Target

This was really good. I'm not much of a book review expert but it was great. I wish it was longer!! I guess that's not much of a complaint :)

this is one of the saddest books i ever read. its about a boy name grady, who was walking home one night when all of a sudden he gets taken into a van where he is raped and beaten up, by two men. grady is so traumatized after what has happened that he cant speak anymore. he feels so embarressed that his parents take him out, and put him to a new school. when he goes into a new school he makes one friend that helps him speak and stand up for himself. then one day grady runs into his old friends. he feels that if they know what really happened to him, they wouldnt want to be his friend anymore. the opposite happens. when they find out what happened, its his friends that help him move past it, and accept him again. i was so shocked by how descriptive this book was. every time something bad happened to grady i felt it too. i felt his shame, pain, and embarressment. it helped me understand what really happened to grady. its such a disgusting that happened to an innocent boy and scarred him for the rest of his life. i love this book and recommend it to anyone past the age of 16.

There are litterally NO words to describe this book! It takes you on a whirlwind rollercoaster of emotions of trauma and self-disgust. I couldn't put it down for a second. 5 Stars doesn't quite say it!!! I reccomend this book to any and all Young Adults!!! Also reccomended: It happened to Nancy Go Ask Alice When Dad Killed Mom You Dont Know Me Monster Speak

This is the Story of Grady West, a teen who is dealing with severe issues after he was brutally raped by two men. These issues include post-traumatic stress (symptoms of social phobia), and anorexia. The author makes Grady's self-imposed isolation seem so real, that I found myself feeling isolated from the outside world while I was reading it. Normally this is a good thing, but I felt depressed while reading the book, despite the fact that I loved the story. I would definately suggest reading this book, but maybe read it outside on a sunny day.

Target hits hard from the beginning and won't let go. Grady West has a problem. And he doesn't want to talk about it. To anyone. So he changes schools, stops eating, speaks only when necessary and keeps himself to himself. And if he fades away into nothing--that's good. But Jess comes along. Dreadlocked, fast-mouthed, furiously living Jess who can't stand to see this curious white guy refusing to get with the program. The program of recognizing that Jess is cool.Kathleen Johnson hits it out of the park with this wonderfully realized novel of friendship, suffering, and the fear of reaching out. Grady is circling the drain and the reader feels the pull with him, the knowledge that any moment he's going down and knowing it might be sweet relief. The reader feels how hard it is for Grady to reach out and hold on.It's been a long, long while since a book made me feel that much so vividly.A winner.