Outrage

 

Outrage by Arnaldur Indridason 281 pp.

This is one of the Inspector Erlandur Icelandic mystery series but Erlandur is not really in this book. Detective Elinborg ends up in charge of strange murder case while Erlandur is away on a leave of absence. A rapist is murdered but there are too many possible culprits. Was it the rape victim who was given a date rape drug and has no memory of what happened? Was it the young woman's father who came to her rescue after she regained consciousness? Was it the rapist's former roommate who is a rather creepy character? And how is this crime connected with a young woman who went missing years before? This is an intense and interesting story with many layers. However, I prefer the books where Erlandur is the one leading the investigations. I listened to the audiobook version read by the master, George Guidall.

The Mockingbirds

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney, 339 pages


At the beginning of Alex’s second semester of her junior year at hoity-toity boarding school Themis Academy, she is date-raped by a guy that she hardly knows. Uncomfortable with the idea of going to the authorities and well aware that the administration finds the idea of someone being raped at their school unthinkable, Alex turns to the Mockingbirds, a student group formed to exact their own version of justice upon one another.


This is a great book, and handles a difficult subject really well. Some people may be uncomfortable reading it because it does have some fairly graphic descriptions of Alex’s rape as she remembers it in flashbacks. That said, I don’t doubt that it’s very realistic; the afterword mentions that the author was date-raped in college. I feel like this would be a great book for teenage girls to read, though I could totally see why some parents might not be too keen on that idea. Eh, they should read it anyway.

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney 335 pages

Date rate is not an easy topic to talk about in fiction or in life. Alex is a junior at an elite college prep school when she is raped by a fellow student. She doesn't know what to do or who to turn to for help. Fortunately, members of a secret society the Mockingbirds step up to serve justice. The Mockingbirds is a group of students dedicated to righting wrongs created in their school since the administration cannot be relied on.  The set up of this group, the way they operate, hold court and carry out sentences is very clever. Alex is a sympathetic and believable character. The author writes from personal experience raped when she was in freshman at Brown University.It can happen anywhere and girls need information to prevent and or deal with traumas successfully.