles and her fears. She refuses to talk hoping that it will go away, she pushes away everyone that cares about her, tries to go unnoticed. She is publicly shamed with the so current phrases: "she was asking for it", "she even liked it", "she is a slut", all the things that make the victim unable to speak up. Some of the phases people who suffered it may experience.
But here's where it gets interesting. In this book, we have a story inside a story. In Maddy's english class, the class is given an assignment to collaborate on a novel by writing one chapter each - The Pain Eater - followed by a group discussion. The story will have many similarities to how Maddy feels and some of the chapters will be undoubtedly about her.
The main thing about The Pain Eater, is the character created by the class. She is a girl who is sentenced to literally eat the pain of the village on every full moon. But the rest of them diverge. And every persons sees the Pain Eater differently.
I really enjoyed the writing in this book, it was very accessible and simple without losing it's strength. It made me cry and it made me angry and afraid. It shows, above all, the victims side very clearly. The why they don't speak up, how far can a raper go, how they sometimes start doubting themselves, how their soul is taken away in that moment. But it also talks about why they should speak up, why they should trust their loved ones and that nothing good comes from hiding.
I really likes Maddy and I really sympathized for her. I really felt her pain and I loved how in the end something so tiny as a story and some friends can contribute so much to help a person.
This is definitely a must read. It's a very simple story but it's wonderfully told and I would recommend it to everybody.
Wow.
That pretty much describes everything I have to say about this book.
I never go much for this type of books because they make me a bit uncomfortable. But this book was incredibly amazing! It was emotionally a heavy read. But it was so realistic, so powerful, so sad and most of all, so cleverly told! And that's the way I didn't want to do a synopsis, other than the one we have from Goodreads. I started reading the book without knowing more than that and it just blew my mind. And that's what I want to happen with you guys too!
This story talks about rape in a very unique way. The story is slightly inspired by the rape and suicide of Rehtaeh Parsons. And right in the beginning we know what happened to Maddy Malone. A fifteen years old girl that was raped by three boys from her school, while a fourth held her down, and a fifth boy stood by watching and did nothing.
After that we see Maddy's life changing, we see her feelings, her battles and her fears. She refuses to talk hoping that it will go away, she pushes away everyone that cares about her, tries to go unnoticed. She is publicly shamed with the so current phrases: "she was asking for it", "she even liked it", "she is a slut", all the things that make the victim unable to speak up. Some of the phases people who suffered it may experience.
But here's where it gets interesting. In this book, we have a story inside a story. In Maddy's english class, the class is given an assignment to collaborate on a novel by writing one chapter each - The Pain Eater - followed by a group discussion. The story will have many similarities to how Maddy feels and some of the chapters will be undoubtedly about her.
The main thing about The Pain Eater, is the character created by the class. She is a girl who is sentenced to literally eat the pain of the village on every full moon. But the rest of them diverge. And every persons sees the Pain Eater differently.
I really enjoyed the writing in this book, it was very accessible and simple without losing it's strength. It made me cry and it made me angry and afraid. It shows, above all, the victims side very clearly. The why they don't speak up, how far can a raper go, how they sometimes start doubting themselves, how their soul is taken away in that moment. But it also talks about why they should speak up, why they should trust their loved ones and that nothing good comes from hiding.
I really likes Maddy and I really sympathized for her. I really felt her pain and I loved how in the end something so tiny as a story and some friends can contribute so much to help a person.
This is definitely a must read. It's a very simple story but it's wonderfully told and I would recommend it to everybody.
May 3, 2024
This is an important story about pain, cruelty, suffering, and our capacity to emerge from that. Though Beth Goobie is known as a youth fiction writer, this is a story for adults as well. Sadly, the book itself has been censored from some school libraries. What a pity! It covers important themes and truths about things that happen in the world. Bullying and cruelty are not absent just because a system chooses to censor a story. I highly recommend this book.
February 21, 2024
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book is an incredibly painful read because of the traumatic events that Maddy has lived through (and continues to relive). Maddy has become a shell of herself ever since she was raped—she barely speaks, never makes eye contact, and causes herself physical pain in order to block out the emotional turmoil she’s constantly experiencing. She’s tried so hard to forget—but she can’t.
The book follows Maddy’s emotional journey and healing, and her story is paired with a class project: a short story that the the class is writing together (each student writes a chapter) about a girl who is forced to “eat” (basically, endure) the pain of the people of her village. The parallels are obvious, and the story soon becomes an allegory for Maddy’s situation. She is expected to suffer in silence, threatened with further reprisal if she speaks. The story is painful but powerful.
I did have a couple of small issues with the book. First of all, Maddy views the idea of seeking psychological help very negatively (she doesn’t want to be viewed as “crazy”), and her opinion doesn’t evolve in any way. Instead, she finds healing through art. While I do think art can have therapeutic properties, I was saddened by the negative portrayal of counseling and I had a hard time with the idea that only art would be necessary to help her find healing. The second issue I had was with the fact that the teacher seemed to be overly permissive with her students’ story—I felt like some things were expressed in the story that were pretty inappropriate in a school setting and I didn’t understand why the teacher wouldn’t address it more.
Overall, I found this to be a powerful read, full of pain but also portraying hope for healing. I give it 4/5 Stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
This book is an incredibly painful read because of the traumatic events that Maddy has lived through (and continues to relive). Maddy has become a shell of herself ever since she was raped—she barely speaks, never makes eye contact, and causes herself physical pain in order to block out the emotional turmoil she’s constantly experiencing. She’s tried so hard to forget—but she can’t.
The book follows Maddy’s emotional journey and healing, and her story is paired with a class project: a short story that the the class is writing together (each student writes a chapter) about a girl who is forced to “eat” (basically, endure) the pain of the people of her village. The parallels are obvious, and the story soon becomes an allegory for Maddy’s situation. She is expected to suffer in silence, threatened with further reprisal if she speaks. The story is painful but powerful.
I did have a couple of small issues with the book. First of all, Maddy views the idea of seeking psychological help very negatively (she doesn’t want to be viewed as “crazy”), and her opinion doesn’t evolve in any way. Instead, she finds healing through art. While I do think art can have therapeutic properties, I was saddened by the negative portrayal of counseling and I had a hard time with the idea that only art would be necessary to help her find healing. The second issue I had was with the fact that the teacher seemed to be overly permissive with her students’ story—I felt like some things were expressed in the story that were pretty inappropriate in a school setting and I didn’t understand why the teacher wouldn’t address it more.
Overall, I found this to be a powerful read, full of pain but also portraying hope for healing. I give it 4/5 Stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
March 26, 2017
WOW! Talk about intense. This book is a story within a story. Once you start reading it you will understand what I mean.
The Pain Eater is a story about a young girl named Maddy who has her innocence taken away and feels she has to stay quiet and try to let it go. However, the people responsible will not let her forget.
She struggles through her young life trying to come to terms with her feelings and wondering if she will EVER be the same again.
Then something amazing happens........two girls in her English class befriend her and help her see she is worth so much more than she gives herself credit for and Maddy starts to really believe.
And they give her one gift she will never be able to forget...........the last chapter in the story within this story.
The Pain Eater is a story about a young girl named Maddy who has her innocence taken away and feels she has to stay quiet and try to let it go. However, the people responsible will not let her forget.
She struggles through her young life trying to come to terms with her feelings and wondering if she will EVER be the same again.
Then something amazing happens........two girls in her English class befriend her and help her see she is worth so much more than she gives herself credit for and Maddy starts to really believe.
And they give her one gift she will never be able to forget...........the last chapter in the story within this story.
April 10, 2020
TRIGGER WARNING: RAPE AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT
There is no word strong enough for how much I hate this book.
My school happened to pick this book for me to annotate it for my AP English program. Failure to do so would have resulted in immediate removal of the program. Like the good student I am, I annotated it. It took me so long because I procrastinated it. I did everything in my power to get out of doing it so I could just not read this book. In the end, I had to, but that's not the point.
Reading this book made me anxious. It gave me pangs of fear in my stomach every time I wanted to turn the page. This wasn't because the book was good. It was because it was too real.
What happened to Maddy Malone could happen to me or my friends every day. I am afraid to go outside at night. I am afraid of reading or listening to music on public transport. I need to have eyes everywhere, even on the back of my head. All because I do not want to end up like Maddy.
What happened to Maddy could easily happen to me in the city that I live in, the biggest city in Canada. In a city of 2.8 million people, there are plenty of Maddys. I just have to be grateful that I'm not one of them. In a city of 2.8 million people, there are plenty of Masked Avengers. I have to be grateful that I haven't been a victim and I have to be alert. In a city of 2.8 million people, not a lot of them care. That's the issue.
Anger boils in my stomach every time I open the book. Not just because of the contents, but because my school chose this damn book. Did they not think that they could have multiple Maddy Malones in their classes? Did they not think that this book could be potentially triggering to multiple people? Did they not think at all? I am ashamed and disappointed with my school. There is no word strong enough to describe how I feel about this book.
There was no part that I enjoyed. The review on the cover speaks of "emotional intensity." I say that the person who reviewed it has no idea, no goddamn idea, on what we, girls (and some boys), go through every time we leave the house. Not knowing if we're going to come back safe and unharmed. In a city like mine, bullets fly. People get kidnapped. People end up like Maddy Malone. People care about the bullets, the deaths and the kidnappings, but as soon as someone ends up like Maddy Malone, that care seems to be thrown out the window. "She initiated it," "What was she wearing?" "She shouldn't have been out at night," "She shouldn't have been drinking."
All I hear from these cases are what SHE was doing. Not the fact that she was raped. They say that she was dressing too "slutty." Can't women wear what they want to wear? They say that she shouldn't have been out at night. Why are men allowed out at night and not us? Why is it such a problem for us to be out at night? They say that she shouldn't have been drinking. Are women not allowed to drink anymore? Maybe men shouldn't be out at night, maybe men shouldn't be drinking. If men are so concerned about being labelled as "rapists" and "sexual abusers," maybe they shouldn't rape and sexually abuse. Just a thought.
There should at least have been a trigger warning on the first page. If somebody picked up the book for school, as I did, and didn't have time to read the back for the little summary and just flipped it open when they got home, they wouldn't know what they were getting into. The first two sentences say that Maddy was raped, and the prologue describes it. Very triggering for some people, if you ask me.
I don't know what possessed Beth Goobie to write this, but I hope she never writes one (at least like this) ever again. And the feelings that I speak of are the ones of someone who hasn't been sexually assaulted. Imagine if I had been. I might not be here to write this review.
I would have never willingly read this book and I look forward to never reading it ever again. I DO NOT recommend it, especially if you have a history of being sexually assaulted. If you don't, I don't recommend it to you either.
If I could rate this 0 stars, I would, but I can't, so one will have to do.
There is no word strong enough for how much I hate this book.
My school happened to pick this book for me to annotate it for my AP English program. Failure to do so would have resulted in immediate removal of the program. Like the good student I am, I annotated it. It took me so long because I procrastinated it. I did everything in my power to get out of doing it so I could just not read this book. In the end, I had to, but that's not the point.
Reading this book made me anxious. It gave me pangs of fear in my stomach every time I wanted to turn the page. This wasn't because the book was good. It was because it was too real.
What happened to Maddy Malone could happen to me or my friends every day. I am afraid to go outside at night. I am afraid of reading or listening to music on public transport. I need to have eyes everywhere, even on the back of my head. All because I do not want to end up like Maddy.
What happened to Maddy could easily happen to me in the city that I live in, the biggest city in Canada. In a city of 2.8 million people, there are plenty of Maddys. I just have to be grateful that I'm not one of them. In a city of 2.8 million people, there are plenty of Masked Avengers. I have to be grateful that I haven't been a victim and I have to be alert. In a city of 2.8 million people, not a lot of them care. That's the issue.
Anger boils in my stomach every time I open the book. Not just because of the contents, but because my school chose this damn book. Did they not think that they could have multiple Maddy Malones in their classes? Did they not think that this book could be potentially triggering to multiple people? Did they not think at all? I am ashamed and disappointed with my school. There is no word strong enough to describe how I feel about this book.
There was no part that I enjoyed. The review on the cover speaks of "emotional intensity." I say that the person who reviewed it has no idea, no goddamn idea, on what we, girls (and some boys), go through every time we leave the house. Not knowing if we're going to come back safe and unharmed. In a city like mine, bullets fly. People get kidnapped. People end up like Maddy Malone. People care about the bullets, the deaths and the kidnappings, but as soon as someone ends up like Maddy Malone, that care seems to be thrown out the window. "She initiated it," "What was she wearing?" "She shouldn't have been out at night," "She shouldn't have been drinking."
All I hear from these cases are what SHE was doing. Not the fact that she was raped. They say that she was dressing too "slutty." Can't women wear what they want to wear? They say that she shouldn't have been out at night. Why are men allowed out at night and not us? Why is it such a problem for us to be out at night? They say that she shouldn't have been drinking. Are women not allowed to drink anymore? Maybe men shouldn't be out at night, maybe men shouldn't be drinking. If men are so concerned about being labelled as "rapists" and "sexual abusers," maybe they shouldn't rape and sexually abuse. Just a thought.
There should at least have been a trigger warning on the first page. If somebody picked up the book for school, as I did, and didn't have time to read the back for the little summary and just flipped it open when they got home, they wouldn't know what they were getting into. The first two sentences say that Maddy was raped, and the prologue describes it. Very triggering for some people, if you ask me.
I don't know what possessed Beth Goobie to write this, but I hope she never writes one (at least like this) ever again. And the feelings that I speak of are the ones of someone who hasn't been sexually assaulted. Imagine if I had been. I might not be here to write this review.
I would have never willingly read this book and I look forward to never reading it ever again. I DO NOT recommend it, especially if you have a history of being sexually assaulted. If you don't, I don't recommend it to you either.
If I could rate this 0 stars, I would, but I can't, so one will have to do.
March 9, 2017
"You make someone else eat your pain (...). You kick the dog or pick on your little brother, and then you feel better. Why is that? How can hurting someone else take away your own hurt?"
14-year old Maddie is raped by 3 boys from her school. The fourth one is holding her and the fifth one just watches. That's the very beginning of the book. For months she doesn't say anything. She withdrew from life. With the beginnig of a new school year she's being harassed by the boys who raped her. At the same time Maddys English teacher comes up with an unusual assignment - a collective novel, and every student from Maddys class has to write a chapter.
While reading the first half of the book the only thing I felt was overwhelming loneliness. Somehow Maddys lonelines transfered to me an so for about 3 days I was miserable. I considered dropping the book but if I did I'd always wonder if she'd stayed alone in her pain.
The idea of a story within story was brilliant. The author could present everything that's not usually said out loud. How the victim of the rape is left completely alone, how the surrounding can easily jump to conclusions and blame the victim, HOW THE VICTIM CAN BLAME HERSELF!
"Because she'd been stupid. She'd been stupid enough to be out walking home alone in the dark when she shoud have known better. If she'd known better, none of this would have happened."
The second half of the book left me breathless especially the ending. I believe it was the stongest last chapter in all the books I've read.
I only wish it was said from first person point of view - it would be even stronger then.
March 10, 2017
This book got to me. The way the story is interwoven with the story the English class is writing is very effective. The descriptions of Maddy's panic makes you feel like you're right there with her, as does the descriptions of the relief she feels when she starts to be able to talk to people about what happened. This book should become required reading in junior high schools.
December 7, 2016
I received a free e-copy of THE PAIN EATER from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
GRADE: C+
One Word: empowering
After Maddy is gang raped by several classmates, she withdraws into herself, fearful and depressed. She said tells no one. Two of the assailants are in her English class, where students are writing a progressive novel, each writing a chapter. The story is an allegory of a fifteen-year-old girl known as the Pain Eater in her ancient, mythical village and matches Maddy's rape and its aftermath, as well as the students' individual responses.
Beth Goobie's premise for THE PAIN EATER is a unique and interesting way of examine differing attitudes among classmates by gender, popularity and personal experience. Maddy's third person POV kept me from fully embracing her story and feeling her pain. Goobie spoon fed some of the emotions that might have been better shown through a first person voice. While readers knew what Maddy experienced, I never felt like I knew who she was before the rapes, and how she was changed. She seemed to grow remarkable in two months from the beginning of school, without receiving counseling or getting help for her experience. While disclosing trauma is helpful, it's not a quick panacea for PTSD. I did appreciate that Goobie didn't use a 'boyfriend as a cure for rape".
While I liked the idea of the allegorical classroom story, I didn't enjoy that story, which was a big part of this novel. I thought it detracted from Maddy's experiences and prevented me from knowing her better.
THEMES: rape, sexual assault, abuse, friendship, family, peer pressure
THE PAIN EATER tells the story of gang rape outside a high school and how different classmates react through a collaborative English assignment.
GRADE: C+
One Word: empowering
After Maddy is gang raped by several classmates, she withdraws into herself, fearful and depressed. She said tells no one. Two of the assailants are in her English class, where students are writing a progressive novel, each writing a chapter. The story is an allegory of a fifteen-year-old girl known as the Pain Eater in her ancient, mythical village and matches Maddy's rape and its aftermath, as well as the students' individual responses.
Beth Goobie's premise for THE PAIN EATER is a unique and interesting way of examine differing attitudes among classmates by gender, popularity and personal experience. Maddy's third person POV kept me from fully embracing her story and feeling her pain. Goobie spoon fed some of the emotions that might have been better shown through a first person voice. While readers knew what Maddy experienced, I never felt like I knew who she was before the rapes, and how she was changed. She seemed to grow remarkable in two months from the beginning of school, without receiving counseling or getting help for her experience. While disclosing trauma is helpful, it's not a quick panacea for PTSD. I did appreciate that Goobie didn't use a 'boyfriend as a cure for rape".
While I liked the idea of the allegorical classroom story, I didn't enjoy that story, which was a big part of this novel. I thought it detracted from Maddy's experiences and prevented me from knowing her better.
THEMES: rape, sexual assault, abuse, friendship, family, peer pressure
THE PAIN EATER tells the story of gang rape outside a high school and how different classmates react through a collaborative English assignment.
July 7, 2016
Second Story Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Pain Eater, in exchange for an honest review.
When 14 year old Maddy Malone was savagely attacked by some fellow high school students while on the way home, her efforts to stop her inner pain almost resulted in self destruction. After months of self inflicted pain, Maddy begins to realize how to take her life back.
At the beginning, I was skeptical that The Pain Eater would be unique enough to be memorable. The story of a brutal assault was nothing new, nor was the resulting months of pain, jeers, and bullying. The uniqueness comes from the side plot within - the exercise by the teacher that resulted in each class member being able to tell a part of a larger story. The lessons that can be gleaned from The Pain Eater are so important, such as using your support system for help, standing up for yourself, and allowing yourself to be a survivor instead of a victim. Maddy's story, although fictitious, is all too common in the real world. It is my hope that The Pain Eater can help parents open a dialogue with their teens about sexual assault and can provide both comfort and assistance to those in need.
When 14 year old Maddy Malone was savagely attacked by some fellow high school students while on the way home, her efforts to stop her inner pain almost resulted in self destruction. After months of self inflicted pain, Maddy begins to realize how to take her life back.
At the beginning, I was skeptical that The Pain Eater would be unique enough to be memorable. The story of a brutal assault was nothing new, nor was the resulting months of pain, jeers, and bullying. The uniqueness comes from the side plot within - the exercise by the teacher that resulted in each class member being able to tell a part of a larger story. The lessons that can be gleaned from The Pain Eater are so important, such as using your support system for help, standing up for yourself, and allowing yourself to be a survivor instead of a victim. Maddy's story, although fictitious, is all too common in the real world. It is my hope that The Pain Eater can help parents open a dialogue with their teens about sexual assault and can provide both comfort and assistance to those in need.
February 6, 2017
"Spur-of-the-moment, the act sucked up the boys’ attention like a supernatural vortex, leaving no thought, no consciousness for anything but their own crazed heat until they found themselves running, still masked and hooting, down the avenue, away from the copse and the still, slender body lying among the aspen."
This book was amazing and original. Despite the horrible undertones, I found myself reading rapidly to soak in this unique, straightforward narrative. The messages the author provided were so clear and powerful. I hope many people, especially young adults take the time to read it.
The Pain Eater follows the story of Maddy Malone. Maddy is an average high school girl, with a loving family, who falls victim to rape at the end of her 9th grade year.
She finds endurance and hope in the classroom of her 10th grade English class, following a writing project called the Pain Eater.
The author makes the pain and despair so transparent, you can feel it in your own soul. By the end of the story, my eyes were wet with tears of relief and hope.
This book was amazing and original. Despite the horrible undertones, I found myself reading rapidly to soak in this unique, straightforward narrative. The messages the author provided were so clear and powerful. I hope many people, especially young adults take the time to read it.
The Pain Eater follows the story of Maddy Malone. Maddy is an average high school girl, with a loving family, who falls victim to rape at the end of her 9th grade year.
She finds endurance and hope in the classroom of her 10th grade English class, following a writing project called the Pain Eater.
The author makes the pain and despair so transparent, you can feel it in your own soul. By the end of the story, my eyes were wet with tears of relief and hope.
January 15, 2018
DNF’d at 36%
I just... couldn’t care.
About the main character.
About her family.
About the class novel this story is written around.
In fact, I think that’s what really killed any motivation to continue, is the class “novel” that Maddy’s English teacher is forcing them to do, and the drama that was starting to crop up around that, involving the girl who wrote the first chapter and the popular bitch trying to “ruin” it because... I don’t even know why, actually.
The classroom drama just so... pedantic. Like, I don’t even know what the point of it was, tbh. I thought this book was going to be something else when I picked it up, but I was so wrong.
In the end, it just wasn’t for me.
I just... couldn’t care.
About the main character.
About her family.
About the class novel this story is written around.
In fact, I think that’s what really killed any motivation to continue, is the class “novel” that Maddy’s English teacher is forcing them to do, and the drama that was starting to crop up around that, involving the girl who wrote the first chapter and the popular bitch trying to “ruin” it because... I don’t even know why, actually.
The classroom drama just so... pedantic. Like, I don’t even know what the point of it was, tbh. I thought this book was going to be something else when I picked it up, but I was so wrong.
In the end, it just wasn’t for me.
May 22, 2022
TRIGGER WARNING: stupro, bullismo, intimidazione, autolesionismo, slut-shaming, victim-blaming.
Il libro si apre subito con il ricordo di Maddy dello stupro subito una sera di primavera dopo le spettacolo teatrale della sua scuola quando, dopo aver accompagnato a casa una sua amica, viene aggredita da un gruppo di ragazzi: tre la stuprano, uno la tiene ferma e un quinto fa da palo voltando le spalle alla scena.
Maddy da allora non è più la stessa: non ride più, parla molto meno, si è isolata dalle sue amiche e persino dalla sua famiglia e dall'amata sorella, con cui ora fatica ad andare d'accordo. I ricordi di quella notte continuano a tormentarla e l'unico modo che ha per anestetizzare quel dolore è procurarsi altro dolore - dolore fisico fatto di piccole incisioni con le unghie su una mano e bruciature di sigaretta nell'interno coscia.
L'estate era passata tranquilla, ma ora un nuovo anno scolastico sta per cominciare: tre dei suoi aggressori li aveva identificati subito nonostante le maschere perché li aveva riconosciuti dalle voci e da alcuni nomi che si erano lasciati scappare, gli altri due invece restano sconosciuti. Maddy ha sempre fatto di tutto per tenersi alla larga da loro e finora non erano venute fuori voci o pettegolezzi su quella notte, come un tacito assenso tra lei e i ragazzi: se nessuno di loro parla, la cosa resterà un segreto.
Il compito di inglese però sta per cambiare le cose: ognuno di loro dovrà scrivere un capitolo di una storia in comune con protagonista Farang, una quindicenne come Maddy, che vive in un villaggio dove lei è la Mangiatrice di Dolore - Farang vive isolata, non ha famiglia né amici, nessuno parla con lei e tutti ignorano la sua esistenza tranne nelle notti di luna piena, quando gli abitanti del villaggio festeggiano e tutti le sputano addosso (metaforicamente e letteralmente) il loro dolore per poter vivere felici e l'alta sacerdotessa la costringe a mangiare cibo con del veleno proprio per rendere manifesto tutto il dolore della tribù che Farang riceve e mangia.
Un capitolo alla volta, la storia di Farang prende direzioni e aspetti diversi: chi simpatizza con lei, chi la disprezza, chi dice che se l'è andata a cercare e che dice persino che le piace quello che subisce e la sua condizione di vita. La storia di Farang di Faraway inizia sempre di più ad assomigliare a quella di Maddy perché i segreti non posso mai restare tali a lungo, ma soprattutto svelano anche qualcosa (magari molto di più di quello che avrebbero pensato o voluto) dei compagni di classe di Maddy che la scrivono - non solo del loro punto di vista ma anche, inconsciamente, delle loro esperienze personali che finiscono anche senza volerlo per mescolare alla finzione.
The Pain Eater è un romanzo con un linguaggio semplice e diretto - e sebbene non edulcori temi ed esperienze di Maddy, proprio per questo secondo me è adatto anche ad un pubblico più giovane. Anche quando vengono usate le metafore - per tutti i capitoli di Farang, ma non solo - è sempre chiaro quale sia il messaggio e si riesce sempre a capire la personalità dell'autore del capitolo e quello che davvero pensa non solo di Farang, ma anche di se stesso e di Maddy.
Maddy è un personaggio con cui è semplicissimo entrare in empatia, sentire il suo dolore e la sua impotenza, vivere la sua paura e la sua angoscia - quando finalmente trova una valvola di sfogo per tutto ciò che ha represso è un momento catartico anche per il lettore. Stessa cosa per Farang - ho amato come alcuni dei compagni di classe di Maddy l'abbiano resa umana e non più un oggetto alla mercé della tribù, come le abbiano dato una voce e come anche solo un capitolo di supporto a Farang abbia dato a Maddy la forza di reagire, facendole trovare alleati anche nella vita vera: la sua famiglia e le sue due nuove amiche sono fondamentali come rete di supporto, soprattutto di fronte alla sua paura di non farcela e di non avere la forza per fare quello che va fatto. Il romanzo infatti, ambientato in Canada, è ispirato - e la cita più volte - alla storia vera dello stupro di gruppo e del suicidio di Rehtaeh Parsons.
The Pain Eater è un romanzo che colpisce come un pugno nello stomaco ed è proprio questo il suo punto di forza - non ha un vero e proprio finale perché la strada di Maddy è ancora lunga, ma si conclude con un nuovo punto di partenza e con Maddy che ritrova quella parte di sé che era andata perduta la notte dello stupro.
Il libro si apre subito con il ricordo di Maddy dello stupro subito una sera di primavera dopo le spettacolo teatrale della sua scuola quando, dopo aver accompagnato a casa una sua amica, viene aggredita da un gruppo di ragazzi: tre la stuprano, uno la tiene ferma e un quinto fa da palo voltando le spalle alla scena.
Maddy da allora non è più la stessa: non ride più, parla molto meno, si è isolata dalle sue amiche e persino dalla sua famiglia e dall'amata sorella, con cui ora fatica ad andare d'accordo. I ricordi di quella notte continuano a tormentarla e l'unico modo che ha per anestetizzare quel dolore è procurarsi altro dolore - dolore fisico fatto di piccole incisioni con le unghie su una mano e bruciature di sigaretta nell'interno coscia.
L'estate era passata tranquilla, ma ora un nuovo anno scolastico sta per cominciare: tre dei suoi aggressori li aveva identificati subito nonostante le maschere perché li aveva riconosciuti dalle voci e da alcuni nomi che si erano lasciati scappare, gli altri due invece restano sconosciuti. Maddy ha sempre fatto di tutto per tenersi alla larga da loro e finora non erano venute fuori voci o pettegolezzi su quella notte, come un tacito assenso tra lei e i ragazzi: se nessuno di loro parla, la cosa resterà un segreto.
Il compito di inglese però sta per cambiare le cose: ognuno di loro dovrà scrivere un capitolo di una storia in comune con protagonista Farang, una quindicenne come Maddy, che vive in un villaggio dove lei è la Mangiatrice di Dolore - Farang vive isolata, non ha famiglia né amici, nessuno parla con lei e tutti ignorano la sua esistenza tranne nelle notti di luna piena, quando gli abitanti del villaggio festeggiano e tutti le sputano addosso (metaforicamente e letteralmente) il loro dolore per poter vivere felici e l'alta sacerdotessa la costringe a mangiare cibo con del veleno proprio per rendere manifesto tutto il dolore della tribù che Farang riceve e mangia.
Un capitolo alla volta, la storia di Farang prende direzioni e aspetti diversi: chi simpatizza con lei, chi la disprezza, chi dice che se l'è andata a cercare e che dice persino che le piace quello che subisce e la sua condizione di vita. La storia di Farang di Faraway inizia sempre di più ad assomigliare a quella di Maddy perché i segreti non posso mai restare tali a lungo, ma soprattutto svelano anche qualcosa (magari molto di più di quello che avrebbero pensato o voluto) dei compagni di classe di Maddy che la scrivono - non solo del loro punto di vista ma anche, inconsciamente, delle loro esperienze personali che finiscono anche senza volerlo per mescolare alla finzione.
The Pain Eater è un romanzo con un linguaggio semplice e diretto - e sebbene non edulcori temi ed esperienze di Maddy, proprio per questo secondo me è adatto anche ad un pubblico più giovane. Anche quando vengono usate le metafore - per tutti i capitoli di Farang, ma non solo - è sempre chiaro quale sia il messaggio e si riesce sempre a capire la personalità dell'autore del capitolo e quello che davvero pensa non solo di Farang, ma anche di se stesso e di Maddy.
Maddy è un personaggio con cui è semplicissimo entrare in empatia, sentire il suo dolore e la sua impotenza, vivere la sua paura e la sua angoscia - quando finalmente trova una valvola di sfogo per tutto ciò che ha represso è un momento catartico anche per il lettore. Stessa cosa per Farang - ho amato come alcuni dei compagni di classe di Maddy l'abbiano resa umana e non più un oggetto alla mercé della tribù, come le abbiano dato una voce e come anche solo un capitolo di supporto a Farang abbia dato a Maddy la forza di reagire, facendole trovare alleati anche nella vita vera: la sua famiglia e le sue due nuove amiche sono fondamentali come rete di supporto, soprattutto di fronte alla sua paura di non farcela e di non avere la forza per fare quello che va fatto. Il romanzo infatti, ambientato in Canada, è ispirato - e la cita più volte - alla storia vera dello stupro di gruppo e del suicidio di Rehtaeh Parsons.
The Pain Eater è un romanzo che colpisce come un pugno nello stomaco ed è proprio questo il suo punto di forza - non ha un vero e proprio finale perché la strada di Maddy è ancora lunga, ma si conclude con un nuovo punto di partenza e con Maddy che ritrova quella parte di sé che era andata perduta la notte dello stupro.
April 5, 2017
“How had she gotten to this place of twisted self-hatred? She hadn’t done anything wrong. She hadn’t attacked and hurt someone else. So why was she being punished in this way—shut out of ordinary human activity, all those normal parts of life like smiling, conversation, hellos and how are yous?”
I simultaneously have nothing and everything to say about The Pain Eater. I finished it last night and I am still finding myself going back and flipping through it. Starting with the dedication which reads...
For the wounded ones, when you are ready, come back from The Beautiful Land. We wait for you here, with love.
...I wanted to cry, and that feeling never stopped.
At 15, Maddy is gang raped by three boys, held down by one, and then there's a fifth boy who watches and does nothing. She is then relentlessly tortured by her attackers as they remind her of the horrific events and to keep her mouth shut. She pulls away from her family, friends, and retreats into "The Beautiful Land" in her mind where she can't be hurt. She manages to cope only by avoidance and denial. Then, an English class forces her to be in close proximity with two of her perpetrators and she finds she cannot avoid the issue anymore. As a class, they begin writing a novel together, "The Pain Eater," which begins to mirror Maddy's life and experience.
I've recently come back from my own Beautiful Land and reading Maddy's story, while we don't have the same experiences, really resonated with me. This book doesn't shy away from the topic of rape--it's handled and spoken about very bluntly. "The Pain Eater" has been on my to-read list for a while now and I'm very glad I finally purchased it.
I simultaneously have nothing and everything to say about The Pain Eater. I finished it last night and I am still finding myself going back and flipping through it. Starting with the dedication which reads...
For the wounded ones, when you are ready, come back from The Beautiful Land. We wait for you here, with love.
...I wanted to cry, and that feeling never stopped.
At 15, Maddy is gang raped by three boys, held down by one, and then there's a fifth boy who watches and does nothing. She is then relentlessly tortured by her attackers as they remind her of the horrific events and to keep her mouth shut. She pulls away from her family, friends, and retreats into "The Beautiful Land" in her mind where she can't be hurt. She manages to cope only by avoidance and denial. Then, an English class forces her to be in close proximity with two of her perpetrators and she finds she cannot avoid the issue anymore. As a class, they begin writing a novel together, "The Pain Eater," which begins to mirror Maddy's life and experience.
I've recently come back from my own Beautiful Land and reading Maddy's story, while we don't have the same experiences, really resonated with me. This book doesn't shy away from the topic of rape--it's handled and spoken about very bluntly. "The Pain Eater" has been on my to-read list for a while now and I'm very glad I finally purchased it.
February 15, 2019
This book was really good. It is about a girl her name was Maddy one night she was walking home from the play she was in, she was walking and all of the sudden there were 4 guys holding her down and another standing at a distance. She didn't know who the men were because they had a mask on so she began to figure out who they were by the voices. She began to start being really depressed and gloomy her parents were worried and tried to send her to see a psychist but she told them she wasn't crazy so she didn't go. The way she coped with pain is she would light a cigarette and burned her inner thighs and would dig her nails in the back of her other hand. She went to school every day and faced the people who raped her. The names were Ken Soong, Pete Gwirtzman, Robbie Nabigon, David Janklow, and his brother. In her English class, they have to write there own little novel and a girl named Kara started it and other stuff and David read his chapter and he stated that he did not hurt Maddy and he watched bc he froze and didn't know what to do. Pete stated that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. People started to harass Maddy and say ¨she asked for it¨ ¨she was mad mad mad mad Maddy for it¨ She finally told her parents and her sister and got the justice she needed
February 1, 2018
It is very rare to encounter two stories in one. Both Maddy's story and Farang's story were amazing, and I would read Farang's story even if it was just a book on its own! The parallelism and juxtaposition were extraordinary, and it really showed through. It is very obvious as the story goes on and the two worlds collide. Farang's life is basically a huge metaphor for Maddy, and I have never read anything quite like it! I was disappointed that the teacher did not do much to help. Sure, Ms. Mousumi was concerned, but with the direction that the class discussions took, the correspondence and allegory was so blatantly obvious that I am surprised she did not realize. However, it is an accurate representation of how things really are in high school. Read the full review at http://pagesforthoughts.blogspot.com/...
December 19, 2017
I don't often write reviews here; I just keep track of the books I read and how much I enjoyed them, but for The Pain Eater, I need to say something.
Wow. That is all I can really say. While I do get into books, it has been a long, long time since knots of anxiety of formed in my stomach while reading. This book was difficult to read, but so, so good.
Wow. That is all I can really say. While I do get into books, it has been a long, long time since knots of anxiety of formed in my stomach while reading. This book was difficult to read, but so, so good.
February 8, 2019
This book was really good and I finished it in like 3 days. It kept me really interested throughout the entire thing and I'm really glad that I found it and started to read it. There's some sensitive parts in this book but overall, it's really good and emotional.
May 29, 2019
Didn’t mind this book; one of the characters bugged me. For example, I feel like David had the potential to be a good guy and maybe turn into a good character but nothing ever happened there. I am also not satisfied with the ending. The plot was good though, but it seemed a bit repetitive to me.
April 9, 2017
It is an incredibly hard book to read, but it was well done.
June 12, 2017
The latter half of the novel was so powerful it brought me to tears a few times. Reminded me a lot of Speak, but some parts were even better.
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