Let me start by saying that while I love Hermione as a character, she is by no means a mold for how a rape survivor should handle their trauma. This is one perspective and an idealized one at that. However, I think the strength of this novel lies in Hermione's support system and how that support system acts in the face of sexual assaults. Dealing with a trauma like this will differ from person to person, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. 
 There's no 100% correct way to tackle themes like sexual assault and teen pregnancy. There just isn't. Every situation is different which is why I'm going to compare this with All the Rage by Courtney Summers only in terms of how differently they approach the broad topic. 
 Two things to keep in mind: 
 1. This takes place in Canada. Geography makes a HUGE difference in terms of how sexual assault is perceived by the community. A small town in Canada is very different from a small town in the U.S., particularly because Canada is a more socially progressively country in general (that's not to say it still does not experience its own problems and bouts of inequality and rape culture). 
 2. The fact that date rape drugs are involved in Hermione's assault makes this a very, very different story than All the Rage. There is absolutely no doubt from her immediate peers that she was raped. The context is there, and there is plenty of evidence which makes it easier for the people around Hermione to believe what happened to her. That's not the case in All the Rage. It's Romy against everyone else because she was drunk that night. That shouldn't make a difference in who is believed but it does. That's a feminist soap box for another day. I'll take up the whole review box if I start in on that bullshit. 
 The Good: 
 The tone of this book is upfront and political. It's girl positive and one giant middle finger to rape culture. Johnston mentions in the acknowledgments that she wrote this when she was angry (specifically at a certain politician), and I felt that anger through the whole book. She's making a statement with every stab at people who participate in victim shaming and rape culture. She tackles slut shaming, body positivity, sexuality (granted, not a lot, but there's a super important coming out moment that made me so happy), FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS, and trauma. But it never feels heavy. It never felt like I was being shoved into too many themes at once. It progressed naturally over the course of 9 months from the time of the assault until the end of her senior year of high school. 
 I have to talk about Polly. Hermione's friendship with Polly absolutely made this story. Polly is fierce and supportive. She never lets Hermione entertains doubts about who is to blame for her assault. She's there for Hermione through every step of her recovery, and it's so fucking beautiful. They never place relationships over each other because they both know this friendship will outlast any crush. I'm not ashamed to admit their touching dedication to each other made me cry more than once. I love seeing healthy and supportive female friendships. LOVE IT. 
 The entire cast of secondary characters here are fantastic. There are so many wonderfully supportive men and women. Johnston's main goal here was to bash rape culture by showing how wonderfully supportive a community can be when victim blaming isn't a part of the picture. We only hear negativity from the community a couple of times, all of which included a quick and smart rebuttal that dismantled those arguments. The main focus is on Hermione's recovery with her cheer squad. 
 I said it earlier, but I'll say it again: the pacing was perfect. This isn't a quick topic that can be handled in a few months. It takes a while. By the end, Hermione hasn't bounced back completely, nor will she ever, but we've seen what she does with it and how it changes her. 
 There is a tiny romance. At first, I was annoyed. I didn't want a romance. I didn't want that to factor into this book. But it's barely there, and it's handled tastefully. It doesn't blossom here but there a potential outside of this book. In the end, I liked that it was two small moments months after her assault. It felt genuine. 
 There isn't any bad here. There were moments when I cried and moments when I was ecstatic. The only moment where I thought the narration may be losing steam is with the lack of negativity (which sounds awful but I'll explain). Not everyone has that wonderful support system. Not everyone meets a cop that believes them or has a Polly in their corner. In that respect, I think All the Rage is a brutal, visceral exploration of the worst parts of rape culture; it's psychological and gut-wrenching in the cruelty the girls go through. This one was a very different picture. Johnston addresses that this isn't the norm in her acknowledgments so I think this was meant to be a hopeful vision for what the majority of these circumstances can be someday. After seeing the possibilities, I want that too more than ever.