Title: Rapescars
Author: Gaurav Sharma
Publisher: Petals Publishers
ISBN: 9788192982748
Number of Pages: 151
Price [INR] : 150
Genre: Fiction
Rapescars… They never heal
A girl is raped! Her parents insist to report. Police tries to scuttle the case. Her fathers influence works! Doctor, the fourth man, sees her bare. The defence lawyer encounters with obnoxious questions.
As if, she had inveigled the innocent boys. As if, she’s the one accused and her violators are seeking justice against her. She feels & experiences being raped in public again. Her lawyer manages to seek conviction!
Akriti wins the case but refuses her culprit to have imprisonment.
Why does she do this?
What does she decide then?
Is this the decision of ‘her’ or ‘raped mind’?
Rapescars is the voice of a rape survivor who thrives to stand against the violation of her persona.
Rapescars is a chilling, haunting reminder of the heinous crime of rape that are inflicted on too many women in our society. It is a heart-breaking story of Akriti who has to deal with the physical, mental and emotional scars of rape. This book brings to the fore the long lasting effects on victims of assault, the struggles with shame, alienation, and the eventual fight for justice.
After the assault she has to deal with the trauma she has just endured again when she reports it to the police and later in the court of law and relives the whole attack all over again. This is of course tough not only for her but for her family as well. It is a story of coping with one of the life’s worst nightmare, of survival, of courage and of moving ahead in life.
What I liked about Rapescars is that it is a bold attempt on a sensitive subject like rape. The research done by the author on the subject especially on the legal procedures/laws and medical aspects of rape is commendable. The retribution sought by Akriti is a bit unusual but not unheard of. Some of the dialogues in the book are profound and worth pondering.
What could have been better in Rapescars is certainly the editing, word-choices and sentence structuring. The climax seems to be a bit hurried.
Rapescars is about a burning issue that needs to be addressed by the law and by the society. It is a survivor’s story who had risen above the stigma, victim blaming and physical and emotional trauma to reclaim her life. A must read.
This book review is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program and Blog Tours. To get free books log on to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com
22 Responses
Yes! It’s kind of a coincidence, but I just saw a video that a FB friend had posted (which I reposted to my wall) showing this young woman followed by two young men, with intent to do her harm. Then a third young man notices and goes to stand between the woman and her would-be attackers. The two try to wave him aside. Then another young man, of a different religion, joins the first ‘rescuer’. Eventually, there is a ring of men around the woman, protecting her, showing how people from all religions can stand up for what is right.
I have TBR’d this book on GoodReads because I have to find out what retribution Akriti got!
I saw that video. LuAnn! So glad that the men came ahead to protect her. May their tribe increase and no woman has to ever face the trauma and scars of a rape. Do check out Rapescars!
Thanks for sharing about the book Shilpa…Good to see that books are being written about such issues…
Yes, it is good that the author gave voice to a rape survivor in his book. It is a story of a survivor who had been shaped – but refused to be defined – by what was done to her.
Oh I wonder if this is as hard to read as it may be to write due to the sensitive topic. I so agree with these lines written above, “As if, she’s the one accused and her violators are seeking justice against her. She feels & experiences being raped in public again.” I’ve heard that is a common or can be a common experience, unfortunately. <3
I know what you mean, Elly! Reading about such a heinous crime is never easy. But the author has handled the issue sensitively!
Sadly, that’s how it happens usually, the victim is victimized further!
Oh my it must be so difficult to even write the book. All these stories give me chills. But to let the offender go free!! that’s strange. I am curious now.
Agree. Even reading about such crimes is heart breaking. But such stories must be shared for they help us to learn, grow, inspire and hopefully deter the perpetrators of the crime! Yes, you must read it to know about the unusual justice she sought!
hmmmm seems to be a good book its good at least we are now talking about issues and talking is the first step towards rectifiying the problem
Bikram’s
Well said!
Thanks for the nice review. I want to read this book to know why she “refuses her culprit to have imprisonment”. May be Patty Hearst Syndrome? I hope not.
No, it isnt, Patty Hearst Syndrome! You need to read it to know the punishment she asked for the culprit!
Patty Hearst Syndrome (previously known as Stockholm Syndrome) is where a hostage expresses sympathy and have positive feeling towards his/her captor.
Thanks for sharing about PHS, SG. In this book, she doesn’t want jail for the culprits, as jails help rapists by keeping them aloof from the society. A rapist wouldn’t mind going to a jail for a few years. Also, the jail provides meals, clothes, shelter, medical facilities, security to them, they can even study and watch TV. So, she wanted a real punishment for the culprits!
You piqued my interest if only to find out what punishment Akriti asked for the culprit. Will have to look it up.
Do check it out, Suzy!
The story somewhat reminded me of the living example sunita krishnan…but no …i don’t think i would read this book although it is a burning issue that needs to be tackled. I want to read feel good books:)
I know what you mean. Such books leave you all drained and sad too!
I think the best thing to happen on the Indian literary scene is the fact that books on such issues are being written by authors.
I know. Hope it brings some change and awakening in our society!
I am curious after reading the review. Rape is such a heinous crime. What is the apt punishment for that? Putting him behind the bars or even killing would never bring justice to the victim. It is sad that these are not just stories!
Do check out this book to see what justice she sought for herself! Yeah, these are not stories but sad reality of our times!