The Opposite of Fate

McGhee (Never Coming Back) dwells on bad things happening to a good person in this frustrating tale of morality and sexual assault. Massage therapist Mallie Williams, 21, had what she thought was an idyllic life, sharing a home in upstate New York with her first love, Zach Miller, and her younger brother, Charlie. As children, Mallie and Charlie were abandoned by their widowed mother, Lucia, for a cultlike church, though they’ve since found a surrogate family in Zach, their neighbor William T., and his girlfriend, Crystal. Then Mallie is raped by a stranger and suffers a coma-inducing head injury. The rape resulted in Mallie becoming pregnant, and she awakens 16 months later, having given birth via C-section and slept through a media-driven battle over what should be done about her pregnancy. Charlie flees to a Pennsylvania boarding school to escape public scrutiny, while Zach weighs in on what should happen with the baby. Sentimental optimism and Mallie’s implausible empathy for the rapist undercut this testament of surviving a nightmarish scenario. McGhee’s exploration of tough questions misses the mark. (Feb.)