Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover, a guest post by Some Boys author Patty Blount

How many times have we heard this phrase? 

In my latest novel, Some Boys, main character Grace Collier tells her best friends what Zac McMahon did to her that night at a party. Zac McMahon, captain of the lacrosse team, movie-star gorgeous and Mr. popular. Grace wears sexy clothes, too much makeup, and has a big mouth. 

They don’t believe her. They think she’s lying and take his side –  Isn’t it ironic that stories like Grace’s always come down to who looks the part? 

When I was researching the topics covered in this novel, I found a website called Project Unbreakable. It was started by a photographer named Grace Brown when she was just nineteen years old. Since its start, the website has collected and displayed over two thousand photographs of survivors of sexual assault and rape holding up signs bearing quotes that hurt them – most are from their attackers, but many are from their friends, relatives, the police, doctors, and judges – all doing their best to put blame where it does not belong – on the victims. 

I spent hours exploring this website, reading every poster, looking at every survivor’s picture. I named my heroine Grace because of this website. And when I reached the last image, one thing became abundantly clear to me. 

There is no part, no typical victim. It doesn’t matter how old you are, if you’re gay or straight, single or in a relationship. It doesn’t matter what you wear or what you said. It doesn’t matter where you went or what time of day it was. 

But lots of people will try to tell you all that stuff does matter. They’ll try to tell you it’s your fault. Do not accept it. Do not believe it. 

That’s an excuse, a defense mechanism, a way to explain the unthinkable – that yes, even good kidsare capable of this despicable crime. 

If your friends tell you a story like this, be the friend who does not ask them what they wore, how much they had to drink, or whether they’d already slept with that person before. Be the friend who holds out her arms and says, “It wasn’t your fault. Let me help you.”

Some Boys by Patty Blount

When Grace meets Ian, she’s afraid. Afraid he’ll reject her like the rest of the school, like her own family. After she accuses Zac, the town golden boy, of rape, everyone turns against her. Ian wouldn’t be the first to call her a slut and a liar.

Except Ian doesn’t reject her. He’s the one person who looks past the taunts and the names and the tough-girl act to see the real Grace. He’s the one who gives her the courage to fight back.

He’s also Zac’s best friend.

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