After the Ink Dries

May 31, 2021
The night after a party, new student Erica Walker wakes up in the host’s bedroom—her bra is missing, and her body is markered with boys’ names and slut-shaming comments. The guys involved play lacrosse with her boyfriend, Thomas, and the party’s host is her best friend Caylee’s boyfriend. Ashamed and confused, Erica, who’s white (like all the primary characters), heads home, initially hoping that Thomas wasn’t involved and that Caylee will offer support—hopes that are soon dashed. The events of the following week are narrated by both Erica, who’s new to the area and doesn’t feel like she fits in, and Thomas, an aspiring musician struggling to please his domineering father. Gustafson’s debut doesn’t pull punches; the book is open about Erica’s suicidal ideation, the male chauvinism Thomas is steeped in, and the bullying both experience. Vieceli’s graphic novel panels represent the superhero comic that Erica draws, and pages featuring her heroine appear as she tries to channel bravery to speak the truth and hold her abusers accountable. The quickly paced ending feels abrupt following the characters’ lengthy, detailed remembrances of the incident, but this all-too-believable book will open eyes and start conversations about sexual assault, toxic masculinity, and victim shaming. Age 14–up. Author’s agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties.

June 1, 2021
A girl struggles to understand what happened the night she was assaulted while one of the boys involved wrestles with the role he played. The morning after a party, Erica wakes half naked in an unfamiliar room with the names of boys and lewd words written all over her body. The last thing she recalls is her hope for a blossoming new relationship with Thomas, the soulful lacrosse player she'd been crushing on since she transferred to her new high school. Relieved not to find Thomas' name on her body, Erica tries to make sense of what happened and avoid the humiliation of everyone else finding out before she does. Meanwhile, in alternating segments, Thomas attempts to repress his own memories of his involvement in what transpired. Before long, graphic photos and videos start to circulate among their classmates, causing ripple effects that affect their relationships and their mental health as Thomas grapples with his guilt and Erica's despair deepens. Weighty themes of sexual assault, bullying, and suicidal ideation are conveyed through Erica's and Thomas' extensive interior monologues, yet despite this, their characters don't feel fully three-dimensional. The narrative is interspersed with illustrated panels from Erica's webcomic about her alter ego, Erica Strange, which do not add significantly to the story. Most major characters are White. A story about sexual assault that takes an unusual approach. (resources) (Fiction. 14-18)

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July 1, 2021

Gr 9 Up-In this debut YA novel, two-voice prose merges with graphic elements in telling the story of white 16-year-old Erica Walker, who wakes up half-clothed after a drunken house party. Coming to, she finds derogatory words and the names of the boys' lacrosse team written in Sharpie across her body. Erica doesn't remember what happened the night before, but she can't believe that her new boyfriend, Thomas, would be involved. Thomas wakes up from the party, worried he is late for his audition to music school. He is determined not to ruin his chances, while also not entirely clear about everything that occurred the night before. As Erica and Thomas make their way through the next few days, the truth is revealed. Erica learns that there is also a video circulating at school of her being assaulted while passed out. The narrative unfolds between Erica's and Thomas's points of view, with images woven throughout of Erica's alter ego superhero Erica Strange, the comic she draws. This page-turner tackles issues of assault, relationships, and suicide. The main characters, especially Erica, are dynamic but the multitude of secondary characters sometimes muddles the narrative and takes away from the main focus. Still, the pacing and story will in draw teens. VERDICT The beautiful graphics and the way this novel tackles assault head-on make it a good addition to a library shelf.-Rebekah Buchanan, Western Illinois Univ., Macomb, IL

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