"Easy" by Tammara Webber

I normally do not read New Adult, however, this one caught my interest because of the subject central to the plot. The main character Jacqueline is attacked in the parking lot while leaving a frat house party on campus. She barely escapes being raped when a stranger pulls the attacker off of her and knocks him out. Jacqueline decides not to call the police as she is hoping her attacker had learned his lesson. She also knows him: he is the best friend of her roommate's boyfriend and had never before been anything but nice to her. The novel takes off from there.

Aside from the purely "new adult" elements, the novel does a good job examining the issue of rape from several different angles. First of all, it is important to realize that in majority of cases the perpetrator is someone the woman knows: a neighbor, a friend, or a relative. Webber also goes over techniques of how women can protect themselves and the importance of knowing basic self defense. I loved how strongly and in several places throughout the novel she emphasizes that rape is not something the victim should feel guilty about.  It is never the victim's fault.  Knowing where the blame needs to be placed should help with realizing the importance of reporting any sexual assault.

I think this book is great for raising awareness about sexual assault and the issues surrounding it, especially among high school and college readers who do enjoy the New Adult genre. I rated this novel 4 out 5 stars.