Louise MacGregorReseñas

I have to honestly say that I was not expecting to like this book. I think the title is meant to get your attention. But I thought it was a very good read. I think it's good to talk about things like this book covers. It shouldn't be taboo and this book helps to dispel that. It was a short read, but it is not a light read. This is not a beach book. This is a good book club book to get a real discussion going about real life.

I received this book as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers group. To be honest I didn't even finish the book -- I tried but no go.

I have read many books about sexual abuse and rape to understand more about the culture and the therapy involved since I have chosen that area as a place that I can give back. I have read sad stories, horror stories, encouraging stories, depressing stories...but this one didn't seem to fit into any of those.

I didn't care for the writing style -- I couldn't connect to the main character -- the first chapter had so many curse words that it turned me off. I flipped deeper into the book to see if things got any better, they didn't.

This story may have something valuable to share on the topic but it needs a lot of rewrite and editing.

Story contains strong language and detailed sex scenes.

At first I wasn't impressed by the writing, and the story with no nuance, but the more I read the more I felt a deep empathy and understanding for Edie, who is struggling after being raped by her date. Unfortunately the frustrations, anger, and confusion she feels are far too familiar to every woman in the world. I didn't like the writing, I thought the overall story was trite, but I can't help but like this book because it made me remember my younger self so clearly.

I received this book as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers group. I liked the book overall; I think every woman can empathize with the issues the female protagonist faces, whether you've been in her specific situation or not. As women, we've all been subjected to clueless men and unwanted sexual advances of some kind. The portrayal of the issue of date rape and its emotional and physical aftermath felt very realistic, including her journey through the effects of experiencing date rape and into her healing process. I realize that one of the functions of this book is as commentary on current sexual issues, but for me this piece of fiction would have been more satisfying to read if Edie was shown confronting her rapist. The fact that she didn't felt realistic, though. And although it was billed as a love story (and the whole literary function of Philip was he was the right guy at the wrong time), I would rather have liked to see Edie go through her personal growth and healing on her own rather than coping with a new relationship (and having a man help to "save" her from her trauma). But maybe that's just me. It was a quick and meaningful read, so if you like fiction that covers serious and current gender issues then this is a good book for you.

This book was an uncomfortable breeze to read. By that, I mean that the act of reading it flew by but the topic of the story is uncomfortable.
At the start of the novel, Edie, our main character, recounts a date rape to one of her best friends. She then wants to run away from what she just confessed. This is a completely understandable reaction.
As days pass, she tells two other friends and begins to process her emotions.
Edie's inner voice is fascinating!
During this recovery period, she meets Philip and he is the man of the book's title.
But he is worth it.

Overall, a good story about one horrible experience and one excellent one.

This book starts out with the main character, Edie, becoming a victim of date rape. She then goes on with her life while at the same time coming to terms with what has happened to her. She is fortunate to have very supportive friends who help her through. She also meets Philip not long after her rape. He is a great guy and she laments that she has met him at the wrong time in her life. I loved his character and how he was able to support Edie when many men would have had a hard time with how to do so. Overall, I liked many things about this book. I thought the writing flowed well and I also thought Edie's feelings were written realistically. That being said, I also felt that the book was too short and that it wrapped up a little too easily.

My sincere thanks to Frayed Edge Press and Library Thing Early Reviewers for the opportunity to read this book and give my unbiased opinion of it.

I receive a print ARC [Advance Reader’s Copy] of this book from the publisher and the following is my honest opinion.

While one of the most beautiful, most marvelous things any woman can experience in her life is that of giving birth to her first child; the most terrifying, the most horrific things any woman can experience is being rape. It’s one thing being raped by an unknown, sex-craved male; being raped by a guy a woman has dated a few times already can have a profound effect on her psyche and the way she’ll engage in sex going forwards.

One of more prevalent movements these days involving women is the ME TOO [#MeToo] movement which is a social movement that is against sexual abuse and sexual harassment towards women, where people publicize allegations of sex crimes. And one to the more aspects of this is that of being raped. Luckily, I’ve never had to endure this dramatic event in my life, but those women who have know all to well of the traumatic impact experiencing this has had on their lives.

When the book arrived, I immediately tore into it, and I got immediately swept into the shoes of the book’s protagonist, Edie, and felt particularly all of the nuances she was experiencing.

And like Edie, being in her shoes, I also would have had no idea whatsoever of how my now status post, shell-shocked existence might be transformed. Would Edie’s work ethic be changed, especially with any relationship she might have with her coworkers? And what about her desire to do things she used to love to do? But, most importantly, being a woman, how would Edie’s attitude about romance and sex be changed, especially when a new guy is about to enter her life, at the one of the untimeliest moments of her life, following the still lingering repercussions of her recent date rape.

When a new guy enters her life, while she’s still recuperating from the rape culture omnipresence in her life as she recovers from her horrific ordeal. There’s a lot of romantic comedy through the pages of this book coming from a feministic POV which adds to the complexity of what role romance and sexual interactions will now play in her life.

While it is a fictional storyline, it’s still fraught with real life reminders of a woman experiencing her life again being raped. It is a storyline that any woman who has experienced the horrors and social aftermaths of being raped can relate to, as well as giving any other woman a sense of what it’s like going through this experience and surviving so they can live again.

Given the above, I’ve given the author, Ms. MacGregor 5 STARS for her endeavor here.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book under a different title and reviewed it then but would like to share my review here, under the new title and cover, as well.

It took me a little while to get into this book, it was not really what I was expecting. Although I'm not sure what I actually was expecting. Once I got into it I enjoyed it. It comes across as a pretty heavy and serious story dealing with sexual assault and rape culture. However there is humor intertwined which makes it a little lighter and the romance was very good. It really highlights just how life changing a traumatic event can be and how difficult it is to understand for those who have not experienced such events.
I think a lot of people who have personal experience with this topic would benefit from reading it.
I would like to add that while the previous title and cover were a challenge for obvious reasons, this new one seems to be the polar opposite. The first was edgy, pushing boundaries, very taboo, borderline inappropriate, but made me think 'what on earth could this be about?', made other people say 'WTF are you reading?' Under this new name and title I'm not sure I would have given it the time of day. Probably would have scrolled right past it. This one seems very immature and soft compared to the previous. Like maybe even high school girls would pass it by. However, if it is a younger audience you are targeting, then it's definitely more appropriate. But I don't think this is a story for just young people. I feel that women of all ages will appreciate this book and I think there must be a middle ground title/cover that would be more attention grabbing for all audiences.

This was a rather good book. At first, I almost scrolled past because of the title but the summary sucked me in. I loved that there wasn't an instant moment where the protagonist "knows what to do". She struggled with herself. She fought with herself. she tried to make things normal again but things aren't normal immediately following something as serious as this. I highly recommend this for those who are trying to understand this kind of thing from a victim's perspective.

I received this book for free through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers in exchange for an honest review.

I know they say, "never judge a book by its cover," but when I first saw this cover, actually more-so the title of it, I was a bit put off by it and thought it was being insensitive and almost scrolled past it completely, but my curiosity got the best of me and I had to least find out what it was about. I'm glad I did because the summary won me over, and I realized then that was the point of the cover and title. It's to make people ask questions about it and (hopefully) start a dialogue about this issue more and to bring awareness.

It took me a little while to get into this book, it was not really what I was expecting. Although I'm not sure what I actually was expecting. Once I got into it I enjoyed it. It is classified as a romantic comedy, but I wouldn't call it that. I found it to be pretty serious and not all that funny, although there were some funny moments and the romance part was good. I will also say that this book was uncomfortable to read in public. The title causes some eyebrow raising. I felt the need to flip it over when I wasn't reading or tuck it away when I had guests. However, every single person who did see the title questioned me about it, so I guess that's good marketing. Nobody ever reacts to run of the mill book titles the way I saw people react to this one. I think a lot of people who have personal experience with this topic would benefit from reading it.

Author: Louise McGregor
Published: 2019
Format: paperback (giveaway)
Pages: 205

This was a LibraryThing giveaway.

Thumbs up because the publisher is based in my hometown.

Cons:

1) The title, which I get, but I got a lot of looks while reading this in public.
2) The entirety of the book is in first person which does make sense for the story being told, but I loathe first person perspective.
3) Some of the situations were so convoluted they were comical.

Pros:
1) The story was told from the victim's point of view.
2) She had a good support system.
3) She didn't instantly know what to do and how to feel.
4) She didn't have instant closure.

We watched as our protagonist, Edie, figured out what actually happed to her and saw how she navigated everday life as a survivor of rape.

Her life fell apart a little too spectacularly for my tastes, but we did watch her work to put it all back together again, which didn't happen instantly. She had to learn how to fuction as a friend, a worker, a love interest and just Edie again.

It wasn't a great read, but it was very good. I would definitely check out more from the author a d publisher in future.

"But instead, I felt the opposite. Mired down. Like I had let myself fall deeper into the swamp of bad feeling that I had been wallowing in the last few weeks."

I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.

I want to start this review off with everything I enjoyed about this book. While there were a few issues I had with Rape Jokes, it was not enough to keep me from giving it a four star rating. Overall, it was a very enjoyable read, and one that I feel was important.

The first thing I loved about this book was how accurate and relatable it was. The novel addresses how hard it is to say the word rape after the event happens, how even a comforting touch becomes panic-inducing, the constant searching for some sign you gave that could have been seen as a "yes," and the mixed feelings of sadness and relief when you meet someone who has been through the same thing. I felt that Edie didn't filter any of the thoughts and feelings that happen after such an event. It made it easier to read and gave a realistic portrayal of people's minds after rape. I found the rape scene at the beginning to be slightly triggering to me, but being able to read a novel like this was, overall, therapeutic. It really gave me a character to relate to. I also think it's important for people who haven't been through such an event to read books like this, as it gives them a better understanding of friends and family who have been through this.

I also really enjoyed the relationships that Edie had throughout the novel. Her friends were very supportive, and i genuinely enjoyed reading their interactions. I also loved Philip. He was very understanding. At first, Edie had a difficult time admitting to him what had happened, but in the end he was very supportive of her. This not only made the novel more realistic but gave it a more positive note.

Farther along in the novel, Edie is assaulted by her co-worker, Dominic, as well. I liked that MacGregor included this. When you read it, it seems like an unlikely event. However, multiple sexual assaults happening to one person isn't that uncommon. It makes the reader think about their first opinions more deeply.

One thing I was not a fan of was the sex. I'm not opposed to reading sexy scenes in a book, but to me it seemed very out of place. Of course, getting back into her sexual life was a major part of the novel, but I just didn't feel that it was well done. I didn't love how detailed it was. I guess a part of that was the shock factor: how one can go from feeling sexy and excited to being in a complete panic or in pain the next. But, the scenes that were written just didn't sit right with me.

I also don't love the name Rape Jokes. In the summary on the back, it says that Edie uses humor to help her deal with her situation. However, Edie never really jokes at all during the book. There is no real indication that she uses her humor to help herself get through her rough times. There is a certain shock factor to the name Rape Jokes, but it was more of a negative shock than a positive one.

Overall, I loved the book. I would recommend this to anyone who needs comfort in finding a situation they can relate to, or to anyone who wants to open their eyes a little more as to what other people are going through.

Rape Jokes was an intense but rewarding read. First off, let me forewarn that, unsurprisingly, this book can be triggering. But, as a survivor, I can also attest that I found it deeply relatable and empowering.

The story tells the tale of a woman named Edie and her struggle to reclaim her life after coming to terms with the fact that she was raped. The story does not gloss over Edie's difficulties - the reader follows along on Edie's emotional rollercoaster, her interactions with other people in the aftermath, and her burgeoning career working with music artists. The struggles she encounters feel very raw and real, and MacGregor does an excellent job helping the read to empathize and/or sympathize with Edie.

It feels odd to say that this book is refreshing, but in a way, it is. I'm so used to seeing rape in books, movies, etc. just as a plot device - a way to tug at the reader's heartstrings, flare up emotions, make a good guy a hero, or a bad guy a really horrible human being. But here, the rape just... was. It was pivotal to Edie's story without being embellished for dramatic effect.

I will admit that the title was a bit off-putting, and a bit confusing. It definitely has a way of catching a potential reader's attention, and it will certainly spark some additional dialogue. But, while the book is seen as a bit of a romantic comedy, it wasn't really super joke-y. It had its lighthearted and humorous moments, but it didn't quite fit the image I had in mind from the title and initial description.

I also felt that the events in Edie's life tested the limits of what is believable in a story that generally feels very real, so that occasionally pulled me away from the narrative a little. Edie seemed extremely unfortunate to undergo three separate non-consensual sexual occurrences in just a few months' time (though, sadly, I could absolutely envision the HR scene playing out the way it did in real life). I also do not know much about the music industry, but it seemed like she got the ball rolling on setting up her own label extremely quickly.

That being said, for me, the positives far outweighed the negatives, and I flew through this book. It is a short read, but not a light read. I would certainly recommend it to any survivors of rape that feel they are ready to pick up a novel with this as a central plot thread, but I would also recommend it to anyone who wishes they could have a better understanding of what it is like to go through something so traumatic. I applaud MacGregor for writing this book, and I'm very glad I had the opportunity to read it.

RAPE JOKES. I know, I know. It's an off-putting, creepy title, and misleading too. Because rape is not funny, and there are no jokes here either. Louise MacGregor's novel is a deadly serious, not at all funny look at an issue that's always been with us, and, sadly, is not likely to go away anytime soon. Rape is, in fact, a very serious crime, but one that too often goes unreported.

RAPE JOKES is the unhappy story of Edie, a college grad, rising record label talent scout, single, mid-twenties, who likes a good time, maybe drinks a little too much at times, who is quite brutally raped by a guy she's dated a couple times. She doesn't go to the police, doesn't confront the culprit, and only tells a few close friends - one of them a confirmed lesbian, and another who, it turns out, was also raped, when still in high school (and never told anyone).

The story follows Edie through the next several months as she tries to cope with the traumatic after-effects of the rape. She suffers debilitating flashbacks, tries self-medicating with alcohol, alternates between rage and terror, starts seeing a therapist, and loses her job. She also meets "the perfect guy."

RAPE JOKES is very much a story of our times, and almost certainly a product of the #metoo movement and the Trump era. I am sure it will find a wide audience among women, and that - if it is read and discussed - it will be very controversial. Because probably even women will argue about Edie's plight. But I think men need to read this book too, no matter how wince-worthy they may find it. And believe me, as a 75 year-old white male who came of age in the sixties, I winced plenty. It's a different world out there now, men, and you'd better pay attention!

I read this book in just a few sittings over a single day. It's compelling, and a bit on the erotic side at times. Four stars means "I liked" the book. That's a stretch. I was too busy wincing, remembering dating behavior from fifty-some years ago. And I was also a bit put off by all the casual obscenity, but maybe that's just generational. The ending seemed just a little too pat for my taste. But it's too important a book to only give it three stars - so, a "wincing four stars" from this old fart. Don't be fooled by the poorly chosen title. Read this book.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER

The book begins with our protagonist, Edie, being raped by a man she has been dating. From there, the story follows Edie as she confesses to her friends what happened, starts going to therapy, and, in a fit of bad timing, meets the man of her dreams. As she comes to terms with what happened, she also has to navigate a new, fraught relationship, and deal with the fall-out from an incident at work. The back cover also promises readers that Edie faces all of this with humor and takes a realistic look at the consequences of date rape.

I really wanted to like this novel. Rape Jokes has a refreshingly realistic take on the subject. Edie's life doesn't go on hold because of her experience; like most women, she is expected to continue going to work, buy food for her cat, and even go on dates. Lena's story especially rang very true, particularly when she tells Edie how her experience wasn't the worst thing that happened to her, and how she still felt rage when thinking that her rapist got away with it.

Unfortunately, the book on the whole had some problems. Some were minor editing issues, like Edie complaining that Dominic liked to beat her to the office in the beginning of the novel, then sensing something was wrong because Dominic was there before her at the end. But there were three major problems that hindered the book.

The first is the title. It's provocative enough that an author should have been sure she could back it up with the promised humor; unfortunately, there wasn't really enough humor in this book, and so the title ended up feeling awkward and flat. When the back flap promises that Edie approaches her trauma with humor, I expected her to specifically use humor to deal with her experience. Instead, she pretty much copes with her experience by doing... what any woman might do. She cries, she feels angry, she sees a therapist. I hoped to see a more unique arc to justify the title, but Edie doesn't particularly seem funny or even unique.

The second problem is that the whole book feels sort of flat. Edie is the main character and I realized by the end of the book, I still had no mental picture of her; I didn't even know what color her hair was. There was almost no description to the city, which led to a weird, unanchored feeling throughout the novel. It felt like the characters were floating in a void the entire time. There was just nothing to make it pop. There were no lines that stuck out, no mental pictures... it just felt very two-dimensional.

The final problem was harder to quantify. Edie deals with not only the date rapist, but with a colleague (or boss? It was very unclear) who sexually harasses her, a gropist at a night club, and a self-involved narcissist of a date. She even hangs two lightshades on this, the first when she complains that nearly every woman not only tolerates, but expects these incidents in her life, and the second when she worries people will not believe her that she was both raped and sexually harassed by her colleague/boss a few weeks later. The problem with this is that while intellectually, I actually know that this happens, and have had it happen to me, something in me balked at it. There's a book I read periodically called How Not to Write a Novel which explains that authors have a harder job than God, because while no one's belief is strained when something actually happens in real life, it has to seem believable when it happens in a novel. I absolutely hate having to say it didn't feel believable, because hey, women not being believed is a big problem! But I don't know of any other way to talk about this in a novel. It just felt engineered, a little too strawman-like to feel real for a novel. Everyone in the novel seemed engineered along "good" or "bad" lines: the friends and new boyfriend are "good", everyone else is "bad". I'm not saying that the rapist should be sympathetic, but there was no nuance, no three-dimensionality to the characters that made me feel like it was really happening. It felt like every woman's experience in life condensed into the space of a few months and one woman.

I appreciate the publisher for not only sending me a copy to review, but also for taking a chance on a novel that highlights women's experiences in a realistic, empathetic way that I normally don't see in novels; I also appreciate the author for writing about these experiences and showing them to the light. It just felt like something was missing, which was disappointing, because stories like this deserve to be heard and read.

NB: This book was given to me for free by the publisher in return for an honest review.

I won a print copy of this book from the publisher through an EARLY READER giveaway they had on LibraryThing and the following is my honest opinion.

It is said that the first three pages of any book is the most important, for if you’re unable to hook an individual’s interest by then, you’ve probably lost the sale of the book. However, even before this comes another hook, and that’s the book’s title. Given the voracious book reviewer I am, since I don’t accept requests to review a book, I’m always on the prowl for giveaways to get another book I can read/review. Usually I check out the book’s description before entering the giveaway; but with such an intriguing title as Rape Jokes, I merely entering the giveaway.

While one of the most beautiful, most marvelous things any woman can experience in her life is that of giving birth to her first child; the most terrifying, the most horrific things any woman can experience is being rape. It’s one thing being raped by an unknown, sex-craved male; being raped by a guy a woman has dated a few times already can have a profound effect on her psyche and the way she’ll engage in sex going forwards.

When the book arrived, I immediately tore into it, wanting to read the first joke the author could have imaginably written regarding the topic of rape. Instead, I got immediately swept into the shoes of the book’s protagonist, Edie, and felt particularly all of the nuances she was experiencing.

And like Edie, being in her shoes, I also would have had no idea whatsoever of how my now status post, shell-shocked existence might be transformed. Would Edie’s work ethic be changed, especially with any relationship she might have with her coworkers? And what about her desire to do things she used to love to do? But, most importantly, being a woman, how would Edie’s attitude about romance and sex be changed, especially when a new guy is about to enter her life, at the one of the untimeliest moments of her life, following the still lingering repercussions of her recent date rape.

But, yet, miraculously somehow Edie possesses a unique sense of humor which is allowing her to look beyond what has happen to her, look beyond society’s ubiquitous culture regarding rape, and to deal with her future existence still carrying the baggage of her sexual assault.

For having given her readers, and myself, an erotic, humorous romance story with an I will survive attitude, I’ve given Ms. MacGregor and her book 5 STARS.