Book Review:
Dark Chapter by Winnie M Li
Legend Press, 1st June 2017

TW: rape

Dark Chapter has stayed on my TBR for several years because I realised the subject matter could prove difficult reading, but it's time to bite the bullet.

Cosmopolitan, Taiwanese-American Vivian is a tourist who often escapes her busy London life through adventure and travel. 15-year-old traveller Johnny lives a neglected life on the margins in his native Northern Ireland. One bright spring afternoon in West Belfast, their paths collide with a horrifying act of violence.

Based on the author's own experience of sexual assault, this harrowing story is told from both Vivian's and Johnny's perspectives. Hearing the perpetrator's and victim's thoughts at the time of the assault is uncomfortable, to say the least, but the author alternates the narratives with skill., #MeToo was blowing up when Dark Chapter was published, so it was a timely launch, but an equally important read at any time.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Legend Press and Winnie M Li for the ARC provided via NetGalley; this is my unbiased review.

#DarkChapter #WinnieMLi #LegendPress #BookReview #NetGalley #Bookstagram

All the more interesting for being based on a true story. It's well written and a good read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Dark Chapter is a brutal but brilliantly written story that confronts the ugly but always salient issue of rape. The reader is immersed in the points of view of both rapist and victim, and while it was uncomfortable to be inside the head of the rapist, including his point of view effectively demonstrated the toxic masculinity and entitlement that drives rapists and creates their sense of invincibility. The story also provides an candid depiction of the criminal justice system and the hurdles and humiliations a victim must confront and overcome in order to get justice. It also reveals the lingering aftereffects of sexual violence and the difficulties victims face in recalibrating their lives. This is a work of fiction, but it's brimming with truth.

To award stars because of enjoying the book, or to award stars as recognition that it is an important piece of literature that is well written, that is the question.

"Vivian is a cosmopolitan Taiwanese-American tourist who often escapes her busy life in London through adventure and travel. Johnny is a 15-year-old Irish teenager, living a neglected life on the margins of society. On a bright spring afternoon in West Belfast, their paths collide during a horrifying act of violence. In the aftermath, each is forced to confront the chain of events that led to the attack."

Unfortunately for this, this book was too harrowing and I felt very uncomfortable reading it. It is based on a true story, which makes the subject matter more shocking, but it was a difficult read for me and for personal reasons I could not finish it. The rape, police interviews and trial are relentless in their depth and content, so a warning that some may feel uncomfortable reading these sections.

This does not, however, take away from the good work Winnie M. Li has done in writing this book.

This book is heartbreaking. I was puttin off reading it because I knew that it would be an uncomfortable read. I can't say I liked it but I couldn't put it down and broke me. Powerful and emotional. A must read.

Spoiler: Had I known before I read this book that it centered around the topic of rape, I probably would not have read it. However, I’m so glad that I did. Thank you to the publisher for being vague in the description of this book so I was not immediately deterred. Based on a true story, Dark Chapter is such an important book for both women and men to read, especially in the age of the #metoo movement.

Following the lives of both Vivan and Johnny through their journeys as the victim of a horrific rape and the perpetrator, the author takes us on a ride through the psyche of both main characters before, during, and after this horrific crime. With the use of different writing styles throughout to depict their differences in intellect, I felt I understood the backgrounds of these two characters, what led up to their unfortunate crossing of paths, and why each character responded in the way they did to the aftermath. The story is heartbreaking, but allows the reader to understand the impact of sexual assault on an intimate and necessary level.

Although the publisher categorized this book as both General Fiction (Adult) and Mystery/Thriller, I would say it leans more heavily toward General Fiction. I would recommend this book to people of all genders and ages, as a tool to gain perspective in our spiraling world of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and abuse.

A hard courageous read based loosely on the authors true life experience . A tale of Vivian who was brutally raped by a young traveller boy . What makes this book compelling and heartbreaking is the emotions that come from Vivian and knowing these same emotions are from the heart of the author . Although Johnny is the bad guy here I still felt some sympathy to him as he really didn’t stand a chance in life with the upbringing( or lack of ) that he had .
A book that will stay with me for a long time.

A stunning and grippng book which is equally disturbing and compelling. A tough subject matter but such an important message.

Inspired by author Winnie M. Li’s own sexual assault in 2008, Dark Chapter recounts the story of Vivian, a cosmopolitan Taiwanese-American tourist with a penchant for travel. On a bright spring afternoon in West Belfast Vivian crosses paths with Johnny, a cocky 15-year-old Irish teenager, who lives with his belligerent father and delinquent older brother on a nearby traveller site. A brutal sexual assault takes place, and the book – which is told in the alternating viewpoints of the two protagonists – examines the chain of events that led to the horrific attack.

The alternative point-of-view – courtesy of traveller Johnny – initially struck me as slightly hollow, but as the book unfolds, this second voice grows more emphatic and more convincing, and Li weaves the two starkly contrasting viewpoints together with real skill – especially during the climactic showdown in court. Li’s decision to fictionalise her own experiences in such a matter-of-fact way is a brave move, but crawling into the mind of her teenage attacker is an even bolder one. While the characterisation of Johnny does little to dispel negative stereotypes associated with traveller families, the supporting characters do offer a welcome degree of light and shade in this regard.

Given the sheer number of high-profile sexual assault allegations that emerged in 2017, Dark Chapter feels like a timely book, and also an important one. An uncomfortable read, but an impressive one nonetheless.

Started off great then went on to different people, which one is the victim, which one is the perpetrator? then it goes on to someone else and I gave up. It was like I was reading a different book. It needs more explanation on who the characters are and why they are there. I lost interest.

Authoritive, compelling story of the rape of a young woman by a fifteen year old boy and the ensuing court case. Although fictional, it is based on the authors experience.

I became aware of this book after it won The Guardian Not the Booker Prize 2017 and thought that I would like to read it. This is a work of fiction based on the author’s experience of rape rather than a memoir. I’m not sure how I would cope with reading a memoir knowing that it was all true. That said this is a very powerful and moving tale told from the viewpoints of Johnny the rapist and Vivian the victim. I wasn’t at all comfortable with the voice of Johnny as I was reading particularly the courtroom scenes. I’m glad that Vivian’s story continued beyond the trial and let us see a bit more of her recovery.
‘The world is oblivious to what she’s just gone through. And unless she tells someone, anyone, they will never know about her journey through that valley, when she felt her way through in the dark’.

‘Dark Chapter’ by Winnie M. Li #Tuesdaybookblog #Bookreview
‘Dark Chapter’ isn’t an easy read. It details the brutal rape of Vivian Tan by young traveller Johnny and the aftermath of that attack, including the trial. It is honest and vivid and brave, especially as the novel is based on the author’s own experience.
The story is told from two points of view, Vivian’s and Johnny’s. This makes for a difficult read at times. Johnny has few chances in life, he is brutalised and uncared for. Seeing Vivian, (whose own sections draw us into her life, who has our sympathy, our concern), from Johnny’s point of view is challenging, uncomfortable, horrible to read. I was pleased that the novel was unflinching though – Johnny has dehumanised women, his attitude borne of what he sees around him (his father’s treatment of his mother, his brother’s attitude to girls, the pornography he’s watched) and it’s shocking that he has no real remorse.
This is not just about the rape itself. It’s about the aftermath and what that does to both survivor and perpetrator. It’s about how the effects of this horrible crime last and exactly what they can do. It’s about the horrible processes involved afterwards, the endless recounting by Vivian to this expert and that doctor, this psychologist, that friend, of what has happened. It’s about the dreadful way she’s treated in court. But it’s also about her inner strength and her determination.
And it’s about Johnny, and how a young boy can become so full of anger, of hate, of violence that he can treat another human being like this.
I can’t imagine where Winnie M. Li found the strength to write this novel. But she has, and she’s written it with enormous skill. The shifts in point of view are seamless. Vivian is three-dimensional, complex and relatable. Johnny is the bad guy, undoubtedly, but he too is complex and horribly compelling to read. This isn’t sentimental or melodramatic. It’s gripping, unsettling and difficult.
And in the end it’s about Vivian’s survival, and her humanity.

Dark chapter is inspired by true events which probably makes this book even more harrowing to read. This book covers a hard subject but is done well, written beautifully and with astonishing detail. This story is about Vivian, we get to know her at first, her job, her friends, her love of hiking then the brutal rape she suffered at the hands of a fifteen year old traveller boy, then her journey to recovery. Johnny is a disadvantaged, cocky little boy that no matter what I couldn't stand. The story is written from vivians view then switches to johnnies which was a great way of getting more detail across to the reader. There were points in the story that I felt went on a little and did find myself turning off but these were brief moments in the whole book. This is a hard read but Vivian is a strong woman and does struggle with day to day life but with the help of others gets stronger slowly, but then I don't think you truely recover from something like this. An inspiring and heartfelt read.
I would like to thank netgalley and legend press for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

The lives of two very different people intersect in a horrifying manner in Winnie M Li's novel 'Dark Chapter'. Vivian is a well travelled, well read Chinese-American woman living in London and Johnny is a 15 year old thief and traveler in Belfast. What ensues is a terrible act of violence against Vivian, made even more horrible due to the fact this novel is based on the author's own experience of rape. Obviously this comes with a trigger warning for rape and discussions as such.

This novel really brings to light the plight of a rape victim. Don't tell anyone and stew in misery and darkness and let the perpetrator get away with it and possibly do it to other girls? Tell the police and face victim prosecution in court or media scrutiny - even facing the perp again? It's all a very interesting argument and definitely makes you feel for those poor victims around the world who definitely don't ask for it.

This book is not a who or why done it but rather a journey into the lives of 2 people the victim and the perpetrator of a crime.
Both are well drawn although the victim feels more real.
It's main skill is to show that even the most terrible of events are not always premeditated rather a result of happenstance and chance .
Really recommend this

Told with empathy and insight, this powerful and unflinching story of a young woman’s rape and its aftermath is based on the author’s own experience, and feels convincingly authentic. Narrated in two alternating voices, the victim's and the assailant's, it’s the tale of a young Taiwanese-American woman who enjoys travelling independently and is always aware of the risks. However, when walking in a Belfast park her path crosses with a disadvantaged 15-year-old Traveller boy, Johnny, and what follows is a harrowing sexual assault. Although I am impressed with the author’s honesty, and although it’s an important and relevant theme, the writing didn’t draw me in, and although we are privy to Johnny’s though processes I still felt on the outside looking in rather than fully invested in the characters. A brave book, as others have commented, but not one that engaged me.

If I had to choose only three words to sum up Li’s debut novel Dark Chapter, it would be: compelling, well-written and courageous. Drawing on her own personal experiences, the author’s account of her character’s journey to reclaim her life after the traumatic assault and rape she suffered at the hands of her attacker is well drawn and authentic – as it is harrowing and disturbing. Some readers may find the scenes describing Vivian’s rape confronting, but I thought they are refreshingly honest and brave. Her visceral account of events is not added for shock value, but to recount her character’s experience in all its gritty reality. Vivian’s voice is natural and engaging, and she quickly drew me into the story. Having been in contact with victims of rape and assault through my work as an A&E nurse, the story really highlighted the long, ongoing journey these women face in trying to come to terms with the trauma and to move on from it despite the havoc it wreaked on their lives.

“The person she is now. The person she still can be. The person she always was.”

Personally, I felt the courtroom scenes especially harrowing, and am not surprised that many women shy away from laying charges just because they cannot face the additional burden of being in the media spotlight and under crossfire from the lawyers. How horrible to have to relive your worst nightmare, and having to justify your own actions, when you are the innocent party. Incredible, really, that our society allows the victims of rape and assault to be further traumatised like this!

“And then she realises how ridiculously unfair this whole system is. She was the one who was walking along on her own, when he did this to her. And then she has to wait almost a year to sit in front of a room full of strangers, tell them the humiliating truth, stand up to a sleaze-bag barrister trying to paint her as a villain-seductress and then listen to the boy make up this trash about her? Is this what we have to subject ourselves to, in order to get justice?”

Dark Chapter is told in two alternating voices – that of vivacious Vivian, setting out on a hike she has been looking forward to; and that of 15-year old Johnny Sweeney, a troubled boy who is about to destroy her trust and innocence forever. Whilst I am often not a fan of getting too much into the mind of the perpetrator in novels, Li’s book proved that – if executed the right way (i.e. to add depth, not shock value) – this approach can add a lot to the story. Whilst I found this rapist remorseless and lacking in insight, and could make no excuses for his actions, exploring his childhood and upbringing did sow a small seed of empathy for his troubled mind. I applaud the author for being able to present the perpetrator in such an honest light, when a lot of emotions must be tangled up in the story for her.

Focusing on the events surrounding a horrific assault and rape and the effects on the victim’s life afterwards, Dark Chapter is a story of courage, hope and moving forward. I loved Li’s writing, which is as unflinchingly honest as it is engaging. It is obvious that a lot of the author’s emotions were tied up in this story, and she conveys them effortlessly to the reader, giving us a true-to-live main protagonist that is so real she could be your friend, neighbour, relative. Although some might find it confronting in its honesty, I couldn’t put it down would recommend it highly to female and male readers alike. I hope to read a lot more from this talented author in future.

The story is a bit brutal in that the subject matter is the rape of a woman by a 15 year old boy. it is a dark and powerful thriller, inspired by true events and set in Belfast. Read it and make up your own mind. Thank you Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Goodreads and Amazon.