First of all I would like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for my copy of this incredible novel.

How can I start this review in any other way than: WOW! I had seen plenty of good reviews of this book but tried to go in as open minded as possible. It wasn't long until I was totally and utterly consumed by this incredibly heart-wrenching and emotional book.

Romy is an ordinary teenage girl, atleast she was until she was raped and, worst of all, nobody believed her. Romy faces the world with a fresh layer of red lipstick and perfectly manicured nails; her own armour against the cruel world around her. We see Romy face the difficulties of going to school where everyone thinks she is an attention seeking 'slut', where the girls hate her, even her ex-best friend refuses to believe what happened to her. Isolated from her peers, we watch, heart-breakingly, as Romy struggles to accept affection from Leon, her caring co-worker. For me, this was the most heartbreaking part of the novel. Romy's internal battle between wanting to fall for Leon, wanting to let him in, wanting him to hold her, but her believing she is not worthy of him, that he only has one thing in mind. She even believes that she needs to test him, pushing him far away, hurting the both of them at the same time.

After Romy wakes up on the side of a road with 'Rape Me' written on her stomach and discovers that Penny, her ex-best friend, is missing, we follow the many twists and turns to find out Penny's fate. With her peers blaming Romy for Penny's absence, Romy faces the same question again: Why don't they believe me?

This is a truly heartbreaking and emotional read. It contains heavy triggers of rape, which should be considered before reading. However, I believe this to be one of the most poignant and important books I have ever read. I can't begin to imagine that the people closest to me wouldn't believe me if something like this ever happened to me. This book is full of complete and utter raw emotion from beginning to end. It is so beautifully written and I think Courtney Summers has created an incredible novel, that, while fictional, will feel so real to all of us for years to come.

This books is painful, emotional and, most importantly, powerful. I can't wait to read more of Courtney's work.