Review: Canary

I received this book for free from FTC: Exchange for honest opinion, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Staying quiet will destroy her, but speaking up will destroy everyone.

Kate Franklin’s life changes for the better when her dad lands a job at Beacon Prep, an elite private school with one of the best basketball teams in the state. She begins to date a player on the team and quickly gets caught up in a world of idolatry and entitlement, learning that there are perks to being an athlete.

But those perks also come with a price. Another player takes his power too far and Kate is assaulted at a party. Although she knows she should speak out, her dad’s vehemently against it and so, like a canary sent into a mine to test toxicity levels and protect miners, Kate alone breathes the poisonous secrets to protect her dad and the team. The world that Kate was once welcomed into is now her worst enemy, and she must decide whether to stay silent or expose the corruption, destroying her father’s career and bringing down a town’s heroes.

Canary is told in a mix of prose and verse.

It’s hard to speak out when your told to be quite.  When you are being bullied and manipulated left and right. Right before I started this book I prepared myself. But no matter how long I did that, my emotions soared with every turn of the page.

Plot: This is about a girl who gets sexual assaulted and told to be quite by the person that is suppose to protect her. I can’t even begin to tell you the amount of fury that continuously built up inside of me while I read this. Let me just be clear that this book is so emotional yet very vivid. The build up of hurt, the backstabbing of friends puts the reader in a vulnerable position to be taken away.

Angst: Usually, I talk about the love interest but I felt like he didn’t deserve any merit in my mind. So I’ll talk about the whirlwind of emotions instead. Prepare to have your heart ripped out. I got angry with friends and parents. I got angry with school officials and so called “boyfriend” who wanted nothing more for her to be quite so that the basketball team can go to the championships! WTH!! Yeah, I’m done here before my keyboard catches on fire…

Strength: One thing that Kate possesses is strength. She did her time, keeping quite but when she saw she couldn’t do it anymore she sang like a beautiful canary.  When she thought she was alone, others came forward, singing with her.  She sparked a revolution for other students and girls like her to come out. I adored this part. Kate strength to say the truth, to admit loudly what was done makes her a hero. Fact: 54% of sexual abuse case go unreported. Why? Because people hush the girls/boys up. They don’t want it to look bad or cause problems.  *rolls eyes*  What Kate did is amazing!

If your up for an amazing tale of a true heroine, Canary is your story. A bittersweet tale  that transpires true, hurtful acts, Canary is a powerful piece of work.

If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual abuse there is hope. Visit: RAINN or Call: 1-800-656-HOPE

It’s FREE.SAFE. & CONFIDENTIAL

I give it 5 BITES!

Happy Reading!