By: Donna Freitas
Received from publisher for review
Synopsis (From Author's Website): Olivia Peters is over the moon when her literary idol, the celebrated novelist and muchadored local priest Mark D. Brendan, offers to become her personal writing mentor.
But when Father Mark’s enthusiasm for Olivia’s prose develops into something more, Olivia’s emotions quickly shift from wonder to confusion to despair. Exactly what game is Father Mark playing, and how on earth can she get out of it?
My Review: What a haunting, frightening, and all too true story of the abuse of power and reality of being stalked.
First of all, you should read the review Angie did at her blog, Angieville, because it sums up pretty perfectly how I feel about this book.
The emotions packed into This Gorgeous Game are breathtaking. Donna Freitas masterfully shows us each agonizing detail of Olivia's life after she wins Father Mark's writing contest. It makes me wonder if Ms. Freitas has had some kind of personal experience related to stalking.
I want to share a few lines that were particularly poignant.
Before Father Mark returns to whatever wisdom he was about to offer me, his ever-willing supplicant, on the plotting of the short story, I blurt, "So do you know Jamie Grant?" I do nothing to hide the enthusiasm and interest in my voice because I assume Father Mark will get a kick out of the fact that I have a crush and because I am also imagining that this revelation might break the ice, that I can be the schoolgirl with a crush and suddenly Father Mark will laugh an appropriately fatherly laugh and give me advice about college boys like I am his daughter, feeling protective and expressing concern about the fickle boys who attend his university, like any other father who is not also a Father would.I loved this passage because it is one sentence. One long sentence full of hopes, dreams, and desires. And it is cut short by the short, rude, and soul-crushing sentence that follows.
I assume wrong.
It is not often that a contemporary novel really stands out to me. This book was a very strong exception. Olivia was good. She is a good girl who does not deserve what happens to her. Frankly, even if she had been a whiny brat, she wouldn't have deserved what happened to her.
And, the perfect foil for Father Mark is Jamie. Jamie is the one that shows Olivia the goodness in men. Thank goodness for Jamie.
My Rating:
Profanity: None
Sexuality: Mild
Violence: None
Drugs and Alcohol: None
