Chelle isn’t a typical 13-year-old girl—she doesn’t laugh with friends, play sports, or hang out at the mall after school. Instead, she navigates a world well beyond her years.
Life in Dawson, ND spins on as she grasps at people, pleading for someone to save her—to return her to the simple childhood of unicorns on her bedroom wall and stories on her father’s knee.
When Troy Christiansen walks into her life, Chelle is desperate to believe his arrival will be her salvation. So much so, she forgets to save herself. After experiencing a tragedy at school, her world begins to crack, causing a deeper scar in her already fragile psyche.
Follow Chelle’s twisted tale of modern adolescence, as she travels down the rabbit hole into a reality none of us wants to admit actually exists.
Review
First of all, it was hard for me to put into words what I thought of this book. I can normally come up with my thoughts within an hour after finishing the book. I finished it 36 hours ago, and it's still difficult. This is not as easy book to read. I had to shut it many times. One page took me two hours to read. Not because it is bad, because it is an exceptional book. It was the content. There are things in this book that I wish I was warned about before starting. I figured it out pretty quickly - puked within the first 10% of the story. And again a little more than halfway into it.
I was drawn to the main character, Chelle, for a number of reasons. Not all of which I feel comfortable listing in a public review. She felt so real, and my heart ached for her as I read this story. I have seen similar things happen, and that is one big reason why I applaud this book.
Abuse is real. It happens every day, all over the world. Whether it is bullying, neglect, sexual, or otherwise - it is happening everywhere around you. And to all sorts of people. Closing your eyes and ignoring it won't make it go away. White Chalk took things many people are overlooking, and showed the consequences.
I do highly recommend this book, but with a warning. The content it rough and it will hurt.