I LOVE a good family drama. This book was unique in its approach to exploring the intricacies of a complex, wealthy family, whose youngest son has been accused of rape by his on again off again girlfriend. As the trial proceeds, more and more of the family’s secrets are revealed, and the dark twists that come to light lead each member of family to explore their own complicity and victimhood in their family history.

This book was really thought provoking; I finished it over two weeks ago and it’s still on my mind. The approach of showing a rape trial from the side of the accused was a bit unsettling at first, but the book did a wonderful job of diving into so much more than just focusing on an accused privileged white boy. The book deeply explored themes of guilt, victimhood, betrayal of trust, and unbalanced power dynamics in relationships. While the subject matter was at times difficult to read, this book really challenged me to consider who was truly to blame for everything that happened.