For me this book was ok. I had trouble with the main character, Hadley. I strongly disliked her, and I felt her behavior was irrational, even for a teenager. I disliked her personality. I felt she was selfish. She did grow at the end of the story - but not enough to safe this book for me. I wanted to like it more.

There's no way around it - this novel is about rape, and suicide after the justice system fails victims and survivors. Vigilante confronts these issues head-on. And probably the most devastating thing about the book is that even though it was published in 2017 and written likely a year before that...it still feels contemporary. Like it could happen now in 2019. And, worse, chances are it will continue to be timeless for years to come.

The victim-blaming. The victim-shaming. Just a few days ago, an online personality was murdered - and comments claimed that she'd done shoddy things in her life.

That is irrelevant. She did not deserve to be murdered.

It's a cruel world when vigilantes obtain more justice for victims than the legal system does. The novel addresses the classism, though it unfortunately neglects the racial aspect. The four rapists are white, as far as I could tell. Judging by her surname, Magda Torres was Latina. (And yes, the novel is quite cis-normative.)

There's a hopeful thread in the form of free self-defense classes marketed for teen girls. The bond these girls form - and that with their instructor, a police detective - is wonderful to read. How they vow to look out for one another, and anyone else who might be in danger.

On Twitter, the author said that Vigilante was the start of her "feminine rage" novels. She's continued that in the form of adult thrillers published under the name Kate Kessler - four of which I've read and can recommend, and others on my wish list.

Add to your #metoo book list and fight like a girl.

Add to your #metoo book list and fight like a girl.

Add to your #metoo book list and fight like a girl.

Look, revenge is kinda my thing. I’d define myself as simultaneously a 5-foot-4 bundle of anxious sunshine and a vengeful, grudge-holding gal. In high school, I came very close to punching a girl’s lights out for all the crap she’d done to me over the years–and to a degree, I still regret that I didn’t. It turns out Vigilante did the same thing I did and pulled its punches back at the last second.

Keep in mind, this is a book in which our protagonist Hadley cuts up one rapist’s skin with the knife he used to stab her and another rapist flat-out dies. And yet even with that, Vigilante just can’t commit to the full extent and consequences of revenge! It’s too… nice despite the fact one rapist is physically scarred and another ends up flat-out dead. Simplistic. Clumsy. Also color-blind in the worst possible way, but we’ll get to that.

I have next to nothing to say about Hadley, just that she considered raping one of the rapists and decided against it because “even if it were possible, I wouldn’t.” (pg. 62) She doesn’t think guys can physically be raped by gals? OKAY, GARBAGE PROTAGONIST. NEXT. Magda deserves a better avenger–and it’s clear both in and out of context that Hadley’s talking the actual act of rape, not her moral abillity to rape him.

She never corrects herself on that gross misconception, by the way.

The book has lovely intentions with female empowerment and correcting some misconceptions; at the same time many girls in town are taking self-defense lessons led by Hadley and a cop, they make the valid point that they shouldn’t need to. It’s guys who need to learn a lesson: don’t rape people. Entirely correct! It also had Emilie Autumn’s album Fight Like a Girl playing in my head because it’s very thematically appropriate for the book Vigilante wants to be.

It’s a shame that these valid points are spoken in some of the clumsiest, most unnatural dialogue I’ve ever seen. The heavily didactic form of the entire novel in addition to Magda’s heavily religious symbolism (her family is very Christian and her name is the shortened form of Magdalene like Mary Magdalene) as a character. Heck, Magda exists solely as a symbol for Hadley! None of the flashbacks to when Magda was alive present us with her as a true character.

That flaw gets made that much worse by the novel’s refusal to acknowledge the racial element of Magda the Latina girl being raped by four white guys. If you wanna play colorblind and say that doesn’t matter, you can leave right now because it absolutely does. It’s hard enough for white gals to get justice when they’re raped by white guys. Gals of color like Magda? It’s even harder for them.

Then there’s her brother Gabriel, who’s feeling understandably violent after his sister’s rape and suicide. He wants revenge too, but the consequences are worse for him as a Latino guy than they are for Hadley as a white gal. Hadley only considers the consequences for him in regards to the restraining order one of the rapists against him. What about the disproportionate punishment he’d likely receive for breaking that restraining order because both explicit and implicit racism in the criminal justice system is alive and well?

That’s such a major factor being ignored that there’s almost no room to say Hadley and Gabriel’s romance didn’t need a romance going on between them. But yeah, their romance is out of place and Hadley’s colorblindness is enough of a reason for them not to be together.

It’s not an understatement to say representation of marginalized people in this novel is poor either. Saying the school had “every hair and skin color imaginable represented” is not acceptable rep, especially when the main players are almost entirely white. The exceptions are Magda and her own family, being Latinx. Everyone else is as white as my rear end!

Look, revenge is nasty. Those two quotes at the top of the page are some of my favorites and entirely correct. When the crime is egregious like the crime in Vigilante is, you seek revenge knowing you’re almost certain to ruin yourself in addition to your target(s). My plan to beat that girl black and blue? I was fully prepared to at least be suspended from school for fighting. She spent years lying to me, manipulating me, and she straight-up catfished me before that word had even entered our cultural vernacular. My fury was great enough that I was willing to sacrifice a lot for some long-needed revenge.

The only reason I didn’t is because I made the mistake of mentioning to a teacher how furious I was with the girl. She advised me not to do anything and I heard her voice in my head when I was face-to-face with my former friend. Sure, the gal got some comeuppance because her entire graduating class hated her so much that she chose to skip walking at graduation, but it wasn’t enough for me. It still isn’t.

Bonus: when the guy who sexually abused me as a kid was on his submarine, his ship was in serious trouble once and had to dock in Saudi Arabia for emergency repairs. I wished with all my heart his sub had exploded and sunk even though that would take almost everyone else with him.

So yeah, I know when a revenge book has a main character committed to revenge. Vigilante isn’t even close.

Read The Hollow Girl by Hillary Monahan instead. It fully embraces the darkness of seeking revenge and the narrator Bethan undergoes an excellent character arc as she does so. I’ve heard recs for The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis too, but I haven’t read it yet. Point blank, Vigilante isn’t worth your time.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I do hope to give it another try in the future.

A good and totally unbelievable story. This story is told in an ideal world where teenage Hadley is a martial arts master and capable of stealthy nighttime vigilantism a la Batman. She goes after the bad guys and gets justice. Along the way she saves other girls from similar fates. Hadley is a likable character. Her pain is so relatable as is her anger and need for justice. Her relationship with Zoe and the other girls at the self-defense class was a welcome distraction for her and the reader. They and her romantic relationship with Gabriel helped to remind us that she was just a teenager. All but 1 of the 4 guys are portrayed as your classic villain. Drew specifically was made pure evil. I had higher hopes for Jason but nothing came of them when the story progressed and he was once again relegated to being an evil villain. Reality was suspended in this story but in the best possible way. We all wish we could make those who have wronged us pay.

Unfortunately, I just wasn't able to get into this one like I wanted to. May give it a try again sometime, but for now this is a DNF.

V for violated. V for vilified. V for vigilant. And now V for validated. Amidst the numerous fight scenes you'd expect from a book titled Vigilante, this book tells you over and over until you believe it that the only people who can prevent rape are rapists. It tells you that no one is ever "asking for it" and consent is necessary, and not saying "no" doesn't mean "yes". This book tells you what you desperately need to hear when you grow up in a world of "don't get drunk", "don't go off with him alone", "don't wear that unless you're ready for the consequences". It perfectly captures the way the justice system fails us, the way those with the power to protect us fail us, and the way we often fail ourselves and each other. But it also shows us how and why we need to do better. Above all Vigilante was healing to read.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! I could not out it down, and I thought it was well-written, relevant, necessary, and satisfying. I've been recommending it to everyone I know.

This is a tough one for me. On the one hand I think it is brutally honest, and an incredibly important topic. A topic that should be more addressed in schools among young boys and girls. And the empowering message behind this book is brilliant and inspiring - the classes allowing girls to learn to defend themselves physically, and taking control of their own bodies and minds. On the other hand, by the end of it, I'm just not sure how I felt about it. If I start talking about it I do have so many good things to say about the book, and I can't quite work out what it is I didn't necessarily like about it - maybe I wasn't totally loving the budding romance between Hadley and Magda's brother Gabriel. It felt too...clean? Too out of place? I understand the connection they felt in their shared grief, but I maybe didn't feel like this story really needed a romance, and therefore I found it a little off-putting. However, I will say that it was nice to have a little bit of light in an otherwise very dark novel.

I also felt - though self defense is MAJORLY important, and it would be nothing but useful - that this book gave off the vibe of self defense being the only option. Obviously I doubt that was the author's intention, and it could be a character and plot choice, but I think education on the topic is important for both sides - self defense for girls and boys (as both can be victims), and respect from boys and girls (to hopefully help stop it from happening in the first place, in a perfect world).

This is my first Kady Cross book, and though I did find it immediately engaging and readable, there were just a few instances that didn't gel with me. I will say though, that I did really feel the emotions behind the characters - I felt the raw helplessness that Hadley and Gabriel felt near the start - the blend of anger, grief and confusion - it was very well written. I understood Hadley's desire and determination to do something about a system that failed her and Magda.

Overall, I think a lot of people would find this book quite confronting. It doesn't breeze over hard topics, and it doesn't skim over details. So, I'd give this a trigger warning. But I am glad to see there are books on this topic around - I think it's important for discussion.

The problematic victim blamey protagonist kinda soured this book for me.

**Live 4/27**

I went back and forth about requesting Vigilante. I think I was a little bit scared of it. I read a lot of darker themed YA books, what I call gritty, but I usually have to build up my courage before I start them. It’s not that I don’t think they’re important, it’s more about how they’re so important and so prevalent I’m hesitant to confront the horrors of life. It’s why I read so much romance. I like being carried away to a place with a HEA/HFN. Sometimes I need something that has a Happily Ever After ending. Anyway, I did request it, and after weeks of staring at it I finally built up enough gumption to read it.

Unfortunately I read it while I binge watched 13 Reasons Why. Let me tell you, reading two similar stories about Rape and Suicide was not an easy thing to do! I may need something puppies and rainbows for a few weeks yet, especially if my daughter ever wants to graduate to High School.

Anyway, onto the review.

Vigilante is obviously about a girl who decides to get justice for victims of a crime, in this case it was sexual assault. (Justice is what she calls it, but it was really revenge. I get why, of course. I just wanted to establish that I knew the difference, and exactly which one Hadley wanted.) So, first impressions, this was something I knew I wanted to read. However, I was also really nervous because the idea of a Vigilante sounds good on Arrow or in a comic book, but in real life it kinda freaks me out. I’m all for the bad guys getting what they deserve, but I’m also so non-violent the idea of violence in the real (not comic book) world physically makes me feel ill. I just don’t like to read about people getting hurt. I know Vigilante isn’t real life, but a book like this one, set in our time, in our world, dealing with our problems, it felt real. So, needless to say I was nervous it may be too much for me.

I do think sometimes, particularly one scene, was a tad too much. BUT, the nice thing about the story was Hadley wasn’t trying to play it off like everything she did was vindicated. When she took things too far, she felt guilt. She second guessed her actions. She wondered what she was turning into herself. If you are inflicting horrors on someone, regardless of their actions, aren’t you no better yourself? I love that the story took the conversation there. If it hadn’t, if it had tried to glorify what Hadley was doing at all points, I may have rated Vigilante much lower.

I did have a few issues. For instance, I wasn’t much a fan of the ending. I would have liked it if the story hadn’t gone there. If you want the spoiler, highlight the next section: I didn’t think the sexual assault on Hadley was necessary. We already had what happened to Magda, and the reveal about Zoe. I liked how the motivation was about the loss of a friend and the protection of others. I also struggled a bit with Hadley’s relationship with her own parents. I think I just enjoy it more when authors dare to write about good parents and healthy relationships. That one could just be me though.

And finally, I wish there had been more about Gabe. Maybe that one sounds strange because he was in it a lot, but it didn’t feel necessary. I know why it was, what Hadley’s relationship with Gabe represented. I just would have liked to feel their connection stronger than I did, so I could feel that representation and not just read the words.

All in all, a solid 4 star read. I’ve already recommended it to others.

<a target= _blank href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KmAuFPH7WoU/Vpk7CACss5I/AAAAAAAAFvw/6bj4ozMqtSc/s1600/Book%2BFrigate.png" imageanchor="1" ><img hspace="10" align="left" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KmAuFPH7WoU/Vpk7CACss5I/AAAAAAAAFvw/6bj4ozMqtSc/s320/Book%2BFrigate.png"></a>
<font face="Georgia"> <h3>Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!</h3>
<p><b>NB: Content advisory for rape, suicide, and violence.</b></p>

<p><i><b>Synopsis</b></i>: Junior year, Hadley's best friend, Magda, is assaulted at a party. Hadley doesn't understand why Magda doesn't speak up about it, retaliate against the boys who are catcalling her, and stiffen her spine. Hadley urges Magda to act, but Magda chooses not to, and Hadley is grief-stricken and enraged at the loss of her friend, and most of her rage centers on seeing the perpetrators in class every day. As her senior year goes forward, Hadley looks not to the future, but to the past, which remains to her out of balance. She sets herself as the avenger for Magda's death, encouraging girls to join a self-defense course and learn martial arts while plotting to provide the justice against the four boys that no one else has given them. Along the way, she grows closer to Magda's brother, and begins a wave of pink ski-mask vigilantism to save other women from bad situations. This is the basic narrative, without providing too much detail or spoilers.</p>

<p><i><b>Observations</b></i>: <b>Content advisory again</b>: this novel is pretty violent, and some of the scenes of violence are pretty sustained, and I skipped them. Normally, I wouldn't review a novel I skipped part of, but I picked up this novel because the jacket copy said it was a "brutally honest" look at retribution - and since I'd just read a novel on someone faking being who they were, I thought "honest" was a good thing. I assumed that a female main character taking matters into her own hands would be somewhat empowering - and I know other people may come to this work with that in mind.</p>

<a target= _blank href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V3R-_OVIpz0/WPAEBY4q0_I/AAAAAAAAG0A/Cd62TsxwKb8GFrdQWl12BMw2JH4QPpz_gCLcB/s1600/30649742.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img hspace ="10" align=right src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V3R-_OVIpz0/WPAEBY4q0_I/AAAAAAAAG0A/Cd62TsxwKb8GFrdQWl12BMw2JH4QPpz_gCLcB/s400/30649742.jpg" width="265" height="400" /></a><p>The biggest problem that I had with Vigilante - one of many problematic things - is how Hadley implies, in a variety of ways, that Magda is at fault for her rape. I know that's framed in their disagreement in the beginning of the novel as 'a bad thing to say' and the kickoff for the narrative arc and Hadley's vigilantism, but the same is implied elsewhere, later, and the novel doesn't really take it back. For example, as Hadley implies that is doing what Magda <i>should</i> have done, as she learns martial arts and physically empowers herself. Unfortunately, physical power does not guarantee that you can repel a physical attack, and the novel doesn't seem to really take much time to point this out. Hadley is very, very secure in her physical prowess, as if women who are not are somehow taking a chance with their ...safety, and thus somehow doing something wrong. Someone asks Hadley and the detective leading her self-defense course "shouldn't we be teaching men not to rape?" and Hadley says, "Yeah, good luck with that," which... yeah. I'm aware that the character is written in part to be an unreliable narrator, but unfortunately the narrative itself doesn't work through some of her unreliableness.</p>

<p>Early in the novel, Hadley evinces her interest in Magda's brother. Their relationship leaps into reality after Magda's death, and that didn't work as realistic entirely for me - although I do understand how loss can lead people into a physical expression of "we're still alive," but attraction and arousal was a strange third party to a novel about grief, and it seemed to float around just as awkwardly in scenes which would have otherwise been Magda centered. This seemed like the pitfall of All YA Novels Must Have Romance, and... no.</p>

<p>I assumed that the narrative would point out the problems inherent in that ideology. They didn't really. Instead, the novel seemed to glorify actions taken in a white-hot rage, almost identifying Hadley as a superhero, with copycats and a special name, even going so far as to contemplate sexual assault against someone (which she says there's no such thing as sexual assault against a man - <i>oh, yes there is,</i> and the novel doesn't correct her assumption on that, either), in the name of making right her friend's assault - an assault she's allegedly decrying by her actions. She spends inordinate amounts of time in the novel worrying about getting caught, yet her repeated behaviors almost seem as if she's hoping she does -- she wants to talk about This Elephant In The Room -- Magda, whom she feels no one cares about but her, thinks about but her, or talks about as they should - but her. This exaggeratedly centering herself in someone else's story persists throughout the novel. In the end, she's the "heroine" of the piece, which didn't work for me.</p>

<p><i><b>Conclusion</b></i>: This book has a lot of action, a lot of roaring, feel-good kind of anger, and a righteous cause, but I feel like it has more problems than I'm comfortable recommending along with it. Readers who like a riproaring, girls-kick-butt kind of narrative, and don't worry about subtext may enjoy it.</p>
<br>

<hr width=55%><p>I received my copy of this book courtesy of Harlequin Teen. You can find <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/aff/readersrant7?product=9781489220820" target=_blank><i>VIGILANTE</i></a> by Kady Cross at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!</p>
Review posts 4/15
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So when Vigilante popped up on my radar, I knew I needed to get my hands on this book. I’ve only read Kady Cross’ Steampunk series but this synopsis compelled me to want to read it. Vigilante was a book that dealt with some sensitive subjects like rape and violence. It was a fast paced read that will definitely be a conversation starter.

Hadley was an interesting character. She was angry, passionate, and most of all loyal. Losing her best friend, Magda, to suicide was devastating but the everything that lead up to it left her frustrated. In her mind no one did anything to get justice for Magda and she didn’t want to let them get away with what they had done.

I liked the fact that Hadley wanted to get justice for her friend. I do think she was both fueld by anger and a bit of guilt. I didn’t always agree how did things or how she jeopardized her own safety, but I understood her reasoning.

The story felt realistic in terms of the assault and how easily we can quickly we can blame the victim instead of the accused. This story had a good message but it also came across as a bit preachy. For me that took away from the authentic feel of story. I liked this story but didn’t love it. Regardless, this is definitely a book that will start a conversation.

Vigilante, by Steampunk Chronicles author Kady Cross, is a standalone contemporary thriller that centers on a girls desire for revenge. Hadley White is a senior at Carter High School. She's facing the school year alone after her best friend Magda chose to take her own life. Magda was raped and had pictures of her posted to the internet. If that weren't enough, everyone from parents, to teachers, to students, blamed Magda for allowing herself to be in that position in the first place. It literally destroyed her heart and soul.

Message: It's the girls fault she wore that outfit. It's the girls fault she was drinking. She's underage! Why was she drinking! It's the girls fault that she trusted too easily. She should have tried harder to not get raped!

No one stood up for Magda in her time of need except for her brother Gabriel, and Hadley. Even Hadley let Magda down at the most inopportune time. While Hadley & Gabriel were supportive mostly, when you make a reference, or commentary that could be construed as inflammatory, then you need to understand how that feels to a person who has just had her world shattered beyond repair. In Magda's case, yes I did feel for her. I would never take such as drastic step, but I will ever slam someone over the choices they make. One could say that Hadley's desire for revenge is due in large part because the system failed Magda spectacularly.

It also comes from the idea that she could have done more to help Magda. This guilt and grief sends Hadley into a dark place where the only way out is to find a way to make those boys pay for what they did. So, when opportunity knocks on the door, Hadley, who is trained in martial arts, makes the choice to pay each of the boys back for what they did to Magda. Hadley becomes the Pink Vigilante which leads her down the rabbit hole into even more dangerous situations. Her decision causes quite the stir, and a tidal wave of support from other girls and women. But, not everyone loves a Vigilante.

Hadley finds that she has the support of some surprising girls from her school, and her Do Jo where she and others train to fight back against potential attacks and rapists. For Hadley to take on the persona of a vigilante, a choice has to be made to put your own safety behind everything else. You have to ignore the police, and your parents, and those who are not as understanding as to the reasoning behind putting yourself that close to evil beings who care not who they hurt, as long as they are having fun. You have to also understand that if you get caught, you will probably go to prison quicker than you can imagine.

There is a factual element that says if you are rich, and with means, or have the ear of major players in law enforcement, then you can pretty much get away with anything. That isn't the case of Detective Diane Davies who stands in the forefront of finding justice for Magda. Nor do I believe that all judges, lawyers, or juries in real life are absolutely corrupt. I don't think that all cops are bad either. As a rape survivor of 20 years now, I had no desire to become Hadley who chooses to become a vigilante.

I did not find it necessary to blame others for what happened to me. I didn't blame the cops for not having enough officers on the streets at the time of my rape. I didn't blame society who is obsessed with blaming men for every single one of their issues. I blamed the rapists. Period. The RAPIST chose to break the law. The RAPIST chose to take something from me I can never get back. One of the preachier aspects of this story is when the narrator states that "the best way to prevent sexual assault or rape is to not assault or rape anyone." Yes, that is true. However, let's stop saying that All men are potential rapists. They're not. Let's discourage authors and movie producers from using rape scenes on TV, Movies, and in young adult novels where kids may be swayed into doing things like raping young girls, and yes, even boys.

Vigilante isn't necessarily for everyone. I would rate this book as PG for its dark content, its focus on rape. There are scenes in the book that may be too violent for younger readers. One of the aspects of this story I did like, was when Hadley realizes that while Magda is gone, she isn't alone. First, there is Zoe who breaks through Hadley's shield, then there is Detective Davies who could have stopped Hadley. Davies really is a wonderful character. As for Hadley's mom, I had some issues with her, but that ended up being resolved in a heart warming manner.

Hadley’s best friend Magda is sexually assaulted. The boys who did it get away without any consequences. Magda commits suicide. Hadley vows revenge. She dons a pink ski mask and attempts to gain ‘justice’ for Magda.
‘Vigilante’ is a raw look at rape culture, suicide, PTSD and male privilege in our society. Hadley attempts to take back some of the power that was taken from Magda. Although I didn’t necessarily agree with how Hadley takes back power, I did love how Cross portrayed Hadley as strong and passionate. I also loved the background characters such as Zoe and Gabe. They gave Hadley the support she needed. I also liked how realistically flawed all the characters were.
The pace of the book was definitely fast. I flew through it. The prose was also well done and easy to read.
I do think that the story did come on a little strong as fare as ‘rape culture’ in our society is concerned. Also, I would have liked more details of how Drew’s attorney got him and his friends off on the rape charge. There seemed to be a ton of evidence against him. Including evidence that he drugged Magda.
The deep undertone of ‘Vigilante’ is that Magda was not the only one affected by her rape. Her family and friends and even her community was deeply affected as well.
Even though I think that ‘Vigilante’ will no doubt be a trigger for some, it is an important read. ‘Vigilante’ opens a starting point for discussion.

I've been mulling this review over for about a week because I wasn't quite sure what to say about the book. I'm still not quite sure what I think about it, but here goes nothing. The book follows Hadley, a high school senior. Her best friend, Magda, has recently committed suicide after being drugged and raped at a party by boys that attend their high school. Hadley is grieving and angry, and begins to take revenge on the guys while wearing a pink ski mask, attempting to make them feel a little of what Magda felt after the rape. If you haven't realized it all ready, there are MAJOR trigger warnings here for rape, sexual assault, and a possessive/controlling relationship.

There were things that were interesting about this novel, and there were also things that made me uncomfortable. I'll try to explain both without spoiling anything. The book did bring up a lot of the typical things people say about rape that are problematic and discussed them, which is a good way to start discussion with teens and readers about the problematic rape culture we find ourselves in. Hadley herself is not exempt from making problematic comments, and I think her lack of perfection as a protagonist is somewhat refreshing, though was off-putting at first. The book also does a good job of promoting female friendships, even if those friendships eventually endorse/promote Hadley's violence, which I'm going to go into further in a moment.

Now, let's talk about some of the things that made me uncomfortable. First, the romance featured in the novel wasn't altogether healthy. At times, the guy Hadley is with is possessive and controlling and she calls him out for it, but continues to see him. In other ways, he comes across as a good guy, but so do most guys who are possessive and controlling. Furthermore, Hadley's violence as the vigilante is all tied up with the "love" they feel for each other, and I wasn't a fan of that. Love and violence aren't meant to intermingle so much in healthy relationships. Also, I understood where Hadley was coming from for much of the book. Maybe her getting revenge on the rapists shouldn't have made me so uncomfortable, but there are times where her revenge comes close to crossing the line (e.g. actively thinking about how she could  sexually assault one of the boys, but she won't because that would make her the same as him) or goes into actual violence. While the level Hadley takes it to made me uncomfortable at times, I could also understand where she was coming from. Too often, men who rape women go free and women are expected to do nothing about it. In that respect, a woman who takes the reins and helps prevent other women from being attacked is interesting to see.

Even after writing this review, I'm still not sure where I stand with this book. It's violent and messy, but so is the content it's dealing with. While I had some issues, it was extremely hard to put the novel down and I wanted to see how it ended. I think, at its best, it's a novel that is sure to spark controversy and conversation, and could lead to constructive dialogue around rape, sexual assault, and our culture. That being said, I think it's best read with understanding of some of its drawbacks, the biggest being a relationship Hadley engages in that doesn't seem altogether healthy. If you read it, keep the trigger warnings in mind. I'd be interested to hear what you think about this difficult read that covers such an essential topic, even if I'm unsure it's covered in the best way.

Note: I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Rating: 3 out of 5 (?)

More Information: Amazon, Goodreads, Author Page at Harlequin

Read Vigilante? What did you think? If not, will you read it? Let me know in the comments!

I have to say this was so real raw and honest. We see what happens to those who are affected by bullying and sexual assault. The consequences that can happen. The damage that rape leaves behind both emotionally and physically and not just to those that are the victims but those around them as well.
Hadley is the best friend holding onto guilt and anger at herself. She didn’t always understand what happened to Magda. She stood by her but also she did get frustrated because she didn’t know how to help Magda as she fell deeper and deeper into her own hopelessness and depression. When the boys get away with it and Magda is the one ridiculed and scorned her life to her is not worth living. She feels isolated and alone and does act on this. This is so real and happens more than we think. I loved that this book didn’t hide the ugly and the serious. It shows us everything and the aftermath of all that happens to rape victims, victims of assault and those that love them. We see what one might do to take back their life and protect themselves.
Hadley does this. She turns her anger into more. she helps the detective help girls learn to empower themselves and she also dons a mask and tries to get her revenge. But it becomes more, she gets others to take notice and start to empower them as well. Women are now becoming more aware and start to have the girlfriend rule where their friends help one another and protect each other. People begin to open their eyes and see the bullying and pressure. While this is happening hadley is changing as well. She finds more of herself and learns that she isn’t just anger she is helping. She and Magda’s brother begin to date and he helps her heal as she does him. They both begin to feel again. And they both respect and love one another. He is a great guy and shows Hadley that there are good men out there.
This is a great and amazingly well written book. It doesn’t hide the bad aftermath but faces it and shows us all that happens. We learn more about sexual assault and how to empower ourselves. We learn how one heals and finds a way to change a little area of her world. We learn so much from this book and even though it has some dark moments it is dealt with in a real and honest way. We feel the emotions of the characters and watch as they find their way and some get justice. We see them grow up and learn to come into their own. They learn about friendships, love and how to be there for each other. A truly incredibly wonderful and real book that should be read by all for it will open your eyes and have you see more around you and what many go through as the victim and what those around the victim go through. kady cross has done an excellent job getting in the minds of those that are victims of assults, their feelings and of those close to them. We feel all they do and are brought into their world as if we are there. We see the mind of the arrogant ones that think they are above everyone and the damage that can do as well. She does excellent in giving us a real honest and raw account and what one girl does to take back control and help others take control as well.

Vigilante has left me a bit on the fence as to how to rate this book. I am leaning for more than 3 but not so much as 4. The reason for the former is that it excellently calls out the rape culture that is prevalent in the world; the fact that sexual assault is rarely ever treated with the kind of brevity that it deserves, and most often the victims are blamed or jeered at. The reason for the latter is that despite all its good intentions to the contrary, the book comes off as preachy and inorganic sometimes, and Trying Too Hard at most.

I won't go into explaining the plot because it is right there in the blurb and is pretty straightforward and obvious from there. If you watch the MTV show Sweet/Vicious (also part of the reason I took up this book), you can pretty much even guess how the plotline of the book is going to be. Hadley becomes a vigilante to avenge the gang rape and suicide of her best friend. In doing so, she awakens a collective rising of women in her town to protect other women who are targets of sexual assault. She starts out with vengeance but moves on to protection, but the four classmates responsible for her friend's fate are still her main target. Her rage and guilt drives her for most of the book, but towards the end it is more like fierce protectiveness.

Look, I like that it inspires a feeling of sisterhood and looking out for other women, but it also largely still places the burden of prevention of sexual assault on women, because the book stresses a lot on the self defense classes that she and the local Detective teach - it is frequently mentioned throughout the book that the numbers swell as the Pink Vigilante gains infamy. It does, on two separate occasions, blame perpetrator's entitlement as the main cause for sexual assault, as well as point out that roofied victims (male or female) can't fight back, and while it was appreciated, at that point it seems like it is just to cover all the bases. Also the Some Good Men thing was pointed out (presumably to not anger male fans) but that is not what this issue is about, dude. In trying to be more inclusive of key points, the main issue was somehow diminished. Also, can we stop praising boys for achieving basic decency levels? Her friends were going on and on about what a 'good guy' Gabriel is - which he was, but they didn't even know him personally enough to make that judgement!

As for characters, I don't think Hadley undergoes much of a development. She is angry throughout the book, and only at the end does she gain some sort of peace - wanting an out because she has done what she wanted. Obviously she goes too far, but the way it is written you can't really connect with her. In a plot so charged with emotion and with a character so complex facing such a monumental change, the fact that you feel disconnected from the horror that a girl faces when she does something she didn't think she was capable of, it just goes to say that the writing was not up to far. I hate to make comparisons, but for an example, The Female of the Species has a very involved and immersive experience with respect to the protagonist.

Another thing I was a bit discomforted by was victim-blaming. Hadley, in one moment of frustration calls it out as her friend's mistake. Granted, she took it back, but the fact that the thought even occurred was meant to highlight the fact that rape culture means it is something we, as women, have been brought up to believe. It comes up in the book how girls are taught to be afraid and blame the victim, but boys are not taught not to create that fear, so the suggestion by the plot that within months, most of the girls and women in the book are 'cured' of this insidious conditioning is a reach, at best. It is idealistic and does not help anyone to think change is affected so easily, even in fiction, when news cycles are still full of brutal cases of sexual assault that are still, in a corner of most people's minds attributed as the victim's fault, even though almost everyone knows better.

Female friendships were promoted, but only topically. The dialogue was stilted between them, and without much build-up as to how the girls come to care for each other. Instead, an unnecessary romantic subplot was carried out, which though providing for convenient alibi, still did not sit right with me, particularly with Gabriel acting a bit controlling of her, at times. I guess, it overall, provides a message that feminism doesn't mean to hate men, but it really had no place in this book about women affected from sexual assault trying to avenger the crimes committed against them. Overall, it is still a good book, just a little bit preachy at times; still it tackles a tough topic and tries to give it good treatment.

The action sequences as well as the emphasis of empowering women and girls was compelling and punctuated by the tragedy that acted as a major catalyst for the events in this book. That being said, I wish the book had started with the events leading up to the rape of Magda and not the aftermath. It felt as if the characters were just a bit out of reach. They had my sympathy, to be sure, but I didn't feel quite as connected to them, as if I were missing a part of their story.