The same day 17-year-old Owen comes out as bisexual, he's sexually assaulted, an act he keeps secret until an anonymous someone reports it to the school administration, and even then he stubbornly refuses to name the assailant. Why Owen's adamant silence? Because his assailant is someone close to him, making the assault even harder for him to process. Owen's experience also impacts his on-again, off-again relationship with his girlfriend, Lily, who won't accept his many attempts to break up with her. The mystery surrounding Owen's attack runs through the narrative, with an unexpected twist awaiting readers when the attacker is finally revealed. Promoted by the publisher as "Speak for boys," Smedley's second novel is troubling but deeply felt and extremely well written; especially beautifully realized is Owen's loving relationship with his group of friends. The book is not flawless, however; it tends toward maudlin, and the ever-changing nature of Owen's relationship with Lily goes on too long. Nevertheless, the thoughtful presentation of such a rare topic in YA fiction is welcome.

Ignoring things won't make them go away. Told in nonlinear chapters, the story follows Owen, a bisexual high schooler from small-town Pennsylvania who is on the autism spectrum. Owen is raped by someone he knows intimately while on the school's annual trip for seniors. Covering for the perpetrator causes stress across many areas of Owen's life, from his relationship with his ex-military father--a man who is not proactively addressing his PTSD--to his friends and his girlfriend, Lily. Once the rapist's identity is discovered, the novel follows Owen in the immediate aftermath of the assault. The story is superbly told, and readers will be simultaneously on the edges of their seats as the narrative slowly draws closer to revealing the rapist's identity and saddened by the waves of emotional and physical abuse Owen endures as he attempts to make the sexual assault investigation disappear. Other themes, such as Owen's slow emergence from the closet and the milestone of his driver's license, add additional complexity and humanity in support of the main storyline. Book clubs and discussion groups will have a lot to ponder. Backmatter directing readers to sexual assault resources would have elevated the title even further. The main characters are White; there is diversity in the supporting cast. Stellar and haunting. (author's note) (Fiction. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 9 Up--A sexual assault, the secrets surrounding it, and the resulting trauma reshape everything high school senior Owen understands to be true. Switching between earlier diaries and the current time line, Owen, who is on the autism spectrum, details his relationship with his girlfriend, do-gooder perfectionist Lily. Neither Lily nor their friends blink when Owen comes out as bisexual, but the night he reveals this information on social media he is sexually assaulted while on a class trip. He tries to keep the report of his rape and the ensuing investigation secret from Lily, as things between them are already strained and stressful. Though Owen knows who raped him, he refuses to tell the school, his parents, or the authorities. He grapples with what happened to him while trying to figure out if he can do the relationship reset that Lily desperately wants. Owen works through the hurdles that trauma brings, eventually confronting his abuser and revealing their identity to his parents. The intricate layers, stunning revelations, and powerful emotions in this story will captivate readers as well as help them overlook some of the flaws--mainly uneven writing and occasionally stiff dialogue. The structure of the novel, partially told through diary entries, successfully adds suspense and shows how difficult it can be to move forward and just exist in the aftermath of a horrific incident. VERDICT A painful and important look at toxic relationships, rape, power, and control from a vantage point not often seen in YA.--Amanda MacGregor, Parkview Elem. Sch., Rosemount, MN