This is the second book I've read by this author. The first was Ask for Andrea which was absolutely brilliant, with less of the disturbing factor and more creative. I almost didn't want to read any of her other books because the others all sound darker than my normal reading choices. I will probably still pass on Run on Red but I finally bought Grey After Dark and Room for Rent.
I just finished Grey After Dark and I gotta admit, at one point I almost quit, asking myself 'why am I putting these dark images into my mind?' but the book was sooooo well-written I just couldn't put it down, even though I found it disturbing.
This is certainly Not a fun, easy read. It's quite dark and deals with some intense abuse. Those easily triggered should obviously stay away. The rape scenes weren't graphic (amazingly) but other scenes were. This book is Not for the faint of heart.
Given the genre that it is, it's quite well done. Noelle is an absolute master writer!
This book gives new meaning to "which would you rather face in the woods, a man or a bear?" meme circulating all over social media.
I have only one bit of feedback to the author:
I realize that women have been fighting for a very long time to NOT be blamed for rape and other abuse by men. Obviously, those things are ALWAYS the abuser/rapist's fault, No matter what. There is NEVER any excuse for rape or any kind of abuse.
Having said that, the fact remains that there ARE predators out there. OF COURSE it's the predator's fault. But at the same time, we must be realistic. Just as there are thieves out there and most of us know that and always lock our doors at night, right? We don't just leave our doors open and invite in the thieves.
Likewise, feminist thinking has gone too far in convincing women that they can run alone in the woods because if a man rapes them, it's the man's fault. OF COURSE it's the man's fault. BUT it was STILL foolish for the woman to run alone in the woods, especially without any sort of reliable weapon. (Leaving a weapon out of reach makes it worthless.)
So, my only minor feedback to the author is that she seemed to go out of her way to avoid the elephant in the room, which is that Miley really screwed up in choosing to run alone in the woods, without any cell service, with No weapon within reach at all times, and No one even knowing where she was.
That is sooooo obvious you might think it didn't need to be said, but it seemed strange that Miley never acknowledged her mistake. That part wasn't realistic. She seemed defiant even when her choice resulted in such a horrible situation.
It seemed that the author didn't dare let her main character do any real introspection about that bad decision for fear of being accused of blaming the victim.
Acknowledging that there ARE predators out there, and taking steps to avoid them, is NOT blaming the victim!
Yes, a woman SHOULD be able to run in the woods and be vulnerable, without fear of predators. But, unfortunately, that just isn't the way it is.
Also, I don't want to give any spoilers as to whether the characters survived or Not, so I'll just be vague here and say that more attention could have been paid to the long-term effects of such intense trauma, which sort of got glossed over.
Other than those teeeny tiny complaints, the book was phenomenal.
I'm going to take a deep breath, get up the courage and start the next book by this author. I hope she writes more books that are less disturbing and more creative (like Ask for Andrea).
Gray After Dark: A Thriller
4.4 | 16,385 ratings
Price: 5.99
Last update: 12-22-2024
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Top reviews from the United States
DragonessEmotionally Intense, Dark Thriller
Susan F. RussellGreat adrenaline rush
Judy JonesI can see this happening
Mara AGood
Amber in the pagesWow! This might just be one of my favorite thriller reads ever, and that’s saying something.
Amber in the pages
Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2024
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Tara StarnerRushed ending
Savannah Jones