"Nothing is exactly as it appears. The closer you look, the more you see." 
 "Not being able to say no isn't the same as saying yes." 
 "Well, I think it's just awful what that Stallard girl is doing to them. Dragging their good names through the mud." 
 This book. I cannot begin to tell you how absolutely heartbreaking it was, and the tears that I shed while reading it. It is a powerful narrative that targets the topics of sexism, consent, the power of social media, and rape culture, specifically in a small town setting. It portrays the role of the media, and how discovering the whole, unaltered truth is very complicated. It describes how 'sides' will be chosen, and how the victim is often blamed and becomes a social pariah to people who were supposedly her 'friends'. There were moments where I was utterly incensed to the point that I had to put the book down, and I applaud Hartzler for truly handling this very real and ugly topic with grace. 
 This was insanely eye opening for rape culture, and discusses the extremely problematic behavior regarding slut shaming and victim blaming on both parts of youths and adults. How many 'Stacys' exists today? I can tell you with certainty that the number is too high. 
 The girl in this book is shamed and blamed for being sexually assaulted at a party. The common "that's what happens when you're a tease", "she shouldn't have slept around with so many guys", "she really should have known better", "boys will be boys" are tossed around liberally in this book. 
 She is blamed for destroying the lives of "hardworking, dedicated pillars of the community". I put this book down several times while reading it, because those types of comments are all too common in society today, and it angered me. 
 The main character Kate undergoes an amazing transformation throughout this book. The story isn't told through the POV of the actual victim, but the bystander, the girl who can't remember what happened. The girl who was just as drunk at the party. The girl who decided that she needed to uncover the truth, and stand up for someone who used to be her friend. 
 This book was powerful, and very telling of society. As an advocate for victims of assault, this book really hit the mark, opening up a discussion that shouldn't be taboo or embarrassing with amazing accuracy. Awareness of sexual assault is absolutely key, and it is obvious as you read this book that Hartzler's main point was to educate people on the topic while telling a story that is all too common. 
 Overall rating is a 4.5.