Grace is literally in a Bad Romance. But at 17 years old, she can't see that. At least not a first. Gavin, the boyfriend, is too good to be true and Grace can't believe he actually is interested in her. He's very attentive. Soon, his attention turns weird. He makes her promise not to ever be alone with another guy. She's not allowed to touch or be touched by another male. And that's just the beginning. You can see where this is going.
Gavin has a history. He's tried to commit suicide before, so eventually, when Grace comes to her senses, she still can't break up with him because she's worried about him.
But, even with all that, I could have handled the story. But to top it all off, Grace's mom and stepfather have provided her with a nearly impossible living situation. Her mother is OCD about cleanliness and makes Grace clean the house over and over. Her chores get to the point where they keep her from being able to function normally. She is constantly grounded, so she has to sneak out, then get's caught. It's a vicious cycle and her mother is a lunatic. And her stepfather refuses to support her financially in any way.
Grace has very supportive friends, thankfully. This helps. But from the beginning, you can see the inevitable crash coming.
The sexual situations are more descriptive than I'm used to in YA, so be warned that this one is for mature teens only. Demetrios has apparently based this story on past experiences. That's probably why Grace's situations seem so realistic. And so possible. As a parent, this is pretty scary.
Bad Romance is a good story for teens that may help them navigate the uncertainties of romantic relationships.
Published by Henry Holt BYR, June 13, 2017
eARC obtained from NetGalley
368 pages
Rating: 4/5
This sounds like one of those books where you just want to shout at the person to STOP! and pull them to safety. But they are such important issues.
ReplyDeleteThis was a tough read but so important.
ReplyDelete