Wrecked

Consent workshops and crisis hotlines are part of today’s college experience, as are arguments over culpability for sexual assault and whether college administrators can handle these investigations. Padian (Out of Nowhere) avoids oversimplifying or stereotyping as she explores one such assault and its aftermath, telling a story that combines the most painful, everyday, and emotionally intimate aspects of college life. While it is Jenny, a shy first-year student, who is raped while at her first college party, Padian focuses on her roommate, Haley, and one of the accused rapist’s friends, Richard. Alternating third-person chapters let readers see their feelings on the developing situation and each other as their mutual attraction grows, even as they are drawn deeper into the investigation. Though Jenny and her pain can sometimes feel overshadowed by the separate romantic thread, Padian’s expansion of the story to include friends and family lends it visceral realism, allowing readers to imagine themselves in a similar scenario without asking them to envision themselves as either victim or perpetrator. Ages 14–up. Agent: Edite Kroll, Edite Kroll Literary. (Oct.)