Fault Line by C. Desir

Ben didn't go to the party with Ani. Her friend Kate did, but she's not completely sure what happened. It was brutal and horrific and Ani will never be the same. Was she drunk? Did someone drug her? It was not like her at all, and no one knows who is to blame.

Ben meets Ani just before the start of his senior year. She was hard to ignore as she walked through the parking lot. Fortunately for Ben, Ani noticed him, too. Besides Ani's gorgeous looks, what Ben finds most striking is her directness. There is no BS with her; none of the typical games that Ben has experienced with other girls. The tension about sex is broken with Ani's straightforward personality.

There is no question that Ani was the victim, but rape has a way of making the innocent feel guilty. Ben blames himself for not going. Kate blames herself for not intervening. Ani just blames herself.

The aftermath can only be described as excruciating for all involved. Ben wants the old Ani back. He sees hints of her, but they are fleeting. He misses the playful, sexy girlfriend who he could talk to. But that Ani is gone, replaced with someone who only wants the physical and not the emotional connection.

This is not always an easy book to read. Everything goes from good to bad in one night, and there are no easy fixes. You can't be mad at Ben for not doing the right thing, because there is no obvious right thing to help Ani. It is a refreshing reminder that rape is not a crime for just the victim; it affects everyone in that person's life.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.