"Exposed" by Kimberly Marcus

255 pages

This novel-in-verse features sixteen-year-old Liz, aka Photogirl, who was born to view life from behind a lens and turn what she sees into a beautiful image. She's not the most popular girl in school, but she's not a dork either. She gets along well with her parents and older brother, Mike, and she has a marvelous best friend named Kate. Liz and Kate are so close that she can't imagine anything coming between them. But all of that changes in one fateful night. Suddenly, Kate is avoiding Liz and people are whispering behind her back. When she finally confronts Kate, her friend makes an accusation that will change their lives forever.

This story is one that will stick with me. It confronts a very serious issue--rape--from a perspective that we don't often see: that of a bystander who is drastically affected by the alleged incident and almost becomes a victim herself. It's heartbreaking to watch Liz struggle to decide whom to believe. I like that the story shows that rape can happen to anyone and that it affects more than just the one who is actually raped (which applies to any crime, abuse, or tragedy). However, I thought the verse was a little distracting. Maybe I'm just not sophisticated enough to appreciate it, but it seemed like the lines were composed arbitrarily and that prose would have been a better fit. That said, I still enjoyed this book immensely, and I will be recommending it to patrons and friends who like real-life gritty stuff like Ellen Hopkins, Laurie Halse Anderson, and Patricia McCormick.