Meredith sits on the curb outside her condo, waiting for her father to get home. This isn’t just any reunion -- her father has been in jail for three years for sexually molesting her. To make matters more twisted and painful, Meredith’s mother can’t wait for him to get there so that they can rekindle their marriage, even though, aside from molesting her daughter, he also molested several young boys on his middle school baseball team.
Though the premise is almost ridiculously unbelievable, it’s a testament to the fierce beauty of Laura Wiess’ writing – her impeccable attention to the smallest detail -- that she pulls off this tale, making this nightmare scenario feel downright terrifying.
Meredith’s story is one of ultimate betrayal. Her father is completely unrepentant and ready to take up where he left off with his daughter. The mother is both sinister and clueless, and horrifying in her own right. This is a powerful book about fear, evil, and redemption.
Bibliotherapeutic value: Even though Meredith has some attentive adults around her, she finds that only she can help herself. A poignant story about moving out of victimhood.
Wiess, Laura Battyanyi. Such a Pretty Girl. New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2007.
ISBN: 14165-21836. $7.99.
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