The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Sexual Abuse

All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr

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Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle
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All the Fighting Parts is a much needed book. The verse format makes it a quick read, but it spares no punches, delving deep into the heart of one sexual assault survivor’s journey through grief, guilt, resistance, and reclamation. Healing is a journey through, not a journey’s end; and while the powers of her local church are stacked against her, her loved ones (whom she withdraws from in the aftermath) learn how to support her through every step. It’s poignant and oh-so relevant. Amina’s story is unlike anything I’ve read before, and I hope with all my might that All the Fighting Parts falls into the hands of those who need it most.

All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr, (List Price: $19.99, Amulet Books, 9781419762611, September 2023)

Reviewed by Isabel Agajanian, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida

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Red by Annie Cardi

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Red by Annie Cardi
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In this young adult retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Tess is forced to find the strength to break the cycle of abuse occurring in her church after getting an abortion. Told in a way that doesn’t demonize faith, but rather shows how it can come up short and allows Tess to find her voice again.

Red by Annie Cardi, (List Price: $18.99, Union Square & Co., 9781454951308, 2024-01-30)

Reviewed by Shannon Rogers, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

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After the Ink Dries by Cassie Gustafson

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After the Ink Dries
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Erica and Thomas love each other. It’s promising that they can look forward to a new relationship together–until Erica wakes up one morning to see her body vandalized with vulgar drawings, offensive words, and several names, including Thomas’. This debut is enhanced through Erica and Thomas’ own perspectives, in which Gustafson fleshes them out very well and provides two sides to this engrossing story. I’m positive that After the Ink Dries will inspire somebody, as it succeeds in illustrating the struggle-but also the possibility- of having courage and hope when it seems like the world is against you.

After the Ink Dries by Cassie Gustafson, (List Price: 19.99, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9781534473690, July 2021)

Reviewed by Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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