Most importantly, a huge thank you to NetGalley, Clark Fredericks and Atria Books for providing me with a copy of this publication in exchange for an honest review.

"I had just murdered Dennis Pegg, a longtime family friend, my boyhood hero. I killed him without mercy–to face, up close and personal–with my bare hands and a razor-sharp knife, the same knife he taught me how to sharpen when I was just a kid." -Clark Fredericks, 'Scarred: A Memoir of a Childhood Stolen and a Life Reclaimed'

Given the topic, this one was difficult to get through. It also took place in the same area in which I grew up. So this could have very well happened to one of my own brothers or friends. (Thank God it didn't.) That being said, I was eager to learn of Mr. Fredericks' childhood prior to the traumatic event that was the basis of his story.

The author's vulnerability and honesty during the rehashing of his childhood trauma couldn't be more admirable. He does a phenomenal job of explaining where his mind was at during every stage of his life and how it related to what happened to him, how it affected him. For this, I applaud him. However, what bothered me most is his lack of remorse. Don't get me wrong, harming a child in ANY way, ESPECIALLY this way, is deplorable. BEYOND deplorable. Despicable. Disgusting. Revolting. But his writing seemed to have glorified taking the life of someone, made it honorable, and this didn't sit right with me.

All in all, this was a good read. I liked it. I don't know if I'd say I enjoyed it. I admire your courage and resilience, Mr. Fredericks. I wish you healing and happiness in your freedom.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
Clark tells his story of child sex abuse, to murdering his predator, to prison, and finally to healing and transformation. Very well written and engaging. His continuing advocacy and speaking events are truly life-changing for so many people.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

WOW. Clark bared it all and then some in this memoir of his childhood abuse and abuser. As someone who was lucky enough to not be affected by this type of abuse, it was actually jarring to read about how this affected his life moving beyond childhood. Such an important story and testament to however painful it may be, we must confront and deal with our personal feelings and events in order to try and find a way to move past them. This read more like fiction and I was compulsively interested in the story.