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Stained

door Cheryl Rainfield

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A teenaged girl bullied for her port-wine stain must summon her personal strength to survive abduction and horrific abuse at the hands of a deranged killer.
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Toon 5 van 5
Having been born with a port wine stain, Sarah has suffered a lot of bullying from other kids (and sometimes adults). The day that she is finally going to start treatments to minimize the colouring of her birthmark, her father announces that his company's finances have been gutted by a yet-unknown person. They can't afford the treatments; they might even lose the house. Upset, Sarah goes to school like normal, only to be picked on by more people. And then she's abducted by someone she knows. Blindfolded, raped, starved, and locked up where no one can hear her, Sarah has to find a way out before her abductor ends her life.

Well, this is one of those books that I wanted to like a lot more than I did. It's partially based on some of the experiences that the author had when she was a child, and for that I am genuinely sorry that anyone would have to suffer anything akin to what Sarah did. But I'm only reviewing the book itself, not the author's life.

The book itself feels quite choppy to me. I never felt drawn into the story at all; I did finish the book, hoping that at some point it would grow on me, but it really didn't.

I also felt that the characters were quite two dimensional. Nick, for example, just existed to show what was happening with Sarah's parents and to repeatedly tell the readers that Sarah is incredibly strong and brave. He didn't feel like he had his own separate personality at all. And, to be honest, I found it rather disturbing that he kept thinking about kissing Sarah when he knew that she had been abducted. It just skeeved me. I guess this was to show the reader that, in spite of what had happened to Sarah, she was still lovable and nothing could make her not be. A great sentiment and a true one, too, but right after Sarah had escaped from her abductor, they're kissing in Sarah's bedroom and Nick is feeling her back. Okay, Sarah does freak out a little bit, but I can't imagine that less than twenty-four hours after escaping from this crazy guy who had abused and raped her repeatedly for four months, Sarah would feel like doing any of that. It just doesn't ring true to me.

And then there is Sarah. She thinks about Nick a lot while she is being held captive, which I found a little strange. Granted, they're friends, but Sarah doesn't seem all that into Nick until the reader discovers Nick's crush on her. Then it's on. As Brian, her captor, is raping her, Sarah is thinking about how she should have taken a chance with Nick. That just...seems so very wrong and off to me.

I had problems with the dialogue, especially when it concerned Sarah's parents. It never rang true to me. Towards the end, as they are driving back from the hospital after JUST getting their daughter back after FOUR MONTHS, they start talking about the embezzled money (which Brian, of course, is responsible for). It just felt so weird and fake. I would think that they'd want to talk to their daughter, hold her, cry with her, hug her...and honestly not give a crap about the money at this point.

Even worse? Sarah is understandably jumpy and paranoid after her ordeal, especially since Brian hasn't been arrested by the police yet. She thinks a car is tailing them on the interstate as they drive home from the hospital. And what does her father say? "You've got to let it rest." WHAT THE FLYING FUCK. She's been free for mere HOURS and her father is telling her to "let it rest?" I can't even. I. Can't. Even.


The ending was just over the top for me. Brian, Sarah's abductor, breaks into their house and plans to kill everyone - Sarah, Nick, and Sarah's parents. But he doesn't obviously. That just reeked of a bad after-school movie or something. And then things just...ended. I understand that not every book needs a definite stopping point with all loose ends tied up, but it rather felt like the author decided that she was tired of writing and just stopped. It felt like we were still in the middle of a lot of different things.

Altogether, I found this book disappointing at best. There's not a lot of "meat" here; it has a very bare bones feel. I wanted some introspection, but it's more of a blow-by-blow of what is happened. There is no closure, and I honestly would fear for Sarah's mental health if she was a real person, because I don't think she'd be getting the help she needs to healthily deal with what happened to her. ( )
  schatzi | Jul 15, 2015 |
**ORIGINALLY POSTED ON www.WeAreWordNerds.com**

My Thoughts:
I’ve been putting this review off for a few days now, trying to digest my feelings about this book. I guess the best thing for me to do is just say it, so ….
I did like the book. But...
Always a "but", right? I felt the writing style was aimed at a younger YA crowd, however, the content is NOT. This book contains an abduction and multiple/repeated rape. Its not graphic or anything, but it is what it is. I am in no way trying to say such things should not be in books, I’m just saying I am uncomfortable reading it. (Probably due to family history) I really am uncomfortable with the thought of kids reading it. I mean, my own kids are 13 & 17. I would not recommend this book to them, even though it is clearly written to that age range “style” wise. Call me a fuddy duddy, or over protective, or whatever if you want. That is just the way it is.

Ive seen several interviews with this author where she states she wrote this book because she wished there’d been something like it available when she was a teen. I get that, I do, and I find it very admirable. Feelings for the author and the author’s cause should have no baring on my review of the book though. So, what did I think about the actual book?

Character wise: I never connected to the main character, Sarah. Even though there was plenty of back story about her and how she was constantly bullied over her “stain”, I just didn't care. I kept thinking about my own childhood and how mean the kids were to me about my name & my weight, and shrugging. Kids are bullied all the time. For being heavy, for being poor, for being smart. Truth is, kids are assholes. And I really just didn’t care about her. She felt flat to me.

The secondary characters, were just that. Secondary (in other words, ordinary). I repeatedly rolled my eyes at the parents, especially in the second half of the book. And Sarah’s friends, *sigh*.

Story wise: I thought the story was well thought out. I did like the idea of it. I enjoyed the whole “who is the bad guy” thing and waiting for everyone else to figure it out. I didn't care for how it was delivered. The tone or style of the book feels like its aimed at younger teens, and having repeated rape in a book for that age range…just makes me cringe.

And then there is the romance part. The romance aspect of the book, was meh. The “ugly” duckling finds true love in the end. Really? I probably would have enjoyed this book SO MUCH more had there not been a secondary ‘love story’ plot going on.

So, where does that leave me?

I read the book, I did not DNF it. I finished it because I wanted to see how it would end. So, something must have been drawing me into the story. Right?

I don’t know that I would recommend it to adults because the writing style, just felt “dumbed down” for me. If that makes sense at all. And I would never recommend it to kids because of the content matter. I just wouldn’t feel comfortable telling a kid to pick it up. Well, unless I thought they would benefit from it and their parents wouldn’t disapprove of the content.
Mom Notes:
This book contains: bullying, abduction, and rape.

For Students & Teachers:
* this book is NOT listed yet, but other books by this author, in similar genre rank:
ATOS Book Level: UG
Interest Level: 3.7
AR Points: 7
  BunnyCates | Jul 8, 2015 |
Sarah, ashamed of the port-wine stain on her face, spends her life wishing she were one of the "Beautiful People" or brave like the heroines of the comics she adores. When Sarah is kidnapped, imprisoned and raped by one of the so-called Beautiful People, she realizes that ugliness can run deep and that she must be her own heroine if she wants to survive. "Stained" is a book with a compelling and often disturbing premise, but the writing didn't quite live up to the concept--it was, overall, pretty dispassionate and repetitive. I felt like there needed to be *more* to the plot, as most of the book it flips between Sarah telling herself she needs to escape and Nick, the boy who secretly loves her, wishing he could find and rescue Sarah. Not much else goes on, so this novel may have been better suited as a short story. That being said, the book did deliver an important message to young women about being their own heroines. ( )
  TheMadHatters | Apr 24, 2014 |
It had a very powerful start, putting us in Sarah's shoes, showing how it feels to have such a prominent stain on her face. She is tormented and she feels like no one gives her the chance to see who she is besides someone that is not physically perfect.
I liked the dual perspective and getting to know Nick. He is nerdy and he is kind so I automatically was cheering for him even though he knew that she didn't see him like that. He saw past her face, and found her beautiful anyways. He thinks she is strong and they have a connection through comic books, he draws and she writes them.
There is a lot going on with Sarah, her dad has trouble at work and while she was going to get treatments for her face, that had to be put off because of the finances. I did like her mom, and I know as a teen that had to be annoying to be constantly told your parents think you are beautiful and that it is more than physical beauty to the world. But I am glad that she is present and saying these things.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the formatting. I am not sure, it is probably a product of being an ARC (advanced reader copy) but there were "l"s missing, and some of the lines were cut off.
But anyways, Cheryl Rainfield the author writes with such passion and so beautifully dark and gritty. The details of what Sarah went through weren't skimmed over, they were examined and it focused on her feelings too. I was amazed at how strong she was, how courageous and the will to survive. I also thought this story was all the more powerful because Cheryl writes from personal experience in abuse. That really touched me that she can relate with her main characters that way, that the feelings and emotions come from a very real place. And that she is able to share the stories, no matter what details are fiction and what comes from what she has experienced is a real gift. Not only to survivors of abuse or captivity that there is hope and that outlets exist for pain, but to those who haven't been through something like this to get a harrowing and realistic look at the mindset and experience of someone kidnapped, raped, and manipulated.
I also rooted for Sarah so much because she was smart. Even though desperate, she used her brain and did what she needed to in order to survive for the most part. She learned from her mistakes and her pride, and she was a mental fighter.
I love how she became her own hero and learned to see the beauty inside and out.

Bottom Line: Powerful look of a courageous main character with a will to live.
  brandileigh2003 | Sep 7, 2013 |
Book Info: Genre:
Reading Level: Young Adult
Recommended for: Those who need to learn to be their own hero
Book Available: October 1, 2013 in Hardcover, Kindle, and Audiobook formats
Trigger Warnings: bullying, kidnapping, sexual assault, rape, attempted murder, reported murder

My Thoughts: “Sometimes you have to be your own hero.” That is the lesson Cheryl Rainfield has said she tries to show in all her books. I'll admit to being a Cheryl Rainfield fan—I have liked all of her books I've read to date, and was very excited to find this one among my Vine offerings this month. I was also incredibly happy to note that my ARC has the original cover, the one deemed “too harsh” by some retailers, leading to a new cover being designed. That's fine, but I liked this original one, which really brings home the situation in which Sarah finds herself.

This is an incredibly difficult book to read, on multiple levels. First of all, the content is difficult, especially for anyone who has experienced any of the traumatic events reported in the book. Also, most of this book is thinking about things, talking about things, discussing things, and the internal dialogues of Sarah and Nick. There is not a lot of action, because the book is about the drastic changes that Sarah goes through as a result of her experiences. So people who prefer a more plot-driven book may have difficulties going through this. There also tends to be some repetition, but that's to be expected in this sort of book.

Most of Cheryl Rainfield's books have at least one or two characters who are part of the QUILTBAG, which is also true in this book. None of them are main characters, but they are there, living their lives, and loving whom they please. I love this about her books. This one is also about learning to live for yourself, accept yourself for who you are, and not to spend so much time worrying about the opinions of people that have no control over your life, and I think that is a lesson well learned by younger readers.

Sensitive readers should take note of my trigger warnings, and be braced. While not necessarily explicit as other books I've read, the events are nonetheless raw and difficult to read. However, it's a very moving book, and one I think a lot of people should take the time to read and think about. And definitely check out Cheryl Rainfield's other books as well, as she has some really great stories to tell. Recommended.

Disclosure: I received a paperback ARC from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: In this heart-wrenching and suspenseful teen thriller, sixteen-year-old Sarah Meadows longs for "normal." Born with a port-wine stain covering half her face, all her life she’s been plagued by stares, giggles, bullying, and disgust. But when she’s abducted on the way home from school, Sarah is forced to uncover the courage she never knew she had, become a hero rather than a victim, and learn to look beyond her face to find the beauty and strength she has inside. It’s that—or succumb to a killer. ( )
  Katyas | Aug 27, 2013 |
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A teenaged girl bullied for her port-wine stain must summon her personal strength to survive abduction and horrific abuse at the hands of a deranged killer.

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